Abstract

D'Orsa, Therese This passage is a kind of a signature statement of the author of Matthew as gospel writer and as Christian educator. Matthew's Gospel was written in a very demanding context following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, a situation of chaos and exile for the community, about a half-century on from the death of Jesus. In the circumstances, Matthew's meaning-making task as leader within his community was daunting. What he was about was a task not dissimilar to that confronting Catholic educators today.