Jesus, like Moses, goes to the mountain to bring God's teaching to his disciples. The Sermon on the Mount, along with the four other major discourses by Matthew, lay out the Kingdom of God.
Power and privilege may go to the wealthy and content, but those who are poor (in spirit), or who mourn, or those who are gentle, not power hungry, and those who hunger for righteousness/justice are the ones who are truly blessed. Those who show the virtues of mercy, purity, peacemaking, and justice are also blessed. And those who suffer for following Jesus will also be blessed.
The people of God's kingdom are to be a light to the world. They are not only to follow the letter, but also the spirit of the law. Anger is as bad as murder; lust is as bad as adultery. The disciples are instructed to turn the other cheek, to pray for their enemies, to give generously, and to go the extra mile. These instructions are hard for us, but imagine if the whole world could really behave this way. That would be heaven!
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