In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does a great "professor" impression as he brilliantly teaches us characteristics that will be honored by God. You got it, the Beatitudes.  Themes such as humility, mercy, and peacemaking jump out as challenges Jesus lays out for us to strive for in the face of opposition.  He lays out how we should treat people, even in the face of persecution.  Not easy, but so important.