Matthew Imputes Dignity to Jesus
The play Matthew Imputes Dignity to Jesus by George Bernard Shaw explores the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of his disciple, Matthew. The play portrays Jesus as a human being with flaws and weaknesses rather than a divine figure. It also highlights the political and social context in which he lived and how it influenced his teachings.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1946 · Genre: Religious Commentary, Biographical Analysis, Literary Criticism · 295 words
First lines
Matthew, like most biographers, strives to identify the opinions and prejudices of his hero with his own. Although he describes Jesus as tolerant even to carelessness, he draws the line at the Gentile, and represents Jesus as a bigoted Jew who regards his mission as addressed exclusively to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel. " When a woman of Canaan begged Jesus to cure her daughter, he first refused to speak to her, and then told her brutally that "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. " But when the woman said, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table," she melted the Jew out of him and made Christ a Christian. To the woman whom he had just called a dog he said, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. " This is somehow one of the most touching stories in the gospel; perhaps because the woman rebukes the prophet by a touch of his own finest quality.
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Matthew Imputes Dignity to Jesus is listed on Textopian as an essay by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1946 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: George Bernard Shaw
- Date: 1946 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Religious Commentary, Biographical Analysis, Literary Criticism, Philosophical, Historical
- Length: 295 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Similar titles
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- Was Jesus A Coward by George Bernard Shaw
- John Agreed As To The Trial And Crucifixion by George Bernard Shaw
- The Savage John And The Civilized Jesus by George Bernard Shaw
- The Gospel According To Jesus Christ by Jose Saramago
- The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton
Genres
- Religious Commentary — The text analyzes and critiques the portrayal of Jesus in religious texts, focusing on interpretations and biases.
- Biographical Analysis — The work examines the biographical elements of Jesus' life as depicted by Matthew, questioning the alignment of personal biases.
- Literary Criticism — The writing style involves critical examination of narrative techniques and character portrayal in religious literature.
- Philosophical — The text delves into philosophical themes of faith, identity, and the nature of religious figures.
Tags
dignity · Jesus · theology · Christianity · drama · philosophy · religion · sacred · humanity · suffering · redemption · sacrifice