This is the first of three chapters most often referred to as "The Sermon on the Mount." Jesus climbed a hillside with His followers and began to teach on many topics.
Reading this in The Message version really sheds some light on many of the passages. Although it is a paraphrase and not a word-for word translation of the original language, I do appreciate how easily I can see certain things in my own life.
For example, "If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you?" We are here to bring God's light to the world. There are many who try to put a bucket over our head, figuratively, and say that we can't say this or can't say that. I've been told there are things I can't say or do, making me feel like there is a bucket over my head. God says I am not hidden under a bucket. He designed us to shine His light - like a city on a hill! Not hidden!
Did Jesus come to demolish or abolish the Law and Prophets? (essentially, the OT). Nope! Some think that since Jesus came the OT is no longer relevant or necessary. That's not true. Jesus came to complete or fulfill the OT. The OT and Jesus are all a part of God's redemptive plan. While we are not bound to obey the 600+ laws the Jews lived by I the OT, they show us what life is like without Jesus - working our hardest to keep every command to gain favour and forgiveness with God. We no longer have to do that because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus shows us that we cannot keep those laws on our own. We will fail. And, even the standards Jesus set in this chapter of Matthew, and the two chapters to come, is more than we can do. That means, even NT standards are too high. Jesus is showing us our need for Him. He is the only way to God. We can never earn God's grace by being good enough. Only Jesus is enough.
Verse 34 is a humbling verse. How many of us have said, "I'll pray for you" and never do it? Yikes.
Final thought from the end of the chapter: Live out your God-created identity. We were not created to blend in with the world (as clearly seen in the previous verses about being a light in the darkness). God has made each one of us unique (the only one, uncommon, rare, unlike any other). We are designed intentionally and purposely.
Live out your God-created identity and, allow others to live out theirs, too.