“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.” (Matthew 5:1)
When Jesus "saw" the crowds that day, and as a result of what he saw, decided to go up into a moutain and sit down,
He didn't just "see" them from a distance.
He didn't just "see" a mass of folks following Him.
He didn't just "see" a whole group of people that He needed to get away from so He could breathe some fresh air.
The Greek word for "to see" in this verse is eidó.
The word “eido” means that Jesus was aware of the thoughts and feelings of each person in that crowd. That word “eido” means that Jesus considered seriously those thoughts and feelings. It means He perceived what was going on in the hearts, in the lives, in the heads and in the families of EACH person in that crowd, and that He had compassion on them.
At times, we may think that WE have a great perception of people.
Folks, we ain’t got nothin compared to Jesus! Our perception of others compared to HIS perception isn’t even in the same ballpark. It’s not even in the same city. It’s not even in the same universe. Psychology 401 might as well be the study of the mind of a baby ant compared to the thought structures of Jesus!
One commentary expounded on the word “eido” by pointing out that it is akin to the expressions:
"I see what You mean."
"I see what you are saying."
Now just imagine if YOU were one of the people in that crowd.
Jesus would have looked at YOU. He would have understood YOUR feelings and thoughts. He would have understood your reactions and responses to the people in YOUR life. He would have perceived all of that about YOU, and He would have loved you and had compassion for your failings and your mistaken thinking and your wrong reactions because He would have known where you were coming from and He would have wanted to throw you His own magnificent, workable lifeline.
He would have been whispering in His mind: “I see what you mean Heather” or “I see what you are saying Michael.”
Now fast forward to today. Jesus is ALIVE, and He’s still perceiving each one of us.
The Bible tells us that God “perceives our thoughts from afar,” that He “discerns our going out and our lying down,” and that He is “familiar with ALL of our ways” (the way we respond, the way we think, the way we see others, the way we see ourselves). He knows EVERYTHING about us.
And so look at what He did NEXT, after he perceived each man, woman and child in that crowd.
He went up on a mountainside and sat down.
Back then, when a rabbi went up somewhere, on a high place, on a hill, in a mountain, and sat down, it meant He was ready to teach others His thoughts. It meant he was ready to spill out His knowledge.
So when Jesus saw the crowds, His first thought was, “Let me teach you what you need to know to respond correctly, to feel assured about your life, to be able to trust ME with everything in your heart.”
And that’s what Jesus is saying to each of us today, right now, in this moment.
“Let me teach you what you need to know to respond correctly, to feel assured about your life, to be able to trust ME with everything in your heart.”
Jesus is waiting on the hillside for you.
He’s sitting down.
He’s ready to teach YOU!
All you have to do is open up His Word (the Bible) and listen to Him.
He’ll do the rest!
And if you ask Jesus for wisdom, He'll give it to you, generously, without finding any fault in you. (James 1:5)
Whoops, I spelled mountain wrong.
Jesus is Sitting Down!
“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.” (Matthew 5:1)
When Jesus "saw" the crowds that day, and as a result of what he saw, decided to go up into a mountain and sit down,
He didn't just "see" them from a distance.
He didn't just "see" a mass of folks following Him.
He didn't just "see" a whole group of people that He needed to get away from so He could breathe some fresh air.
The Greek word for "to see" in this verse is eidó.
The word “eido” means that Jesus was aware of the thoughts and feelings of each person in that crowd. That word “eido” means that Jesus considered seriously those thoughts and feelings. It means He perceived what was going on in the hearts, in the lives, in the heads and in the families of EACH person in that crowd, and that He had compassion on them.
At times, we may think that WE have a great perception of people.
Folks, we ain’t got nothin compared to Jesus! Our perception of others compared to HIS perception isn’t even in the same ballpark. It’s not even in the same city. It’s not even in the same universe. Psychology 401 might as well be the study of the mind of a baby ant compared to the thought structures of Jesus!
One commentary expounded on the word “eido” by pointing out that it is akin to the expressions:
"I see what You mean."
"I see what you are saying."
Now just imagine if YOU were one of the people in that crowd.
Jesus would have looked at YOU. He would have understood YOUR feelings and thoughts. He would have understood your reactions and responses to the people in YOUR life. He would have perceived all of that about YOU, and He would have loved you and had compassion for your failings and your mistaken thinking and your wrong reactions because He would have known where you were coming from and He would have wanted to throw you His own magnificent, workable lifeline.
He would have been whispering in His mind: “I see what you mean Heather” or “I see what you are saying Michael.”
Now fast forward to today. Jesus is ALIVE, and He’s still perceiving each one of us.
The Bible tells us that God “perceives our thoughts from afar,” that He “discerns our going out and our lying down,” and that He is “familiar with ALL of our ways” (the way we respond, the way we think, the way we see others, the way we see ourselves). He knows EVERYTHING about us.
And so look at what He did NEXT, after he perceived each man, woman and child in that crowd.
He went up on a mountainside and sat down.
Back then, when a rabbi went up somewhere, on a high place, on a hill, in a mountain, and sat down, it meant He was ready to teach others His thoughts. It meant he was ready to spill out His knowledge.
So when Jesus saw the crowds, His first thought was, “Let me teach you what you need to know to respond correctly, to feel assured about your life, to be able to trust ME with everything in your heart.”
And that’s what Jesus is saying to each of us today, right now, in this moment.
“Let me teach you what you need to know to respond correctly, to feel assured about your life, to be able to trust ME with everything in your heart.”
Jesus is waiting on the hillside for you.
He’s sitting down.
He’s ready to teach YOU!
All you have to do is open up His Word (the Bible) and listen to Him.
He’ll do the rest!
And if you ask Jesus for wisdom, He'll give it to you, generously, without finding any fault in you. (James 1:5)
