Theological interpretations of passages from the Gospel of Matthew.
A theological reading of Matthew 3:1–12 and Mark 1:1–8 The Gospels do not tell the same story in the same way. These differences are not mistakes, but signs of each author’s theological perspective. A clear example appears in the preaching of John the Baptist. Mark’s Perspective: No Attack on the Pharisees In the earliest account… Read More A Common Misconception: Was Jesus Really Against the Pharisees?
A reflection on Matthew 5:1–12 (The Beatitudes) The Gospels are not biographies but theological narratives. Every factual difference between them can reveal a deeper meaning intended by each author. A striking example is the Sermon of the Beatitudes, found in both Matthew and Luke. In Luke, Jesus speaks on a level place (Luke 6:17). In Matthew, the setting is a mountain (Matthew 5:1).… Read More Jesus, the New Moses
A reflection on the Transfiguration and Gethsemane scenes In the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke), Jesus chooses only three disciples to accompany him during certain intimate moments: Peter, James, and John. Three times, they are his privileged companions: at the raising of Jairus’s daughter, on the mountain of the Transfiguration, and in the Garden… Read More From the Mountain of Glory to the Garden of Agony
A reflection on Matthieu 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 The Lord’s Prayer has come down to us in two different versions: Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4. The version in Matthew is by far the best known, as it is the one that entered Christian liturgy: “Our Father who art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9) 1. “Father” (Luke 11:2) vs. “Our… Read More The Lord’s Prayer
A biblical reflection on Matthew 16:19 This article explores the meaning of Jesus’s promise to give Peter “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven” in Matthew 16:19. Drawing on the biblical context and Jewish interpretive traditions, it examines what binding and loosing meant in Jesus’s time and how this expression should be understood today. To… Read More The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
Tous les ans, à la même période, un bon nombre de chrétiens libanais attendent impatiemment qu’il pleuve le vendredi saint, croyant que cela justifierait le calendrier qu’ils suivent pour la période de Pâques : s’il pleut à notre vendredi saint, c’est que notre date de Pâques est juste et que nous sommes dans la bonne “foi”.… Read More Quelle serait la “bonne” date de Pâques? Celle des catholiques, ou celle des orthodoxes?
La naissance de Jésus nous est racontée dans deux évangiles, Matthieu (ci-après Mt) et Luc (ci-après Lc). Le chrétien fait rarement attention aux différences entre les deux récits, vu que “l’histoire” lui est archi-connue, notamment grâce aux films sur la vie du Christ ou, plus encore, à la crèche que l’on voit partout dans les pays… Read More Les récits de la naissance de Jésus – Entre histoire et théologie