October 6, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends! Imagine with me for a moment, what it must have been like to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him speak. Imagine the insights we could gain, the beautiful life lessons we could learn from the greatest Teacher the world has ever known!
The greatest sermon ever given, known as “The Sermon on the Mount” is recorded for us in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 to 7, and for the next several weeks, we will be looking at this beautiful and incredibly deep sermon, gleaning some of the many gems packed into these passages.
To further enrich our journey, we will be going through a marvelous book, titled Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, by Ellen G. White. This small, but powerful book gives amazing and practical insights into these Bible passages and is definitely one of my favorite books! I encourage you to obtain this wonderful book by either purchasing it online or downloading a free copy at egwwritings.org [Insert: egwwritings.org], where it is available in multiple languages.
In the very beginning of this little book, we read the following dedication by the author: “TO HIS DISCIPLES whom still the Master is calling to choose the spiritual above the earthly kingdom, this little book is dedicated in the hope that its pages may unfold to them more clearly the glory of the unseen.”
Would you like to be a disciple of Jesus? You can be, for you see, the words that Jesus spoke on that mountainside by the Sea of Galilee so long ago were not just for the people who surrounded Him then–they are for us today.
In Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing we read, “The Sermon on the Mount is Heaven’s benediction to the world–a voice from the throne of God” (p. vii).
And how does this sermon begin? It begins with a series of blessings, known as the “Beatitudes”–“Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .blessed are those who mourn . . . blessed are the meek . . . Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . blessed are the merciful . . . the pure in heart . . . the peacemakers . . . and those who are persecuted for righteousness’s sake. . .” (Matt. 5:3-11).
In the weeks ahead we will be looking more deeply at each of these beautiful blessings, but today, let us consider this statement:
“The Beatitudes are Christ’s greeting, not only to those who believe, but to the whole human family. He seems to have forgotten for a moment that He is in the world, not in heaven; and He uses the familiar salutation of the world of light. Blessings flow from His lips as the gushing forth of a long-sealed current of rich life” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. vii.).
The language of heaven is that of blessing, not cursing. It is a language of peace and joy, not envy and hate. No wonder Jesus told us to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:27, 28).
Jesus makes it very clear as to what traits of character He will always recognize and bless. And everyone is blessed who receives His light and life.
The principles that Jesus taught are for all ages and classes. They cut across all cultures and are timeless in their application. And by practicing these godly principles now, we will be richly blessed.
“Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God,” wrote Ellen White. “It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, ‘Love one another, as I have loved you’ . . . when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts” (The Desire of Ages, p. 641).
I look forward to looking more deeply into these powerful lessons as we study Jesus’ amazing Sermon on the Mount. Once again, I encourage you to obtain a copy of the book, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, by Ellen White. A free download of the book is available in multiple languages at egwwritings.org. [Insert: egwwritings.org].
Let’s pray together just now. Father in Heaven. Thank you for giving us such powerful instruction in the Sermon on the Mount. Thank you for giving us the wonderful book, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing. Help us, Lord, over the coming weeks to be able to uncover unbelievable clarity about your instruction for us in our daily living. Thank you for working in us through the Holy Spirit. To be fully sanctified, to understand our justification is through your grace, and our sanctification is through your righteousness. Thank you for hearing us. Now, in Jesus name, we ask it. Amen.