Matthew's Story Elements vs Luke's Story Elements

As discussed at the first session, we learned that the two Christmas narratives are very different and that popular/common concepts of story combine these elements without much thought to the original intent. Here is a summary of the story elements that was passed out on 11/23:

Matthew

• 31 verses
• Abraham → Jesus genealogy (1:1-17)
• Angel reveals God’s plan to Joseph, not Mary. Jesus is born. (1:18-25)
• No travel to Bethlehem (already there?), no birth story, no stable.
• Wise Men & Herod. No specific number of wise men, not described as kings (2:1-8)
• Adoration of the Magi. Follow star to “the house”, adoration, three gifts (2:9-12)
• No shepherds
• Herod’s plot to kill Jesus, flight to Egypt. Lives there until Herod dies (2:13-15)
• Slaughter of the infants (2:16-18)
• Return from Egypt, settle in Nazareth (2:19-23)
• No youth story
• NEXT chapter: BANG! Jesus is doing his ministry
  

Luke

• 132 verses
• Conception of John the Baptizer (1:5-25)
• Angel reveals God’s plan to Mary – The Annunciation (1:26-38)
• Mary’s visit to Elizabeth – The Magnificant (1:39-56)
• Birth of John the Baptizer, another miraculous birth – The Benedictus (1:57-80)
• Living in Nazareth (in Galilee), decree from Caesar Augustus, travel to Bethlehem, birth of Jesus in a stable (2:1-7)
• No Magi, no star
• Angelic announcement to shepherds (2:8-20)
• Circumcision & presentation of Jesus in Temple. Simeon and Anna are there. Return to Nazareth. (2:21-39)
• No Herod, no flight
• Jesus as youth, twelve years old at Passover in Jerusalem, gives the parents the slip, then back to Nazareth. (2:40-52)
• NEXT chapter: Baptism of Jesus
• Jesus → Adam Genealogy (3:23-38) – not in the birth narrative

Borg & Crossan stress the importance of viewing each story on its own to get to the heart of their meaning. Many of us on Sunday morning admitted that it is a struggle to keep the elements separated...so many years of melding the stories. We discussed other "traditional" parts of the story that we we taught that are not in Matthew/Luke...the donkey, the notion that there were three "kings" (riding on camels, no less), shepherds, wise guys & holy family all chillin' in the stable together.