God bless you in the delightful name of Jesus Christ, the teacher come from God.
Jesus’ teaching called the Sermon on the Mount is prefaced with the following verses.
Matthew 5:1-2:
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying
It seems to be making a rather simple and logical point. In order to teach we have to open our mouths. Pretty basic for a witness wouldn’t you say? To speak to people, we have to open our mouths. It is a deliberate action under our control. We decide. It’s nice when others open the conversation, but when they don’t, we open our mouths.
However, it is indeed much deeper than that. “To open one’s mouth and say” means that nothing is held back and that everything that needs to be said, is said. It is a Hebrew idiom.1 We also find it in II Corinthians 6.
II Corinthians 6:11-13:
O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged [platunō, enlarge, make broad, relieve]. 12 Ye are not straitened [stenochōrēō, to compress, squeeze, or constrict] in us, but ye are straitened [stenochōrēō, to compress, squeeze, or constrict] in your own bowels [splanchnon, inner body parts used often to refer to emotions]. 13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
The idiom also implies that the speaker is speaking from the depth of his heart and is involved with what he is saying. It’s used of someone who speaks with the full involvement of his real heart and soul. Otherwise, it would not say that “he opened his mouth to speak.” It would just simply say “he said” or “he told them.” The emphasis is that it is not just empty words or the running off of the mouth. Such a man breaks the silence by speaking everything necessary to communicate his heart.
The Corinthians were upset and putting pressure on themselves. They made some mistakes, and Paul reproved them. Paul shared everything he needed to share for them to be relieved of the guilt and shame. He did his part and his heart was relieved. They also knew what they were supposed to do because Paul had shared God’s Word with them, and they were responsible to do it so they would have the same relieve that Paul did. The pressure they felt did not come from Paul, they were restricted in really letting loose and opening up their heart by their own emotions that were putting the pressure on them. In verse 13 Paul pleads with them to open their hearts to the truth and relieve the emotional pressure they were putting themselves under.
[If you want, you can check out this custom further in the following verses: Judges 11:35-36; I Samuel 2:1; Job 3:1; Proverbs 24:7; Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 13:35; Acts 8:35; 10:34; Ephesians 6:19]
To really help people it is important that we are involved, heart and soul. . . that we commit ourselves to say everything that is necessary. We hold nothing back. Like II Corinthians 5:20, puts it, “We pray you in in Christ’s stead.” We desire to speak, just like Jesus would. He opened his mouth. He was fully involved. He spoke everything necessary at the time.
It is quite a responsibility to speak in Jesus’ stead. We take it serous, and we do it with full involvement of our heart and soul. We don’t always get opportunities to do so, but when they come, we don’t want to miss them. So, remember to seek an occasion. Look for the opportunity. Our God supplies exceeding, abundantly, above all that we could ask or think.
1. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger, p. 842