I tried to flesh it out so that it would make sense even if you weren't in class. To note: I brought crayons and markers and colored pencils and coloring pages to class and a class full of adults colored away while I taught the lesson. It'll all make sense in the end. Wait for it.
Here's the lesson:
When I became a Gospel Doctrine teacher, my father said, “Goodness gracious, when it comes time for it, give a Christmas lesson!” So today I’m giving a Christmas lesson.
There are many lessons that Christmas reminds us of. Today I chose one of those lessons.
Part 1 – The Why
We often focus on Christ’s birth, but it wouldn’t have meant
much if He hadn’t grown up. Last year me
and my husband were lazy for Christmas dinner and did an easy meal, one that
our family really likes: fish. My big effort was homemade bread. And while we were eating we realized that
this was the perfect meal to segue into the amazing miracles that Jesus
performed, one of which involved fish and bread.
Mark
6:34-42
And Jesus, when he went out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
And they did all eat, and were filled.
And Jesus, when he went out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? Go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
And they did all eat, and were filled.
This miracle is about practical service. The people had been with him all day. They needed something to eat, but buying
bread for all of them was really expensive.
Jesus saw a need and filled it.
He performed many, many other miracles. Many acts of service. Why?
Why did He do them?
Mark 6:34
gives us the answer: He was moved
with compassion toward them.
Let’s compare that to when Jesus came to the Americas.
Just after His death, He comes to the people in America. He gives a sermon, and then tells the people
that He must leave.
3 Nephi
17: 5 – 6: And it came to pass that when
Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and
beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would
ask him to tarry a little longer.
And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.
He was filled with compassion. And so, in the very next verse, he heals the sick:
And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.
He was filled with compassion. And so, in the very next verse, he heals the sick:
3 Nephi
17:7: Have ye any that are sick among
you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that
are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or
that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I
have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
So we have this wonderful example of the Savior healing the
people. Serving the people.
Out of love.
Heavenly Father
and
Jesus Christ
and
Jesus Christ
/\
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Serve and
Love
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Serve and
Love
|
\/
Us
/\
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Serve and
Love
|
\/
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Serve and
Love
|
\/
Others
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and so they serve us. We love them and so we serve them. We serve them by loving and serving others.
If service is done RIGHT, people will see straight through us, as if it’s a direct line, to Heavenly Father, the Giver of All Good Things.
Mosiah 2:17 – 19 And behold, I tell you these things that ye many learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?
And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any things from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!
This is what service should do – turn our thoughts and thanks and attention back to our Heavenly King. It’s not about us. It’s about the Ultimate Giver.
... part 2 coming soon...
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