Matthew

Three pericopes in St. Matthew's Gospel are preceded by ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ (en ekeinō tō kairō == "at that time"):

• 11:25
• 12:1
• 14:1

Prostration / adoration (προσκυνέω / proskyneō) is an important theme in St. Matthew's Gospel (typically translated as "worship" in TCENT). The EOB generally translates προσκυνέω (proskyneō) as to "express adoration."

... in Matthew, prostration is a supreme expression of the Christological faith....

For Matthew this prostration before the Lord Jesus is a ritual confession of His divinity....

In Matthew this verb proskyneo describes a properly Christian act of adoration.¹

Instances of προσκυνέω (proskyneō) in Matthew:

• 2:2 — The Magi came to adore Jesus.
  • 2:8 — King Herod the Great feigns to the Magi that he also wishes to adore Him.
  • 2:11 — The Magi prostrated and adored Jesus with Mary and presented their gifts to Him.
• 4:9 — The devil tempts Jesus with worldly power if He will adore him.
  • 4:10 — Jesus rejects the devil's temptation and cites Deuteronomy 6:13, indicating he will only adore and offer divine service (from λατρεύω / latreuō) to God alone.
• 8:2 — A leper adored / prostrated before Jesus, asking to be cleansed.
• 9:18 — A ruler adored / prostrated before Jesus and asked Him to revive his deceased daughter.
• 14:33 — The disciples in the boat adored / prostrated before Him and confessed Him as the Son of God after He stilled the storm and entered the boat.
• 15:25 — After initially being rebuffed, the Canaanite woman adored / prostrated before Jesus and asked Him to help her demonized daughter.
• 18:26 — In Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant, the servant adored and prostrated before his king begging for mercy.
• 20:20 — St. Salome ("the mother of the sons of Zebedee," i.e., Sts. James and John) adored / prostrated before Jesus, (ignorantly) asking Him to let her sons sit at His right and left side in His kingdom.
• 28:9 — Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" experienced an earthquake and encountered an angel at Jesus' empty tomb who proclaimed His resurrection to them. As they went to tell His disciples about this, they encountered the risen Lord Himself and prostrated and adored Him (taking hold of His feet).
• 28:17 — The disciples adored / prostrated before Jesus prior to being given the Great Commission.

This abundance of examples² led Fr. Pat Reardon to conclude that:

In Matthew’s presentation the whole life of Jesus is framed, as it were, in adoration.³