The Disciples and the Crowds: Whose Example Do We Follow?

Scripture — Matthew 5:1-5, 8:1 (NRSV)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. . . .”

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

Devotion

Longer-term _Life for Leaders _subscribers may recall that my 2025 devotions focused on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and especially the opening passage known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).  If you know what a bottomless well that sermon is, and how important it is for an understanding of what Eugene Peterson famously called The Jesus Way, you won’t be surprised that I plan to spend 2026 in that passage as well.

One thing that struck me as I spent time reflecting on this sermon within the context of Jesus’ life and ministry was how Matthew repeatedly contrasts the disciples with “the crowds.” It has always been easy for me to see the contrast between the disciples and various religious leaders of Jesus’ day (especially the Pharisees). But the contrast between the disciples and the crowds now seems more important, if less obvious at first glance. After all, the crowds, like the disciples, followed Jesus around—at least physically.

Yet Matthew’s gospel repeatedly draws attention to the difference. Paragraph headings that many modern translations include, along with the chapter divisions added to the Bible in the 13th century, can sometimes be a distraction that makes us miss the continuity. In Matthew 4:18-35, the passage immediately before the Sermon on the Mount, the narrative makes a point of introducing first the disciples and then the crowds in back-to-back paragraphs. The gospel account goes on explicitly to reference the crowds about 30 more times.

The general picture Matthew paints of the disciples is that, despite all their faults, they are committed not only to Jesus’ mission (summarized in Matthew 4:19 with a beautiful metaphor of being “fishers of people”), but also to Jesus’ teaching (even when it’s challenging), and to Jesus’ example. Indeed, that is the definition of a disciple.  The crowds, by contrast, seem to be caught up in the spectacle. It is clear from the narrative through all four gospels that many in the crowds are drawn to the promise of political power and the overthrow of a secular and oppressive Roman rule, while happily receiving the healing and free meals Jesus offers. When political power turns out not to be the Jesus Way, the crowds turn away. The crowd numbers in the thousands. The number of disciples seems to be between a dozen and a few dozen.

All of this, Matthew sets up as his introduction to the Sermon on the Mount where a careful reading of Matthew 5:1-2 suggests this important contrast: It was the disciples, and not the crowds, who followed Jesus up the mountain and heard the message. And though we call it a “sermon”, Jesus delivers it to them not standing like an orator addressing a big group or even a modern preacher in a pulpit but rather seated on the ground in what we must imagine as an intimate teaching moment. The crowds don’t seem to be interested in following Jesus again until after his time of teaching when he comes down from the mountain. In short, it is the disciples and not the crowds who are willing and able to hear the challenging teaching of this sermon.

Central to this message are the words, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” I can think of nothing more countercultural. Or, rather, nothing more counter to the ways of sinful humanity. The word translated in the NRSV as meek can also be translated as gentle or humble. If I were to define meek using a contrast, I would say that to be meek (to live with gentle humility) means you don’t get your way by bullying; you don’t force your will on others with human power structures of money, strength, or human authority. The meek will show great strength and courage in humbly standing up for those of low standing, but not as a means of bullying others for their own comfort.

There are profound implications in this for the workplace, including for those who have been granted authority. What does it mean to lead and carry out our responsibilities in the workplace in a way that models gentleness and humility?  There are implications for leaders in the church, also—a place where it is easy for those in authority to also lead via bullying. And there are implications to how we live as Christians in a secular society (a society not unlike that of Rome in the days of Jesus). Do we try to force our values and practices on society through worldly power? I think one of the valuable practices of spiritual discernment is simply asking the question: would this decision or this course of action reflect the values Jesus advocated in the Beatitudes?

Jesus’ words are hard to live by. And so most in the crowds don’t try. The world’s ways of gaining power (political, economic, or military) are often effective from a worldly viewpoint; they can get us what we want or make us more comfortable.  Not surprisingly, many in the crowds wanted a Messiah to claim worldly power and establish a worldly rule. What disciples must learn to trust as they follow the way of Jesus is the promise that, ultimately, it is the meek who will inherit the earth and not those who claim worldly power for their own benefit. This can be a hard promise to believe, but it seems to be the mark of those who choose to be disciples.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: “Blessed Are the Meek, for They Will Inherit the Earth” (Matthew 5:5).