Gospel Principles
Unit 4: Jesus Christ as Our Savior
Chapter 11: The Life of Jesus Christ
Concept 5: He Taught Us How to Love and Serve One Another
"After being tempted by Satan, Jesus began his public ministry. He came to earth not only to die for us but also to teach us how to live. He taught that there are two great commandments; first, to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength; and second to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-39
"36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."). His life is an example of how we should obey these two commandments. If we love God, we will trust and obey him, as Jesus did. If we love others, we will help them meet their physical and spiritual needs.
Jesus spent his life serving others. He cured them of diseases. He made the blind see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk. Once when he was healing the sick, it became late and the people were hungry. Instead of sending them away, he blessed five loaves of bread and two fish and miraculously was able to feed a multitude of five thousand people.
(Matthew 14:14-21
"14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
15 ¶ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."
(Matthew 25:35-46
"35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the matt/25/40b">least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.")
Jesus loved others with all his heart. Often his heart was so full of compassion that he wept. He loved little children, the elderly, and the humble, simple people who had faith in him. He loved those who had sinned, and with great compassion he taught them to repent and be baptized. He taught, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).
Jesus even loved those who sinned against him and were unrepentant. At the end of his life, as he hung on the cross, he prayed to the Father for the soldiers who had crucified him, pleading, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). He taught, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12).
Discussion
What are some of the ways we can show the Lord that we love him?
Matthew 5:48."Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Is it possible to become perfect in aspects of our own daily lives (such as paying debts, keeping the Sabbath day holy, fasting, keeping the Word of Wisdom)?"