Disciple talk

After Matthew 5:1-10 

Great crowds, great crowds,

hordes and flocks of people

follow him wherever he

goes, and he heals the sick,

the diseased, the possessed,

the paralyzed, the afflicted,

and the crowds grow, coming

from all over. He sees them

and withdraws; there’s a time 

to heal and a time to teach. He

withdraws up the mountain,

his followers gathered

around. It is the time to teach

them, away from the crowds

and the press of the afflicted,

the incessant demands to heal.

His followers sit with him.

He speaks and begins to teach,

knowing the difference between

a follower and a crowd member.

It is the time to teach, to listen,

to learn, against the backdrop

of the great crowds below,

the great crowd of needs,

down below.

 

Photograph by Mason Field via Unsplash. Used with permission