Matthew 4:25 – 5:2 (NLT) 4:25Large crowds followed him wherever he went – people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. 5:1One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2and he began to teach them.
Throughout my life I have carried the mental image of thousands of people crowding up the side of the mountain where Jesus taught the throngs the Beatitudes. Why? Because that’s what I’ve always heard, and that’s what I’ve always been taught, and that’s what all my childhood coloring pages depicted. Indeed, large crowds did follow Jesus everywhere he went. But Jesus also knew that his disciples would one day be the ones teaching people, and he knew the importance of giving them direct teaching and instruction. Read the verses above again. The disciples gathered around Jesus, and Jesus taught the disciples. In today’s ‘teacher talk’ we would call it ‘small group instruction’. Yes, perhaps there were others present or within hearing range, but Jesus was personally instructing those who would continue his mission and ministry.
On this occasion, Jesus taught the basic Beatitudes, but he also taught many other topics as well. One of the many other areas of instruction was to avoid purposeless drama. Don’t announce your generosity to the world; give privately what the Lord lays on your heart. Don’t show off in public with loudly verbose prayers or repetitive chants; seek your Father in private.
The Simple Truth:
Matthew 6:1-8 (NLT) 1Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do – blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything will reward you. 5When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything will reward you. 7When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
Dear Lord, our Gracious Father God,
Thank you for the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Thank you for providing your Word and the example of the disciples who listened carefully and thoughtfully and taught others; may we do the same. Father God, you honor the heart that is honest and humble. Keep us from purposeless drama that seeks attention; keep us focused on your Will and Way.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The devotional Purposeless Drama appeared first on Write From My Heart at
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Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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