Matthew 4:18-25

 

The Kingdom of God - Gathering Disciples

Matthew 4:18-25     Jesus Calls the First Disciples

(Mk 1:16-20; Lk 5:1-11)
 
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, 
Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 
casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 

Matthew followed closely the order of Mark’s Gospel, with only minor editorial changes. He identified Simon as Peter, possibly because Peter was well known to the Antioch community, and had spent a considerable time there.

19 And he said to them, “Follow me,
and I will make you fish for people.” 
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 

Matthew noted the immediate response of the two fishermen. Their enthusiasm would be tested as Jesus’ public life unfolded. Their understanding of the mystery and message of Jesus still had a long way to go. (People always understand God gradually, as they are transformed by God’s grace).

The hostile connotations of the phrase fish for people, almost certainly deliberate in Mark’s account, may not have been so significant to Matthew. While the Gentile and, especially, Jewish contemporaries of the Christian community at Antioch may have persecuted them at times, their own response would be to love and forgive them [5:38-48], not to score a victory over them.

21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, 
James son of Zebedee and his brother John, 
in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, 
and he called them. 
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father,
and followed him. 

By calling them to follow him, Jesus called the disciples to abandon their families. He called them into marginality. For Jesus, family ties bowed to the requirements of the Kingdom and of discipleship.

Placing the call of some disciples early in Jesus’ public ministry was a tactical ploy for both Mark and Matthew. There was need for an attentive audience to witness Jesus’ deeds of power and to hear the whole message that he would soon give. A curious crowd would not have served the purpose.

 

The Kingdom of God - Bringing Wholeness

Matthew would leave specific incidents until later. His interest was to give a general introduction to Jesus’ activity in preparation for the lengthy discourse of Jesus, which he would soon outline.

 

Matthew 4:23-25     Jesus Ministers to Crowds of People

(Mk 1:35—39; Lk 4:44; 6:17—19)
 
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues 
and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom 
and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. 

The wording indicated Matthew’s priorities. Jesus was firstly teacher, before proclaimer of the Kingdom, or healer – though all three roles were tightly connected.

Right from the start of his narrative, Matthew identified the synagogues as their synagogues. His usage indicated clearly his own ideological distinction from the synagogues in Antioch, with which he was in conflict.

24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, 

In fact Jesus did not minister in Syria, which was well north of Galilee, though, occasionally, he would move close to its borders. Matthew may have mentioned Syria because it was the location of his Christian community. Its mention served to make the whole story more immediate for his listeners.

… and they brought to him all the sick, 
those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, 
demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, 
and he cured them. 

Matthew conveyed a sense of profound need in the population. There is a statistical connection between sickness and poverty. In addition, some psychologists connect a high incidence of mental disturbance with irresponsibility, twisting of truth, unaccountability and arbitrary use of power in society: psychological disorder can be an unconscious sociological tactic of evasion and denial.

The economic and political oppression of Rome, the connivance of the religious authorities and the wealthy elites of Israel, the constant claim of the surpassing benefits of the ‘Pax Romana’, and the threatening and ubiquitous presence of military might, all conspired to oppress the countless poor landholders, landless tenants and the day labourers of Galilee.

The efforts made by Pharisees to take account of the changing social scene and to apply the demands of the law to the impoverished peasants, only served to isolate the poor even further and to brand them as sinners, simply because they were unable, realistically, to observe their demands.

25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matthew had achieved what he had set out to do: he had assembled great crowds, ready to eavesdrop on Jesus’ discourse to his disciples, which soon would take place up the mountain. Matthew seemed to have deliberately included in Jesus’ audience not only Jews, but Gentiles, too: crowds from the Decapolis and from beyond the Jordan. The stage was set.

Next >> Matthew 5:1-12