Matthew 5:1-16

     The Kingdom of God broke into history in this chapter.  Here we read the "Sermon on the Mount", the best of all the teachings of Jesus.  It is understood the least and disobeyed the most, yet it tells us what He wants us to be and how He wants us to behave.  Praise God for a new age had come upon the land.
     The message of the Sermon on the Mount was quite simple.   REPENT!  The Greek definition of repent is a complete change of mind.  If we read the Sermon on the Mount in this context, it tells us what the world would be like if we obeyed God and studied His Word.  It is a world I would like to live in.
     Jesus observed a great horde of people coming toward Him, believing by faith that He could heal even the worst of their physical afflictions.  He went to the top of the mountain and taught them from there.  That area either had to have had fantastic acoustics, or the mountain magnified His voice, so all could hear.  I just can't picture Jesus with a booming voice that make the babies cry and the men and women shrink away in fear.  I'm going with the heavenly sound system and a crowd of people with hearts yearning to hear the words of the Lord.
     Verses 3-11 are what we call the Beatitudes.  I have written in the margin of my Bible "Beatitudes-check your attitude".  When you read these 8 verses, you can maybe understand that this is what Jesus meant.  Check your attitudes!  How do you treat people? Read each one and check your attitude toward the people described here.
     Jesus says in verse 12 that if your attitude is right toward those in need, your reward in heaven will be awesome.  Not only that, you can feel the love here on earth because you obeyed the Lord and you can rejoice in that.
     You are called the salt of the earth as long as you don't lose your ability to do good things for people, your ability to love them.  Jesus also calls you "the light of the world" for if you are on top of that mountain and your are rejoicing in His greatness, giving Him glory, your light cannot be hidden.
     Remember the childrens' Sunday School song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine." (author could not be found)  Jesus wants us to let our light, our inner joy, shine for Him and glorifying our Father in heaven.