The Nature of Jesus’ Obedience: A Narrative-Critical Reading of Matthew’s Gethsemane (26:36-46)

This study, using the Gethsemane passage as central, investigates Matthew’s portrayal of the textual Jesus’ obedience amidst various claims implicitly clamouring for supremacy. There are the conflicts with the religious authorities of Israel who label him as an impostor, his disciples who find his standard unattainable, and even God whose seeming inactivity throughout Jesus’ suffering may bring into question Jesus’ genuineness. In setting the stagefor the investigation, this thesis first reviews briefly the interpretations of some key scholars on Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-46)(chapter two).Using narrative criticism,this key text is analysed with attention on the episodic characterisation of Jesus, especially the decipherable obedience features(chapter three). Jesus is shown to be authentically submissive to God’s will. Intratextual links between Gethsemane and the rest of the Gospel revealthat the Gethsemane obedience is consonant with the Matthean obedience theology(chapter four). The conviction that Gethsemane is a synopsis of the whole Gospel proves that Jesus’ portrayed obedience therein epitomises his lifelong obedience to God. Associations between Gethsemane and a few exemplary characters from the Hebrew Scripture demonstrate that Jesus’ obedience is rooted in the Old Testament tradition and even advances that of all genuinely obedient people of God since he perfectly fulfils all the law and prophets(chapter five). This study, therefore, fits into the debate regarding Matthean obediencetheology and specifically the nature of obedience exhibited by Jesus.Jesus’ obedience was evaluated according to Herbert McCabeOP’s definitionof obedience. On its own,Jesus’ submissionto God’s will, as apparently implied in the Gethsemane text,would not pass McCabe’s test of perfect obedience. His notion of obedience would score Jesus’ obedience as perfect ultimately and only because the obedience resulted from a sharing of ‘one mind’ between God (superior) and Jesus (subject)geared toward anobjective goal—in this casethe world’s salvation. Accordingly, we conclude that Jesus’ lifelong obedience is the model and salvific obedience which every disciple is called to appropriate.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

St. Patrick's College Maynooth

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Mejida, Timothy

Language dc:language

en