Proclaiming blessed hope for the poor in spirit, the hungry, the distraught, and those despised because of Jesus, the Lord wants people to act on His words. His teachings provide a rock-solid foundation for faith. Building upon it, we can become blessings for others! Saint Paul compared himself to an athlete who trains, strives for victory, and tries not to get disqualified along the way. Scribes and Pharisees became confounded by the way Jesus could turn their challenges around to challenge them. For instance, after promptly curing a man’s withered hand in the synagogue instead of waiting for a day, the Lord asked whether doing something good on the Sabbath violated the law. Jesus taught us to use the goodness we hope to experience as a gauge of how to treat others. How do we measure up?