September 30

but they could not find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. — Luke 5:19 BSB

We should be passionate about helping others.

The story of the four men who brought their paralyzed neighbor to Jesus is a powerful example. The paralyzed man could never have made it to Jesus on his own, but these men carried him to where the Healer was. When they couldn’t get through the crowd at the door, they didn’t give up. Instead, they went to the roof, made an opening, and lowered their friend right into Jesus’ presence.

If we were as determined to do good for others, we wouldn’t give up so easily in our efforts.

The truth is, we often try half-heartedly to help, and when it doesn’t work, we stop. But if we truly love people, we won’t let any obstacle keep us from doing good.

The Good Samaritan is another example—Jesus’ illustration of what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves.