Disciples Hear a Different Drumbeat
Seeing the crowd, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. (Matthew 5:1)
Mat. 5:1-12; Lk. 4:32; Jn. 8:31-32, 10:27, 12:26, 15:8, 16:13-14; I Jn. 2:16, 17
What Is God Saying?
When Jesus gave the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, He was talking to His disciples. In His early ministry, Jesus was an attraction. He was popular. People flocked to Him out of wonder and curiosity. The disciples basked in this popularity. They felt proud and important to be associated with One who was in the limelight They needed to be reminded of what constitutes true greatness. So, ‘He went up on the mountain, sat down, and his disciples came to him. No doubt, much of the crowd followed them and listened in, but the primary audience for Jesus was those who were His followers.
What draws us to this text and draws out the truth of this text is that Jesus was taking time with His disciples amid pressures and because of the danger that sudden popularity might turn their heads and cause them to stumble. Jesus discipled His followers.
How Does This Apply To Us?
Are we so constantly occupied with the pressures and pleasures of life that we miss the whole point of true life? Are we so intent on the pursuit of happiness in our way that we miss the possession of happiness in God's way? Are we so busy keeping up with the things of the world that we fail to remember that the pride of life will pass away, ‘but he who does the will of God abides forever’ (I Jn. 2:16-17)? Jesus wants to disciple us, to take us away with Himself and to teach us things that are important on the scale of eternal values. That is what the Sermon on the Mount is all about, and that is what disciples should be all about. We will not always succeed, but Jesus points His disciples in the way they should go.
Pray With Me
Lord, to come with You, Lord, away from the crowds, to be with You in a high place of quietness and far vision, to sit down when You sit down and to listen when You teach. All this is a prerequisite to the discovery of blessedness. ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Be still and know what I, Your God, would have you know. Be still and with reverent wonder watch the dawn. Be still and, listening, see the power of light over darkness. Be still and become sure that day has vanquished night, that love has triumphed over fear, that good is stronger than evil.
Lord, as You open Your mouth to teach, I would open my heart to hear. Even though it may be in contradiction to the counsel of the secular world, I would listen to what You have to say. I would set out on the journey of faith. I would begin the grand experiment. I would find blessedness through the narrow gate that the world misses because it is moving too fast. The world has pointed the signposts to happiness in all the wrong directions. I would hear Your voice above every lesser voice. I would obey Your counsel even when it flies in the face of worldly wisdom.
In the name of Him who is forever blessed and forever a blessing. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
Christians need to be discipled. They need to come to Him and spend time with Him. Jesus sat down. This implies that He took time. He took time to speak and He took time to listen. This ought to characterize our prayer life. As He promised, the Holy Spirit ‘will guide you into all truth … He will take what is mine and declare it to you" (Jn. 1613, 14 ). That is the basis of all prayer and all discipleship.
• Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Pray for quietness and receptivity in your spirit.
• Pray that His light will be shed on all your desires, all your plans, all your decisions.
Jesus is sitting down, even now at the right hand of the Father. He is still speaking to us through the Holy Spirit, but we must first and always be willing to be discipled, taking time to sit at his feet.
