The Gramazin Blog
28
Jun
The Sermon on the Mount: Introduction
Take Every Passage to Prayer - Volume 2, The Gospels
Friday June 28, 2024
Matthew 5:1-2, 7:28-29; Mark 3:13; Luke 6:17-20
Father, it is time for the Sermon on the Mount. The question is: to whom was Jesus teaching?
- Matthew 7:28-29 clearly informs us that Jesus taught the crowds and that they were amazed by His teaching. He taught as one who had authority and not as the teachers of the law taught.
- Luke 6:17-20 tells us the Jesus came down from the mountain with His disciples and was among the people. However, He “looked to His disciples” (NIV) who were in the midst of the crowd and then began to teach His disciples with the crowds listening.
- Matthew 5:1-2 and Mark 3:13 tell us that Jesus called His disciples (and not the crowds) to come to Him on the mountain and he began to teach them.
Father, I believe the answer is that Jesus was teaching His disciples what it means to be a disciple of Christ while the crowds were listening as spectators. Luke 7:1 suggests this is the proper understanding, as it states Jesus had “finished saying all this to the people who were listening(NIV).” Luke 6:27 says “but to those of you who are listening…(NIV)” I suggest that if Jesus were preaching primarily to the crowds that verse might say Jesus had “finished saying all this to the people.” Looking for a metaphor in the 21st century, it is not unlike the fans of a professional sports team watching the team practice. The coach is instructing the players and not the fans.
However, the fans are listening. The fans could be amazed at the knowledge of the coach and the plays and systems he is teaching the players.
Father, when a business in the 21st century hires a group of employees, the business conducts an orientation and training session. The employees are informed about what will be expected of them as employees of the business. I believe this is the sort of thing Jesus had in mind after He called these twelve men into His service as apostles and disciples. The Sermon on the Mount is the teaching of the disciples, and any one of us “disciples” who come to faith in Christ, how to live our lives. Jesus is no doubt teaching His disciples what they are to teach to others. Amen.
This was not a compliment for the teaching of the “teachers of the law”. It is clear they taught from a script, classroom materials, and a lesson plan. However, they didn’t teach as those who knew the content inside and out without the need for any instructional aids. If someone were to teach about my life, they would need to do research, prepare notes, and rehearse. Despite that preparation, they could be asked questions that they don’t know the answer to, and they would look unprepared. That is not the case with me. I know my life, from nursery school to this very hour. I can speak about my life without the need for notes. I can field all questions, even those that I don’t expect. The same is true with Jesus. He is the Messiah. He is the Son of God. He is the Son of Man. He is the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1). The Old Testament is about Him. He doesn’t need notes. He only needs to speak about Himself and His relationship with the Father. Jesus spoke with authority because He knew who He was and had no trouble talking about that.
