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Israel Diary Beatitudes Country
The land at the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee rises from 700 feet below sea level to more than 200 feet above sea level in a conical shape that forms a natural amphitheater. This area has traditionally been identified as the hillside where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.
One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. Enormous crowds were following Him. Everyone wanted to see him. When Jesus began teaching he surprised the people because he taught about kingdom values with eternal consequences. He spoke with authority. His teachings were not multiple choice options but a holistic teaching that identified the journey towards Christ likeness.
This hillside is a place of contemplation. I can read Matthew 5-7 and evaluate my life and work. There is encouragement and judgement in the teachings. Jesus issues a call to righteousness. He details how I should live. I want to build on a solid foundation. As I looked at the Sea and stood on the hillside I was intrigued with the physical setting. People could certainly hear Jesus as he taught. But they could feel the precariousness and struggle standing on a hillside causes. So much like our lives that are filled with danger and tested by struggle. We are dependent on the Lord. Jesus taught how critically important it was to follow him and not be destroyed by the world.
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