Bev Franco Essay - San Francisco Theological Seminary

we are warned to choose God over materialism. In addition, there are redundant word
choices within each set, which also creates emphasis, 3 such as the use of θησαυρίζετε
µ ν θησαυρο ς, literally, “Treasure for yourselves treasures.” This repetition,
according to Betz, “signifies the mindless piling up of such treasures.” 4
Third, the
placement of these three units together links where our hearts find security, what our eyes
focus on, and who owns our loyalty, our hearts, eyes and service, encouraging us to be
people of integrity, not the hypocrites Jesus so often condemns.
It is unlikely that the author of Matthew’s Gospel was the Apostle Matthew.
Most scholars agree that the book of Mark was the first gospel to be written and that
Matthew and Luke used parts of Mark, along with an additional source called “Q” that
was common to both Matthew and Luke, but missing from Mark. It seems unlikely that
an eyewitness such as the Apostle Matthew would use Mark, who was not an apostle, as a
source. The Gospel of Matthew was probably written in about 85 or 90, which would
have made the Apostle Matthew quite old. In addition, the Gospel of Matthew uses the
word τελώνης (tax collector) almost as a pejorative (11:19, for example). Would the
Apostle Matthew, a former tax collector, have used the word in such a derogatory way 5
It is possible, however, that the Matthean church to which the gospel was addressed was
founded by or associated with the Apostle. 6
But, as Werner G. Marx claims, it is clear that the gospel was written by someone
with a solid understanding of money matters and taxes. Matthew makes 44 references to
3 Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount Including the
Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3 – 7:27 and Luke 6:20-49) (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995): 428.
4 Betz, 433.
5 Werner G. Marx, “Money Matters in Matthew,” Biblioteca Sacra 542 (April – June, 1979): 150 (Arguing
for the opposite. His reasoning is not convincing).
6 Jack Dean Kingsbury. Matthew as Story, 2 nd Edition, Revised and Enlarged (Philadelphia:Fortress Press,
1988): 159.
2