Archive for month: May, 2012

Matthew 5:1-2. 11-12 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: … 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. NIV

Matthew Chapters 5-7 are called the Sermon on  the Mount because Jesus gave it on a hillside near Capernaum. Most likely this message covered several days of preaching. Contained within it Jesus proclaimed His attitude to the law. Position, authority and money were not important in His Kingdom—what mattered was faithful obedience from the heart. The Sermon on the Mount challenged the proud and legalistic leaders of the day.  It called them back to the message of the Old Testament Prophets who, like Jesus, taught that heartfelt obedience is more important than legalistic observance.

Enormous crowds were following Jesus, He was the ‘talk of the town, and everyone wanted to see Him.  The disciples, who were the closest associates of this popular man, were certainly tempted to feel important, proud and possessive. Being with Jesus not only got them prestige, but also an opportunity for receiving money and power.

Moral character is developed when we take the Bible seriously. Nehemiah 6:11. But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” Nehemiah stood for his convictions!  A secret informer posing as a prophet told him that his enemies were coming to kill him, and that he should lock himself away in the inner sanctuary of the temple where no one would dare to enter. But Nehemiah refused.  He knew the law prohibited anyone apart from the priest from entering that sacred place. He would rather risk being killed than disobeying God’s law. 

Let’s take a look back at Matthew 5.  The crowds were gathering once again. But before speaking to them, Jesus pulled the disciples aside and warned them about the temptations they would face as His associates.  Don’t expect fame and fortune, Jesus was saying but mourning, hunger and persecution. Nevertheless, Jesus assured His disciples that they would be rewarded, however perhaps not in this life.  There may be times when we follow Jesus that will bring us great popularity.  If we don’t live by Jesus words in this sermon, we will find ourselves using Gods message only to promote our own self interests.

Jesus began His sermon with words that seem to contradict each other. But God’s way of living invariably contradicts the worlds. If you want to live for God you must be ready to say and do that which seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up your own rights in order to serve others, you will one day receive everything God has in store for you. 

To Ponder

Who sets the standard for your moral behaviour? 

Written by John Gummer