Monthly Minute with Pastor Andrew

Hello to all the Monthly Minute readers of West Hempfield Presbyterian Church!

Planning ahead for the year 2026, we will be spending a lot of time with the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, but it was not the first written. The leading understanding of the gospel of Matthew is that it was written around 80-90 AD, which puts it after Paul’s letters and the gospel of Mark. In fact, Matthew and Luke (we think written about the same time) both seem to use Mark as a reference.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic gospels and have a lot in common, but each has its own personality.

Matthew seems to be written by a Jewish author to a Jewish audience. We will find lots of references to the Old Testament and Jewish traditions.

The book emphasizes that Jesus was Jewish and does not seek to convert its audience from Judaism to Christianity, but rather to convince the audience that they can and should be both.

However, Matthew does not suggest that Christians need to be Jewish. From the very beginning with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph still in Bethlehem, Matthew is the one to tell us of magi from the east who follow a star to meet and worship the newborn Messiah.

Come as you are and meet the Lord.

I've heard a couple of very smart people say something like “The Bible may not have been written to us, but it was written for us.”

Matthew was written a very long time ago to an audience of first century Jews, but that does not mean it has nothing to say to us today.

I think this is a great time to be reading Matthew.

Just thinking about what we have said already: Matthew is written to people who believe in God and want to faithfully serve the Lord of the Old Testament. But the world has brought them many changes and challenges. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD and the way they worshipped had to change. The faithful were dividing into many different groups (parties or denominations, if you will) debating over what was most important and how best to move forward into a scary and unpredictable future.

The church today is very similar. We want to follow God, but wonder how best to move forward into a scary and unpredictable future.

Matthew invites us to hold onto who we are, but also to be welcoming to those who are different — a new family/community united by and with God. Together we will learn from Jesus and follow God.

Come as you are and meet the Lord.

Blessings, Rev. Andrew Wirt