Citizens of the Kingdom

The identification of Jesus' disciples with the followers and male leaders in early Christianity continues to affect the norms and conventions of contemporary Christianity. This patriarchal view can be challenged by claiming the existence and importance of the other followers in the Gospel narratives. This study offers an inclusive perspective of 'following' in Matthew's narrative. In Matthew, the basic idea of God's basileia is subversive and relational, and as such, it is compatible with the feminist idea of power where neither hierarchy nor domination exists. In Matthew's narrative, all who follow Jesus share equal citizenship in God's basileia.Accepting the different roles of each group of followers in the formation of early Christianity can lead to an acceptance of diversity and pluralism as integral to modern Christianity.