Through the setting of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew portrays Jesus as a new Moses, fulfilling the law and interpreting the commandments that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. In this section of his teaching, as Jesus says "You have heard it said...But I say to you...", he extends and intensifies the commandments. These extensions begin to flesh out Jesus' Alternative Plan, and by following the commandments as Jesus extends and interprets them, his disciples can live as if they have one foot already in the kingdom of heaven.
