OK first of all. The picture has it backwards. Short hair and long beard was the custom of the time, not long hair and short beard like Jesus is depicted for nearly the entire period of Christian Europe through to modern times. Jesus was a first century Jew, an Israelite of the tribe of Judah. He had short hair and a long beard.
Now for the important stuff, what He said, which moderns have backwards too. Listen to the Sermon on the Mount again. Rewind and read it again. This time realize that nearly every word Jesus is recorded saying is a quote from the Hebrew Scriptures, which is the Old Testament.
Jesus and Moses agree completely. Whereas, Jesus and Buddha are in diametric opposition on most important issues. If you are Buddhist, you will find this summary of the Sermon on the Mount offensive. So if you really do adhere to Buddhist ideals, "of live and let live," you won't read it. Delete it now.
Jesus does not subscribe to "live and let live." He teaches, as Moses does, that certain behaviors hurt everyone no matter how personal they seem, and therefore, no one should be allowed to do them. If modern Christians actually read their book, they'd ban it.
The common man two thousand years ago was smarter than the average man today. To us, Jesus seems to say things backwards. In almost every case, He explains what He says after He says it. Chapter 7 verses 1 through 6 exemplify this most clearly. He is recorded saying five sentences of explanation, before summarizing and clarifying in the last sentence.
Moderns are slow witted and need the summary first. So here is the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7, verse by verse summarized in modern vernacular.
Moses was Jesus' hero, because of course, Jesus claimed He taught Moses everything Moses knows. It was these claims that got Jesus in trouble with the authorities. Jesus was asked, "Are you saying that you are older than Abraham?" Abraham came even before Moses. To which Jesus is recorded replying. "Before Abraham was, I AM."
Jesus calling Himself by the very name of God, "I AM," caused the religious leaders of the time to pursue formal blasphemy charges against Him. In the book of Exodus Moses asked God "What is your name" God replies "I AM" "Jeh" in Hebrew "Ego" in Greek. That is the same Greek word from which we get the modern word "ego." Think about that for a moment. What motivation would modern man have for adopting the word attributed by the ancients to the name of God in that way? We do have a love hate relationship with our egos. And we do like to think that we each are as close to god as anyone can get. Bull shit. We are children and we need our Father's help with everything.
The Sermon on the Mount
The book of Matthew
chapter 5: verses 3-12 To start off, Jesus is recorded quoting and reaffirming the OT promises made to Abraham word for word. To sum up: Only those who adopt certain attitudes will inherit the promises made to Abraham which are to inherit the earth and the inhabitants thereof as possessions.
( We have to read the promises made to Abraham in the OT for the context and meaning of the phrase "inherit the earth" What did you think that means? Flowery language? "Owning the kingdom" "theirs is the kingdom" "comforted" "obtaining mercy" "children of God" all are used, word for word, to describe attributes of those who shall "inherit the earth and the inhabitants thereof as a possession." When put in the context from which Jesus was quoting, it doesn't sound so "Christian" nor Buddhist anymore? Does it? Only the children of God inherit the earth. In the Sermon on the Mount, we find out who the children of God are. They are the ones who hear and follow Moses. It is their fruits, that is what, they actually end up doing, do they actually follow Moses or just say they do, that reveals who really are the children of God.)
5:13-16 When you understand what you stand to inherit, you will want to shout if from the roof tops. ( later in the sermon, Jesus warns to not do this. Don't shout it from the roof tops. That is casting your pearls before swine.)
5:17-20 Do not misunderstand me, Jesus says, I have not come to alter Moses or the prophets, not even in the slightest dotting of an "i" or crossing of a "t." And if someone teaches others to break Moses' Laws, which lead to abundant life, that one shall be a servant in My Kingdom.
The phrase "kingdom of heaven" suggests something different to modern ears than it did to the ancient people listening to Jesus. Jesus' "Lord's prayer" also recorded in this Sermon on the Mount, clarifies the meaning. "Your Kingdom come. . . to the earth as it is in heaven."
5:21-48 It is not good enough to keep Moses' law for fear of judgement, but if you expect to inherit the earth as a possession, you must love Moses' law. For example, if you stop yourself from stealing someone else's money because you fear judgement, you do well, but you do not inherit the earth. As Moses taught circumcision not only of the flesh, but circumcision of the heart as well, you must not even have the desire to steal. You must instead think of the hardship stealing would cause the one from whom you might steal and that alone must be sufficient to dissuade you. In other words: keeping Moses' Law is not good enough. You must love Moses' Law.
6:1-4 Even a slight reward in the future Kingdom is far superior to any reward or the adulation of anyone here and now.
6:5-15 The Lord's Prayer. We honor you our Father. May your Kingdom come to the earth. Every bite of food, every thing we experience comes from You, the Creator of all things. Please forgive us for often forgetting this. Please guide us through our lessons in life and please protect us from that particular violence that will occur when your Kingdom is being established.
6:16-21 Repeat of 6:1-4
6:22-23 Your intentions, the aim of your eye, what you intend to do is every bit as important as what you actually end up doing. Preventing yourself from doing wrong isn't good enough to inherit your Father's riches. You must not even want to break Moses' Law.
6: 24 Do not think that you can do both, keep the Law of God for fear of judgment and keep the Law out of love of your neighbor. You can't.
6:25-34 Do not worry today about tomorrow. The worries of tomorrow are plenty enough for tomorrow to worry about. Work first to obtain your inheritance no matter what consequences in this life frighten you. If you do, you will find that everything you wanted will come even more abundantly in the Kingdom.
7:1-6 Do not tell those who do not inherit about your inheritance. It is arrogant. If you rub it in to others who do not inherit, you are doing far more wrong than the fault which keeps them from inheriting. How you decide to treat others is the way you will be treated by God.
7:7-11 If you really want to figure this stuff out, you will. If you do not figure it out, believe me, it is not because God does not want to teach you. He does. it is because you really didn't want to learn in the first place.
7:12-14 Few will figure this stuff out, very few. Remember it is all about being treated as you treat others. If you allow others to be harmed by false teachings, like most people do, you will be harmed also.
7:15-19 I have been talking about teachings this whole time. Many false teachings look so good. They appeal to your sensibilities.
7:20-21 You will know false teachings by their agreement or disagreement with the will of God as expressed in Moses and the prophets.
7:22-29 Most people will get this wrong. Most people will end up dying. Only a few, the few that do what Moses and the prophets said will live and live abundantly and live forever.
In summary, the children of God are those who hear and adhere to Moses. Moses taught the Laws which lead to life abundantly. All other teachings are false lies that ultimately lead to death. Those who follow Moses will inherit the earth and the inhabitants thereof as a possession, because they are not given to their own pleasures, but love others and so therefore are fit to lead others.
It is important to note that Moses taught how civilizations can best deal with race, gender, economics, selection of civil leaders and how to deal with the Creator God. He taught that if one does certain things, he and his community can live happy, prosperous lives, but if even one in the community does not do these things everyone suffers. He did not teach that "it takes two to fight." He taught "It takes two to live peaceably together." He taught that what one believes about the world means nothing. No matter how sincerely one believes something, it does not change the world. He taught that the world is the world and smart people see it for what it really is not what they want to believe about it. Jesus agrees with this completely "Do not be confused, I did not come to bring peace to the earth. The words I have to say will bring war." Words of Jesus as recorded by both Matthew 10:34 and Luke 21:51