SATURDAY February 8, 2020

The Sermon on the Mount

And seeing the multitudes, He [Jesus] went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
Matthew 5:1

Seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up on a mountain, sat down and taught His disciples. In this culture, it was customary for the teacher to sit and the hearers to stand. His disciples listened to Jesus together, in a place of roaming hills, on the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. This was also thought to be near the place where Jesus fed the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21). When we take people on tour to Israel, we go up to these same hills, someplace near where Jesus taught the Beatitudes, and we sit under the trees to study the Bible.

Some people have mistaken the qualifications given by Jesus in the Sermon of the Mount for kingdom age living––not so. Jesus taught His disciples the standards for Christian living. He also corrected the Pharisees’ abuses of the Law of God. These legalistic, Jewish religious leaders added 613 commands to the Law of God which brought people under bondage. When Jesus taught His disciples, He corrected the Pharisees’ teachings by saying, “You have heard that it was said to those of old. . . But I say. . . .”

As Jesus taught, He spoke to the hearts of His disciples. The word disciple means “learner.” As disciples of Christ, what characteristics should be evident in our lives? We should become Christ-like. God desires to mold and shape our lives to become more like Him. God has a purpose and a plan for each of us––for His glory.

Therefore, when God speaks to you through the teachings given from the Sermon of the Mount, have an open heart to learn from the Lord. As a disciple of Christ, you should never stop learning. God is always building character in your life, no matter how old you become.

The life of discipleship can only be maintained as long as nothing is allowed to come between Christ and ourselves, neither the law, nor personal piety, nor even the world….
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!