​

The decision has been made. God has spoken and His choice of the twelve disciples for Jesus to coach has been announced. Yet for the raw, untrained twelve, it was time to understand both the seriousness and the necessary discipline to be one of Jesus's most devoted ones. In addition, Jesus needed to know, “Can you handle this new vocation?”  A time of serious reflection and commitment needed to quickly occur. 

​

Prior to this moment, the twelve chosen men made their own decisions, and lived a secular lifestyle of their choosing. Now all their misguided goals of life needed to be dismantled. Although, rebuilding would take time, today was for laying the foundation of a total commitment to Jehovah. 

​

Summarizing their new lifestyle began quickly “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them.” (Matthew 5:1-2) 

​

Jesus began by explaining, that the world tells us to be confident, self-reliant, pleasure-seeking, and important. Jesus, though, wanted God followers. God followers must realize one is unworthy of God’s favor (poor in spirit); have a bitter sorrow for how we and the world are missing His best (those who mourn); realize God’s ways lead to personal satisfaction (meekness); fight every day to lead a God’s centered life (hunger and thirst for righteousness); seek the best for others (merciful); have an inner peace during our daily walk (pure in heart); and do good to all. (peacemakers).  For the twelve, the pride and status of being one of His chosen, needed to be replaced by a humble empty heart. Day by day, each needed to let another part of their previous lifestyle crumble  and be rebuilt. 

​

Then Christ shocks them with the realization of the future. Expect to be persecuted for righteousness' sake,” (Matthew 5:10), and “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:11). He told them, "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:12). Christ knew the overpowering Holy Spirit living within each would make the unbearable, bearable. He wanted each to stay strong regardless of the hatred the world threw at them. 

​

Jesus finishes the Beatitudes with two declarations. First, “You are the salt of the earth." (Matthew 5:13). In Biblical times, salt was costly. In some parts of the world, salt was accepted as a form of payment. Beyond that, salt was also connected with the offerings to Jehovah. “And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from the grain offering.” (Leviticus 2:13). When Jesus proclaimed, “You are the salt of the earth, He was reminding His disciples of their value. Their kingdom's work was priceless. Their lives were a living offering to God. 

​

Secondly, “You are the light of the world.” The purpose of the disciples, and every Christian is to dispel darkness with God's words of encouragement and favor. This was their calling. 

​

Lawrence O. Richards sums up the section on the Beatitudes this way: “We admire this world’s ‘beautiful people.’ The sophistication, looks, pleasures, and importance draw us. We appreciate the values which their lives express. That whole package of values is appealing to us because we tend to associate those values with fulfillment. To be and behave like the people who have status in our society becomes our dream. Jesus shatters such dreams and rejects such goals in the Beatitudes. He sets up a whole new package of values, proclaiming that in these you and I will find fulfillment. Not in pleasure, but in longing. Not in satisfaction, but in hunger. Not in popularity but in commitment to an unpopular cause. Not in competition and ‘winning,’ but helping others win their way to peace.” (Small Group Members Commentary on the New Testament and Selected Psalms) 

​

For the twelve, their life must be grounded in God's expectations for daily living. The Hebrew people trusted the religious leaders. Yet the leaders' traditions sometimes clashed with the teachings of the prophets. The twelve were to get back to the basics. “Do not think I came to destroy the Law of the Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17).  

​

He summed up what was critical: “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 37-40). If we are fulfilling our love commandments, then murder, anger, envy, or not keeping our word will be void in our lives. Caring for others will come naturally.  

​

Jesus longed for followers to remain humble. “That your charitable deeds may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you secretly.” (Matthew 6:4). Make  prayer genuine and from your heart because “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask.” (Matthew 6:8). The Lord’s Prayer is God’s expectation of how to converse with Him. First, honor God,” Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name;” strive for Jehovah’s will to be accomplished; forgive other others for their wrongs against us; and then every believer will be delivered from temptation that can lead to evil. (Matthew 6:9-13).   

​

“Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’.... For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:20-21, 31-33).  

​

“When we lay up treasures in Heaven, nothing or no one can ever take them away. We will have them for eternity. What am I talking about? I’m talking about glimpses of God in your life. Those are treasures that will last forever. No moths and rust can destroy. No thieves can break in and steal. Those are the best kinds of treasures to pray for.” (faithgiant.com). 

​

His closing words, “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.’ (Matthew 7:24). “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29).  

​

“Loving God completely is a growth process that involves the personal elements of communication and response. By listening to the Holy Spirit in the words of Scripture and speaking to the Lord in our thoughts and prayers, we move in the direction of knowing Him better. The better we know Him, the more we will love Him, and the more we love Him, the greater will be our willingness to respond to Him in trust and obedience.” (Gray, The Good Life). 

(scriptural source: blueletterbible.org)