The sermon of the mount was directed toward the establishment of the reign of God, the type of behaviour or values that Jesus advocates is frequently the opposite of that espoused by society at large. This fact offers us a way to understand the challenges set before us in the beatitudes. Perhaps the way to interpret them is to look first at the blessings promised. We may see that the behaviour that Jesus is advocating is at odds with what society would say will guarantee the blessing that we seek. It is clear that each and every beatitude invites us to turn our standards and our way of life upside down and inside out.  At the heart of Jesus’ teaching was the promise of a new age when society would be reshaped so that all would gain access to the blessings that life has to offer.