Setting the context and units of analysis

The general context
Establishing the unit of analysis and the immediate context
The immediate context in the meaning of a pericope
1. The use of Q Document as a typical example
2. Various context analyses

Context plays an key role in clarifying the meaning of a text or a word. It is therefore an important step in biblical analysis. We can proceed in two stages to establish the context of a text, first by considering the general context of the whole Gospel, then the immediate context of the unit of analysis.

The general context

When we analyze a biblical text, we always analyze a particular author and his work. We can assume that the evangelists didn't simply collect scattered traditions and put them together randomly, one after the other. Any writer who proposes a story follows a certain plan, even if this plan is not a treatise with a tight logic; at the very least, it has a starting point, an end point and a general idea of the path to follow to reach the end point.
1. Mark
  
  According to the widely accepted theory among biblical scholars, Mark was the first to publish a gospel, which Matthew and Luke subsequently had in their hands. Mark proposes a general plan, to be followed by Matthew and Luke, in which everything begins with the preaching of John the Baptist in the Jordan region, followed by the baptism and ministry of Jesus in Galilee, until he decides to go to Jerusalem, where he is arrested, tried, crucified and buried. It's hard to spot a strict plan in Mark's Gospel, where scenes often follow each other only linked by "hook words". At the very least, biblical scholars distinguish two periods in his Gospel:
  - first, the proclamation of God's reign with the choice of his disciples, followed by the presentation of reactions to this proclamation,
  - then the long ascent to Jerusalem, punctuated by announcements of the passion, followed by the long account of Jesus' last week.
  Here's a proposal on the structure of Mark's Gospel.
2. Matthew
  
  Matthew takes up this general plan. But as a Jewish Christian, he probably found Mark's presentation a little “disheveled”. So he restructured everything, introducing more logical sequences and improving the style. For example, he grouped many of Jesus' words into five major discourses, a way of presenting a Christian version of the Jewish Torah (i.e. the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible). Even most of the miracles are grouped together to follow this first discourse. As in Mark's case, his Gospel can be divided into two parts, the second of which is punctuated by announcements of the Passion, but which he introduces by recounting the death of John the Baptist, a way of also announcing Jesus' death.
  
  A particularity of Matthew compared to Mark is that he presents an infancy narrative, based on a tradition also known in Luke. According to R.E. Brown, this infancy story was not an afterthought, but part of the original plan. There are four discernible units: the genealogy, the conception of Jesus, the Magi's visit to Bethlehem, the flight to Egypt and return to Nazareth. These four units seek to answer questions about Jesus' identity: who is he? how is he so? where was he born? where did he come from?
  
  Here's a proposal on the structure of Matthew's Gospel.
3. Luke
  
  Luke also adopts Mark's general plan, but with his great Greek culture and refined pen, he takes the liberty of rewriting several scenes in his own way, sometimes grouping them together for reasons of clarity. And as his Gospel is only the first volume of his work, the Acts of the Apostles must also be considered in understanding his overall plan. Thus, geographical locations seem to be the common thread running through his plan: the ministry in Galilee, the very long ascent to Jerusalem, the stay in Jerusalem until his death and ascension, then the beginning of the Jerusalem community, followed by missionary activity outside Jerusalem, up to the creation of Christian communities all over the world and in Rome, the center of the world.
  
  Luke also offers an infancy narrative based on an ancient tradition and very much inspired by the Old Testament. In fact, he intended to show how the Old Testament introduced the arrival of the Messiah. According to R.E. Brown, Luke added his infancy narrative after completing both his Gospel and his Acts of the Apostles. The infancy story enabled him to ensure a transition between Israel and Jesus, and offered him the same freedom in composition that he experienced with his Acts. He would have composed this story in two stages: in the first stage, he would have structured it around a parallel between John the Baptist and Jesus, each with an angel's announcement of conception, followed by the narration of their birth, circumcision, choice of name and a prophecy about their future; in the second stage, he would have added the various hymns that dot these two chapters, as well as the story of the young Jesus discovered in the temple.
  
  Here's a proposal on the structure of Luke's Gospel.
4. John
  
  Finally, the Gospel according to John, the latest to be published, seems to be unaware of the existence of the other three Gospels, and so its plan is totally different from that of the Synoptics. Like the Synoptics, it can be divided into two main parts, the first marked by Jesus' teaching to a wide audience and his actions, the second marked by his imminent death. The first part is punctuated by the catchword “sign”, which recounts six signs that are acts of power by Jesus, so much so that R.E. Brown gives this first part the title “Book of the Signs of Jesus”. The second part takes place in the shadow of Jesus' departure, which the gospel calls his “glorification”, so that R.E. Brown gives this second part the title “The Book of the Glorification of Jesus”. This gospel is introduced by a Prologue, and contains at the end an appendix added after the fact.
  
  Here's a proposal on the structure of John's Gospel.
5. Examples of contextualization
  
  How important is it to place a text in its general context? This helps determine the literary genre and atmosphere in which the story's meaning should be interpreted. Let's look at a few examples.
  1. Take Mt 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its properties...”. This pericope is set in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, the first of Jesus' five great discourses, in which he is presented as the new Moses, giving not the Ten Commandments, but the charter of the whole Christian life, which begins with the Beatitudes. This broad context allows us to grasp that Matthew, in this Sermon on the Mount, is defining Christian identity.
  2. Now consider Mt 18:15-19: “If your brother does what is evil against you, go to him alone and show him his fault. If he listens to you, you have won your brother...”. The general context is that of Jesus' fourth great discourse on fraternal life. The scene takes place after the 2nd passion proclamation, and the prospect of Jesus' departure raises the question of how Christian communities are to be organized. Thus, this fourth discourse becomes a form of mini-canon law that structures the Church, and our pericope an element of this canon law.
  3. Mk 6:1-6 provides us with another example: “Jesus left this place and went into his own country; his disciples followed him. On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue...”. When we look at Mark's Gospel as a whole, we see two main parts: the first centered on Jesus' preaching in Galilee, ending with Peter's confession, and the second, marked by Jesus' approaching passion, centered on Jesus' teaching of his disciples. Now, Mk 6:1-6 belongs to the first part, and in this part three groups come into play: 1) the people as a whole, 2) Jesus' family and the people of his homeland, and finally 3) his disciples. Mk 6:1-6 is related to group 2), which begins in 3:7 with Jesus' family wanting to intervene because they think he has gone mad, and ends with our pericope, in which Jesus expresses surprise at their lack of faith. Thus, the general atmosphere is that of the relationship of Jesus' family and the people of his milieu with him. For Mark, closeness to Jesus does not contribute to faith in him - quite the contrary.
  4. We cannot understand the pericope Mk 10:13-16 (“Some people brought children to Jesus so that he could touch them, but the disciples spoke sternly to them...”) without first placing it in its general context. Indeed, we are in the 2nd part of Mark's Gospel, after Peter's confession, where Jesus reserves his teaching for those who have believed in him: the prospect of his departure leads him to give instructions on how to live in the Christian community. It is likely that one of the questions raised by the first Christians concerned the place to be given to children at gatherings, whether in relation to the Eucharist or baptism. Mark, no doubt drawing on tradition about Jesus' attitude to children, puts it this way: “Let the children come to me...”, i.e. they have their place in the Christian community.
  5. Let's end with Lk 19:10-28, the parable of the mines. Jesus' ministry follows a geographical itinerary: first in Galilee, then in ch. 9 Jesus sets out for Jerusalem over 10 chapters, then in ch. 19 he arrives in Jerusalem, where he will live out his last moments and experience his ascension. In this long ascent to Jerusalem from ch. 9 to ch. 19, Luke has brought together a series of words and events all his own. And throughout this ascent, the leitmotif “he was on his way” recurs again and again, suggesting the theme of the Christian journey. Our parable about the mines is the conclusion of this section. What does it mean? After concluding his teaching on the Christian life, Luke's Jesus issues a warning to put the teaching received into practice, and thus make it bear fruit, or risk rendering the teaching totally useless.
Establishing the unit of analysis and the immediate context

When analyzing particular verses, it's important to clearly delineate the units of analysis and to determine where a specific pericope begins and ends; this work helps to better target the meaning of a text. How do we go about this analysis?
1. Location
  
  One of the best indicators of the start of a new sequence is the geographical reference: Jesus leaves a place or arrives at a place. This is the most frequent indicator.
  
  For example in Mk 10: 1, Mark writes
  "He left that place and went to the region of Judea and[a] beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him, and, as was his custom, he again taught them".
  
  Then, in Mk 10:17, we have a new geographical indication, heralding a new sequence:
  "As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him"
  
  Thus, Mk 10:1-16 forms a unit of analysis.
2. Time
  
  Another indicator of the start of a new sequence is a reference to time: “Then came the time of...”, or “one day, when Jesus...”, or “at that time”, or an indication of a specific time. For example,
  - Lk 1: 57: "Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth"
  - Lk 10: 21: "At that very hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit"
  - Jn 2: 1: "On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee"
  - Jn 10: 22: "At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem"
3. "After these things"
  
  Sometimes the evangelist indicates that we are moving on to another sequence of events with the expression: “after these things” (meta tauta), or again, "After having said such and such a thing” or "it came to pass..." (egeneto)". For instance,
  - Lk 5: 1: "Then, it came to pass (egeneto) as the crowd was pressing…"
  - Lk 7: 11: "And it came to pass (egeneto) on the next day…"
  - Lk 10: 1: "Then, after these things (meta tauta), the Lord appointed…"
  - Lk 11: 1: "And it came to pass (egeneto) as Jesus was praying…"
  - Jn 21: 1: "After these things (meta tauta), Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples…"
4. The Literary Genre
  
  A literary genre is a good delimiter. For example, a parable clearly has a beginning and an end, just like a prayer or a hymn, or a speech or a controversy, or an exhortation or parenesis, or a miracle story, or a genealogy, or a summary (the evangelist gives a general summary of Jesus' activity) or a maxim (e.g. Mt 23:12), or beatitudes (Mt 5:2-12).
  - Mt 13: 3: "And he told them many things in parables, saying...". A parable has a beginning and an end.
  - Lk 2: 13: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[a] praising God and saying...". A hymn or canticle has a beginning and an end.
  - Matthew presents us with five of Jesus' great discourses, like the one on the mountain, which begins like this: “Jesus spoke and taught them...” (5: 1) and ends with: “When Jesus had finished these words...” (7: 28). Matthew has clearly delineated Jesus' discourse.
  - Lk 6: 20: “Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God’”. The beatitudes have a beginning and an end.
  - Starting with Lk 6:27, Luke presents us with a series of exhortations with imperative verbs: "But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you". These exhortations clearly have a beginning and an end.
5. A Change of Scenery
  
  Sometimes, a caesura is indicated by a change of scenery and new characters entering the scene or new listeners. Very often, the evangelist will introduce this new setting with a participle verb to indicate a new situation and a specific action by Jesus. For example,
  - After discussing the first commandment with a scribe, Mark writes in Mk 12:35: “Jesus started again to speak and was teaching in the temple” (lit. "And having answered, he was saying teaching in the temple”. The scenery has changed: the scribe has disappeared, we are now in the temple, and Jesus is once again teaching).
  - Lk 14:34-35 ends with a comment to the crowd about salt that looses its taste. But 15:1 begins with “Tax collectors and sinners all came to Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus”. So, with Lk 15:1, the scene has completely changed and new characters have appeared.
  - After a reflection on prayer, we read in Lk 11:14: “And Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute...”. We move from a teaching to the disciples to a new setting, that of Jesus' exorcism, introduced by a participle.
  Here's other examples from Mt 2 where the participle is used:
  
  2: 1: "In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem" (litt.: Then, the Jesus having been born in Bethleem of Judea…).
  
  2: 13: "Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said," (litt. The magi having withdrawn)
  
  The participle verb is used to introduce a new sequence with new actors. In this way, 2: 1-12 forms a unit of analysis.
6. "Behold"
  
  Sometimes the evangelist, especially Matthew, introduces this change of scenery with the expression: "Behold" (idou). For examples :
  - Mt 8: 2: "And behold (idou) there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him..."
  - Mt 9: 2: "And behold (idou) some people were carrying to him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher..."
  - Mt 15: 22: "And behold (idou) a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting..."
  - Mt 19: 16: "And behold (idou) someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?'"
  - Mt 26: 47: "As Jesus was still speaking, behold (idou) Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs..."
  - Lk 2: 25: "And behold (idou) a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon"
7. "Then"
  
  Sometimes a change of scene is introduced by the expression: "Then" (tote), especially Matthew's. For examples:
  - Mt 2: 16: "Then, (tote) Herod seeing that he had been tricked by the magi,he was infuriated"
  - Mt 3: 13: "Then, (tote) Jesus comes from Galilee to Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.”
  - Mt 4: 1: "Then, (tote) Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tested by the devil".
  - Mt 9: 14: "Then, (tote) John's disciples approached him, saying..."
  - Mt 11: 20: "Then, (tote) he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done"
  - Mt 12: 22: "Then, (tote) they brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute..."
8. The Content
  
  Finally, sometimes the only way to delimit a unit of analysis is by its content, especially in a long discourse such as John's: the object of discussion has changed. For example,
  - In Jn 15:18-25, Jesus talks about the world's hatred of him, then in 15:26-27 he talks about the Spirit and the disciples who will have to bear witness. Then, at the start of ch. 16, the subject changes, as Jesus now explains why he says a number of things in advance. Thus 15:26-27 forms a small unit of analysis on witnessing.
  - In John 6, we have what is known as the discourse on the bread of life. This discourse can be subdivided into smaller units. From 6:25 onwards, we witness a dialogue between Jesus and the crowd. In the first part, the crowd tries to understand Jesus' words, and in 6:34 they say: “Lord, give us this bread always”. But the tone changes in 6:41, when John writes: “The Jews criticized Jesus because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven’”. Jesus will try to answer until 6:51, then in 6:52 people ask a new question about “eating his flesh”. Thus, 6:41-51 forms a small unit around a question and an answer.
Having said all this, it should be noted that the Catholic liturgy often proposes its own breakdown, sometimes with an amalgam of different verses, in order to focus on a particular theme. For example, for the 6th Sunday in Lent: Lk 6:17,20-26, the introduction to the Beatitudes was shortened; for the 4th Sunday in Lent: Lk 15:1-3,11-32, the introduction and only the third parable were kept; for the birth of John the Baptist: Lk 1:57-66,80, it has kept the narrative around his birth, to which it has added the general conclusion; for the 14th Ordinary Sunday of Year C: Lk 10:1-12,17-20, it has eliminated the section on the curses against Chorazin and Capernaum to remain focused on the mission; for the 3rd Sunday of Advent in Year C: Jn 1:6-8,19-28, it has eliminated anything that doesn't directly concern John the Baptist; for Pentecost in Year B: Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15, it has divided the text around the Paraclete; for the celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ in Year B: Mark 14:12-16,22-26, it has eliminated the announcement of Judas' betrayal to focus solely on Jesus' last supper; for the 22nd Ordinary Sunday in Year B: Mk 7:1-8,14-15,21-23, the details of the Pharisaic traditions that oppose God's commandments have been eliminated; for the First Sunday of Advent in year C: Luke 21:25-28,34-36, the reading on the fig tree in the announcement of the coming of the Son of Man has been eliminated; for the Baptism of the Lord in year C: Luke 3:15-16,21-22, the threats of John the Baptist have been eliminated.

The Catholic liturgy sometimes groups together several units of analysis to cover different aspects of a particular theme, as on the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Sunday in Year B: Mk 10:2-16, where the controversy over divorce was joined with a teaching to the disciples and the place of children.

The immediate context in the meaning of a pericope

A sentence can take on different meanings depending on the context in which it appears. For example, what does it mean when a mother says to her son: “I have to tell you the truth”? It all depends on the context. If the context is that of a discussion about biological ties and adoption, perhaps the mother intends to reveal to her son that he is the product of adoption. If the context is one in which the mother confesses her infidelities, perhaps the mother intends to reveal to her son that his current father is not his biological father. If the context is one of marital difficulties, perhaps the mother intends to reveal to her son that she is contemplating separation. The same is true of biblical analysis: understanding the immediate context is crucial to understanding the meaning of a verse or pericope.

The use of Q Document as a typical example

The Q Document provides an ideal case for examining the impact of immediate context on the meaning of a pericope. In fact, this source, used by Matthew and Luke, seems like a binder of Jesus' words from which the evangelists draw, and which they place throughout their writings according to the needs of their catechesis. Depending on where a word is placed, it takes on a different meaning. Let's take a closer look.
1. Mt 15: 14 || Lk 6: 39 : can blind lead the blind
  
  Matthew has set this word of Jesus in the context of a controversy with the Pharisees, who are shocked that the disciples do not wash their hands with water before the meal, and he presents it as Jesus' affirmation that the Pharisees are blind leading other blind people, and so will fall into a pit, i.e. they are going nowhere.
  
  Luke inserts this word of Jesus into the context of his speech on the plain, following an exhortation not to judge others, and introduces the parable where someone sees the speck in his brother's eye, but not the beam in his own. The blind man is therefore the brother who is unaware of the obstacles to his good judgment.
2. Mt 10: 24-25a || Lk 6: 40: disciple not above teacher.
  
  Matthew inserted these words in a speech addressed to the disciples returning from mission, whom Jesus asks not to be surprised to encounter opposition and persecution. Jesus is thus saying: if they persecuted me, they will persecute you too.
  
  In Luke, this word follows the previous image of the blind man who cannot lead another blind man, but is followed by the statement: “But every well-trained disciple will be like his teacher”. From then on, the disciple who becomes a master will no longer be blind, and will in turn be able to guide others. So Luke introduced this disciple-master comparison to support the need for apprenticeship.
3. Mt 12: 33b.34b.35 || Lk 6: 44a.45: By the fruit the tree is known. For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
  
  Matthew uses this logion in a speech by Jesus to the Pharisees, who accuse Jesus of casting out demons through Beelzebul, to tell them that they cannot say good things, for they are evil, as the diseased tree produces diseased fruit.
  
  Luke inserts this logion into Jesus' discourse on the plain, where he presents the charter of the Christian life, after exhorting the Christian not to judge and to remove the beam from his own eye before seeing the speck in his brother's. This logion then becomes an observation on the fact that a good man professes from his treasure the good, an evil man professes from his treasure the evil, for what a person says is a reflection of his heart. So we understand that the heart must first be transformed by God's word before it can bear good fruit, i.e. good judgment on one's brother.
4. Mt 7: 18,20,16b || Lk 6: 43-44 : It's not a quality tree making a rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree making a quality fruit.
  
  Matthew placed this logion in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, presenting the charter of the Christian life and addressing the problem posed by the prophets in the Christian community who performed an important function, but were of unequal value, hence the need to sort them out. Matthew uses the image of the tree and its fruit to propose a criterion for discernment: “By their fruit you will know them,” i.e. their deeds.
  
  Luke inserts this logion into Jesus' discourse on the plain, at the point where he has just used the image of the speck and the beam in the eye, and so the logion operates a transition between, on the one hand, the affirmation that we must first look at our own shortcomings represented by the beam, and on the other, the reason why we must proceed in this way: the fruit that is judgment proceeds from the tree that is the person, and just as the good or bad tree gives different fruit, the good or bad man produces a different judgment.
5. Mt 13: 16-17 || Lk 10: 23-24: "Blessed are the eyes observing what you observe..."
  
  In Matthew, this logion was inserted into Jesus' discourse in parables, when he explains to his disciples why he speaks in parables, quoting Isa 6:10: “lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears...”; in contrast, the disciples are those who see and hear the message of the parables.
  
  In Luke, this logion is inserted when the seventy-two disciples return from their mission and tell Jesus that they have experienced demons being subjected to them. For Jesus, this meant that his disciplines had seen the reign of God at work, and so he said to them: “Blessed are the eyes...”.
6. Mt 12: 43-45 || Lk 11: 24-26: Unclean spirit gone out of someone returns and brings seven others, making worse
  
  Matthew inserts this logion in the context of a series of disputes with the Pharisees, and more particularly after Jesus' reproach for asking for a sign, reflecting their lack of conversion. From then on, the story of the return of the unclean spirit becomes a description of their condition. And by adding at the end the phrase: “So shall this evil generation also be” (v. 26b), Matthew clearly associates the man inhabited by seven unclean spirits with this generation of Pharisees.
  
  Luke, for his part, places this pericope in the context of Jesus' exorcisms, attributed by some to Beelzebul, but which Jesus associates with the arrival of God's reign and the strong man who reduces Satan to impotence. The story of the return of the unclean spirit is therefore intended to express that this victory over Satan is not guaranteed for ever: if, since the departure of the unclean spirit, the word of God has not taken root and fructified, there is a great risk that the unclean spirit will return with even greater virulence. This interpretation is confirmed by the following account of the true disciple (“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it”, Lk 11:28).
7. Mt 6: 22-23 || Lk 11: 34a-35: the lamp of the body that is the eye
  
  Note that in the Semitic world, the eye is understood as the organ of discernment, and is therefore linked to one's orientation in life and to one's heart. As for the body, it refers to a person's entire being.
  
  Matthew placed these words of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount following a warning about riches: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but... in heaven. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mt 6:19-21). From then on, the “simple” eye, which is liberal, generous and able to give, is opposed to the “evil” eye, which is envious, miserly and reluctant to give.
  
  In Luke, on the other hand, the eye/body theme follows that of the lamp and belongs to the context of the sign that is Jesus. So Luke offers an explanation for the acceptance or rejection of the sign that is Jesus: the “simple” eye, i.e. upright and frank, is able to see this sign, while the evil eye is unable to do so. Hence Luke's conclusion: examine whether the light in you is not darkness.
8. Mt 6: 19-21 || Lk 12: 33-34 no treasures on earth but in heaven.
  
  Matthew placed this logion in his Sermon on the Mount, after Jesus had shown the attitude to adopt towards the three great practices of Judaism: almsgiving, prayer and fasting; each time, Jesus insists that these practices must be done in secret, and the Father, who sees in secret, will see to it that they are followed up. From then on, talk of a treasure in heaven is a logical follow-up: every action is aimed at pleasing God, who sees all and forgets nothing.
  
  Luke, for his part, inserts this logion after the one inviting us to avoid worries and trust in God's providence, and thus logically opens onto the idea that accumulating possessions is totally useless, and that it is therefore better to give them in alms, and that the only riches are in heaven
9. Mt 24: 43-44,45-51 || Lk 12: 39-40,42-46 householder and thief; faithful servant preparing for master's coming
  
  Matthew places it in his eschatological discourse, when Jesus is in Jerusalem, a few days before his death. Jesus has just affirmed that no one knows the day and hour of the Son of Man's coming, and gives the example of the flood in Noah's time, which happened without anyone doubting anything, before exhorting us to keep watch. Thus, the context is one of catastrophe, where we must avoid being caught unprepared. This atmosphere continues with the image of the thief in our pericope.
  
  Luke has placed this pericope within a series of teachings by Jesus as he walks towards Jerusalem, which he will reach only ten chapters later, where the legacy he wants to leave his disciples on the Christian life is concentrated. He has just exhorted them (Lk 12:35) to stay in their work clothes and keep their lamps lit to welcome the Master back from the wedding feast, whatever the time of night. So the first parable, though about a thief, is set in the positive context of the master's return from his wedding feast.
10. Mt 10: 34-36 || Lk 12: 51-53 : Jesus did not come to bring peace but sword; divisions of family
  
  Matthew inserted this pericope at the end of his missionary discourse in ch. 10, after warning his envoys that they would face persecution and have to bear witness before men. From then on, this pericope means that they need not be surprised, for it is the very nature of Jesus' action and message to create such a situation.
  
  In Luke, this pericope follows the parable about the steward who is responsible for feeding the members of the household. And to ensure a smooth transition, Luke adds a logion in which Jesus expresses the meaning of his mission, that of lighting a fire on earth, i.e. the sending of the Holy Spirit which will be linked to his baptism, i.e. his death. From then on, our pericope goes on to explain the meaning of this fire of the Spirit, a transforming force that will be a source of division, with some refusing it. All this only accentuates the demands of the responsibility entrusted to the steward of the house.
11. Mt 5: 25-26 || Lk 12: 58-59 settling before going before the magistrate
  
  Matthew placed this pericope in his Sermon on the Mount, after a call to go beyond the commandment not to kill by refusing to get angry with your brother, to call him a “fool” or a “madman”. Then comes the rule: “When you go to present your offering at the altar, if you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and first go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and present your offering” (Mt 5:23-24). In this way, our pericope becomes an example of reconciliation with one's brother, in order to be able to present one's offering to God. This reconciliation thus has a moral and religious dimension.
  
  In Luke's case, the pericope follows Jesus' call to judge each situation and react to life's different events, like the farmer who knows how to discern the weather. To make sure that his reader uses this criterion of interpretation, he introduces our pericope with the words: “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” (Lk 12:57). This pericope is followed by the presentation of two catastrophes, Pilate's massacre of the Galileans and the collapse of the Tower of Siloam, which are to be interpreted as a call to conversion. Thus, the conflict with an adversary in our pericope must be interpreted as a call to change one's attitude while there is still time. The urgency is imposed by the prospect of the final judgment.
12. Mt 22: 2-10 || Lk 14: 16-24 a great banquet, invitees make excuses, others invited
  
  Matthew's parable follows two parables addressed to the chief priests and elders: that of the two sons, which ends with “Truly, I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes will precede you into the Kingdom of God” (Mt 21:32), and that of the homicidal vinedressers, which ends with “The Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a people who will produce its fruits” (Mt 21:43). Matthew thus continues his polemic against “his people”, recalling once again the numerous dispatches of the prophets, some of whom will be put to death, and the punishment of this stiff-necked people by the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. The guests who refuse the invitation are the Jews, while those who are called last are the Gentiles.
  
  Luke has set this parable in the context of Jesus eating at a Pharisee's house on the Sabbath, where he appeals to his host to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind first. Then, to introduce our parable, he puts into the mouth of a guest these words addressed to Jesus: "Blessed is he who shares the meal in the kingdom of God!" So, on the one hand, the parable takes on an eschatological dimension, that of the meal in the kingdom, and on the other hand, it is colored by the needy who will be the first to partake of this banquet. The allusion to those who were invited and declined the invitation, i.e. “the chosen people”, is present in the conclusion, but in Luke they have been replaced first and foremost by the needy, even if “others” will join them so that the hall is full. If there's a polemical dimension in Luke, it's with regard to wealth.
13. Mt 10: 37-38 || Lk 14: 26-27 the disciple must prefer Jesus to his family and carry his cross
  
  Matthew inserted this logion at the end of Jesus' missionary discourse, after warning his envoys that it is not peace he has come to bring, but the sword, and more specifically he has come to “separate man from father, daughter from mother, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law” (Mt 10:35). So, some family members will side with Jesus, others against. So an envoy who, out of family attachment, would renounce his mission, is not worthy of him.
  
  Luke has inserted this logion into Jesus' long journey to Jerusalem, where he focuses his teaching on the Christian life. He takes the trouble to introduce this logion as follows: “A crowd of people was going with Jesus. He turned and said to them all” (Lk 14:25). The fact that Jesus turns around is intended to emphasize the importance of the teaching that follows. What's more, Jesus addresses himself “to all”, not just to his immediate disciples or envoys, but to all those who put their trust in him. Finally, he addresses the people who walk behind him, and so all this introduces the theme of the requirements for following Jesus. These requirements can be summed up in three: preferring Jesus to family and marital ties if there is conflict (v. 26), bearing the cross of these requirements (v. 27), and being ready to give up all one's possessions (v. 33).
14. Mt 5: 13 || Lk 14: 34-35 uselessness of salt that has lost its taste
  
  Matthew placed this logion in his Sermon on the Mount, immediately after the Beatitudes. The meaning of salt is clear: it is the wisdom of the beatitudes. And by using the expression “you are the salt of the earth” followed by “you are the light of the world”, Matthew is addressing his disciples to remind them of their mission: to make known to the world the wisdom of the beatitudes, which will enable the world to bear all its fruit. Note that Matthew omitted the word “manure”, either because he was uncomfortable with it, or because he felt it detracted from his point.
  
  Luke placed this logion after the presentation of the disciple's three requirements: to prefer Jesus to family and marital ties if there is conflict (v. 26), to bear the cross of these requirements (v. 27), to be ready to renounce all possessions (v. 33). Salt, then, denotes the wisdom of the disciple who gives priority to Jesus, carries his cross and renounces all his possessions. If the disciple loses these properties, he no longer bears the fruits of discipleship, he loses his identity and is no longer part of Jesus' following.
15. Mt 18: 12-14 || Lk 15: 4-7 the man who leaves 99 sheep to go after lost one
  
  Matthew placed this parable in his discourse on fraternal life (ch. 18). It is preceded by a warning not to push to sin any of the “little ones” who believe in Jesus (Mt 18:6-9), and is followed by the rules on fraternal correction (Mt 18:15-18). Thus, the context is that of Christian life, and the discourse is addressed to disciples, and therefore to community leaders. The parable is intended to encourage community leaders to be true shepherds, bringing their lost brethren back to God and showing as much concern for the lost sheep as the shepherd does. This is a good introduction to the sequence on fraternal correction that follows. The “little ones” of the community seem to be those whose faith is fragile and who can easily be led astray by contact with people outside the community.
  
  Luke seems to have better respected the polemical context of Q Document. To set the context, he composes an introduction (Lk 15:1-3) in which tax collectors and sinners approach Jesus, arousing the irritation of the Pharisees and scribes, for whom consorting with these people makes one unclean. The effect of the parable is, on the one hand, to explain and justify Jesus' need to associate with “unclean” people in order to bring them back to God, and on the other hand, with a touch of irony, to embarrass the Pharisees and scribes by leading them to identify with those who don't need to change, i.e. those for whom God doesn't need to intervene.
16. Mt 6: 24 || Lk 16: 13 one cannot serve two masters
  
  Matthew placed this logion in his Sermon on the Mount, where it serves as an introduction to his exhortation to avoid worrying about what to eat or what to wear. The evangelist seems to assume that we seek wealth out of concern for good food and clothing. And so, by eliminating these worries, we will no longer be interested in money. Moreover, the teaching on worries suggests trusting the Father in heaven, like birds and plants. This means that serving money expresses the absence of faith.
  
  Luke places this logion in a sequence around money. It follows the parable of the shrewd steward who skilfully used money to get out of a bad situation, and a teaching about money as a criterion of one's ability to manage true good, and will be followed by the mention that the Pharisees loved money. Throughout this sequence, the word “deceitful money” recurs like a leitmotif. So, unlike Matthew, Luke doesn't just talk about the incompatibility between money and God, but rather about good management in the service of the kingdom, avoiding the (deceptive) illusions it gives rise to.
17. Mt 17: 20 || Lk 17: 6 If you had faith like grain of mustard seed, you could move mountains
  
  Matthew inserted this logion at the end of the story of the healing of the epileptic child (Mt 17:14-28). Our logion becomes Jesus' response to the disciples on their failure to heal the child. And this response is introduced thus: “It is because of your little faith”, a typically Matthaean adjective.
  
  Luke inserted this logion after the logia on scandals and the forgiveness granted to those who repent. And he introduces it thus: “And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith'.” This request to increase faith follows the call to forgive without limit. It's possible, then, that the apostles found Jesus' path of unlimited forgiveness difficult, and so asked for his help to enter into this vision of trusting life and others in this way.

Various context analyses

Let's take a look at a few examples of pericopes where the verses that precede them or the verses that follow are important in shedding light on them.

Lk 10: 1-20: choosing and sending the 72 disciples

What precedes our pericope begins with the start of this ascent to Jerusalem, and focuses on the sending out on mission. First of all, the disciples are sent to Samaria to prepare for the coming of Jesus. Unfortunately, because of the enmity between Jews and Samaritans, and the rivalry between the temple on Mount Garizim and the one in Jerusalem, they are not welcomed. Nevertheless, the march to Jerusalem continues with a teaching on the condition of the disciple, first with someone who asks to follow Jesus and is told that a disciple is like a migrant, without a specific home, then with someone whom Jesus calls to follow him, but who puts forward other priorities, such as burying his father, which contradicts the absolute priority of announcing the reign of God. Thus, our pericope ties in with this great context of following Jesus and sending him out on mission, and thus provides an opportunity to detail the missionary work. We must also assume that the 72 disciples meet the discipleship requirements specified by Jesus.

Considering what follows our pericope, we might wonder whether there's any real connection, since we're talking about revelation to infants. But Luke goes to the trouble of pointing out that there is a link through the expression: “At this very hour”, i.e. at the very moment when Jesus says: “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. What's the connection? The 72 represent those disciples who do not belong to the group of the wise and clever, but to the little ones to whom Jesus reveals who the Father really is. So the missionaries' true joy comes from having been chosen to know the mystery of the Father, and their mission will in turn be to make it known.
Lk 6: 39-45: a blind man cannot lead another blind man, a good tree does not produce rotten fruit

Our pericope belongs to this “discourse in the plain” (6:20-49), the place being indicated in 6: 17, while Jesus has just chosen the twelve apostles on a mountain (6: 12-16), and Luke writes: “going down with them, he stood on a level place” (6: 17). This discourse is well delineated, for it begins in 6:20 with: “Then, looking up at his disciples, Jesus said”, and ends in 7:1 with: “When Jesus had finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum”.

This discourse in the plain presents the expected conduct of the perfect disciple. Our pericope is preceded by an exhortation to act towards our neighbor: show compassion and non-judgment, and God will have the same attitude towards us. Our pericope then becomes a series of images illustrating what all this means: just as a blind man cannot guide another blind man, so we must learn to follow Jesus' attitude by cleaning up our personal biases and refraining from judgment. And then our mouths and actions will reflect this heart that has become kind and compassionate. Our pericope is followed by an exhortation from Jesus to put into practice the teaching received, an exhortation that serves as a conclusion to the discourse on the plain.
Mk 10: 2-16: divorce and the place of children

First, in 10:1, we see a change of scene: “Leaving there (Capernaum), Jesus went into the territory of Judea, beyond the Jordan”. And the next geographical note comes in 10:17: “As he set out on his journey, someone came running and fell to his knees before him”. The effect of all this is to form the whole of 10:2-16 as a small, independent island, our pericope.

When we consider the verses that precede our pericope, we see that they are marked by conflict: conflict between disciples (9:34 “they had quarreled”) to determine who was the greatest, and thus over precedence (9:33-37), conflict with rival groups doing the same exorcisms (9:38-41), conflict with the weakest in the community (42-48), and the whole thing ends with a conclusion around the role of salt, symbolizing the role of the Christian, and a call to keep this property and live in peace with one another (49-50). Our pericope continues the theme of conflict with the mention of the Pharisees setting a trap by broaching the issue of divorce, as well as with the mention of the disciples pushing away the children who want to approach Jesus.

The story (10:17-31) that follows our pericope is about a man who wants to inherit eternal life, and whom Jesus calls to follow him. His refusal because of his wealth gives Jesus the opportunity to teach about wealth as an obstacle to the Christian life, and about what those who are willing to give it up will receive. Then comes the conclusion: “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first”. We are faced with a conflict between two worlds and two scales of value. This opposition also colors our pericope: opposition between the Jewish world's vision of marriage and that of Jesus, opposition between the community authorities' vision of the place of little children and that of Jesus.

Mt 2: 1-12: the arrival of the Magi from the East

To grasp the immediate context, it is sometimes necessary to grasp the structure of the chapters and their interrelation. This is the case with Mt 2:1-12.

Let's try to map out Matthew's infancy narrative. One possible key is the question Matthew is trying to answer, which was aimed at both the members of his community and the attacks of his fellow Jews.

	Section	Questions answered by Matthieu
a.	Genealogy of Jesus 1: 1-17 :	who is he? Son of David, so son of God, son of Abraham
b.	Conception of Jesus 1: 18-25 :	how is he the son of David? Through his adoption by Joseph how he is the son of God? by the Holy Spirit
c.	The coming of the magi to Bethlehem 2: 1-12 :	from where? From Bethlehem, as the son of David how he is Abraham's son? By the Magi from the East
d.	Flight of the family to Egypt and return to Nazareth 2: 13-23:	whence is he? He is from Egypt, where he relives the experience of Moses and the exodus of his people, and he is from Galilee, the land of the Gentiles.

Thus, the story of the Magi presents Jesus as a Jewish messiah, since he was born in Bethlehem, David's homeland, and is of David's lineage through his adoption by Joseph, and thus meets the criteria of a Davidic messiah. But our story focuses on his acceptance by the Gentiles, making him the true son of Abraham, who had come from the East to settle in Canaan, the Gentile land, in whom “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3), and to whom God had promised numerous descendants like the stars of heaven (Gen 15:5).

Mt 14: 22-33: walking on water

Our story is preceded by a scene in which Herod the tetrarch learns of Jesus' reputation for healing and sees John the Baptist as having risen from the dead, which would explain his special powers. Matthew takes this opportunity to recount the death of John the Baptist. He then goes on to tell us that, on hearing of John the Baptist's death, Jesus withdrew by boat to a deserted spot. But this retreat is short-lived, as crowds from all over follow him on foot, joining him as he disembarks. And he writes: “When Jesus disembarked, he saw a great crowd; he felt pity for them and healed their sick” (14: 14). There is no teaching to the crowds, only compassion for their infirmities. Then comes evening, and the disciples suggest sending the crowd away to feed, but Jesus retorts that they should feed the crowd themselves. Although it is Jesus who blesses the bread, it is the disciples who act as intermediaries between Jesus and the crowd, and thus feed the crowd. Matthew's intention is clear: Jesus' teaching is no longer addressed to the crowd, but to his disciples, and what Jesus has done, the disciples will have to do in their turn: heal and feed people, in short, exercise compassion.

Now let's look at what follows our account of the walk on the waters. The boat arrives at Gennesareth. Now, what does Matthew tell us? The people of that place recognized him, and sent for all the people of the region, and they brought to him all the sick” (14:34). What followed was a long day of healings of all kinds. So, what precedes our pericope is a teaching to the disciples about compassion, and what follows is a day of compassion, again a teaching to the disciples. We can recognize in what precedes and follows our story a form of inclusion.

When we have a form of inclusion, the key to interpreting the whole is found in what is at the center of the inclusion, and here it's our story of walking on the waters. Let's not forget that the waters, the waves and the sea represent the forces of evil, as does disease. So, the key to interpreting all these stories in which Jesus exercises compassion and teaches compassion to his disciples is the faith that he is alive in the night of his absence, and to be able to recognize that he is son of God, master over the forces of evil.

There's something ironic about Herod's perception of Jesus' healing powers, associating him with a resurrection of the dead, that of John the Baptist. He is partly right in speaking of a resurrection of the dead, but it will be that of Jesus himself, and above all in speaking of death, for the path of compassion is a path that passes through death.
Mt 5: 13-16: you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world

The immediate context of our pericope is Jesus' inaugural discourse on the mountain, which begins in 5:1-2: "When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. He sat down, and his disciples came to him." This discourse ends in 7:28-29: "And when Jesus had finished these instructions, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught them as a man of authority, and not as their scribes."

Let's take a look at the structure of this discourse. The reference to our passage is in bold type.

Exordium: the Beatitudes or the fundamental attitude of the Christian (5: 3-12)

The Christian identity (5: 13-20)
- To guide the world by one's actions and thus bear witness to God (5: 13-16)
- This action goes further than the letter of the law (5: 17-20)
Six illustrations of this identity, which aims to replicate God's own action (5: 21-48)
1. It is not enough not to kill; you must refuse to speak ill and reconcile if necessary (5: 21-26)
2. It is not enough not to commit adultery; you must purify your eyes and your desires (5: 27-30)
3. Repudiating one's spouse has no place, except in cases of promiscuity (5: 31-32)
4. Keeping one's oaths is not enough; one must avoid swearing and tell the truth (5: 33-37)
5. The law of retaliation has no place, but we must respond to evil with good (5: 38-42)
6. Hatred of the enemy has no place, but we must love him and pray for him (5: 43-48)
General statement on good deeds: avoid self-promotion (6: 1)

Three illustrations of good deeds (6: 2-18)
1. Almsgiving: avoid being loud, and do it discreetly
2. Praying: avoid being conspicuous, and do it privately and with few words, such as the Our Father
3. Fasting: avoid looking glum, and make sure no one knows you're fasting
Four exhortations (6: 19 – 7: 27)
1. Avoiding greed (6: 19-34)
  - Illustration: earthly goods last only a short time and come into conflict with God; in any case, God takes care of your good.
2. Avoid perverting your relationships with others (7: 1-12)
  - Illustration: don't judge them, know how to give them what they need, do to them what you'd like them to do to you.
3. Avoid the easy way (7: 13-20)
  - Illustration: this is what false prophets propose, and we must judge them by their fruits.
4. True discipleship means taking action and taking action accordingly (7: 21-27)
  - Illustration: putting Jesus' teachings into practice is like building solidly on rock
As can be seen, the entire inaugural address defines Christian action. It begins with the fundamental attitude made explicit by the Beatitudes, then continues with the affirmation of the Christian identity called to be salt of the earth and light of the world through good deeds, deeds that must be visible so that we know who God is. The rest of the discourse clarifies these good deeds: they must go beyond the letter of the law, and fundamentally they replicate God's own action. The conclusion picks up on what has already been said: the Christian is defined by his actions.

In this discourse, Matthew has brought together many elements of the tradition found elsewhere in the other evangelists. But he has given them a direction of his own, centered on action. This should come as no surprise. Matthew is a Jew, and like every Jew, it's orthopraxy that's important, i.e. acting in accordance with God's will. And he must help his community make the transition from the Jewish to the Christian faith, a community where some may imagine that, by abandoning the Torah, they find themselves without law, without precept, without commandment.

In this context, our pericope (5:13-16) plays a pivotal role, moving from the fundamental Christian attitude spelled out in the Beatitudes to the new set of Christian “precepts”. This pericope justifies their importance:
- It's part of Christian identity and role in the world
- It's the way to make God known

-André Gilbert, April 2025

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