Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with a blessing. It is a paradox.

The need does not end, but we are blessed in it. He does not want to build his kingdom with the strong, but instead focusses on the weak. The kingdom of Jesus gives every person hope and a future again, even if there is still no immediate change.

Those who recognise their neediness before God are given the gift of God’s presence. The Sermon on the Mount does not begin with demands, but with divine promises.

God’s kingdom is built with people who are dependent on God and allow his power to work in them. We do not serve God, but God serves people through us.