Large crowds followed Jesus around the Sea of Galilee as He taught, enlisted disciples, proclaimed the Gospel, and healed the sick.
Crowds.
Calls for help.
Shouts from the freshly healed.
Dusty paths from village to village.
Jesus brought focus to all this movement, sitting down on a hillside above the water. Those committed to Him moved in close, finding a spot to listen.
The sermon was more than dogma. Jesus gave details for how He wants us to live. His words were a kindness for those eager to go God’s way.
Blessed are you…
Jesus wrapped His blessing around the poor and the mournful, around the meek and the seekers of godliness. He spoke approval and affirmation to the merciful, to the pure in heart, to those who live as peacemakers, and to those who suffer for the sake of God’s name.
He announced purpose and mission upon ordinary people: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.”
He taught us to go beyond the letter of the law with our actions and reactions, to understand deeper issues of the heart. In love, Jesus led us away from choices that end in heartache, regret, and consequences. He pointed us to paths of life, joy, peace, self-control, and victory.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us to love each other. And also to love our enemies. He wants us to give, to pray, and to practice fasting, but never just for show. He calls us to intimate expressions of devotion and personal experiences with our God.
And in what is arguably the weightiest part of the teachings, Jesus invites us to address God as “Father.”
On the slopes above the Galilee, Jesus leaned-in to embrace our common fears, inviting us to trust God as we let go of worry. Jesus comforts and strengthens and encourages. Our Father knows what we need. Our Father loves us. Our Father has the power to creatively supply any situation. Our Father has a plan for all things.
Jesus directs us to resist judging others, while we give attention to our own shortcomings in the struggles of a God-honoring life.
He encourages us to ask, to seek, and to knock—with great faith in who our Father is, and in what our Father can do. Everyone who asks—receives.
The narrow way.
Jesus loves us enough to set Truth in front of us. With divine authority, He declares: There are two roads—one leading to destruction and the other, found only by a few, leading to life. So we must choose.
There are true prophets and godly influences, yet some people are wolves in sheep’s clothing. So we must choose carefully, in who we allow to shape us.
There are true disciples, bought-in, all-in. And there are untrue disciples who like the idea of Jesus and the warmth of His comforting words. But they have no interest in full commitment, in following, in obedience. We must self-examine and choose which kind of disciple we will be.
And there are two foundations on which to build a life. One, is built on the words and ways of Jesus. The other, built on the patterns of the world and what seems right in our own minds. We must choose our foundation with care because life’s storms are inevitable. When they overtake us, only the life built on Jesus will endure.
Our Jesus is so generous.
He wants us to live.
He wants us to make it through the storms.
“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching.” (Matthew 7:28 NIV)
Our Jesus is amazing.
He came to show us the Father, to save us from ourselves, and to lead us toward a fruitful, hope-filled life.
All of this—and more—is in the Sermon on the Mount.
If it has been a while since you’ve soaked in it, spend a few weeks in Matthew 5, 6, and 7.
Move in close. Find a spot, and listen to Jesus.
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