The world that Jesus describes sounds like a paradox. If you empty, then you will be filled, Jesus taught. If you lower and humble yourself, you will be exalted, Jesus demonstrated. If you die, then you will live, Jesus proved. The Bible is full of miracles and stories where Jesus’ teachings are shown to work—straight from his own life.

Perhaps a different story may allow the people of God to feel these teachings as real and true.

There is a story that reveals these biblical truths, told like a Christmas version of “The Good Samaritan.”

It was winter and there was a poor frail man crouching in the middle of a snowstorm. A man trying to make his way home through the snow storm saw this poor man but thought that he could barely walk in the storm and rescue himself, let alone help another person seek shelter.

However a second man can by and felt pity for the man. He took the poor man and carried him on his back. As they were making their way through the storm, they saw the first man dead in the snow. The man had froze to death while the two were able to survive through sharing their body’s warmth.

Although it may seem at times as if we don’t have enough to even provide for ourselves, when we give out, that is when we and other souls can all live.