The Sundays before Lent

4 The Sundays before Lent

Exploring the text
The readings for the Sundays before Lent are, with one exception, taken from the first of Matthew’s five narratives and discourses, which we noted in the Introduction to this book (see pp. 7–8). In fact, they are taken from the most famous discourse of all – the Sermon on the Mount. Here we find most clearly Matthew’s vision of Jesus as the new Moses giving the new law. So much has been written on the Sermon on the Mount that it is very difficult to find anything new or interesting to say about it. Nevertheless a few introductory comments may be useful...