The Sermon on the Mount... tough chapters! There are so many different ways to go with the teachings of Jesus in the next 3 chapters, where do I start?! I think I'll start with Matthew 5:1-2. These verses say, "Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them". The first thing that jumps out to me is how Jesus seized the opportunity to teach those around him. He didn't waste any time deciding where to go or what he should do. He just sat down and began to teach. Do we do that? Do we seize the opportunities we have to encourage others, to tell them about God's Word? I sure don't. There have been many missed opportunities that I regret second-guessing or waiting to see if a better time might come.
There's another thing I see in these first two verses: his disciples came to him (verse 1). Now remember Jesus had just called them at the end of chapter 4. They were still new to the whole "disciple" thing. But they came and listened to what he had to say. They didn't walk away and think they would probably hear the same thing again later; they stopped and followed Jesus where he went. How often do we stop and just listen to what Jesus has to say? The first example that comes to mind is how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to his teachings, even though there were things she had to do. I'll expound on that point when we read about her in Luke 10. Are we like the disciples? Do we come to Jesus? Do we follow Him and listen when he is speaking to us? And when we listen, do we really pay attention to what He is trying to tell us?
What exactly was he trying to teach the people in this chapter? He begins with "The Beatitudes". You know, the "blessed are these people who do this, for they will receive that"? There are nine "beatitudes" that Jesus shares in the Sermon on the Mount. The one in verse 6 stands out to me the most: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." That's a tough one to live out. Hunger and thirst for righteousness? That's not built into our sin nature! In fact, that's exactly what our flesh wants to avoid! We always want to satisfy our hunger for self, not bondage to Christ. Do you see the last words in the verse? "They shall be satisfied." Do you ever realize that your selfish desires become worse as you feed them? They don't go away when you do things your own way; they only grow and eventually take over your life completely! But Jesus tells us that when we seek after God and His righteousness, we will find satisfaction that only He can give! Wouldn't satisfaction be so much better than never-ending desire? I know it would be better, but I still don't follow through like I should.
There are so many more good teachings in this chapter that I wish I could talk about. But I don't want to overload your brains too much! :) What did you see when you read Matthew 5? Which of Jesus' teachings in the chapter stood out to you most, or which one is the hardest for you to follow through on? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you! :)
Before I close, I wanted to share this video with you. I love this song, and it goes with Matthew 5:14-16. We are to be the light of the world, so take your candle and do just that!
There's another thing I see in these first two verses: his disciples came to him (verse 1). Now remember Jesus had just called them at the end of chapter 4. They were still new to the whole "disciple" thing. But they came and listened to what he had to say. They didn't walk away and think they would probably hear the same thing again later; they stopped and followed Jesus where he went. How often do we stop and just listen to what Jesus has to say? The first example that comes to mind is how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to his teachings, even though there were things she had to do. I'll expound on that point when we read about her in Luke 10. Are we like the disciples? Do we come to Jesus? Do we follow Him and listen when he is speaking to us? And when we listen, do we really pay attention to what He is trying to tell us?
What exactly was he trying to teach the people in this chapter? He begins with "The Beatitudes". You know, the "blessed are these people who do this, for they will receive that"? There are nine "beatitudes" that Jesus shares in the Sermon on the Mount. The one in verse 6 stands out to me the most: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." That's a tough one to live out. Hunger and thirst for righteousness? That's not built into our sin nature! In fact, that's exactly what our flesh wants to avoid! We always want to satisfy our hunger for self, not bondage to Christ. Do you see the last words in the verse? "They shall be satisfied." Do you ever realize that your selfish desires become worse as you feed them? They don't go away when you do things your own way; they only grow and eventually take over your life completely! But Jesus tells us that when we seek after God and His righteousness, we will find satisfaction that only He can give! Wouldn't satisfaction be so much better than never-ending desire? I know it would be better, but I still don't follow through like I should.
There are so many more good teachings in this chapter that I wish I could talk about. But I don't want to overload your brains too much! :) What did you see when you read Matthew 5? Which of Jesus' teachings in the chapter stood out to you most, or which one is the hardest for you to follow through on? Let me know! I'd love to hear from you! :)
Before I close, I wanted to share this video with you. I love this song, and it goes with Matthew 5:14-16. We are to be the light of the world, so take your candle and do just that!
Great thoughts Grace! I am so proud of you...keep up the good work. You will be a blessing to many!
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