"When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him."
Jesus was not seeking out the crowds. He was trying to call real followers out of it. He was going to introduce a totally different way of living and thinking. He was not trying to convince the crowds to try this. He was telling disciples what He expected. This Christian lifestyle is clearly not for everyone. It is serious to follow Jesus, and it means acting and thinking counter to the prevailing culture of Jesus’ day and counter to our culture now.
Jesus said ridiculous things like “love your enemies” instead of hating them or eliminating them. He actually wants true Christians to contemplate how to meet the needs of those who oppose us. Jesus says we should keep our strength under control, our aggression adaptable, and flexible. Jesus wants his disciples to stop judging other people. He wants his followers to not parade their religious actions. Christ-followers are to actually act like God is alive and is keeping track of everything we do.
He talked about serving God above all other priorities. He talked about money being a tool that we use rather than something we serve.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz