When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. Matthew 5:1 NABRE
Jesus popularity is gaining with many coming to Him, they are interested in healings He offers and His preaching on the coming of the kingdom of heaven. Seeing the crowds coming Jesus goes up a mountain, speaking from the mountain many will hear. Going up the mountain ties back to previous teachers, it is a place of divine revelation, such as happened to Moses who went up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. There is a symbolism, Jesus can be seen as a new Moses going up a mountain in Galilee not to receive the law but to teach the law. Jesus in this moment is teaching what has become known as the Beatitudes; the blessings. He shares a number of reasons to be happy, though not in human promotion, only when seeing the world from God’s point of view. We should be happy in poverty, mourning, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking and persecution to name a few.
An extraordinary significance in Jesus going up the mountain is that He wants all people to hear. Most teachers of the day would take on a few students and train them privately, many times in the temple. Jesus has a message that He wants all people to hear, that is simple enough for all people to understand. Jesus uses parables, as well as day to day antidotes to bring a message of love, selflessness, serving others and giving ourselves. Jesus’ teaching in the vernacular also those listening to understand but also He provides His teaching in a means we can understand today. A deep study of scripture is wonderful, but not necessary. Reading scripture in a way that it can come alive in our lives is the hope of Jesus and why He wants to teach as many people as possible.
Are you open to Jesus’ teaching? Do you pray with scripture?
A deep study of scripture is wonderful, but not necessary. Reading scripture in a way that it can come alive in our lives is the hope of Jesus and why He wants to teach as many people as possible. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #scripture #pray #Matthew #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #Matthew #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways