As Moses led Israel from Egypt through the sea to give them God’s law on Mount Sinai, Jesus too has passed through the waters in baptism. Now, in today’s Gospel, he goes to the mountain to proclaim a new law — the law of his kingdom. These are the humble remnant in today’s First Reading — taught to seek refuge in the name of the Lord. The path the Lord sets before us today is one of trials and persecution. And, as we sing in today’s Psalm, its blessings are for those whose hope is in the Lord.