? Who was Jesus teaching at this time? His disciples in the broader sense of the
word. Not just the 12 but also those who
followed him.
? Where was he teaching?
Mountainside (Not a mountain top – a mountainside – perhaps a plateau)
? Why did he sit? It was the custom of Jewish teachers to
sit when they taught.
? Why do you think he went to the mountainside? Student response
* Luke 6 12-20 (student read)
* Here again we see a difference between two of the gospels
in an account of the same story.
However, I believe it is simply a difference in how the story is being
told not a case of disharmony between the stories.
(Get two volunteers at the beginning of the night. Give each student 2 minutes to silently read
the story. Then give each student a
piece of paper and a pen to write out their version of the story. Read these
stories to the rest of the students.)
Story: Billy and Jane went to the store at 9:00 in the
morning to buy a dozen donuts for their neighborhood friends. They bought 6 maple bars, 3 chocolate
sprinkled donuts and 3 vanilla sprinkled donuts. When they got back to their neighborhood at
9:30, they went from door to door handing out donuts to their friends. Their friends were all very happy except for
Bobby. Bobby had just had new braces put
on and wasn’t allowed to eat anything for 5 hours.
*I’m using this as an example of how the same story will be
told differently by two different people.
One will focus on some of the details while the other will focus on
other details.
Student Story 1: Two people went to get donuts at 9:00. They bought 6 maple bars and something and
something. When they got back, they went
around the neighborhood giving donuts to their friends. Everyone liked them except for Bobby. He had just had braces put on and could not
eat for 5 hours.
Student Story 2: Jane and Billy went to the store to get
some doughnuts for their friends. They
got maple bars, sprinkled doughnuts, bacon wrapped maple bars, bacon filled
sprinkled doughnuts, chocolate doughnuts, and old fashioned doughnuts. They went door to door in their neighborhood
handing out their doughnuts to their friends.
All their friends were happy except Bobby. Bobby had gotten braces and could not eat
anything, ESPECIALLY bacon filled sprinkled doughnuts, for five whole entire
long eternal-feeling hours.
(This wasn’t the best example of my point, because Student
Story 2 took some artistic liberties.
However, the point is still the same in that the main points of the
story are that Billy & Jane bought donuts for their friends who all enjoyed
them except Bobby who just got braces.)
*In the next group of verses, Christ will teach his
disciples and us that the greatest joy and happiness is not in the easiness and
pleasures of this world, but the greatest joy and happiness is found by living
in the good will and pleasure of God even when you are treated poorly by others
in this world.
Matthew 5:3-10 The
Beatitudes – Beati = Blessed (student read)*9 Beatitudes = 7 Characteristics – The last 2 Beatitudes talk about external circumstances that can lead to blessings verses a character trait of the person.
*Most of the Beatitudes go completely against what the world
is teaching us every day.
Blessed are:
o
The poor in spirit – Those who realize without
God they are nothing.
o
They that mourn – Those who feel a deep sense of
sadness/sorrow for their own sins, the sins of others and the effects those
sins have on our world and our people.
o
The meek – Those who are not arrogant and greedy
and self-seeking.
o
They that hunger and thirst for righteousness –
Those who seek to be Christ-like and live in a moral and right manner.
o
The merciful – Those who do acts of kindness and
who are compassionate toward those who offend them.
o
The pure in heart – Those who are free from evil
desires and purposes.
o
The peacemakers – Those who try to make peace
between individuals or communities.
*These first 7 are all characteristics of a person. This is the attitude of someone who has fully
given control of his or her life over to Christ.
Matthew 5:11 The
Beatitudes Continued
Blessed are:
o
You who are persecuted for righteousness sake.
o
You who are reproached (to find fault with) and
persecuted, and have things said against you falsely for Christ’ sake.
*After Christ’ death, the followers of Christ suffered great
persecution. In some areas of the world,
this severe persecution continues today.
With your parents, go online and check out Voice of the Martyrs who help
persecuted Christians around the world.
Even here in America, Christians are suffering persecution. Although we are not being beaten and killed
for our beliefs, we are being made fun of, we are falsely accused of being
haters, and we are having our moral beliefs being used against us in court and
in the government. Persecution is as
real today as it was in the time of Jesus.
Matthew 5:12 REJOICE
(student read)
*REJOICE?
*Rejoice. Christ says
to rejoice in these persecutions.
? Why do you think Jesus says that? Student response
Points to Ponder:
Are you a disciple of Christ?
Are you living out these qualities (the Beatitudes) in your
daily life?
How will you rejoice even when persecuted? 
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