In terms of Christian discipleship, morality is rooted in the imitations of Jesus' actions and teaching. The Sermon on the Mount urges Christians to put into action a particular vision of discipleship and community. Here Matthew's vision of the kingdom of heaven is foundational for how one understands discipleship and the life of the faith community. The Sermon focuses on setting before readers not specific commands, but paradigms that help them first to imagine the kingdom of heaven and then to practice its moral precepts.
