3 And Jesus went up on the mountain [steep hillsides], and there He sat with His disciples.
Jesus wanted to separate Himself from the crowd to have time alone with His disciples.
3 And Jesus went up on the mountain [hill, Golan Heights area today],
Jesus wanted time alone with His disciples, so He sought a solitary place to communicate with them. We would not classify this area as mountainous but simply hilly. The range here was about 3,000 feet high.
and there He sat with His disciples.
Jesus wanted to test the hearts of His disciples to reveal what their true values were.
PRINCIPLE:
It is important to set aside time to be alone with the Lord.
APPLICATION:
Time alone with the Lord is an occasion for spiritual reflection and self-examination. People who do not examine the state of their spirituality are vulnerable to unrecognized spiritual diseases. These diseases can grow and even ultimately destroy the Christian life if left unchecked.
Self-examination requires honesty with self. There can be no growth or correction until we face the sin that is in our lives. Christianity is not perfectionism but a process of growth derived from conviction of sin and applying God’s truth to our experience.
