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There’s a very particular set of verses in the Bible that are commonly known as The Beatitudes, which could be simply called the Blessings. Basically, Jesus was speaking to a crowd on top of a mountain and he started his message with eight statements that follow the format of: “Blessed are the [blank] for they will [blank].” It’s really straightforward stuff, until you start looking at the things that Jesus calls “blessed” and what he means by it.
A big part of what Jesus seems to be really getting at is what it looks like to live a fulfilled life—a thriving life. When he calls a bunch of different character traits blessed he’s saying that the people that embody these traits are people that are flourishing. Well that makes things easy—we just follow a checklist and we’re living our life to the full, right? Well let’s look at the list first. Jesus tells us that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who are merciful, and those who are persecuted are all people who are flourishing. I don’t know about you, but at first glance that sounds a bit backwards to me. How could it be that mourning equates to flourishing? Or meekness? Or persecution? Well it’s not incredibly obvious at first, but as we started talking to people about these traits, two things started to become clear.
First, as a whole, these traits are difficult to live out. Mourning is a devastating process. Forgiveness and mercy are incredibly difficult to give out. Meekness and humility make us feel weak. These traits are not second nature, they’re more like a second language. Most of us have to learn them and practice them, and we’ll frequently do and say the wrong thing in that learning process. And hear this: that’s totally okay. They are really difficult.
But second, living these traits out is worth it. When is mourning the hardest? For me, it’s been when I’ve lost someone I’ve loved with everything that’s in me. Those who mourn are flourishing because they are the ones approaching relationships the right way—the all-in, selfless, unconditional, Jesus-like way. What about forgiveness? That one is notoriously hard, but when you bring yourself to forgive, you free yourself from having to carry around burdens of hurt and hate. Humility can feel humiliating, but it isn’t an expression of weakness. On the contrary, it’s the strongest and bravest people that are able to freely admit when they are wrong.
You see the traits Jesus valued—mercy, humility, mourning, integrity, peacemaking, to name a few—are all incredibly difficult to live out, but they result in a richness and fullness of life that can’t be found or faked elsewhere. Learning these traits and even learning how to say simple phrases like “I forgive you,” “I love you,” “I was wrong,” or “goodbye” open up a whole new world and way of living. It’s almost like learning a second language. If this language feels new to you and you want to learn more, scroll down to find a few videos that dive a bit deeper into what it means to live those traits out in real life.

What kinds of traits did Jesus encourage?

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New Article

The Bible is the most influential book in human history, but what is it exactly? Our friends at Bible Project put together this 19 part video series that introduces the Bible and its unique design, various genres, and unified story.
The Bible can often seem like a weird ancient book that many people use to say different things. These things can even sometimes lead to using the Bible to oppress or hurt others or the world. And on top of the confusion, reading the Bible can also be tedious and confusing, so most of us just stick to the parts we know and understand.
While He Gets Us focuses on the story of Jesus’ life on Earth, this series explores all of the sections of the bible, its literary styles, characters, parables and more. It explores the origins of the Bible too.
For more information on Bible Project, please visit: <a href="https://bibleproject.com">https://bibleproject.com</a>

How to read the Bible

Yeah. He really did.
We don’t always use the word “struggle” to describe Jesus. But maybe we should.
Because his life wasn’t just about sermons and miracles. It was also about pressures and pain. Grief. Exhaustion. Being pulled in every direction. Sound familiar?
Jesus didn’t live in a peaceful, easy world. He lived under a powerful empire that watched and controlled everything. A society that misunderstood him. Friends who didn’t always show up. Systems that didn’t bend for anyone, especially a working-class carpenter from the sticks (Nazareth wasn’t exactly a booming metropolis).
Jesus knew burnout. Anxiety. Loneliness. Seen as a threat for challenging the existing social and political order, Jesus experienced government oppression. He lived under Roman occupation—a regime that taxed the poor into deeper poverty, silenced protest with violence, and used public executions to keep people in line. It was a system that protected the powerful and punished those who called for justice. He faced betrayal from friends and suffered sleepless nights and the crushing burden of carrying other people’s pain as well as his own.
He got tired. 
He got overwhelmed with emotion. 
He wept. 
He asked God hard questions.
Jesus knew the crushing weight of everyone’s expectations – and he knew what it was like to feel completely alone. He knew what it meant to care deeply in a world that didn’t always care back. But he didn’t numb out. He didn’t self-medicate. He didn’t shut down. He stayed present. Jesus kept pursuing and practicing compassion.
But, so what? Is any of this relevant thousands of years later? Well, consider this: So many of us today are dealing with similar issues. Inflation and an uncertain job market may have you feeling burned out. Perhaps you are one of many Americans working multiple jobs to keep your family afloat. The aftermath of social distancing, coupled with social media, has radically changed our interactions, leaving some to feel more disconnected and alone than ever.
Some of us feel that politics aren’t fair, while others still feel hurt about things that happened in the past. So, what’s the solution? We won’t pretend we have the answers, but Jesus left clues about how we might manage. If you could simplify his teachings and methods to a singular idea, it would be this: that everyone deserves to live good, full lives.
He didn’t want to see others struggle and barely scrape by; he wanted everyone to thrive. He desired a world that was just and equitable for all. He dedicated his life to this ideal. With that in mind, maybe his way of handling life’s hardships can help us deal with ours.

Did Jesus struggle?

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Everywhere we turn, there’s noise…bad news, endless opinions, and pressure to keep up. It leaves many of us anxious, restless, or simply worn down. But what if the way forward isn’t just found in self-help or quick fixes? What if both science and the teachings of Jesus point to practices, like rest, connection, and forgiveness, that can actually quiet the chaos and strengthen our mental health?
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Jesus, Science and Mental Health

Do you ever feel like the Bible is hard to connect to your everyday life? Like, the people back in Jesus’ day didn’t deal with the kind of stress we face? Bills piling up, relationships breaking down, feeling like the world’s a dumpster fire with all the chaos? 
You are not alone. As it turns out, most Americans don’t think that the people of Jesus’ day experienced the same things that you and I do today. 
But hardships, my friend, reflect the human condition, a literal tale as old as time. Tough times have been around for longer than you and I. And believe it or not, the people Jesus encountered were sick of many of the same things we’re sick of now. 
Financial struggles, social divides, war, politics… 
And Jesus? He didn’t ignore any of it. He leaned in. Sometimes, yes, he worked miracles &#8211; you may have heard about some of those. But every time, he left people with something even greater—a truth, a lesson, an often unconventional way forward.
I want to tell you about some of the people He met—and why their stories might be helpful for you and I as we work to navigate the complicated times we live in right now. 
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Let’s start with the story of a widow. Did you know there are nearly 12 million widows in the United States today? And for many of them—and for so many women in general—there’s this sense of feeling stuck, like you can’t do anything about the things you’re sick of in life.
That’s what makes this widow’s story so powerful. She was broke. Not “I’m-on-a-budget” broke—she was down to her last two coins. She could’ve held onto them; no one would’ve judged her. But she gave them away. All of it.
Here’s the scene: Jesus was watching people drop money in the offering. The rich were making a show of it—big bills, big gestures. But then this widow came up and quietly dropped her two little coins. Most people probably didn’t even notice. But Jesus did. He turned to His followers and said, “This woman gave more than all of them combined. They gave out of their wealth, but she gave everything she had.”
Now, let’s pause for a second and just think about why this moment was so important.
Back in Jesus’ day, widows were some of the most vulnerable people in society. Without a husband to provide, most widows lived on the margins—barely scraping by, often overlooked, and sometimes outright dismissed. They didn’t have power, influence, or security.
And yet, Jesus leaned in. He didn’t just notice her; He acknowledged her. In a culture that often ignored women like her, He held her up as an example of faith and trust. That was powerful.
So, what does that mean for us today? A lot of us feel like we don’t have enough—money, time, energy. The widow’s story wasn’t just about giving; it was about trusting. It was about believing that what you offer, even when it feels small, can make a big impact.
And here’s the thing: when you give from your lack—your last bit of kindness, your final ounce of patience—it does something to you. It could grow your courage. It could shift your focus from scarcity to abundance. And y’all, it helps others in ways you may never see.
This wasn’t about Jesus applauding her poverty. It was about Him seeing her humanity—her heart—and lifting her up in a way no one else would. That’s why this story matters. It’s a reminder that even in the moments when we feel invisible, overlooked, or like we have nothing left to offer, there is profound meaning in what we give.
So when you’re feeling like you don’t have enough to make a difference, remember this widow. Remember what Jesus said about her. Because even the smallest moment can hold the biggest lessons.
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Let&#8217;s take a look at this Roman soldier. Now this guy, he was a big deal—a military leader with power, influence, and a lot of authority. But there’s a twist: his servant, someone he deeply cared about, was gravely ill, and he didn’t know what else to do.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Romans and Jews? They didn’t get along. At all. The centurion represented everything oppressive about Roman rule—taxes, soldiers, foreign control. And yet, instead of leaning into pride or politics, he went to Jesus for help.
And here’s the thing: the way they interacted wasn’t what you’d expect from two people on opposite sides. The centurion didn’t come demanding a favor or flexing his power. He showed respect. He didn’t even ask Jesus to come to his house—he just said, “If you say the word, I know my servant will be healed.”
Now think about that. Jesus, a Jewish teacher under Roman occupation, could’ve dismissed him. He could’ve seen the soldier as the enemy. But he didn’t. Instead, Jesus acknowledged the man’s humility and his heart. He turned to the crowd and said, “I haven’t seen faith like this anywhere.”
This moment wasn’t just about healing someone physically. It was about two people—who should’ve been enemies—honoring one another. The centurion respected Jesus enough to approach him humbly, and Jesus respected the soldier enough to meet him where he was.
So why does this matter now? Because, let’s be real—it’s hard to honor people we disagree with, let alone someone we see as an “enemy.” Our culture often rewards division, making it easy to write off someone who thinks, looks, or believes differently than we do.
But this story reminds us that real courage is found in crossing those divides. It’s about seeing the humanity in someone on the other side of an argument, a conflict, or an entire belief system. It’s about choosing respect over resentment, even when it’s easier to walk away.
Jesus didn’t just see a Roman soldier; He saw a person. And the soldier didn’t just see a teacher; he saw someone who could help. In that moment, they chose to honor each other instead of letting their differences define them.
So, when you find yourself face-to-face with someone you struggle to respect, think about this story. What would it look like to approach them with humility? To honor them, even when it’s hard? Because sometimes, the most unexpected connections happen when we step outside of what divides us and lean into what could bring us together.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2825" src="https://newstaging2stg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oldman-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://newstaging2stg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oldman-300x300.png 300w, https://newstaging2stg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oldman-495x495.png 495w, https://newstaging2stg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oldman-150x150.png 150w, https://newstaging2stg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oldman-768x768.png 768w, https://newstaging2stg.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/oldman.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />

Jesus cared for the sick, but how?

It’s probably not a stretch to say we all want to be happy. But right now, it seems most of us aren’t. At least not totally. To be precise, 97% of the thousands we asked across America are sick of something.
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He Gets Us spent weeks traveling across the country trying to find out why — why we’re so divided, anxious, isolated, and frustrated. We don’t have all the answers, but we started to suspect that our discontent could be tied to the fact that so many of us pursue fulfillment and flourishing by pursuing greatness. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. This country was built on the pursuit of greatness. The American dream is all about bootstrapping your way to success and happiness and fulfillment. We want to build successful businesses, pad our reputations and our bank accounts, and make it to the top. That’s the proven recipe that will make us happy and content, right?
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But the dream isn’t panning out. We talked to people all across the country from every walk of life. We sat down with people who have made it to the top and people who are climbing back from rock bottom — and we’re pretty much all sick, at least a little. So, are we aiming at the wrong thing? Jesus seemed to think so.
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If you rewind the clock to 2,000 years ago, you start to see that, like us, people carried all sorts of discontent around with them, and, like us, they desired greatness. There’s this moment in the Bible where Jesus’ disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest, and when they asked Jesus to settle the argument, he flipped the definition of greatness on its head. He said the greatest is the one who is humble — the one who serves. For Jesus, it wasn’t about getting to the top; it was about lifting others up. And this humble service that Jesus was talking about? It was also his response to the discontent he saw all around him.
So, what’s at stake here? If Jesus is right about this, following him in pursuing his version of greatness, there’s a potential that not only will we help other people overcome their discontent, but we also might find we’re pursuing something that doesn’t come up empty — a greatness that actually leads to fulfillment.
DIVE DEEPER: 
97% of us are sick of something. Are we sick of the same things? 
<a href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/discontent-by-the-numbers-are-we-all-sick-of-the-same-things">https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/discontent-by-the-numbers-are-we-all-sick-of-the-same-things</a>
Jesus went searching for the dissatisfied. What if we did the same? 
<a href="https://hegetsus.com/en/sick#home-videos">https://hegetsus.com/en/sick#home-videos</a>

Is our pursuit of greatness leaving us dissatisfied?

Our friends at the Bible Project put together a 9 part video series designed to introduce the main beliefs of what it means to be a follower of Jesus through a study of the overarching storyline and themes of the Bible.
While He Gets Us focuses on the story of Jesus’ life on Earth, this series explores the basics of the Christian faith. There are videos clarifying what Christians mean when they use terms like God, Heaven and Earth, Gospel, sacrifice and atonement, salvation, and the Holy Spirit. It explores the origins of the Bible too.
We like this series because it explains basic Christian beliefs in a self-paced journey that clarifies Christianity for skeptics, Jesus followers, and everybody in between.
For more information on Bible Project, please visit: https://bibleproject.com

The Bible is a collection of books, all of which emerged from the history of ancient Israel. It is the most influential book in the history of Western and much of Eastern civilization. People have a lot of opinions about the Bible’s message, but let&#8217;s just start with what it is. In this video, you&#8217;ll get a condensed history of how the Bible came into existence and the different forms of the Bible in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christian traditions.
We’ll also look at what the Bible says about the Bible. In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, the author Paul describes the entirety of Scripture (which, at the time of writing, would have referred to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible) as being “breathed out by God” (verse 16). Your translation may say “inspired by God.” The Greek word used here is theopneustos, which literally means “God-breathed.” This is how the biblical authors viewed the Hebrew Scriptures—as God-breathed. And the apostle Paul believed that within this divinely-inspired literature, we can find the salvation that comes through Jesus (verse 15).
Though the Bible includes many different books, it is one unified story. The Hebrew Bible tells one story that leads to Jesus (Luke 24:27), and the New Testament continues that story and describes Jesus and his followers advancing his Kingdom on Earth. And this compelling story has transformed the lives of millions of people, transcending time, age, gender, and culture.
So what is this story? We’ll take a look at that next!

Part 1: What is the Bible? A brief history of one of the most influential books in history

“In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1)
Both the prelude and beginning to the story of the Bible begin with God.
The God portrayed in the Bible isn’t always easy to understand. No matter how good it might sound, there isn’t an analogy that works perfectly. (Sorry, “sun,” “water,” and “three-leaf clovers”!) But what if we could better understand what it is that we can’t understand?
In this video, we will explore the complex identity of the God of the Bible and see how it all leads to Jesus.
In this reading, you’ll look at several different verses in the Bible describing God (the Father), Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Part 2: God What do Christians mean when they say “God?”

The story of the Bible begins with God creating the Heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1).
What comes to your mind when you think about Heaven? Clouds, angels, eternal singing, and pearly gates? Maybe a place where all of your dreams come true or you live in a mansion on a street paved with gold?
What comes to our minds when we think about Heaven is oftentimes largely influenced by culture and the popular imagination. But what does the Bible actually teach about Heaven? And what is Heaven’s relationship to Earth? Understanding the biblical view of Heaven and Earth is incredibly important in grasping the story of the Bible.
In this video, we explore the surprising biblical view that Heaven and Earth are meant to overlap and see how Jesus is on a mission to bring them together once and for all.

Part 3: Heaven and Earth Most of what we think about heaven is not actually in the Bible.

As we continue in the story of the Bible, an important theme shows up on the first page. The Bible teaches that humanity was created in the “image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27). But what does that mean?
This video on the image of God traces the idea of humans as co-rulers alongside God, commissioned to develop the world and its resources. How has this human vocation been compromised by our selfishness and evil, and how did Jesus open up a new way of being human through his life, death, and resurrection?
Let’s take a look!

Part 4: Image of God Did you know the Bible says God looks like you… or vice versa?

Humanity was created in the image of God, and God tasked humanity with using their own creative power and imagination to spread order and beauty into all of creation. But they rebelled against God and chose to define good and bad for themselves, spreading chaos and disorder throughout creation.
But there is hope. In chapter 3 of Genesis, we read about a mysterious promise of a future deliverer who would one day come to confront evil and rescue humanity.
The story continues, and in this video on the Messiah, we trace this promised “snake-crusher” (Genesis 3:15) through the family of Abraham, the messianic lineage of David, and ultimately to Jesus, the Messiah who defeated evil by first letting it defeat him.

Part 5: Messiah The Bible follows the story of a promise made and the man Christians believe fulfilled it.

At last the story reaches its climax. And in his Gospel account, Matthew introduces Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah—the “snake-crusher” promised in the early pages of the story.
But Jesus wasn’t what the people were expecting.
In this video, we trace the origins of the word “gospel” and see how it ties the story of the Hebrew Bible together with Jesus and his announcement of God’s Kingdom. The Gospel is the declaration of a new kind of king who has come to usher in God’s Kingdom rule on Earth. Jesus brought God’s rule and reign to the world in a very upside-down way, which is the best news humanity could ask for.
As part of the Scripture references, you’ll find Matthew chapter 5. This chapter is part of what is commonly known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” In Jesus’ most famous sermon, he speaks about life in his upside-down Kingdom. As you read, consider the ways Jesus’ Kingdom is different from the kingdoms of this world.

Part 6: Gospel of the Kingdom What is the good news, and why do Christians believe it?

In what might seem like a surprising twist in the story, Jesus is killed. (Spoiler alert: he comes back to life!)
But why did Jesus have to die? God is on a mission to remove evil from his good world, along with all of its corrosive effects. And he wants to do it in a way that does not involve removing humans.
In this video, we’ll explore the theme of sacrifice and atonement. We’ll look at how God “covers” over human evil through animal sacrifices and see how that ancient ritual ultimately points to Jesus and his death and resurrection.
In the Scripture References below, you’ll read through several passages written by New Testament authors about the meaning of Jesus’ death.

Part 7: Sacrifice and Atonement The story of Jesus includes his death, but it doesn’t end there.

As the biblical story continues, the book of Acts tells the story of the earliest followers of Jesus. Throughout the book, we see the Spirit of God guiding and directing Jesus’ followers.
But remember, this is not the first time God’s Spirit appears in the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-2)
Throughout the Bible, the Spirit of God is described as animating, sustaining, empowering, and transforming. 
In this video, we’ll explore the original meaning of the biblical concept of “spirit” and what it means for God’s Spirit to be personally present in all of creation.
Ultimately, the Holy Spirit was revealed through Jesus and sent out into the lives of his followers to bring about the new creation. And when the biblical authors look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises in the new creation, they envision a world permeated with the Spirit of God.

Part 8: Holy Spirit What do Christians mean when they talk about the Holy Spirit?

At the beginning of the story, humans are presented as creatures of Earth and of Heaven. God makes humanity from the dirt, but then he exhales his divine breath (Spirit) to bring the creatures to life (Genesis 2:7). God also appoints humanity to rule over all creation as his image (Genesis 1:26-28) and even invites them to share in his eternal life by eating from the tree of life (Genesis 2:16).
But of course, that’s not what happens. Humanity joins in a cosmic rebellion and forfeits their access to eternal life (Genesis 3), and they become corrupt and violent (Genesis 4, 6, 11). So the biblical story doesn’t begin with humanity falling from perfection. Rather, it begins with a lost opportunity, or as the apostle Paul puts it, “humanity falls short of the glorious status God purposed for them” (Romans 1:23 and 3:23).
From this angle, the rest of the biblical story is about God raising up a new human who will be his eternally faithful partner in ruling the world. And this is fulfilled in Jesus. This is why the apostle Paul calls Jesus the true “image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the last Adam&#8221; (1 Corinthians 15:45). His death and resurrection established him as “the new humanity” who rules with God over Heaven and Earth (Ephesians 1:19-21).
And those who trust in Jesus are invited to share in his new humanity through the Spirit that he is breathing upon his people still today (Romans 8:9-11). This is what it means to live as followers of Jesus in the world today: advancing the upside-down Kingdom and spreading the new creation throughout the world through the power of the Spirit.
And our hope is in the future day when the new humanity will join Jesus in the new creation and God’s ultimate purposes for creation will be fulfilled.
The end of the story is only the beginning.

Part 9: The New Humanity We conclude by unpacking one of the most challenging concepts in the Bible

A unified story that leads to Jesus

Discontent by the numbers, Are we all sick of the same things?

It seems we live in a time marked by discontent. Each day some basic part of existence becomes more complicated and difficult, something new pops into frame that layers on anxiety, broken relationships tax us, sickness eats at us, politics discourage us, the financial and emotional costs of living weigh us down. Does any of that resonate with you? If it does, that means one of two things. Either this miraculously found the one person that feels this way, or (and we’re betting on this second option) it resonates because many of us share the experience. In a time of polarization and division, common ground is hard to find. <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://development.hgu-staging.com/en/articles/discontent-by-the-numbers-are-we-all-sick-of-the-same-things">What if we can find unity in our shared discontent?</a>
This is not a new thought—we stole this one from Jesus. We noticed that a very strange mix of people would all flock together around him—<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/jesus-befriended-tax-collectors">tax collectors</a>, sex workers, religious elite, fishermen, zealots, rich, poor, sick, healthy—on paper they had no business sitting together or getting along. But they all joined Jesus at the <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/jesus-invited-everyone-to-sit-at-his-table">dinner table</a>. Why? Our working theory is that they all shared one thing in common: they desperately wanted something about their lives to change. They were each sick of something.
And Jesus caught a lot of flack for sitting at a table with this mix of people, especially the part of the mix that others wouldn’t sit with. His response was so simple: “It is not the healthy but the sick who need a doctor.” And if you look at his life, Jesus played the role of doctor without hesitation at all times. He was always hanging out with people who felt sick whether it was with physical ailments or more hidden conditions affecting the heart and mind. And that got us thinking: what are we most sick of today, and what can we learn from Jesus that could maybe move us in the right direction?
To tackle the first part of the question, we sent out surveys and took a road trip across America and sat down with people to ask this question: what are you sick of? The responses made it clear: we are sick of a lot. You can take a look at the numbers <a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://development.hgu-staging.com/en/articles/discontent-by-the-numbers-are-we-all-sick-of-the-same-things">here </a>, but listen to these first hand responses:
<div class="special-quote">I’m tired of being tired, I just want to be as active as I was 10 years ago.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I’m sick of chronic pain.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I’m sick of not being able to get a job that’s paying to train you, but companies don’t want to hire you if you have no experience.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I am sick of groceries being so expensive.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I am sick of divisive politics.</div>
<div class="special-quote">The gun violence around my house. I hear at least two shots everyday.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I am sick of everyone complaining. I just want everyone to be excited about life. Even on the bad days.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I’m sick of myself.</div>
<div class="special-quote">I&#8217;m sick of lots of things. Probably too many to list.</div>
These are personal answers, but if you’re anything like us, as you read these, you start to see a bit of your own story in them, a piece of your own sickness, a piece of our collective sickness. And we think it’s fair to say we are sick, not only because we share the sentiment, but because this discontent affects our communities and relationships often as much as it affects us personally. So we might feel sick, but we’re sick together.
Where does that leave us? Well for starters, we’re in good company. If you feel sick, you are not alone, it seems that most of us do. And two, if you feel sick, then you are exactly the type of person Jesus sought out and exactly the kind of person he tailored his message for. How he lived and what he taught functions as a great model for how we can help each other respond to the things that are weighing us down.
We’ll end with this. Jesus knew people felt sick and he offered some help. He outlined a whole framework for a healthy kind of living, a way to fight the different sicknesses, in a speech now known as the Sermon on the Mount. We’ve talked about pieces of the framework before—pieces like “<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/loving-your-neighbor-is-nearly-impossible-how-can-we-do-it">love your neighbor</a>”, “<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/featured-videos/love-your-enemies">love your enemy</a>”, “<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/how-did-jesus-step-over-barriers-of-race-gender-and-stigma-on-the-side-of-the-road">do not judge</a>” or “<a style="text-decoration: underline;" href="https://hegetsus.com/en/articles/jesus-forgave-but-did-he-forget">turn the other cheek</a>”. But it’s how he ended the Sermon on the Mount that gives context to what this framework really does for us. He ended with a story about a man who builds a house on the sand and a man who builds a house on the rock. In this story, the rains come and streams rise on both houses, though only the house built on the rock survives the storm. A friend of ours, Ian Simkins, said it well, “Jesus is honest about the human condition. He doesn’t paint a flowery picture, suggesting that following him means life will become a walk in the park. The rain, wind, and floods will come. Hard times will come our way. We will encounter great, unexpected difficulties in our lives. The way of Jesus doesn’t lead you out of hardship, but through it.”
What are you sick of, and how could Jesus’ example help us move forward?