Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE MISSION OF JESUS 513.4
considerations are enough to establish the conclusion that Jesus was understood
by his first disciples to have been engaged on a mission to and on behalf of Israel
as a whole. His goal was the prophetic goal of recalling the people to return to
their God. He chose twelve to be his inner group of disciples to represent Israel
renewed (new covenant) and recalled to its destiny. He had a special concern for
the sheep separated from the flock of Yahweh. The assumption, we can only infer,
was that of the prophets: that Israel would flourish as a community only
when as a people it genuinely turned to and trusted in God.
But would that ensure the coming of the kingdom, or would it be proof that
the kingdom had come? We need to fill out the picture further.
13.4. To the Poor
Of all the prophecies which may have influenced Jesus, Isa. 61.1 stands out: 'The
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent
me to bring good news to the poor ('anawim/ptöchois)...'. Its influence is evident
in the allusions to Isaianic prophecies in the reply to the Baptist's query (Matt.
11.5/Luke 7.22). m And the opening sequence of beatitudes (Matt. 5.3-6/Luke
6.20b-21) seems to have been framed with Isa. 61.1-3 (7) in mind. 133 So even if
132. See above, §12.5c(l).
133.
Isa. 61.1-3, (7)
(1) to preach good news to
the poor
(2) to comfort all who mourn
(1) to preach good news to
the poor
(7) they shall inherit the land
(LXX)
(3) they will be called oaks of
righteousness
Matt. 5.3-6
(3) Blessed are the poor . . .
(4) Blessed are those who
mourn, for they shall be
comforted
(5) Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the
land.
(6) Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied
Luke 6.20b, 21b, 21a
(20) Blessed are the poor . . .
(21b) Blessed are you who
weep now, for you shall
laugh
(21a) Blessed are those who
hunger now,
for you shall be satisfied
The same tradition (Q?) probably lies behind both Matt. 5.4 and Luke 6.21b, and Luke modified
it to heighten the parallel with Luke 6.25b. In which case Matthew has more likely preserved the
earlier form, more closely echoing Isa. 61.2 (Fitzmyer, Luke 1.634; Robinson/Hoffmann/
Kloppenborg, Critical Edition of Q 48-49). In turn it becomes more likely that the echo of Isa.
61.1-2 evident in the sequence of Matthew's beatitudes was given in the tradition known to Matthew
rather than being evidence of Matthean redaction (see further Davies and Allison, Matthew
1.436-39). On the overlap in meaning of 'poor' and 'meek' see above, chapter 12 n. 159.
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