Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Matthew 5:1-12

Preaching Commentary

Imagine Jesus at the beginning of his ministry

He calls his first disciples – the educated and advantaged? No. Some fishermen. He travels around his home region of Galilee proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease. His fame begins to spread. Large crowds start gathering from Galilee, Syria, Jerusalem, the 10 Roman cities of the Decapolis, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

Every day the crowd grows larger and larger and larger. One day Jesus heads up one of the hills and sits down. This would have caught everyone’s attention. When a rabbi sits, he’s indicating a time of formal teaching. It’s unusual. He’s outside, not in the synagogue. Everyone gathers around and settles…