Irony in the Matthean passion narrative

247 Pages·2014·3.21 MB·English

by  Berg

Irony in ancient literature B I R O N Y I N
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and in Matthew’s story of Jesus’ death— G
THE MAT THEAN

Irony (as used here) is a rhetorical and literary device for revealing “what is hidden behind what
is seen.” It thus offers the reader a superior understanding by means of the distinction between
reality and its shadow. The book provides a history of different definitions of irony, from PASSION NARRATIVE
Aristophanes to Booth; discusses the constitutive formal elements of irony and the functions of
irony; then studies particular aspects of the Matthean Passion Narrative that require the reader
to recognize a deeper truth beneath the surface of the narrative. I
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Praise for Irony in the Matthean Passion Narrative
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“Dr. Berg’s analysis of irony in Matthew’s Passion Narrative as it pertains to Jesus’ death breaks
new ground in the study of the First Gospel. Her careful description of irony in both ancient in I n H e e C . B e r g
and modern contexts is valuable in and of itself. The application of that work to Matthew’s
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ancient narrative, however, produces insights for both the implied reader of the Gospel as well
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as to readers who would appropriate the values and meaning of Matthew’s story of Jesus for
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today. Berg’s work will certainly spur on others to further fruitful study of the First Gospel’s

rhetorical power.” M
Jeffrey A. Gibbs | Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
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“Berg is a careful scholar and unearths riches for the reader. Thoroughly engaging both literary t
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theory and ancient context, Berg provides repeated fresh insights into the text of Matthew and h
a deeper understanding of his theology of the cross. Her superb work convincingly highlights e
the crucial role of irony in Matthew’s Passion Narrative.” a
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Craig S. Keener | Asbury Theological Seminary

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“Here is an important ‘first of its kind’ volume for narrative critical studies of the Gospel of
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Matthew. With this work, Berg provides the first full-length study of irony from a Matthean
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standpoint and opens the door wide for further scholarly attention to this crucial literary motif s
within Matthew’s Gospel. Berg’s work is solidly grounded in the study of irony within Western i
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literature. And her treatment of Matthew’s Passion Narrative highlights in striking fashion the
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profoundly ironic modus operandi of Matthew’s implied author as he tells the story of God’s

salvific purposes enacted through Jesus, Savior of God’s people (1:21).” N
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Dorothy Jean Weaver | Eastern Mennonite University
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InHee C. Berg is associate professor in religious studies at Concordia
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University College of Alberta; her research focuses on rhetorical- i
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literary aspects of the Gospels, religion and literature, gender and
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Christianity, and Jewish-Christian relations.
RELIGION / NEW TESTAMENT
IRONY IN THE MATTHEAN PASSION
NARRATIVE

IRONY IN THE
MATTHEAN PASSION
NARRATIVE
INHEE C. BERG
Fortress Press
Minneapolis
IRONY IN THE MATTHEAN PASSION NARRATIVE
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Fortress, Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright ©
1989bytheDivisionofChristianEducationoftheNationalCounciloftheChurchesof
Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design: Tory Herman
Cover image:© Cameraphoto Arte, Venice / Art Resource, NY
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Print ISBN:978-1-4514-7033-8
eBook ISBN:978-1-4514-8432-8
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Fiat voluntas tua in terris sicut in coelis.
This work is gratefully dedicated to my beloved mother.

CONTENTS
Preface ix
Abbreviations xi
1. Irony and the Matthean Passion Narrative 1
2. A General Overview of Irony 25
3. Conventional Ironies 79
4. Irony of the Matthean Passion Narrative 101
5. Theology of the Matthean Passion Narrative: The Meaning of 193
the Death of Jesus through the Lens of Irony
Bibliography 209
Index of Names 225
Index of Subjects 229
vii

Preface
The Gospel of Matthew consists of a story featuring Jesus from his birth to
death. As the meaning of the name Jesus (1:21) prophetically foresees, his life
is geared for a specific goal to achieve God’s saving will for his people. It is
the Gospel’s testimony that God’s will is to save his people through his Son,
Jesus, and this is the raison d’être of the story. God wills to gather and save his
peoplewhoarelikelostsheepwithoutashepherd(9:36;10:6;15:24)andJesus,
theSonofGod,carriesoutthisdivinelywilledsalvation astheshepherdofthe
people (18:12; 25:32f; 26:31). God not only wills human salvation but also has
aspecificwillconcerningthewayitisachieved.Forthisreason,Jesusdescribes
his passion as the “cup” (26:39) associated with the saving will of God (26:42,
53-56) which only the Son of God can “drink.”
The climax of Jesus’ story is found in the Matthean passion narrative
(26:1—27:66), where the entire narrative of the Gospel finally reaches
fulfillment. The Matthean passion narrative encapsulates the central themes of
the Gospel: Jesus, the Christ Savior, gives his life as a ransom for many (20:28;
26:28) and he accomplishes the divinely-willed salvation through his innocent
suffering and death, which the Gospel’s implied author emphatically equates
withthe“innocentblood”ofJesus(27:4,19,24).AstheinnocenceofJesusand
the penalty of the cross which he bears are in binary opposition, the way in
which God’s salvation is achieved through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus-the-
innocent is ironic.
The implied author of the Matthean passion narrative assumes the role
of an ironist and reports the circumstances involving in Jesus’ death and its
theological significance through the kaleidoscopic lens of irony. Nevertheless,
the Gospel author’s dexterous use of irony as his rhetorical device has not yet
receivedfullscholarlyappreciation.Therefore,thisbookfocusesonthewaysin
whichtheMattheanpassionnarrativeusesironyinitsnarrationandemploysit
to communicate the significance of the meaning of the death of Jesus.
Irony operates using the phenomenon of a dualistic story. The ironist
carefully presents the two worlds of the story in dynamic juxtaposition. In
contrast to the lower level of story, which is inferior and false, the upper level
of story is superior and true. There is more than meets the eye. This situation
creates an irreconcilable incongruity between these two worlds—what appears
to be versus what really is—which produces the conflict to be resolved. The
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