Matthew's Final Narrative (Matthew 26-28): Part Two

In the previous post I layed out the literary structure of the final narrative section of Matthew's Gospel. In this post I am going to break each section down for us to view its micro-literary structures, for closer examination. Once again, here is the larger, macro literary structure of Matthew chapters 26 through 28:

A)  26:1—35

B)  26:36—56

C)  26:57—75

B’)  27:1—37

C’)  27:38—56

A’)  27:57—28:20

Here is the zoomed-in, micro-literary structure according to that outline:

A)  26:1—35

a)  26:1—5 —> Chief Priests assemble in the palace of Ciaphas

b)  26:6-13 —> Unnamed woman offers expensive perfume & Jesus prophesies: “Truly, I say to you…”

a’)  26:14-16 —> Judas goes to the Chief Priests in the palace of Ciaphas

…

a)  26:17-19 —> “Now” on the first day of the feast: preparation is made to find a place for feasting

b)  26:20-25 —> When evening had come, Jesus prophesies: “Truly, I say to you…”

a’)  26:26-29 —> “Now” as they were feasting: the eucharist tradition is established

…

a)  26:30 —> Jesus’ disciples sing together and then travel toward the mount of olives

b)  26:31-35a —> Dialogue between Jesus an Peter about stumbling & Jesus prophesies: “Truly, I say to you…” 

a’)  26:35b —> All the disciples affirm together and say what Peter said to Jesus

B)  26:36—56

a)  26:36-38 —> Jesus grieves & walks with disciples

b)  26:39 —> Jesus prays

c)  26:40-41 —> Jesus approaches disciples

b’)  26:42 —> Jesus prays

c’)  26:43 —> Jesus approaches disciples

b’’)  26:44 —> Jesus prays

a’)  26:45-46 —> Jesus prepares for betrayal with disciples

…

a)  26:47-49 —> Judas, one of the Twelve, approaches with “crowds” bringing “swords” and “clubs” & Jesus responds to Judas

b)  26:50-51 —> Jesus is arrested & his disciple cuts off the ear of the high priests’s servant with a sword

b’)  26:52-54 —> Jesus responds to his disciples about living by the sword

a’)  26:55-56 —> Jesus responds to the “crowds” who brought “swords” and “clubs” & the Eleven disciples flee

C)  26:57—75

a)  26:57-58 —> Peter follows Jesus, goes through a “courtyard,” and “sits” inside the Sanhedrin among the guards

b)  26:59-61 —> False witnesses are brought forward

c)  26:62-64 —> Dialogue between Jesus & High Priest: High Priest Questions >> Jesus is silent >> High Priest questions >> Jesus answers

c’)  26:65-66a —> Dialogue between High Priest & Sanhedrin: The verdict is “Blasphemy” >> A question to the Sanhedrin >> The verdict is repeated >> A question to the Sanhedrin

b’)  26:66b-68 —> Jesus is treated as a false prophet, sentenced death, beaten, mocked for Blasphemy

a’)  26:69-75 —> Peter “sits” outside the courtyard of the Sanhedrin & denies Jesus three times

B’)  27:1-37

a)  27:1-2 —> Jesus is delivered to Pilate the Governor

b)  27:3-10 —> “Blood money” (30 pieces of silver) & the land bought with it

a’)  27:11-14 —> Jesus stands before Pilate the Governor

…

a)  27:15-16 —> Introduction of Barabbas (“son of the Father”) for possible release in place of Jesus

b)  27:17-18 —> Pilate asks about which son to release: Barabbas or “Jesus called the Christ”? & The crowds envy

c)  27:19-20 —> Pilate’s wife sends word to Pilate about a dream to do nothing to Jesus & The Chief Priests persuade crowds to destroy Jesus and ask for Barabbas

b’)  27:21-23 —> Pilate asks about which to release: Barabbas or “Jesus called the Christ”? & The crowds cry enviously

a’)  27:24-26 —> Barabbas is released & Jesus is delivered to be crucified

…

a)  27:27-31 —> When the soldiers mocked Jesus, they struck and crowned his head, saying “Hail! King of the Jews!” & Thee soldiers also robed and de-robed & re-robed Jesus

b)  27:32-34 —> Simon the Cyrene carries the cross of Jesus to the place of a skull, where Jesus is offered wine with poison in it, but would not drink

a’)  27:35-37 —> When the soldiers crucify Jesus they divide his garments and place a sign above his head to mock him, saying: “King of the Jews”

C’)  27:38—56

a)  27:38 —> “Robbers” are crucified with Jesus

b)  27:39-40 —> Those who pass by also mock: He cannot save himself >> He is God’s son >> Come down from the cross

b’)  27:41-43 —> The Chief Priests mock: He cannot save himself >> He is God’s son >> Come down from the cross

a’)  27:44 —> “Robbers” are crucified with Jesus

…

a)  27:45-46 —> Jesus cries out with a loud voice

b)  27:47 —> Some standing there speak: Elijah is being called

c)  27:48 —> One of them standing there offers Jesus a drink

b’)  27:49 —> The rest of them said: Elijah might come and save him

a’)  27:50 —> Jesus cries out with a loud voice

…

a)  27:51 —> Behold (i.e. “Look” or “see”): The veil is torn (and) >> the earthquake (and) >> the rocks are split (and)
b)  27:52 —> the tombs are opened and “many” bodies of the saints are raised 

b’)  27:53 —> those from the tombs appeared to "many" in the Holy City after Jesus’ resurrection

a’)  27:54-56 —> The guards (and) Mary magdalene (and) Mary of James and Joseph (and) the Mother of the sons of Zebedee beheld (i.e. saw) the earthquake and “the things that were done”

A’)  27:57—28:20

a)  27:57 —> Joseph, a rich man and disciple of Jesus, approaches Pilate

b)  27:58a —> A Request of Pilate

c)  27:58b —> Pilate grants his request

d)  27:59-60 —> Pilate order the request to be done

e)  27:61 —> “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” are at the tomb

a’)  27:62 —> The Chief Priests and Pharisees approach Pilate

b’)  27:63-64 —> A request of Pilate

c’)  27:65 —> Pilate grants their request

d’)  27:66 —> Pilate orders their request to be done

e’)  28:1 —> “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” are at the tomb

…

a)  28:2-4 —> An angel descends, the stone is removed, the guards “fear” and tremble and become as dead men

b)  28:5-7 —> The angel speaks to the women: “Do not be afraid” & Jesus is “going before you to Galilee”

a’)  28:8-9 —> The women depart from the tomb with “fear” and great joy and they worship Jesus when he greets them

b’)  28:10 —> Jesus speaks to the women: “Do not be afraid” & “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee”

…

a)  28:11 —> Guards “went into the city” to report what happened to the Chief Priests

b)  28:12 —> The Chief Priests assembled and consulted together and offered the guards a bribe

c)  28:13-15 —> The Chief Priests commission the guards to lie greatly, and they did as they were instructed, and that lie spread among the Jews until today’s day

a’)  28:16 —> Jesus disciples “went into Galilee” to the mountain Jesus appointed for them

b’)  28:17 —> The disciples see Jesus and worship him

c’)  28:18-20 —> Jesus appoints his Great Commission for them, to spread his Gospel to all nations

Matthew's Final Narrative (Matthew 26-28): Part One

The final section of Matthew’s Gospel begins at 26:1 and ends at 28:20. In 26:1 we are told for the fifth and final time that Jesus “finished all these sayings”, which is a literary marker indicating to the reader that we are about to begin another narrative section. I have shown elsewhere how Matthew has structured his entire Gospel, punctuated with five discourses by Jesus that are sandwiched between a variety of historical narratives. Below is what the structure of this final narrative structure looks like from a birds-eye view:

A)  26:1—35  (Preparation for Death & Burial)

B)  26:36—56  (Jesus on Trial)

C)  26:57—75  (Derision & appointment of King Jesus)

B’)  27:1—37  (Jesus on Trial)

C’)  27:38—56  (Installation & Derision of King Jesus)

A’)  27:57—28:20  (Preparation for Burial & Resurrection)

Below is a breakdown of each section with its shared concepts, words, phrases, and themes. As each section is combed through carefully, be sure to remember the literary parallels between each matching section (A & A’, B & B’, C & C’). They will become important for part two of this post (among future posts in this series) where I will break down this larger governing literary structure into smaller pericopes and comment upon each section’s unity:

A)  26:1—35

> Assembly of Chief Priests: They plot together (26:3)

> Judas receives bribe money (26:14-16)

> Jesus speaks to disciples: My sheep will be scattered (26:31)

> The “Twelve” disciples are mentioned, among whom Judas is one (26:14)

> The first day of the feast is mentioned (26:17)

> “When evening had come” is mentioned (26:20)

> Jesus is to drink καινός (“new”) fruit of the vine (26:29)

> Jesus will “go before” his disciples “to Galilee”: προάξω ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν  (26:32)

> Jesus’ body is prepared for burial (26:6-13)

A’)  27:57—28:20

> Assembly of Chief Priests: They plot together (27:11-15)

> Guards receive bribe money (27:12)

> Jesus speaks to disciples: Go and make disciples of all nations (28:18-20)

> The “Eleven” disciples are mentioned, without Judas being numbered among them (28:16)

> The first day of the week (after the Sabbath feast) is mentioned (28:1)

> “When evening had come” is mentioned again (27:57)

> Jesus is laid in a καινός (“new”) tomb (27:60)

> Jesus is “going ahead of” his disciples “into Galilee”: προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν (28:7)

> Jesus’ body is prepared for burial (27:59-61)

B)  26:36—56

> Jesus goes into a place called (ἔρχεται … εἰς χωρίον λεγόμενον) Gethsemane: meaning ‘oil press’ (26:36)

> Jesus is seized by guards & Judas betrays Jesus

B’) 27:1—37

> Jesus goes into a place called (ἐλθόντες εἰς τόπον λεγόμενον) Golgotha: meaning “a skull”  (27:33)

> Jesus is delivered to Pilate the Governor & is not betrayed by Pilate

C)  26:57—75

> “Scribes” are mentioned along with the Chief Priests and Elders  (26:57)

> Jesus is accused of speaking βλασφημέω (“blasphemy”) by High Priest  (26:65)

> Peter “follows” Jesus “from a distance” to the Courtyard of the Sanhedrin:  ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν  (26:58)

> Jesus is accused of saying, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days”  (26:61)

C’)  27:38—56

> “Scribes” are mentioned along with the Chief Priests and Elders  (27:41)

> Jesus has βλασφημέω (“insults”) spoken to him by those who pass by  (27:39)

> Many women “followed” Jesus from Galilee and gathered together, observing his crucifixion “from a distance”: ἀπὸ μακρόθεν θεωροῦσαι, αἵτινες ἠκολούθησαν  (27:55)

> Those who passed by Jesus were saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God…”  (27:40)

The Virus

You don't want this
It could kill you
It's best to shut everything down
Stay at home where it's safer
Where they can track submission
Stabilize fear
Divide and conquer the enemy

You don't want this
You could get it touching anything
A shopping cart could have it
A bad apple or playground swing
You don't know what is or is not safe
No one knows anything for certain
That's how deadly this one is

You don't want this
Even if you don't die from it
Even if you test positive but don't suffer
Even if your symptoms go away in a few days
You can't evade your guilt once you've got it
You could have spared others more vulnerable than you
You should be more considerate and less selfish

You don't want this
There are hospitals flooded with sick people
Morgues are filled with corpses
It's a war zone out there
If you spread this virus to the elderly or vulnerable
They could surely die
The real danger is with people who think they're immune 

You don't want this
I saw a friend tweet something dangerous
It said that world health organizations and the media are lying 
It said Big Pharma and Big Tech are taking advantage of this crisis
It said our rights are being tested and possibly taken away
It said vaccines are more dangerous than getting the flu
Thousands of people are dying while idiots like them share fake news

You don't want this
It could kill you
It will kill your grandparents and their grandchildren
It will kill your neighbor with emphysema and Hashimoto's disease
To be safe, it's best to stay six feet away from them all
Love like Jesus but wash your hands like Pontius Pilate
And pray that Bill Gates runs campaigns against Trump for POTUS

Stay in Your Cell

The dog barks; the caravan passes

We can see you breathing

It's not good

Inhale

... Pause ...

Exhale

... Pause ...

Like a dog, only with fewer rights

Stimulate each I with your pound sign and tweet

I can't protect my family with collective idiocy

Am I safer at home?

The best askesis is staying in your cell

May I please move along?

I can't without a fine or imprisonment

I'm tired of waiting

We just want you to stop

Inhaling

Exhaling

... Just pause ...

Sit

... Heal ... 

Like a dog, only with fewer rights

Silence is the canvas, not the painting

Iota Haiku

Obey them, we must

Help save us from plague, they must

Stay inside, we must

Masks, hospitals need

Prevent cough mist contagion

Germ sweatshops, they are

Covid nineteen, bad

Fast forward to the fifth Gen

Must track pandemic

Make stats big they must

Trusting agency's reports

Truth it cannot be

Germs and viruses

Everyone with smartphone knows

Science tells us so

FCC needs more

Accelerate deployment 

Good bandwidth, no more

The gospel, they say

Stab arm to eradicate

To argue, no time

Allow them, we will

Get away with it, they will

Deserve it, we will

Umbrella Corporation and its Crowning Influence

There are many things that we don't know and have yet to discover
How long will this pandemic last?
Every one feels the test, and most know they'll survive; it's the elderly we don't want to put in harm's way
Yet their owners added a bandwidth between 24 and 28 gigahertz regardless of the harm

A lot more information can be carried on them
Radio waves will be supplemented with millimeter waves
Enabling data to be transmitted in larger amounts and faster speeds, with shorter lagging

Low latency enables near instantaneousness communication
Yellow buses won't need drivers for long
In less than ten years we will achieve the fourth industrial revolution prophesied back in 2017
No one can stop their plans to roll out more and more big tech & big pharma
Global economic output is banking on an estimate of at least 250 billion dollars more annually by 2025

That is only five years from now, and most won't receive education about it's health risks
Once the infrastructure is up and running, we won't be able to opt out

Ushering in a new era of computer-assisted living is the goal
Smart cities will be reaching into every living cell, containing every virus

Lenten Symbols

The true lamb ate the paschal lamb;

the symbol hastened to enter the belly of truth.

For all the types in the holy of holies

dwelt and anticipated the one who fulfills all.

And when the symbols saw the true lamb,

they tore the curtain and stepped out to meet him.

Ephrem the Syrian

Hymns on the Unleavened Bread

Hymn 6, verses 9-11

[Translated by J. Edward Walters. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2012]