But I say to you people who are listening to me, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you.
Luke 6:27 ERV
In Luke 9:23, the Lord Jesus raised a critical issue I would like us to consider. There, He made a distinction between the crowd that were trooping after Him and those who desire to be His disciple – the true follower, those who are truly listening to His teachings. “…If anyone desires to come after Me, let him…”. With these words, the Lord clearly shows that not everyone following Him truly has the “desires to come after Him”, or become a disciple of the kingdom as rendered in other translations.
Likewise, when He went up unto the mount in Matthew 5:1, He was indirectly reiterating the same issue. He did not climb up the mountain in secret. The people must have all seen as He put all the weights aside and climbed to the top of the mount. He did not force nor threaten anyone to come with Him. He knew those who are truly listening would come to Him. Everyone that went up the mount, went of their own desire and willingness.
Therefore, having considered some of the beatitudes, I would like to draw our attention unto this same issue again. It is the issue of willingness to listen and obey divine instruction. The Lord Jesus, as He was teaching again in Luke chapter 6, did not make the costly assumption that everyone hearing Him was truly ready and desired to hear and obey. So, the beatitudes are not instructions for everyone, but “To you who are ready for the truth…” (MSG). It is those who have counted the cost and have decided to follow Jesus. They have denied themselves, taken their cross, and are following daily and continuously. If I may ask you, do you belong to this category of people or are you still indecisive? Are you ready for the truth? Will you be able to let go of everything for the sake of the kingdom of heaven?
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:44-46 NIV
Again, I would like to ask, are you ready and willing to forsake everything? To deny your will and even yourself, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven? Whether it be the blessedness of the spiritually poor, or of those that mourn for their sins, or of the meek, or any other kind. It is only for true disciples who would go up to the mount to be with the Master. Those who are ready both to hear and obey every instruction from the Master’s lips.
