Even been tired? Silly question in our culture, isn’t it? OF COURSE we’ve been tired! Some of us are tired right now! Most of the time! There’s different kinds of fatigue, aren’t there? I get tired after I work out at the gym, but that’s not the kind of fatigue I’ve been thinkin’ about…. I’ve been thinkin’ lately about the kind of fatigue caused by a busy schedule, from simply having lots on the plate- being busy over a period of time.
Apparently Jesus got tired sometimes, too. He did have a human side, didn’t He? At the end of Matthew four, near the beginning of His public ministry, Matthew writes that Jesus had been teaching throughout Galilee, doing lots of healings as well. Lots of people were following, approaching, making demands of His energy and time. Sounds like a busy season to me! Then, chapter five begins by saying that Jesus saw the crowds, then went up into the mountainside.
Hmmmm… sometimes we need to back away, take a breather…. Jesus apparently was no different. But here in Matthew 5, Jesus didn’t get the breather- “His disciples came to him.” Probably not just the 12, perhaps lots more…. And Jesus sat down, and taught them…. What he told them we now call “The Sermon on the Mount.” One of His longest, and perhaps most familiar teachings.
Lots of books have been written about the Sermon on the Mount: I’ve been thinkin’ recently about the circumstances in which Jesus taught them: Was He looking to retreat, rest, replenish His soul, or for another place to teach His followers, away from the crowds? And how about His followers: they may very well have been caught up in Jesus’ popularity, in all of His miracles, in the growing discussion of whether Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, now come to re-establish the glory days for Israel. “Come on, Jesus, don’t slow down now…”.
Whatever the circumstances, Jesus’ teaching here, at the beginning of His public ministry, makes a strong statement to His followers about priorities and kingdom values. He begins it by stating “blessed are” several times- what we now call the Beatitudes. He tells them, even models for them, that what makes life most fulfilling, rich, enjoyable, abundant, is not found in externals like popularity, success, wealth…. Instead, it begins in the soul: He uses words like “poor in spirit,” “humility,” “righteousness,” pure in heart,” which are virtues primarily nurtured and cultivated within our souls, not in public places, but in quiet places, in private, away from the crowds. Several times in Jesus public ministry, He separated Himself, got away from the crowds. He knew the most important parts of His soul could only be nourished by His Father. And so should we!
How’s your soul today? I look around and see many signs of soul-fatigue: anxiety, impatience, fear, anger…. To name a few. I encourage you to nurture your soul a bit today: take a look at the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12, and what Jesus says here about being “blessed,” “joyful”, “glad.”
Have you taken the time lately to be alone, to quiet your soul, to open yourself before your God? To fill those depleted and empty places in your soul that only He can? Is it a consistent part of your schedule?
Just thinkin’….