“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” John 13:15 (NLT)

Jesus told his followers: “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:15 NLT). If you’re a follower of Jesus, then that instruction is to you too!

In yesterday’s Daily Hope devotional, we looked at Luke 4:18-19 and the five groups of people Jesus came to help: the poor, brokenhearted, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed.

Jesus wants you to care about these people, and he wants you to care for them too. Here are five ways Jesus cared for people. He wants you to do them too!

First, preach the Good News. More than anything else, God wants you to let people know that Jesus is the answer to each one of their problems. He wants you to tell people that he created them, Jesus died for them, and the Holy Spirit wants to live in them—to tell them that God offers forgiveness, purpose, and a future home in heaven. You can share this one-on-one, bring them to church, or invite them to your small group.

Second, comfort the brokenhearted. Hurting people are all around you. In fact, everyone carries around some kind of hurt, whether or not they let other people see it. Sometimes the best way to find a hurting person is to look for those who are causing hurt; hurt people hurt people. Then look for ways to show extra love and to lift them up in prayer.

Third, proclaim freedom for those who are imprisoned. You may not know someone who is actually imprisoned, but we all know people who are trapped in some way—trapped by a habit, by health problems, by tight finances, or by an old secret. God wants you to offer his truth, which will set them free: “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT).

Fourth, proclaim recovery of sight to the blind. Here Jesus was talking about people who are spiritually or relationally blind. When you see a loved one making a stupid mistake, you might think that it’s none of your business. But if you care, it is your business. You can share truth from the Bible or help them find resources that offer the truth they need to hear.

Fifth, release the oppressed. Who are the oppressed? They’re the people who are kicked around, picked on, and put down. We all know individuals like this, and there are whole groups of people that experience oppression too. Instead of turning your back on oppression, Jesus wants you to confront it and deal with it.

Remember, when you care for the people he cared for, Jesus says it’s like you’re caring for him!

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. . . . Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:35-36, 40 NLT).