Key Verse: “Looking at His disciples, He said”
Luke 6:20A
We often think of the Sermon on the Mount, from Matthew as a
single speech that Jesus made, once in His life, to His disciples. Actually, we need to remember that Jesus'
ministry lasted for about three years. During
that three years He moved from place to place, saying the same things to new
listeners. Probably the fact that Jesus
repeated Himself so often, is much of the reason why Matthew, especially, was
able to reproduce it so well.
Now, even though Luke was not a direct disciple, he too was
familiar enough with Jesus' teachings, from probably many sources, that he too
was able to sprinkle Jesus words of wisdom throughout His Gospel.
In today's setting, instead of a mountain, Jesus is on a
level plain. True, Jesus has just chosen
the twelve men that He will be taking directly under His wing for concentrated
instruction and discipleship, but this time, His message is more inclusive and,
as Luke defines, many people are present and listening. This plain probably has more room for people
to gather than the mountainside of yesterday.
He is surrounded by a crowd. Most
of the people in the crowd have come to get something from Jesus that will
benefit them physically. Jesus, however,
turns His attention to His disciples to again remind them of the life that they
will have because of Him.
When, Luke says, "disciples” here, He may have been
only referring to the twelve. However,
He also may have included anyone who was there to truly learn from the master. Hopefully, that includes you.
Once again, fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher
of your faith and read again the words of wisdom that He has for you today. Again, receive an overall picture of His
message, much as you receive a sermon on Sunday mornings. We will look at details and specifics later. For today, again, just enjoy His presence as
He shares His heart with you.
Hymn: "Your Words”
Comments
Post a Comment