Passion Narratives and Gospel Theologies: Interpreting the Synoptics Through Their Passion Stories

'The Plot of Matthew's Gospel," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 2/April 1987, pp. 233-253.In this article Matera, a Professor of New Testament at the Catholic University, shows that the Gospel of Matthew has a plot. His arguments for this conclusion are 1) a plot consists of events placed in a timely and orderly fashion, 2) the events in Jesus' life are placed in a timely and orderly way in Matthew. By the term 'plot' Matera means "the arrangement of incidents." (p. 235). Having defined 'plot', Matera is ready to uncover the arrangement of events in the gospel of Matthew. First he makes a distinction concerning two kinds of arrangements. Second he identifies the kernels in Jesus' life. Third he applies both kinds of arrangements to Matthew. As a result, this scholarly study of a plot in Matthew is expertly investigated and convincing. Matera writes that the plot according to time shows that it is possible that Israel will reject Jesus as the Messiah. By the middle (11:2-16:12), it is probable that Israel will reject Jesus as the Messiah. By the end, it becomes necessary that Israel rejects Jesus as the Messiah (21:1-28:15) (p. 239).