True to our native land, p.21
True to Our Native Land, page 21
The birth of the Messiah, according to the quotation from Micah 5:2, was to occur in Bethlehem (Matt 2:6). Contrary to the expectations of the magi, the king who is to rule Israel will be born not in Jerusalem but, like his ancestor David, in Bethlehem, among the little clans of Judah. The least of these, a little child, is now among the prominent. Matthew informs readers that those we consider to be insignificant, unworthy of any serious consideration, can turn out to be the very agents God chooses to lead us.
2:13–23, God’s Protection from Herod’s Anger
Again the issue of survival arises in the narrative. Herod calls the magi secretly and pretends that he also wants to worship Jesus (2:8). In reality, Herod wants to kill him. Like the Pharaoh of Egypt in the Exodus story, Herod sees the child as a threat. To save the child’s life, Joseph is told to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt in a dream. The land of Egypt was often used as a place of refuge, as we see from the Old Testament (see Gen 47:27). Who can forget Joseph’s memorable words to his brothers, “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today” (Gen 50:20)? Jesus’s flight to Egypt was to preserve his life. Some believe that the reason for choosing Egypt was due to Jesus’s color.3 This is not necessarily true. In the time of Jesus, people from all over the world lived in Egypt, especially in its largest city, Alexandria. There were at least two prominent Jewish communities in Egypt, one in Alexandria and the other in Leontopolis. Cain Hope Felder points out that “when Jesus’ parents felt the need to flee Herod’s domain to protect the innocent ‘sweet lil’ Jesus boy,’ they followed the established trail to Africa—not Europe!”4 It is more likely that they chose Egypt because of its status as a place of refuge, because there were Jews already living there, and because it was beyond Herod’s reach.
The magi bring expensive gifts that would finance the journey. Frankincense, in particular, was prized in the ancient world as an essential component in worship. It came from Marib, an ancient city that many believe served as the capital of the kingdom of Sheba (now part of Yemen).5 After the death of Herod, Joseph is instructed in a dream to take Jesus and Mary back to the land of Israel. He decides that they should settle in Nazareth in the Galilee.
3:1—4:25, Out of the Wrong Place
3:1–12, John’s Announcement of God’s Kingdom
Matthew’s story begins to move quickly at this point. When he says “in those days,” he may be implying that Jesus had already become an adult (Matt 3:1). If Luke is correct that Jesus began his ministry when he was “about thirty,” then he was an old man for his day (see Luke 3:23). Seventy-five percent of people in Jesus’s day died before they saw the age of thirty.6
Male Life Expectancy
Census data from Egypt tell us that in the time of Jesus, male life expectancy at birth was twenty-five years.
At any rate, the scene opens with the preaching of John the Baptist. John is described as some sort of ascetic or prophet. His location in the wilderness is the first indication of this. To the ancients, the wilderness was a place beyond human habitation, dangerous, and inhabited by evil spirits. Second, John’s diet suggests his status as a prophet. It appears that John consumes only God-given foodstuffs, things that are found naturally, not cultivated, one of the characteristics of an ascetic lifestyle (3:4). John’s preaching of repentance appears to be advocating a transformation of society as a whole under the rule of God (3:1–2).
People came to John to be baptized. John’s charge, “brood of vipers” (literally, “children of vipers”), suggests that the “Pharisees and Sadducees” dishonor God and that God will regain God’s honor. John dishonors the Pharisees and Sadducees, possibly because they rely upon their status as descendants of Abraham to save them from God’s vengeance.
3:13–17, The Baptism of Jesus
In contrast to the harsh words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, John ultimately consents when Jesus approaches John for baptism (Matt 3:13–17). Upon coming out of the water, Jesus is honored by God, who says, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” (3:17). Again, Matthew shows that we cannot be sure whom God uses. The same is true in our own experience. Who would have thought that a preacher in his mid-twenties would lead a movement that would garner him a Nobel Prize and change the character of a society? Or who would have thought that a former hustler would become a powerful and enduring figure for self-determination and social change? God, Matthew tells us, often uses outsiders. The Pharisees and Sadducees, the likely candidates to be honored, are not, and Jesus, the outsider, is shown to be the one on whom the blessing of God is bestowed.
4:1–11, Testing Jesus as God’s Son
The trial in the wilderness is a challenge to Jesus’s status as the Son of God. The devil (literally, “the adversary”) challenges Jesus around three areas: (1) food, (2) protection, and (3) power. Cain Hope Felder addresses how seductive these things can be:
The temptation episodes of Matthew and Luke have captured, in a symbolic form, different aspects of evil that perennially undermine human aspirations. Whether the need is for food (daily sustenance and material possessions), magical powers (including “black” magic), or political power, a person should always be aware of potential enslavement by evil.7
The adversary is a figure repeatedly found in the Old Testament (e.g., Job 1:7). He comes to Jesus after forty days (4:2). This number, however, is not meant literally. In the Bible, the number forty generally means “a lot.” The description here recalls the fasting of Moses (Exod 34:28), implying that Jesus is a new Moses. At any rate, the adversary first challenges Jesus’s relationship to God (4:3). Jesus responds by appealing to God. This confrontation goes back and forth, each citing biblical passages for support. Finally, the adversary offers Jesus tremendous power, “the kingdoms of the world and their splendor” (Matt 4:8). Jesus again appeals to God, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13. Matthew shows here that the Messiah confirmed his status as the Son of God by resisting the temptation to capitalize on it. He highlights that our relationships with God should not be measured by what we have. Although food, protection, and power may be influential motivators, they should not divert us from our dedication to God. Our status as children of God does not depend upon these things. Many of the individuals we regard highly today were not persons of great wealth, for example, Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Luther King Jr.
4:12–25, The Beginning of Jesus’s Ministry
Hearing that John has been arrested, Jesus pursues his ministry (Matt 4:12). He goes to Capernaum, a major commercial and population center on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, from where he recruits his first disciples. Matthew says that this move was a fulfillment of prophecy (4:15). Quoting Isaiah 9:1–2, he tells us that “Galilee of the Gentiles” is where Jesus’s ministry will unfold. This prophecy is a powerful first indication that Jesus’s message will reach beyond the confines of Judaism. Further, this prophecy indicates that a new era has dawned and marks the character of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus does his work among a mixed group of Jews, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, immigrants, and others that constituted the region of Galilee. Jesus advocates the same message of social transformation earlier proclaimed by John the Baptist (4:17; see 3:2). God’s message is not just one of individual conversion but one of transforming the entire social structure. It was a message that attracted others who saw what society could be (4:18–25).
5:1—7:28, The Persecuted as Salt, Light, and Prophets
5:1–12, The Beatitudes
The Sermon on the Mount is the first of five major discourses made by Jesus in this Gospel. It begins with a series of “blessings” we call the Beatitudes (5:1–12). In reality, this is honorific language. When Jesus says someone is “blessed,” it means something like “honorable” or “worthy of honor.” The “poor in spirit” are those who are oppressed by the rich and powerful (see Ps 91:13; 34:10; Isa 49:14). As Felder makes clear, “Matthew 5:3 refers to the poor with respect to their spiritual status in terms reminiscent of the ‘anawim (the collective pious poor of the Babylonian captivity).”8 They are not just financially destitute. People who were maimed, lame, blind, and the like were considered poor. They are those who have been misused by the powerful. For example, a widow owning millions without a son would have been considered a “poor widow” in Jesus’s day. One example: a wealthy Egyptian woman named Apollonarian calls herself poor because she is “a woman without a husband or helper.”9 Poverty was a social category and not just an economic one. The poor are those for whom “the system” does not work. By contrast, being “rich” meant having the power to get or take whatever you wanted. It was often synonymous with greed. Jesus assures the “poor in spirit” that under God’s rule, they are protected: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (5:3; emphasis added).
The Beatitudes between the first and the last guarantee something for the future (5:4–10). Being merciful, pure in heart, or a peacemaker refers to moral qualities disciples are expected to acquire. If a person is “pure in heart,” it means that she thinks and does what pleases God (5:8). Similarly, “peace” refers to the presence of those things necessary for a meaningful life. As Felder again makes clear, “The vision and promise of peace are calls to action on the part of persons seeking to participate in God’s Kingdom (reign).”10 The list ends with Jesus speaking of the “blessedness” of being persecuted (5:10–11). It appears odd to us that Jesus would say such a thing, but persecution has often resulted from righteousness. Nelson Mandela was locked in jail for decades because he spoke against a corrupt system. Disciples should not be afraid to sacrifice creature comforts and even their reputations for the sake of the mission of God. This should not be confused with the misguided notion that oppression is necessary, and it is certainly not an excuse to promote suffering for its own sake. Theodore Walker makes this clear when he says that “liberation struggle is inevitable because people never get used to being oppressed.”11
5:13–20, Salt and Light
The section that follows the Beatitudes further outlines the idea of discipleship. The disciples, those who can expect persecution, are described as salt and light (5:13–14). As salt, they preserve the earth from final judgment; as light, they serve as examples to others. What Jesus calls for in this section is a radical form of discipleship, one characterized by superabundant righteousness (5:20). Brian K. Blount explains quite nicely what Matthew meant: “‘Better’ righteousness begins from the inside; it is integrally linked to an interior disposition wholly subservient to God’s will as this will is authoritatively presented in Jesus’ person and ministry.”12 The meaning of righteousness, as Matthew describes in the following section, is about more than personal piety; it is about how we conduct our relationships and behavior. This is what the antitheses demonstrate (5:21–48).
5:21–48, Strategies to Overcome Ancient Practices of Violence
What these various scenes describe are alternatives to retaliation and dishonoring others. The disciple is to practice repentance, reconciliation, and generosity and allow for the intervention of others instead of seeking to “win” or press her case at all costs. For example, Jesus says reconciliation with a brother or sister is more important than worship obligations to God (5:23–24). In other words, Jesus redefines what kinds of behavior are worthy of honor among his disciples. Retaliation is to be replaced with reconciliation. Selfishness is to be replaced with generosity. When Jesus talks about tearing out your right eye, he is saying that it is better to be dishonored yourself than to dishonor another and destroy the peace of the community (5:29). Another way to think about this passage is through the womanist practices of survival and community building.13
6:1–18, Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting
The following section in the Sermon on the Mount involves teaching about our religious obligations (6:1–18). Almsgiving, fasting, and prayer form the central acts of every disciple. Jesus distinguishes the proper and improper performance of religious acts here. He begins with a solemn warning to be careful about practicing one’s religion (6:1). If particular attention is not paid to how one performs these acts, they are then done improperly. Righteousness is not decided based on conviction (faith) but proper and careful performance.
When Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, they have received their reward,” he uses economic language (6:2). The Greek term apechousin is often used in receipts. It means “paid in full.” What the Sermon on the Mount says, which may appear peculiar, is that all rewards, even trivial ones, count. Put another way, if one can only be punished once for an evil deed, then one can only be rewarded once for a good one. The disciple must be very careful regarding their religious acts to ensure that they get their reward from God. The “hypocrite” then is not the person who is morally dishonest or a “faker” but the “typical” religious person who prays, fasts, and gives without thinking. People of such character, says Jesus, love to “perform” their religion. The genuine religious person might appear to be irreligious to everyone else.
Prayer is a topic of particular importance here (6:5–13). Foremost, prayer is described as a private matter between the person and God (6:6). Apparently, the disciples live in their own houses in which they would have a “room.” This Gospel’s “middle class” attitude may account for its historical lack of popularity among African Americans. To cite another example, almsgiving assumes that you have something to give. Nevertheless, the intimacy of prayer described here is similar to the African American enslaved practice of retiring to the “hush arbor” to pray. In this intimacy, asking God for anything is unnecessary because “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (6:8). Prayer is not just a matter of asking for “things”; it is about cultivating a relationship with the creator.
A Summary of the Gospel?
The African Christian theologian Tertullian of Carthage believed that the Lord’s Prayer was a shorthand version of the Gospel as a whole. He says, “How many edicts of prophets, Gospels, and apostles, how many discourses, parables, examples, and precepts of the Lord, are touched upon in the brevities of a few short words, how many duties summed up all at once?”
—Tertullian, Prayer 9.1–3
The Lord’s Prayer is the model of what Christian prayer should be. As such, it defines what God regards as the real needs of human beings. Consequently, the prayer is based not on human desires, ambitions, or selfishness but God’s wisdom. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we affirm that God knows what we need and our confidence in the goodness of God’s actions.14 The first three petitions of the prayer (the hallowing of God’s name, the coming of God’s kingdom, and the doing of God’s will) have to do with God’s “needs.” This is not to say that God is deficient or unrighteous, but that these three things have been left unfulfilled. The continued presence of evil in the world is the ultimate testament that these “needs” have not been fulfilled. Disciples are essential agents in accomplishing these petitions. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we remind ourselves of what we need to do to assist God in creating a good society. For centuries, African Americans have realized that evil continues because those who could do something do nothing. Ralph Ellison once wrote, “There are few things in the world as dangerous as sleepwalkers.”15
The successive three petitions have to do with the needs of human beings. The first, the request for “daily bread,” is precious (6:11). Notice it is not “my” bread but “our” bread for which we ask. When I ask for daily bread, I am asking not just for myself but for everyone. Strictly speaking, God does not provide us with bread at all. Through nature, God provides the ingredients from which we can make bread. It then is “our bread” because we make it. Even more pointedly, many of us do not make the bread we consume. We rely on others who then supply us with what we need. Yet this petition acknowledges that none of the suppliers of bread could “give” if God did not give beforehand. The request for bread asks then for two things. First, it recognizes that if God does not supply the necessary ingredients, there is no way human beings can survive. Second, it asks that God motivate all those involved in the process of providing human needs to complete their roles as well. The petition for bread recognizes that mutuality is necessary for human survival. (See sidebar.) Until and unless individuals come together and share their gifts, says the prayer, we will all continue to suffer and struggle for what we need to survive. A similar conclusion can be drawn from the petition for forgiveness (6:12). It recognizes that mutuality is necessary for any society that seeks to fulfill the will of God (see also 6:14–15).
A Womanist Understanding of Mutuality
Renita Weems explains the concept of mutuality as the realization that “as human beings we are all mutually connected to each other and dependent upon one another for our emancipation and our survival.”
—Renita J. Weems, “Womanist Reflections on Biblical Hermeneutics,” in Black Theology: A Documentary History, ed. James H. Cone and Gayraud Wilmore (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1993), 2:218.
After the Lord’s Prayer, the Sermon advances to the subject of fasting (6:16–18), which is a venerable practice in the African American community. According to Jesus, it should be inconspicuous. Thus, the teaching about fasting is analogous to the teaching about almsgiving and prayer. They are meaningful only if the disciple does them in a way that suggests to others that they are not doing them.
