I feel like writing a commentary of the Bible today. This is my best (informal) biblical commentary voice.

The beatitudes struck me as immense promises. That those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted because of righteousness will inherit the kingdom of God. For the greater gift, we are to abandon things of this world. That makes it a little easier to consider, but it's still a daunting thing to live out, at least by man's strength.

The laws that Jesus set out in the latter part of this chapter blow me away. I think seeing God wick away my own false self-confidence as of late has my mind blown at the expectations of God. To reconcile so easily, to love enemies, to hate your own body if it causes you to sin, to avoid divorce, to make no oaths and to keep your word. I finished the chapter awed at the impossibility of it all. It can only produce a different response if you have an immense faith in human righteousness. I do not.

As the standard is so high, I am tempted to discount all of it and just live life the way I am. But I don't think the standard is there for a one-shot perfectionist to achieve. It is to remind us that: first, Christ did have this righteousness, and so we can have faith in our eternal justification; second, Christ dwells in us, enabling us to become conformed to Him more day by day; third, this is something to aim for because it is God's standard for people, and we shall live by it even if imperfectly, strengthened by the Holy Spirit.