"He taught"

And he opened his mouth, and taught them.

Matthew 5:2 ESV

When I read this verse at the beginning of the sermon on the mount, it struck me that every time Jesus opened his mouth he taught. He didn’t teach simple or useless things, he taught profound life altering things. His words were never wasted, they all had purpose and meaning.

When Jesus opened his mouth words of love, wisdom and encouragement came out. Many times what he spoke were words of forgiveness. When he spoke he was making a difference in someone’s life. His words were intended to draw the hearer closer to God and his way of living.

As disciples of Jesus shouldn’t we chose our words wisely? Shouldn’t we too be teaching others a better way by the things we say? The reality is that the things we say teach others about us and what’s in our hearts. It was the same for Jesus. When he spoke his hearers learned about him and what was in his heart.

So today, let’s weigh out our words before we speak them. Let’s seek to teach people about God’s way of living by the teaching we do when we speak.

© 2013 Leo J. Woodman