Climbing Companions

Matthew 5 of The Message Bible begins, “When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him.” I love the wording of this next verse: “Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions.” 

Jesus’ public ministry was just getting started, and the rumors about His healing miracles were spreading like wildfire. Great crowds of people had begun to draw near to Him. Jesus took time to minister to the people, but then He stole away from the crowds to teach His disciples—those “apprenticed to him”… His “climbing companions.”

When you are willing to make the climb with Jesus, you become His climbing companion. He will share things with you that He won’t share with people down in the valley. He will explain things to you that the people down in the valley don’t get. He will give you strength, courage, and boldness as you grow spiritually in your relationship with Him.

Many of the people in the crowd remained at the base of the mountain, unable and unwilling to climb with Jesus. Others turned back and went home. But those few who were committed who weren’t afraid of the climb, who weren’t afraid of the trouble that was ahead, who didn’t turn back when things got hard—were greatly rewarded.

God wants every one of us to be His climbing companion, to not only follow Him when it’s easy but to stay by His side when it’s risky, bumpy, unexpected, uncertain, and downright hard.

Do you have a climber’s spirit? Are you willing to climb with Him?

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