On the Sabbath, Jesus taught in the Synagogues. But most of the time he taught out of doors. (Summers are long, hot and dry in Israel.) Out on the hills around Lake Galilee there was plenty of room for the crowds who came to hear him. He sat on the grass with his followers all around him, listening. He talked about happiness. 'You think rich people are the happy ones,' he said, 'Because they have everything they want, but you are wrong.'

He looked at his followers. They were poor. Some of them were hungry. But as citizens of God's Kingdom, they would have everything. 'Happy are you who are poor, the Kingdom of God is yours! Happy are you who are hungry now, you are going to be full! Happy are you who cry now, you are going to laugh! Happy are you when men hate and reject you for being my friends. A great reward is waiting for you in heaven.'

Jesus could see that the people were puzzled, so he went on. 'Don't try to hoard money, or buy lots of things. Someone will only steal them. Store up your treasure with God, where no one can rob you. You have to choose. Will you spend your life getting rich, or will you do what God wants? You can't do both. You are such worriers. You worry about what you are going to eat and what you are going to wear. There is more to life than food and clothes. Look at the birds flying overhead. God takes care of them and he cares much more about you. Look around you. See how God dresses the wild flowers. Not even famous King Solomon had clothes as beautiful as theirs. So don't spend your life worrying. Do what God wants and he will give you all you need. You can trust him.'

Jesus used picture-words to help them understand his teaching. 'You are like salt. Salt adds flavor and stops food from going bad. You are to stop the rot in God's world and make it taste good. You are like lamps. You must let your lives shine out in the darkness. Then, when people see the kind things you do, they will thank God.'

He talked about the kind of life God expects his people to live. 'You have God's laws in the Old Testament but you are always trying to make them easier. God sets high standards. He tells you not to murder and you obey him. But being so angry you could kill someone is wrong too. You think it's fair to pay people back when they hurt you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But God wants his people to love their enemies - to repay wrongs with kindness. It isn't easy to travel God's road. It's a hard path and the gate to the entrance is narrow, but you must go through it and start on the journey.