ON THE MOUNT OF BEATITUDES

We spent some time at the Mount of Beatitudes this last week. If you remember, this was the place where Jesus delivered his groundbreaking sermon revolving around anger, love, and morality (Matthew 5-7).  

A beautiful, eight-sided church marks the Mount of Beatitudes. It overlooks the Sea of Galilee and it is truly a “deserted place” (Mark 6:35). A deserted place, however, does not necessarily mean an arid, desert like environment (which is sometimes the case with mountains in the Holy Land). On the contrary, the Mount of Beatitudes sits upon a luscious field of green grass and fields. Mountains usually relate to an encounter with God. Jesus’ ascending the mountain evokes another figure who went to bring God’s Law: Moses. The law Jesus delivers, however, proves itself to be truly revolutionary in its message.

While Jesus is delivering his sermon, he mentions the presence of “wild flowers” and “birds in the sky” (Matthew 6:26-29) to demonstrate total dependence of God. While on the Mount of Beatitudes, it is easy to forget the worries of life while being caught up in the sheer beauty of the view. It is no wonder Jesus used his surrounding to demonstrate his point. It is true that the Mount had been landscaped for this particular purpose, but just beyond the Church property is something truly to behold.

Every day should be lived in the spirit of the Mount of Beatitudes. The life of a Christian necessitates our being “caught up” in the sheer beauty of God’s creation. God’s grace, moreover, is constantly falling upon His people. The “worrying” that marks Western Civilization is truly meaningless when considering the greatness of God’s love for his people.
Much more can be said about this life-giving Mount, and we encourage you all to revisit this account in scripture. May God continue to bless us, so that we might be counted among the “blessed”.