Grassy knoll

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Grassy knoll
 
Devotion In motion
Morning inspiration
 
Mathew 5:1
  There was an old farmer who attended church every single Sunday. He said he always benefited from the sermon. He told his friend, “To tell you the truth, I’ve never heard a sermon that I didn’t get something good out of it.” After thinking for a moment his buddy answered, “Yea, me too, but I’ve had some mighty close calls.” I’m sure we’ve all had some mighty close calls… But the sermon Jesus delivered in Matthew 5-7 was definitely not one of them. If sermons were pizzas, the Sermon on the Mount would be a pizza supreme. 
 
 Walk into most first century synagogues and you’d find a boring rabbi and a snoring congregation. The Jewish Talmud contains sermons taught by the rabbis. AT Robertson sums them up, 
 
“They are the driest, dullest collection of disjointed comments on every conceivable problem in the history of mankind…” 
 
 These rabbinical sermons resembled frozen, cardboard-like pizzas – whereas the Sermon on the Mount had thick sauce, chewy crust, and delicious toppings. 
For the folks sitting on the grassy knoll overlooking the Sea of Galilee – those who heard Jesus’ sermon… this was a sermon they would never, ever forget. 
 
 Jesus had been traveling the countryside preaching the Kingdom of heaven was at hand, now He explains the nature  of His kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount is “the Christian Manifesto” – it’s the very heart of Jesus’ message.
 
 “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain…” When anyone visits Israel invariably most will make their way to the traditional site of the Mount of Beatitudes. On the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee there’s a knoll overlooking the lake. As the hill slopes down to the water – it wraps around a banana grove forming an outdoor amphitheater. You can stand on the ridge and be heard hundreds of feet away. The acoustics are perfect for delivering a sermon to a large crowd.
 
 “And when He was seated His disciples came to Him.” Notice, Jesus sits to teach. Today, a speaker usually stands to teach, but the rabbi in the synagogue would always sit. What you said while walking or standing was considered informal, off the record… But when you took a seat you were making an official statement. 
 
 Today when a university’s physics department creates a teaching position they call it “the chair of physics.” When Jesus sat down to teach – His disciples knew He was about to conduct official business – issue a heavy statement… Remember Jesus came preaching, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus brought heaven to earth. He went behind enemy lines to establish the kingdom of heaven among the kingdoms of men. But what are the values and priorities of God’s kingdom? Jesus answers that question in this sermon. 
 
 Jesus reveals the values of heaven are opposed to traits prized on earth. The eight beatitudes stand in contrast to the values of this world… The world admires haughtiness… Heaven admires humility. The world loves to laugh… Heaven listens to our mourning. The world is impressed with force… Heaven loves gentleness. The world is into the here and now… Heaven hungers for the spiritual and eternal. The world demands justice… Heaven shows mercy. The world assumes a corruption… Heaven expects innocence. The world insists on its own rights… Heaven pursues peace. The world crushes its enemies… Heaven loves its enemies. 
 
 Notice Jesus addresses the beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount to His disciples. Verse 1 “His disciples came to Him…” This sermon is for Christians. The only way to live the life of the kingdom is in relationship with the King. The Sermon on the Mount is not a New Testament Law – or a moralistic code of behavior. Rather it’s the outgrowth or by product of a life connected with Jesus. 
 
 One final point of introduction, notice the first 8 statements are the BE-attitudes as wiersbe puts it, not the DO-attitudes. At the heart of God’s kingdom are attitudes – not actions. The Pharisees said, “do-do-do”, while Jesus said, “be-be-be”. An entertainer says, “do-be-do-be-do”, but that doesn’t matter. What matters to God is not what you do, but what you be… The Pharisees did all the right things, but evil lurked in their hearts. Jesus desires a righteousness that comes from the inside out. 
 
 Remember, Paul was a Pharisee before he became a Christian, yet after His conversion he said of the self righteous life he had lived, “I count it but rubbish” – literally, dung or manure. He says this emphasis on “do-do”… is just that… dung! God knows if you’ll be the right person, you’ll do the right things…
 
The people came to Jesus on the grassy knoll because they were missing something in their life that only he could give. A peace that surpasses all understanding. If you are feeling a little bit empty maybe it’s because you haven’t spent time in the grassy knoll listening to the words of the Lord. Maybe you have spent too much time doing instead of being.
The time is now.  
Amen
  
Victor Tafoya
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