1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: (KJV)
There was a multitude. The key word here is, 'was'. Look clearly at the verse. It says there was a multitude. Then it explains that Jesus went up away from them into the mountain. He left them. But He didn't just leave them, He didn't just take off.... He climbed up a mountain to get away from them. Crowds always collect around events, individuals or gatherings of people that cause a stir or arouse someones' attention and curiosity. Jesus would surely qualify as that. He could really draw a crowd. But Jesus knew that crowds could be unpredictable and capricous. On this day, He was preaching and a large crowd gathered, so He climbed a hillside.
What happened next is what the Lord was working His way to all along. Those who were sincere disciples, those who truly were seeking the depth, the transformation, the meaning of His messages; those listeners climbed the mountain with Him. The mulitudes didn't climb the mountain. The scriptrue says, 'his disciples came unto him.' I wonder, 'where did the crowd go'? They just seemed to fade away. It was too difficult to climb the mountain so they left Him.
James Ryle in his teaching guide for men's groups, says "It is not about crowds. It's about climbing partners. It's about men who are committed to Christ, and to one another".
The scripture tells us that we are "partakers of a heavenly calling" (Heb.3:1). It is "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil.3:14). It is the call of God upon our lives that makes mediocrity unacceptable. The word mediocrity literally means "halfway up a mountain."
Are you going to settle for only following Christ halfway? I didn't think so
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