The chapter of one of the Lord’s most famous sermons begins with two important lines: “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him…” (Matthew 5:1 emphasis added) Close your eyes and picture this. The Lord climbed the mount and once He was set, His disciples came unto Him. He left behind the multitudes and the crowds of people, and walked up the mountain to wait.
This sermon was meant only for those who were willing to ascend to it.
It was the choice of each individual. A journey. One had to come unto Him to receive the lesson ––the journey toward discipleship, the outline for who they might become. The first sermon of the Sermon on the Mount is the realization that a true disciple must go to the Lord to receive the message. His disciples ascended the mount to Him, and then He taught.
“To comprehend the works of Christ one must know Him as the son of God. One must come to Him to see and hear, to feel and know. The response must be an individual one.” (James Talmage.)
If you want to see and hear, to feel and know, come to Him. Your response must be an individual one. The way of the Lord is to teach one by one.
He is set. He is waiting. Come.
Open the scriptures to any book. Search the chapters, read through the verses. He is set, come to Him. The stories of Jesus are filled with these one on one teaching moments. In my minds eye I see them.
A Samaritan woman approaches a man sitting at a well. She comes to Him. The moment is spent in conversation that leads to conversion prompting her to leave behind her water pot to bring others back to Him.
Sixteen clear stones molten out of rock. Carried in work worn hands to the top of the mount. One with great faith asking the Lord to touch the stones, to prepare them to shine forth in the dark. And “the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger.” (Ether 3:6) First there was faith, and then pure knowledge. Touched. One by one.
Twelve men in an upper room. Dusty, thirsty, tired. His last supper, and they came to Him. Humble, the Servant rose from supper, took a towel, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Tenderly. One by one.
A man who was blind, a daughter who lay dying, the centurion’s servant. It was always about the individual. To love the one.
And again, in the midst of the great multitude, who when they beheld Him, ran to Him. And “one of the multitude” brought unto Him his son. One of the multitude. One. “I have brought unto thee my son.” (Mark 9:17)
In the darkest hours they would seek Him. Remember Nicodemus, Ruler of the Jews. “The same came to Jesus by night”…saying “Rabbi, we know that thou are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him…How can these things be?” (John 3:2&9) The same came to Jesus.
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do…what lack I yet?” One came and He answered privately, Savior and friend. “Come and follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)
No matter where we are in our journey, one thing is certain ––there will be hours where we need strength beyond our own, miracles within the ordinary moments, blessings that only He can give.
To know Him as the Son of God.
To see and hear. To feel and know.
The response must be an individual one.
He is set…come to Him.
Ponder This…
Elder Bednar has frequently counseled that we need to act and not simply be acted upon. The journey to Discipleship, this journey to become His, will be life changing only to the extent we allow it to be. It will require us to ascend to a higher level. We will need to leave the multitude and the crowd and come to Him. It is only under those conditions that we will hear the message.
Come unto Him. The message is so familiar. In every single journey it is always the first step. Always.
He is set…come to Him.
This week try to study some examples from the scriptures on how Christ taught on an individual basis. One by one. How He rescued one by one.
What can you learn from His example about rescuing?
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