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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter is divided into some parts based on the research questions. The first part elaborates Jesus‟ reinterpretations of Torah; the second part
elaborates how those reinterpretations lead the Jewish authorities and Jesus into conflict; and the third part elaborates the conflict from Postcolonial perspective.
A. Jesus’ Reinterpretations of Torah
In this part, the writer elaborates Jesus‟ reinterpretations of Torah. What the writer wants to find is the new ideas of reinterpretations Jesus makes. The way
to recognize the reinterpretations of a character can also be seen through his characterization. Characterization, as what Perrine says, is the way the author
describes a character in his work. There are two types of characterizing a character; direct and indirect characterization. Murphy also elaborates many ways
of characterizing a character in a literary work. Each gospel has its figuration of Jesus. The gospel of Matthew mostly tells
about Jesus‟ teaching about many things, especially in the beginning of the gospel. The teachings‟ subject matter can be categorized into five points
1 The Sermon on the Mount, which concerns the teacher, duties, privileges, and destiny if the citizens of the kingdom of Heaven chapter 5-
7; 2 instructions to the twelve disciples for their mission chapter 10; 3 parables about the Kingdom of heaven chapter 13; 4 teaching on the
meaning of discipleship chapter 180; and 5 teaching about the end of the present age and the coming of the Kingdom of God chapters 24-25
Good News Translation: 1315.
This shows that Jesus, in the gospel of Matthew, teaches a lot of things. Jesus is described as the great
“Teacher” who has authority to interpret the law of Jewish God Good News Translation: 1315. The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus
as the one who act with authority. The Gospel according to Mark begins with the statement that it is “the
Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus is pictured as a man of action and authority. His authority is seen in his teaching, in his
power over demons, and in forgiving people‟s sin Good News Translation: 1363.
It is clear that Jesus here is presented as the one who shows his authority
through his preaching, the way he drive out demons and forgiving people. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus is also presented straightforwardly toward what he does
instead of what he preaches. In this gospel, Jesus is seen as “a man of action and
authority ” Mark: 1363.
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus is presented as the one who brings the “good
news for the poor ” Luke: 1395.
The Gospel according to Luke presents Jesus as both the promised Savior of Israel and as the Savior of all people. Luke records that Jesus was called
by the Spirit of the Lord to “bring good news to the poor,” and this Gospel is filled with a concern for people with all kinds of need Good News
Translation: 1395. Jesus is presented as the promised man who will be the savior not only for
the Jewish people but for all people. Jesus comes to fulfill the Jews who are spiritually in need. In the gospel of John, Jesus is presented as the embodied of
Jewish God who lives among the people John: 1445. The Gospel according to John presents Jesus as the eternal Word of God,
who “became a human being and lived among us.” As the book itself says, this Gospel was written so that its readers might believe that Jesus is the
promised Savior, the Son of God, and through their faith in him they may have life. Good News Translation: 1445.
In this case, John presents Jesus as the manifestati on of God‟s word. His
presence is to be the promised savior. John puts the attention more to the characteristic of Jesus as the
“eternal life”, the gift from God and the way Jesus gives spiritual meaning to some common things such as bread, water, the
shepherd and his sheep, the light, grapevine and its fruit John: 1445. Though Jesus in each gospel is presented differently, the writer tends to
see him as a unified person. In this case, any different background of characterizing Jesus from each gospel is not presented. What the writer wants to
see is not the background of each gospel but the way Jesus, as a unified character, can be analyzed from literary perspective.
Torah, for the Jewish people, is considered sacred. Torah is the guidance of their live where they have to obey the rules in it. Comparing to the Jewish
authorities who have authority to teach and preserve Torah, Jesus has his own understanding and attitude toward Torah. It is not reflected only through what he
preaches but also through what he does. It is important to observe it one by one from the gospels.
1. Reinterpretation of Anger Matthew 5: 21-25
In this occasion, Jesus preaches many people who follow him about the punishment given to those who are intentionally angry with someone else for
certain occasion. Based on the Jewish Torah, anger which caused murder is a sin and those who perform it should be put to death.
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