As we begin a new Church year this Advent (2025), our Sunday readings turn to the Gospel of Matthew. Each lectionary cycle gives us the opportunity to journey with one of the four evangelists, and this year Matthew is our guide.
Matthew offers a wonderfully rich portrait of Jesus: a teacher like Moses, a fulfilment of ancient promises, and the herald of God’s upside-down Kingdom of Heaven. His Gospel is full of memorable teaching, striking parables, and a steady insistence that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah who brings God’s purposes to completion.
To mark the start of this Matthew-focused year—and to highlight some of the Gospel’s distinctive features—we’ve included a light-hearted poem below. It’s a playful way of noticing Matthew’s favourite themes: fulfilment quotations, carefully crafted structure, royal overtones, and those famous five teaching discourses.
We hope it brings a smile as we step into another year of worship, reflection, and discovery together.
A Very Matthewish Gospel (A Poem of Distinctive Features)
Of all the Gospel writers,
Matthew’s got a flair—
He loves a good Old Testament quote,
He pops them everywhere.
He’ll say, “This happened to fulfil…”
(You’ve heard that line before.)
By chapter two you realise
He’s got a prophecy store.
He starts with a genealogy—
A family tree so neat—
Fourteen, fourteen, fourteen folk,
A rhythmic Jewish beat.
(With Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba—
Surprise guests in the list!)
It’s Matthew’s way of hinting:
“God’s grace is hard to miss.”
The Magi wander east to west—
(No shepherds in this tale!)
A star, a king, some frankincense,
And Herod turning pale.
Joseph dreams in stereo,
An angel every night…
While Matthew whispers, “Isaiah said…
See? Told you I was right.”
He loves the word “Kingdom”—
But “of Heaven,” if you please.
(Mark says “God,” Luke mixes both,
But Matthew sticks with these.)
And if you fancy sermons,
Five grand ones fill the page—
Like Moses on the mountain,
But updated for this age.
From Beatitudes to parables,
From wise men to the end,
Matthew’s Gospel quietly says:
“See? Jesus is the send—
The King, the Christ, the promised one,
The teacher on the hill.”
And if you doubt his references,
Don’t worry—he’s got skill.
So raise a smile for Matthew,
With his structure crisp and tight—
A Gospel full of wisdom,
And a narrator who just might
Lean over your shoulder softly
And give your sleeve a tug:
“Check the prophets… check the prophets.
See? Fits perfectly. Hug.”