The first hearers of these words were mostly low-status, powerless Israelites on the fringes of mainstream society.

What would it have felt like to be in the crowd and hear these words?

”If you’ve ever heard of Jesus of Nazareth, you probably know he was a famous teacher. And his most well-known words have shaped the lives of billions of people throughout history. They come from a collection of Jesus’ teaching that’s sometimes called The Sermon on the Mount. It’s only three chapters long, but its ideas and images have endured throughout time.”

“The introduction (5:3-16) announces the surprising and counterintuitive identity of those who are a part of God’s Kingdom. Then comes the main body of teachings (5:17-7:12), where Jesus explains further what he means when he calls his followers to be ‘righteous.’ Finally, Jesus concludes the sermon (7:13-27) by calling people to make a choice about how they’re going to respond.”

“In the Hebrew Scriptures, salt is a symbol of God’s long-lasting covenant relationship with Israel. So Jesus is claiming that he and his followers are carrying Israel’s covenant relationship to its fulfillment.”

“So just imagine, you're Jesus and his people. You are living on your own ancestral lands, but you are now reduced to day laborer or just kind of scratching out a lower-class living in the land of your ancestors with Roman occupiers everywhere. And you're reminded by their presence, because there's tax booths taxing the fish you haul up out of the sea.”