Are We Our Friend's Keeper?

I was reviewing the Gospel Lesson for today, (Mark 2.2-12 - see below for full text) about the Paralytic. What wonderful friends he had. Christ heals him because of THEIR faith, which was enough to tear open the roof where Christ was teaching and present their friend to Him for healing. Would we ever consider doing that for one of our friends? How many times have we let our friends down in the face of a challenge much smaller than we read in the Gospel? Let us pray that we can find the fortitude to help our friends find their salvation. Sometimes that might mean inviting them to Church. Other times it might mean gently pointing out their struggles in life. Either way, we should remember that, at least based upon the Gospel.....

We ARE our brother's keeper.

NKJ Mark 2:1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.
2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9 "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?
10 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic,
11 "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"