The Distinctive Features Of Jesus' Image In Matthew And Luke - Essay Example

 The Distinctive Features Of Jesus' Image In Matthew And Luke Introduction As part of the Christian faith, Jesus Christ is seen as a harmoniouscombination of the divine and human natures. Nevertheless, despite this, each of the New Testament Gospels focuses on the individual qualities of Jesus. In particular, by analysing Matthew, one can conclude that the author portrays Jesus primarily as a Jewish wisdom teacher, “the New Moses.” Compared to Matthew's account, the Gospel of Luke is making a different accent in consideration of the image of Jesus Christ because it emphasizes the importance of Jesus Christ for all humanity, not only for the Jews. Both gospels recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ as the only begotten son of God, but Matthew considers Jesus primarily as a follower of the wisdom of the prophet Moses, while Luke sees the significance of Jesus in human terms as the saviour of all humanity. This paper will examine the distinctive features of the image of Jesus by comparing the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. This will provide a more complete picture of interpretation of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Considering Matthew’s account, one can see that is emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the son of David. Moreover, this gospel associates Jesus with Moses who was the spiritual father of the Jewish people (Scholz 2009, 89). This is particularly important for the author because it allows him to consider the significance of Jesus Christ as part of the Jewish people. Further consideration of Jesus’ image as a great teacher of wisdom suggests the idea that the author sees him primarily as a teacher of Jewish wisdom. Each subsequent section of the gospel makes a stronger emphasis on this idea. In particular, chapter 4 says that Jesus preached not only in open areas. He attended dozens of synagogues to learn about the Kingdom of God and the spiritual road to it. Initially the ethical wisdom of Christ in its finished form was demonstrated in his Sermon on the Mount: “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him” (Matthew 5:1). Christ gives ethical guidelines for all of his listeners, calling each of them to purify their souls and thoughts from sin. The Sermon on the Mount focuses on the spiritual cleansing of the people who have to learn to forgive others’ mistakes. In general, the Sermon can be seen as a philosophy of love, as Christ calls people to learn to love one another. In turn, the missionary form of Christ’s Jewish wisdom is seen as no less important. Christ is able to lead people by giving each of them the opportunity to find personal salvation as well as to continue His good work in Israel by teaching others the truth of God: “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). Jesus warns the Israelites that they will have the difficult task of discovering the truth of God to ordinary people. He tells them that they can be rejected, however, nothing and no one should break their faith in God and God's truth: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Christ explains that the Jewish people can find spiritual salvation only if their souls become a fertile ground for the grain of God's truth. Otherwise, the human soul cannot find a way to God. People should be prepared for various trials and temptations on the way of their spiritual enlightenment. Christ warns people that the way to God involves the spiritual struggle with their vices and sins. This manifestation of the Jewish wisdom of Christ is inseparable from his missionary teaching. Christ focuses on the fact that only adherence to his ethical teaching can give the possibility of salvation, and thus can open a road to eternal life. In general, the essence of the Jewish wisdom of Jesus Christ implies that all people should perceive each other as if they are brothers and sisters. Integrity, honesty and mutual assistance should be the criteria of the life of Jews. In comparison with the other Gospels such as the Gospel of Mark, Matthew focuses on the educational task of Christ who is steadily moving towards his goal while preaching the truth of God. In turn, the Gospel of Luke offers a different but no less interesting image of Jesus. Similar to Matthew, Luke gives a biographical summary of Jesus Christ, and shows that he belonged to the Jewish people. However, this description has a different task in comparison with the task presented in Matthew. Luke is trying to show that despite the fact that Jesus had Jewish origin, he was rejected by his people. In Jerusalem, Jesus is forced to leave the city because the ruling religious elite rejects their new prophet. Thus, the Jews reject the man sent to them by God, and therefore they reject their God. “This compels the prophet to take his message elsewhere. Eventually, the message will go ... to all other peoples, the nations of the earth” (Ehrman 2011, 107). Like Matthew, Luke considers Jesus as a prophet, but “Luke places an even greater emphasis on Jesus' prophetic as the spokesperson of God who comes to be rejected by his own people” (Ehrman 2011, 107). In fact, “Luke’s strongest and most embracing statement about Jesus as savior occurs in Acts 4;11-12” (O'Toole 2004, 56). The Gospel of Luke offers a review of the image of Jesus Christ as a great prophet and a saviour for humanity. As a great prophet, Jesus is sharing with people the knowledge received from his Father. However, his prophetic activity is related not only to his life but also to his death. According to Luke, Jesus was a prophet who knew his importance for all people throughout the world, as “someone who is filled with the spirit of God” (Grün 2003, 46). Jesus came into this world to give his life for the salvation of all humanity, and therefore he is not only the prophet in life, but also the prophet in death. This Gospel emphasizes that Jesus can be seen as a righteous martyr who clearly knew what awaited him in his earthly guise. He was willing to give his life for the sake of the people and therefore his image is full of calmness and determination. Conclusion To sum up, both books acknowledge the fact of the divine nature of Jesus Christ allowing him to perform various miracles and heal people. Both Matthew and Luke are based on the idea that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came into this world to fulfil his divine mission. However, the main difference between the Gospels can be seen in the fact that Matthew focuses on the value of Jesus within the Jewish people, while Luke explains the significance of Christ as a prophet and a saviour for all humanity, not just the Jewish people. Unlike Luke, Matthew tries to justify the immediate proximity of Jesus Christ to the wisdom of Moses as one of the most important figures in the history of the Jewish people. Despite the fact that both gospels recognize the divine significance of Jesus Christ, each of them places particular emphasis on the certain features of the Son of God. In this regard, Matthew and Luke complement each other and create a rich image of Jesus. Bibliography Bible. n.d, The Official King James Version Online. accessed November 7, 2015, http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. Grün, Anselm. Jesus: The Image of Humanity: Luke's Account. KG Stuttgart and Zurich: Kreuz Verlag GmbH & Co, 2003. O'Toole, Robert F. Luke's Presentation of Jesus: A Christology. Rome: Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico, 2004.  Scholz, Daniel J. Jesus in the Gospels and Acts: Introducing the New Testament. Winona, M.N.: Saint Mary’s Press, 2009. Read More