Discipleship

The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5 through 7, was given to disciples, those who were following Jesus.

"And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him." Matthew 5:1

Great crowds from various cities and regions were following Him because of the miracles. But when Jesus wanted to teach, He went up on a mountain, making it more difficult for the crowd to follow. The mountain is not identified, but the region around Galilee has substantial hills that require an effort to climb.

Jesus sat down on the mountain, perhaps the first time He had sat down for a while with so many people pressing to get close to Him. But for the Jews, sitting was also the posture taken by a teacher in the synagogue. Those who had followed Him up the mountain, were the ones who wanted to hear what He had to say. This would have been their first opportunity to sit and listen apart from the crowds as well.

Jesus taught what we have labeled the Sermon on the Mount. However, the label does not carry the right implications. This was not a sermon in our sense; this was not preaching. This was teaching. The Greek word "teach" could be more literally translated as "to cause to learn". Teaching is not just verbalizing information, casting it out like seed. Preaching is more like casting out seed. Teaching is causing to learn. More is involved in teaching than the information.

Jesus picked a location to teach which took His disciples away from the crowd. He lead the way up the mountain; He would have been visible to those who wanted to follow Him. The crowd would have not wanted to follow Him up there. Those who followed would have had to put out an effort to climb the mountain.

Jesus taught those who followed. This is essential in "causing to learn". Teach to those who are willing to put out an effort to come to listen.

Another thing which stands out in what Jesus taught is the difficulty. Jesus taught what was challenging. He did not repeat what they already knew. Those who listened to what Jesus said would need to keeping thinking about what He said, trying to understand what He meant. Jesus did not keep it simple. The language was simple, but the meaning was difficult. Just as they had to climb up a mountain to listen to Him, they would have to work to understand what He meant. Teach what those who are listening do not know.

All three synoptic Gospels indicate that Matthew was called after this time. But it is the Gospel of Matthew which records the Sermon on the Mount with great detail. Only someone who was there would have been able to remember such detail. The structure given in Matthew indicates that this is the complete message given by Jesus; each piece in a highly structured logic was there. Matthew, a Jew serving as an offical tax collector for the Roman Empire, remembered details completely. (Zaccheaeus, a chief tax collector, later could tell Jesus that he would repay four times to any he had defrauded; he remembered the details also.) Matthew was probably there listening. Some time later Jesus walked by Matthew as he sat collecting taxing; all Jesus said was "Follow Me." Matthew rose up, left his office, and followed Jesus. Matthew had thought about what he heard on the mountain; Jesus did not need to say anymore. Teach to make disciples, nothing less.

Cause to learn.