The socio-cultural context of the first readers of the Gospel of Matthew with reference to Matthew 5: 17 to 6:18

M.A.This script is all about interpreting and preaching that which happened and was taught in Palestine during the first century A.D. The emphasis is not so much, however, on what happened politically, but on what the socio-cultural circumstances were that surrounded those incidences. It must be noted that the political happenings had a tremendous influence upon the way people living in that age viewed their world and conducted their affairs with others around them. Their world was one that was wrought with political strife and continuous wars that ravaged the countryside and impoverished its inhabitants. This impoverishment led to resentment and deep hatred of the invaders that, in turn, led to constant uprisings against those same people. This trend had continued for many generations until the Romans came and brought some semblance of peace and prosperity to the region. However, that prosperity was not available to the ordinary man in the street. With the supposed prosperity, came a decline in morals that went dead against the grain of the culture of the Jews in particular. They reacted to this by withdrawing from society, and taking refuge in a strict interpretation of the Law of Moses. However, this was the reaction of the Scribes and Pharisees and not the populace who generally found the demands placed upon them too strict. Despite all this, social relationships were conducted at ordinary levels which accounted for some semblance of normality. and their group-orientated personalities and collective values bound them into a unit. Then came Jesus of Nazareth who captured the imaginations of many who left what little they had and followed him around the country as he taught a radically different way of dealing with existing pressures under the power of the God of Israel. However, many others believed that he was no more than a charlatan bent on organizing a revolt against the Roman authorities. Unfortunately the presentation of Jesus by his followers was based on his theological significance rather that on who he was as person living in first century Palestine, leaving no concrete evidence pointing to his humanity. The movement that developed after his death was viewed with as much suspicion as Jesus himself was, although they were really only concerned with the restoration of Israel's true worship of God. Matthew, or Levi, the tax collector was one of those who left what he was doing to follow Jesus and it is to him that authorship of the Gospel of Matthew is ascribed. It is contended that he wrote to present Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah to the Jews. How much of an influence, however, his culture and circumstances had on his writings is a matter of considerable debate as he only recorded his version of Jesus' teachings some thirty years after his (Jesus') death. The question of relevance is one that of necessity, has to be addressed. A paper of this nature would be incomplete if it was not done. It is a foregone fact that modem societies have morals exactly as low as those in first century Palestine and that there too, exists the need to remind people that there are still standards that do not conform to those prescribed by Godless men and women. But there is a great gulf between ourselves and Matthew and his audience. This gulf spans not only time, but culture as well. To begin with, the author wrote within the confines of his own cultural context, to a specific group of people with the intention of conveying a specific message to them. We stand outside of this work: to be exact, two thousand years outside of it. Our culture is not the same as theirs. So cannot hope to ever take what Matthew wrote and transpose it directly onto our own societies; we are too conditioned by our own cultural influences to do that responsibly. If, on the other hand, we sincerely wish to be responsible in our interpretation and application of the Word, we have to understand Matthew's and his audiences' context, keep it in mind all the time, and seriously endeavor to suspend our own prejudices and presuppositions in favour of letting the text "speak for itself'