Two things to consider here.
First, Jesus is a prophet in the Isaiah tradition. He is preaching about social justice and the duty that the society has to the poor, the orphaned, and the widow. For example, it is important that his first adult preaching in the temple is based on a reading from Isaiah about these things.
Further, the Isaiah tradition from chapter 10 verses 1-3 have a similar admonition.
Wow to those who make unjust laws, to those who make unjust decrees, who deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.
What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?
Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain.
So, this text which is echoed in several gospels parallels earlier teaching about corruption or greed. It's bad and God had condemned it through the prophets.
Second, put this in context. This whole part of Matthew which includes the 'woe to you...' passages that condemn the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders for claiming to be godly, but not living up to the obligations of Isaiah. This discussion with the disciples, probably not just the twelve but less than a huge crowd, immediately follows that exchange during the last week before Jesus is killed.
Jesus, like Jeremiah and Isaiah before him, is telling the people that God wants them to take care of the poor and oppressed.
It's not about me, me, me... it's about we, we, we.
This is in strong contrast to the prosperity gospel heresy of Olsteen and the Christian nationalists who don't preach take care of the weak.
Not sure if anyone has ever drawn the actual biblical comparison to Sodom and Gomorrow to this passage for you. The real reason those cities were destroyed was because they oppressed foreigner and stranger. Talk to your Jewish friends and they will be shocked at why modern Christianity somehow made it about homosexuality (of course, it was hypocritical leaders who pulled verses out of context).
So...Jesus was preaching against corruption and greed in the style of earlier prophets.and like earlier and later prophets, speaking truth to power got him killed.
People of all the Abrahamic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam should follow those teachings about the poor, stranger, etc. But, as with the religious leaders of Jesus time, it is easier to follow greed and self interest all too often.
If you want a better explanation, please listen or read the Rev. Dr. Barber of the poor people's campaign and the moral Monday movement.
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