Have we put pieces of cloth ?

"And Ebed-melech said unto Jeremiah : Put these old shreds and rags under the armpits ... under the ropes ... And they brought Jeremiah out with the ropes, and brought him up out of the pit." Jeremiah 38: 12,13

"Put on thyself ... of merciful affection, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, supporting one another." Colossians 3: 12

In the last days of the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, four relatives of King Zedekiah accuse Jeremiah of high treason for publicly declaring : "Thus said Jehovah : He that dwelleth in this city shall die by the sword, Or by plague; And he that goeth out to the Chaldeans shall live, and shall have his life for spoil, and shall live. Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the host of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it" (Jer. 38: 2, 3). In condemning Jeremiah for his words, they condemned God who had spoken them by Jeremiah. In front of Zedekiah cowardly and powerless, they descend the prophet with ropes in a cistern where there was no water but mud. Jeremiah betrays it.

Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian, learns what happened to his friend Jeremiah. If nothing is attempted, death is inevitable. Touched by the suffering of the prophet, he implements a rescue operation with the king's permission. Jeremiah came down from the ropes, and they can bring him up. Ebed-Melec does better! He discovers in the king's house "old shreds of cloth and old rags". From the top of the cistern he descends them with the ropes to Jeremiah and tells him to pass them under his arms under the ropes. What delicacy, what tenderness ! He does not want the strings to wound Jeremiah, very weak.

This Ethiopian gives us a good lesson !

Wanting to help a friend, a brother or a sister in the faith is obviously a praiseworthy thing ! When a situation is delicate or perilous, let us ensure that our good intentions, our means, our efforts even are not bare ropes, without protection. Let us not be too sure of our discernment or our solution, for we may lack tenderness and attention. Our brother or sister may be hurt ... when we wanted to help him !

Like Ebed-Melec, let us put the "pieces of stuff" of mercy, kindness, gentleness and patience when we want to help !

Source (To pleasing the Lord)