Matthew Summary: "And remember, I will be with you always, to the end of the age."

Well, we come to the end of the Gospel according to Matthew, and I am glad that you are still with me in our quest to dig deeper into Scripture, to gain a better understanding of the meaning of words, phrases, and passages, to equip us to follow Jesus as disciples of Christ. We have not been alone because God has been present, Jesus has promised to be with us, and the Holy Spirit imparts wisdom and understanding. We are loved and well cared for. 

 Let’s take this promise apart and then put it back together to see what Jesus is talking about.  Indulge me for a minute here. 

Kai idou, ego meth humon eimi  pasas tas hereras heos tes sunteleias          tou   aionos.       And look, I    with   you      I am   all      the days     until the consummation of the age.

Jesus alerts the disciples to an important point by using the popular, at the time, phrase ‘behold!’ or ‘look!’ Today we might say, ‘listen up’ or ‘think about it’. So, this is no common farewell like “Goodbye.”

The use of ‘ego’ along with ‘eimi’ duplicates the reference so much that we could translate it as “and I, myself, will be with you….” Again, it personalizes and emphasizes the promise.

 Meta, written meth before a vowel, is a preposition very much in use in English words, long before Zuckerberg. Metacarpal, metamorphic, metaphor, metaphysics, metastasize. Meta can be translated as ‘with’, but also as ‘among’, ‘in the midst of’ or ‘beside’. In a social context, it implies participation in a community. This is important because as American readers we tend to think that Jesus meant that he will be with ‘me’, an individual. He meant that he will be with ‘us’.

The following word, ‘umon, which we transliterate as humon, means ‘you’. Greek and many European languages have different forms for singular ‘you’ (which would be sou in Greek) and plural ‘you’ (humon in Greek). So here we have the plural form, recognized in American dialects as ‘y’all’ or ‘yunz’ (if you are from Pittsburgh).  The point is that Jesus promised the group of disciples that he would be among them always. This reminds us of, “Where two or three are gathered together, there I am.”

The next phrase could be translated as ‘all the days’ but is also properly translated as ‘always’. Always, until when? There is a sense in which Jesus will be with us forever, but the context of this promise is the period of time when the disciples are instructed to teach others everything that Jesus commanded them, and that will not be forever. 

The last phrase here is “until the consummation of the age.” The word translated ‘consummation’ here does not mean simply ‘the end’. It refers rather to the completion of a task. As when your mother used to say, “Now you stay there until you finish the job!” Or, when your boss says, “Don’t even think about going home early; you keep at it until you finish that report. I want it on my desk in the morning!” That’s the consummation. 

 The last word, aion, gives us our word ‘eon’ (or ‘aeon’ in British and Australian English). Geologists speak of the Archean and Proterozoic eons, the largest eras of geologic time. We may casually try to make something irrelevant by saying, “Oh, that was eons ago.” 

 Matthew uses the Greek word in several related ways. First, it can mean ‘this present age’ or ‘this world’ (Matthew 12: 32, 13: 22). Second, the word is linked to the ‘age of grace’ ushered in by Jesus with the announcement that the kingdom (or reign) of heaven had arrived. The word for ‘eon’ or ‘age’ is linked to the word for ‘completion’ or ‘consummation’ several times in Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 13: 39-40, 49, 24: 3). 

 A theological interpretation of Jesus’ teachings would not focus on the ever-popular ‘end times’. Instead, Jesus conceives of the present age as an age of grace when the disciples, and future disciples, are given the task of announcing that God has opened the door to the kingdom of heaven to anyone who repents of their sins, asks for forgiveness. The good news (gospel) is that they will receive that forgiveness because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. There is a sense of urgency in proclaiming this truth because these are the times to remember and they will not last forever. 

 The work will be finished with the return of Jesus to gather all those who believe in him and act on that belief. John gives a vision of the two last witnesses being martyred (Revelation 11: 1-14). Jesus speaks of a great banquet, one might say, the Next Supper (Matthew 22: 1-14; Luke 14: 15-24), when people will come from every family, tribe, nation, and language group to celebrate with Jesus. Then this age is complete.   

 It is during this age that Jesus promises to be among the disciples, gathered as congregations in every nation. If you are gathered together in a congregation, then Jesus is among you (plural). 

 Matthew’s gospel ends with a great promise of the presence of Jesus Christ among his disciples who are following his great commission to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”  

Amen.