Hak Chol Kim, «The Worship of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew», Vol. 93 (2012) 227-241
The Gospel of Matthew can be characterized by its special emphasis on the worship of Jesus. In the scenes where Jesus is worshiped, Jesus was depicted as the king of the Jews, Christ/Messiah, the «I am» (e0gw/ ei0mi), and the Divine Being holding authority both in heaven and on earth, thus being worthy of worship. Matthew employed both Jewish and Gentile traditions in abundance so that both Jews and Gentiles of the Greco-Roman world might understand the religious and socio-political implications of the worship of Jesus. The worship of Jesus, practiced by the Matthean community, led to the community’s isolation from formative Judaism centered in the synagogues and facilitated the community’s position in relation to Roman imperial propaganda.
240 HAK CHOL KIM
God of Israel, Jesus was proclaimed to have not only authority in
heaven and on earth but also meekness, that is, the virtue that the ideal
king should have (11,29) 32. Furthermore, he gave the gifts of food
(14,13-21), true teaching, and holistic salvation (1,21) to those who
came to him. The religious symbolic world, with confession, praise,
and petition centered on Jesus and built around the worship of Jesus,
could have given a certain orientation to the members of the Matthean
community regarding the Roman Empire. Certainly, there would have
been various difficulties in attempting any critical action directly
against the Roman Empire. However, it can be asserted that the
worship of Jesus played a significant role in promoting an anti-Roman
ethos at the ideological level at least 33.
* *
*
Unlike the other Gospels, the Gospel of Matthew puts a
particular emphasis on the worship of Jesus. The worship of Jesus
continued throughout Jesus’ lifetime from his birth to the last scene
of the Great Commission after his resurrection. In particular, the
worship of Jesus played an important role in revealing the identity
of Jesus. Through the worship of Jesus, Matthew proclaimed Jesus
as the king of the Jews, Christ/Messiah, and the “I am†holding
authority in heaven and on earth, much like God. Furthermore, the
worship of Jesus was introduced in the context of Jewish and
Gentile traditions including prophecies and titles that were familiar
to Matthew’s firsthand audience living in the Greco-Roman world,
Good confirms that meekness was the virtue of the ruler according to the
32
Greco-Roman ideal and applies it to the understanding of Jesus in the Gospel
of Matthew. Cf. D.J. GOOD, Jesus the Meek King (Harrisburg, PA 1999).
Although it is generally agreed that the Matthean community was aware
33
of the Roman Empire, it is controversial whether the Matthean community
was hostile to the Roman Empire. As for the opinion that the Matthean
community was cooperative with the Roman Empire, see J.A. OVERMAN,
“Matthew’s Parables and Roman Politics: The Imperial Setting of Matthew’s
Narrative with Special Reference to His Parablesâ€, SBLSP (1995) 425-439.
As for the opinion that the Matthean community attempted secession from
the Roman Empire like Luther’s theory of the “two kingdomsâ€, see E.J.
CARTER, “Toll and Tribute: A Political Reading of Matthew 17.24-27â€, JSNT
25 (2003) 413-431.
© Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati