Geldbesitz Jesu und der Jünger bei Markus und Matthäus

Abstract

This study examines the differing views of money in the Gospels, a question that is not usually treated independently. By way of Jesus’ and the disciples’ possession of money in Mark and Matthew, the, sometimes significantly, divergent positions of the two evangelists are presented. This in turn shows why an explicit treatment of the subject of money in the Gospels is important. While Matthew and evidently also Mark both reject holding money privately, there were differences when it came to holding money collectively. For Mark, this amount may even be large (e.g., the 200 denarii in Mark 6:37). Matthew, in contrast, avoids any reference to holding money collectively. The reason for this is Matthew’s assumption that money presents a fundamental danger of anthropological misalignment, indicated in particular by the connection between the logion of the service of two masters (Mt 6:24) with the admonition against worrying (Mt 6:25–34).