Slideshow image

And He came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a great crowd of His disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled by unclean spirits were healed. And all the crowd sought to touch Him, because power was going out from Him and healing all.

 

The famous “Sermon on the Mount” in Luke 6 starts out a little differently from Matthew 5. It says that Jesus stood on a level place among the crowd.

 

I did notice that some other translations say He stood on the plain, but I looked up the original Greek, and I see that standing on a level place is a good translation. I also checked Matthew 5. My Bible tells me Jesus went and stood at the mountain. Again, I checked the Greek and found it to be accurate. I realized how influenced I had been by all the famous works of art depicting Jesus standing on a mountain overlooking the people to whom He was speaking. If He was doing that, He wouldn’t have been close enough to touch and heal everyone.

 

I find such comfort in the realization that Jesus began this famous sermon standing on equal footing with the waves of broken humanity seeking His attention.

 

Jesus, our dear Lord, Your accessibility is astounding. We thank You, Triune God of all creation, and ask that You give us humble hearts to live out the very grace with which we have been blessed. Amen.

 

Paula Barney

adminassist@livinglord.org

 

Prayer Concern: That we would bless someone today.