Gospel According to Matthew Bible Study

Chapter 6

Book One: John the Baptist and the Early Ministry of Jesus, Discourse: Sermon on the Mount

Questions

1. (1-18) Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving were/are 3 traditional works of mercy honored by the Jews Tob 12:8-10. Jesus wants us to do them (“When you give alms/pray/fast …”), but what is he warning us against doing? Is Jesus saying that public displays of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving should be avoided? (Notice again that Jesus references “rewards” in Heaven for our actions on Earth.)
2. (2) Who was Jesus primarily referring to when he called out “hypocrites”? What did the term “hypocrites” mean in this context?
3. (7) The “empty phrases” and “many words” of the Gentiles’ prayers refers to the empty Pagan practices of reciting long litanies of divine names to gain the attention of gods. Is Jesus warning us against repetitive or lengthy prayers Mat 26:44, Lk 6:12 ?
4. (9-13) Jesus gives us the Our Father as a model prayer. What are the 7 petitions in the prayer? How are the first 3 related? How are the last 4 related?
5. (9) What does “Hallowed be thy name” mean?
6. (11) The Greek “epiousios” (translated “daily”) is used only here in Matthew and in Luke’s re-telling of the Our Father. It is an obscure Greek word not previously found in literature UNTIL the New Testament. It probably means something like “for the being” or maybe “super-essential”. It (maybe obviously) refers to the necessities of life such as food. However, several Church Fathers (including St. Augustine) interpret “daily bread” as a reference to the Eucharist. Consider also the Bread of Life discourse (Jn 6:30-40) where Jesus calls himself the bread of life. How do you read Jesus’ meaning of the “daily bread” petition in the Our Father?
7. (16-18) Why did OT Jews fast? Lev 16:29, 2 Sam 12:22-23, Esther 4:3, Dan 9:3, Neh 1:4-10 Are these the same reasons why Christians fast today? Matt 9:14-15
8. (19-22) How do we store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven?
9. (22-23) “The eye is the lamp” is an ancient metaphor. Tob 10:5, Prov 15:30, Sir 23:19 Jesus uses it here (in between verses concerning heavenly vs. earthly treasure and serving God vs mammon) to advocate for generosity. Those with evil or unsound eyes are stingy Deut 15:9, Sir 14:8-10, while those with sound eyes shares their goods with the needy. Matt 5:7. What other interpretations do you have for this verse?
10. (24) “Mammon” is an Aramaic word meaning “wealth” or “property”. What is the temptation of riches and pursuing riches? Matt 13:22, Lk 12:13-21, 1 Tim 6:10, Heb 13:5
11. (25-34) I have heard it said (sorry - no reference) that in the context of Jesus’ day that “to believe” meant much more than simply intellectual assent; it meant to have complete trust and commitment to that which you know to be true. Jesus calls for that complete trust in these verses. The things that we need for basic survival (food and clothing) are of less importance than seeking the Kingdom. Share times (or stories) in your life or others’ lives that demonstrates that kind of belief - the seeking first His Kingdom and God providing for the basic human needs.

Primary Resources

• The Holy Bible
• Introduction to the Gospel According to Saint Matthew, from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible especially note the outline on the last page of the pdf to provide helpful context to where we are in Matthew’s Gospel.

Secondary Resources

• What Is the Biblical Fast?
• Fasting In The Old Testament And Ancient Judaism
• Epiousios: The Mysterious Greek Word in the Lord’s Prayer
• St. Augustine Sermon 7 on the New Testament

Logical Daily Gospel Exegesis (Hayden)

• Matt 6: 1-6, 16-18
• Matt 6: 7-15
• Matt 6: 7-15
• Matt 6: 19-23
• Matt 6: 24-34

The Bible in a Year Podcast (Fr. Mike)

• The Sermon on the Mount
• Gospel of Matthew Introduction (with Jeff Cavins)