Jesus had declared that the Law of Moses was meant to be flexible on some things, including Sabbath observance. There were priorities, and there was no need to protect the Sabbath from people, but that the Sabbath protected the people from the powerful and those who obsessed over serving fleshly interests. In other words, the Sabbath was meant to give folks a break from the likes of the oppressive Pharisees. So it was that the Pharisees finally had a reason to make peace with the Herodian Party in agreeing they needed to get rid of Jesus.
During this growing consultation between Pharisees and Herodians, Jesus began hanging around the shore of Galilee much more closely. Indeed, He instructed His disciples to keep a boat close to Him at all times, because the crowds might drive Him into the water. And what massive crowds they were! People from all over the Jewish lands, including the Edomite territory, were hounding Him day and night, pressing in on Him so that they might be healed of ailments or demons.
After a while like this, He slipped out one evening to the mountains to pray. He stayed there all night long. Very early in the morning, He called His disciples away with Him. The group of those who were faithful followers, not just desperately in need, had grown quite large. From this bunch, He picked out twelve to be His full-time assistants. He ordained them with the authority to preach and heal, as He did.
We know their names: Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John (“Sons of Thunder”), Nathaniel Bartholomew and Philip, Matthew Levi, Thomas, James the Less, Simon the Zealot, Jude Thaddeus, and Judas Iscariot. There’s a whole church mythology about these men, most of it wholly unwarranted. As previously noted, there’s reason to believe as many as five of them were cousins of Jesus. Nepotism is a virtue in the Bible, just another name for tribal feudalism, a fundamental element of Biblical Law.
Instead of a banquet to celebrate their ordination, He called them up onto some hilltop for a special teaching session, now called Sermon on the Mount. There’s no doubt the crowd followed them, but He addressed Himself to the Twelve. If we collate this message as it appears in Matthew with a similar message in Luke (6:20-26), we end up with a different spin on things. See if you can follow along.
Given the serious problem with materialism among Jewish leaders and teachers, Jesus declared that being a pauper was actually a major asset in this life. If all your treasures are moral in nature, then you clearly could focus on the business of the Spirit Realm. You’ll notice that Jesus proposed giving up worldly wealth only to those who made the mistake of thinking it was the mark of God’s favor. Actually, poverty might be a sign of divine favor. Jesus had several wealthy donors, and they kept their wealth, primarily so they could keep His ministry afloat. They understood the reason God grants some people wealth, and that one’s greatest investment is in people.
So, if someone could see the moral perversion in this world, and mourn at how this all ignores revelation, they were on the list invited to an eternal celebration when this is all over.
It is a real blessing when you don’t take yourself too seriously. There needs to be a part of you that pulls away from the fleshly nature and keeps an eye on things that really matter to the Creator. Don’t defend your reputation, but His. In the end, you’ll always sense just how much you are in control of things He has placed in your hands.
Thus, your whole ambition is the glory of God’s name. All that really matters is His justice in your life. With that kind of orientation, you can bet He will supply everything you could possibly need.
If you love what God loves, He’ll certainly love you. The greatest super-power anyone could ask for is the ability to sacrifice the fleshly self in favor of divine compassion, because your greatest enemy is part of you.
Purge yourself of fleshly desires. When you find out what your appetites are supposed to do, and how God provides for all your needs, it’s a whole lot easier see the character of the Father in every situation. You’ll know how to make His nature visible.
The people who give themselves to shalom are the happiest people on earth. Don’t be afraid of human conflict; that’s part of a mortal existence. Rather, find a path through our natural differences to peace with God.
Naturally, peace with God puts you at odds with the world. The worldly system is intolerant of the otherworldly commitment. You belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, and they can’t bear that. So when you face persecution from worldly people, it’s a sure sign that you are what God intended for you to be. It means you are in the same company as all the prophets of old.
All of this is in the Covenant of Moses.
