Abstract
The essence of this study is the claim that the beatitudes present Matthew’s understanding of Jesus’ vision for a transformed society, and issue a call to those who would embrace this outlook in realigning society with this new set of priorities. As Daley acknowledges, this book expands his ideas in God’s Will and Testament (Baylor, 2021), where he argued that the Matthean Jesus presents his ideas of ‘ideal discipleship’ for both Jewish and gentile followers. This new book extends that idea by applying it to the Beatitudes (Matt 5.1-12), arguing that this series of sayings is a charter or vision of how such ideal discipleship serves to reformulate and engage with society and ethics.
In his introduction, Daley makes several important points about what readers might expect from his work. He rejects the quest for ‘newness’ for the sake of innovation itself. Instead, he comments, ‘[t]he role of the scholar is not only to present that which is “new” but also to recontextualize ideas for new audiences’ (p. 5). That being said, there is a freshness and a new depth of understanding of the relationship between discipleship and the purpose of the Beatitudes as presented in the Gospel of Matthew.
Part 1 of the book comprises three preparatory sections which in turn analyse ‘Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew’s Structure’ (pp. 41-46), ‘the Character of Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew’ (pp. 47-67), and ‘Reading Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew’ (pp. 69-72). Daley argues that the Beatitudes occur as the introductory statement in a key teaching block between Jesus’ calling of his first disciples (Matt 4.18-21) and the initial sending out of the disciples (Matt 9.36-11.1). As such, he views the intervening material as being ‘designed to raise up disciples and prepare them for the work of healing the broken and calling the lost to true flourishing according to Jesus’ vision of righteous life (5:16, 48),’ (p. 42).
In Part 2, Daley presents a detailed commentary on each of Matthew’s Beatitudes, which he sees as a fundamental presentation of Jesus’ kingdom values. As such, each Beatitude is understood as a declaration of a disposition that contrasts with certain behaviours attributed to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time (p. 71). It is argued that Matthew Beatitudes reflect a convergence of wisdom and prophetic ideas. However, since according to Daley, ‘wisdom makarisms are focused on ethics and human flourishing,’ he opts to translate the opening word of each Beatitude, μακάριοι, as ‘flourishing.’ This is certainly an innovative choice, that resonates with contemporary concerns for human wholeness and purpose. It is possible to wonder whether that choice takes one closer to the ancient meaning of the term (Daley argues it does on the basis of ancient Jewish wisdom traditions), or whether it places the term too squarely in the realm of modern concerns and outlooks. This is a question worth pondering. The commentary section itself is rich and draws a range of helpful insights, often on the basis of a range of Second Temple Jewish literature, with a concentration on texts such as 1 Enoch and 4QInstruction.
The result is a treatment of the Matthean Beatitudes that is admirably guided by a sensitivity towards the intentions of the evangelist. Despite eschewing a quest for ‘newness’ for its own sake, this act of close and attentive reading results in fresh understandings of the purpose of these foundational statements as an expression of Matthew’s perspective on the radical and transformative nature of discipleship. This is a book that deserves careful and close attention.