Jesus tells his listeners not to worry about what they eat and drink, given that God is infinitely bounteous, despite the fact that the kosher laws are part of the commandments of Mosaic tradition. This shift in emphasis to the importance of poverty and charity required by Mosaic Law, away from specific rituals and concepts of ritual purity indicates that while Jesus respected the teachings of his predecessors, the Law meant something different to him. Jesus did not believe that his interpretation of the Law was new, rather that he thought he offered a more correct and fitting interpretation of Moses' original intention. Jesus preached that righteousness came through a private relationship with God, humility and goodness, not with correctness to dogma and doctrine.

Many of the controversies addressed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount have been settled. Judaism and Christianity are now separate religions, with distinct views...
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