In this passage, I was drawn to the image of Jesus intentionally sharing his wisdom with the crowd. Right now, I desire more than ever for the Lord to take a moment to sit down and teach me like that.

I want to hear his wisdom directly in my ears because, mid-December, my life became completely foreign to me during an unexpected trip to the ER. I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Addison’s. In short, my immune system decided that my adrenal glands were the enemy and took them out. Adrenal glands are responsible for the hormones that keep you alive and hydrated, and so, among other things, I will have to supplement with steroids for the rest of my life.

With a rare disease, not all questions have clear answers, and as a busy working mom, I have no choice but to move on quickly despite my lingering questions. Still, I want all the answers right now spoken to me as clearly as the words of Jesus on that mountain.

I imagine each person on that mountain also had personal questions they wanted Jesus to answer, but he was there for a bigger purpose. He was there to deliver a more all-encompassing message. That day, he taught them how to love and that they were never alone.

Right now, many of you would like some answers, too, because so much goes unexplained in this life. But even though it feels like God isn’t answering, God constantly reminds us that we are loved and that our ultimate purpose is to love others well.

So maybe my desire for answers is not going unnoticed after all. Perhaps all the wisdom I seek is contained in a simple four-letter word more powerful than all the rest…love.