A boy too young to read asks his father what the sign says in the hands of a man standing by the road, and then will not let it go: Dad, we can’t do nothing. The father turns the van around, knowing that some food and a few dollars will fix nothing. Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 15) shows a crowd laying the sick at Jesus’ feet while the disciples look on, and yet after he was gone there were still blind and lame people in Israel. Listen if you often skip the small good you could do, because it will not solve the problem anyway.
From Heart to Action
Do It for One
Crowds-crowds everywhere-and in a crowd, it’s hard to notice a single person and their needs. Sometimes we’d even like to do something good for others, but there are so many of them and so many needs. After all, we can’t possibly help everyone.
Jesus, too, was often surrounded by crowds, but as we read the Gospels, we see how consciously He devoted His attention to individuals. He didn’t just see the crowd; He saw each person, their stories, and their problems, setting an example for us on how to continue His mission. Someone once aptly said, “Do for one what you would like to do for everyone.”
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