In John 13:1-17, the Savior shows His love for His disciples by washing their feet, an act of service. He then teaches them, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” The Lord is teaching His disciples service, yet again.
Reading this, it occurred to me that the Savior washed the feet of the disciples just before He left their presence. Logic dictates that He would spend those last few hours reminding them of what was most important – and He taught them again of love and service. He showed them an example of service. Therefore, this must be an important lesson.
Of course, had we been the apostles following along, we would already know this. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus stated that it was to love God with all your heart. Then He taught, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt 22:39). Thus we ought to truly love our neighbor, and we best show that love in service.
Service can be one of the most difficult things to do in terms of gospel living. True service, born of love, requires thinking outside of yourself and what is convenient for you. You don’t think, what is best for me, but, what is best for them? You put someone before your self, and you try to see them as Christ would. True service is born of love.
But service doesn’t just come from love; it can cause love. Perhaps we undertake an act of service because of a sense of duty. Maybe we do something because it relates to our calling, or perhaps because it is expected of us. Maybe we know no one else will do it, but it must be done, and so we fill the need as an act of duty. But there is something I have learned: service begats love. As we serve those around us, we come to feel love for them.
This doesn’t always mean that we like them. There are some people that we just can’t seem to get along with, or maybe we don’t feel comfortable with them. I had that problem with one of the sisters I visit taught years ago. We had nothing in common, and I wouldn’t have picked her out as a friend. There was nothing wrong or bad about her, we just weren’t best buddies; I didn’t like her, but I didn’t dislike her, either. A sister from church, however, quoted someone from her past when she said, “Love them so they don’t know you don’t like them.” Such was the case in this scenario. Although I didn’t particularly like her, I did feel love for her, and I did care about her. We visit taught her for almost three years, and in that time expressed that love to her through words and actions. She frequently stated that she could feel that love when we visited, and she was grateful for it.
In our lives, we can seek out opportunities to serve. We will then come to love those we have served, cultivating the divine quality of charity that Christ so desires.
For other blogs on this week’s Sunday School lesson, click on the Gospel Doctrine link at right.
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