Matthew 5:1-2 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying…
Jesus often withdrew to the mountains. This was a way for Jesus to retreat from the general population with his disciples for concentrated teachings without interruption. It has parallel significance to Moses' going up Mt. Sinai to receive God's commandments. Here we have Jesus (God) giving instruction in the meaning of God's law, the Ten Commandments to those who are His disciples. Jesus interprets the law in a way that is different from the other Pharisees and teachers of the law. He even issues commandments to those in attendance. His teachings here are the ethics of the Kingdom of God.
You may want to take note that in Luke 6 we have some of the same teaching as what is found here in Matthew. They are not two different translations of the same sermon. Nor are they a collection of teachings from Jesus' many sermons. It is the individual authors' summaries of Jesus' teachings at separate times. The similarity of material is not unusual considering the consistent message Jesus proclaimed throughout His ministry.
So as we begin this study in the Sermon on the Mount we should be mindful of what is ahead. Jesus is describing the character of all Christians. He is indicating how we are to view ourselves before God, how we are to continually thirst for God's righteousness and how we are to then view ourselves and others in the world as a result. Our inward intentions and motivations are the starting point for Jesus’ teachings. He goes on to also teach of the blessings to be received by his people now and in God's kingdom to come.
