Tag: crowd

When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. (Matthew 5:1)

For some reason, I’ve always imagined that Jesus went up to the mountain to in order to preach to the crowd.

But actually, it seems he went to escape the crowds. Most times Jesus went up to the mountain, it was usually to pray.

If Matthew 5 and Luke 6 refer to the same event as some Bible scholars think, then that’s why he went this time too.

And after he finished praying, it wasn’t the crowd that came to him at first, though they would apparently come later (Matthew 7:28). It was his disciples.

The crowd had mostly come to Jesus for healing. (Matthew 4:24-25)

But the disciples came to learn from Jesus.

It made me think. “Why do I come to Jesus?”

Is it simply to get something from him? Help? Healing? Blessing?

Or is it to learn from him?

Am I just one of the crowd?

Or Jesus’ disciple?

I want to be a disciple, learning from my Lord.

I want to be like him. Pure in heart. Hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Gentle. A peacemaker. Light and salt to this world.

Not just having superficial righteousness, but true righteousness that comes from the heart.

Loving others as he does. Being perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect.

It made me think of a song I learned long ago, and it’s my prayer today.

Lord, I want to be your disciple,
an example, the way you were to me.

And as I see your humble perfection,
let me be a mirror of your heart.

I want to walk in the image of you,
like a child imitating what his Father would do.

A mirror of your heart. — Chris Christian