LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 7:28-29, 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.

 

We come to the end of Jesus’ teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount.  We are drawn to Jesus Himself.  With considerable detail He has called those listening and us as the readers to put His teaching into practice.  Even more important than the teaching, we are drawn to the One doing the teaching – the Lord Jesus Christ.  He insists that His followers pay attention to what has been taught and to pay attention to Him.  The people listening to Him have been astonished at His teaching; He has taught as One who has authority.

 

If one’s view of Jesus Christ is not correct, there is really no value in what He taught.  When Jesus began to teach, He was teaching His disciples.  A crowd must have gathered because “the people” were astonished at what He taught.    The Teacher was not a Pharisee or a scribe; He had no formal training from the great teachers of the day.  Yet, He taught things that astonished those that heard Him.  He taught in a way that people knew He knew what He spoke of.  The scribes could only teach what they had been told by others.  This teacher gave His own teaching on a variety of subjects.  “But I say unto you…” 

 

Read over the Sermon on the Mount again and again.  Look at the direct statements he made about Himself.  It is important to notice His suggestions to His deity and that he was the long-awaited Messiah. 

 

What is your reaction to the Sermon on the Mount?  Those listening were astonished.  I wonder if their reaction went any further!  Did it lead to a conviction to follow Him?  It is not enough to be astonished with Jesus; astonishment must turn into a conviction that this is the Son of God speaking and He is condemning all trust in human achievement and natural abilities for their salvation.  He said all are sinners in the sight of God and no one can save themselves.  The Sermon on the Mount is about the way to enter the narrow door and walk on the narrow walk with Jesus Christ guiding those who choose to enter to eternal life with the Father in heaven.  It is not about a person striving to make himself right with God. 

 

The necessary reaction to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount is to have a sincere desire to live the way He has told us to live. 

 

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