5 November 2026

The Jesus which Matthew introduces us to is primarily a teacher. In between the Incarnation and the Resurrection, there are five important discourses all introduced by some biographical information and all concluded with the words, ‘And when Jesus had finished ..’ The five discourses are really collections of sayings which the author has gathered together on particular themes.

The first is the most famous. We call it ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ and it contains the Beatitudes, the new law, teaching about a true spirituality. The last is equally familiar. It has to do with the time to come – the second advent and the judgement of God. It contains the famous parables of the Ten Virgins, the Talents and the Sheep and the Goats.

The followers of Jesus are always described as ‘disciples’ which literally means ‘pupils’. Whereas the disciples of the rabbis eventually graduated and completed their role as disciple, this isn’t true for the followers of Jesus. Right at the end of the gospel, the risen Christ makes this clear when he says to his friends, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them … teaching them … ‘

Our vocation is described as a disciple, a pupil, a learner. We are forever learners. Jesus is forever our Teacher, the Way, the Truth and the Life. We never reach the point where we know it all. How could we ever claim to plummet the depths of what Paul calls ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’? This is not only a lesson in humility but also confirmation that the life of the Christian is an adventure into that land where things are forever new!