Lesson 13 Class Preparation Material: Ministering like the Savior
“Lesson 13 Class Preparation Material: Ministering like the Savior,” Jesus Christ and His Everlasting Gospel Teacher Material (2023)
“Lesson 13 Class Preparation Material,” Jesus Christ and His Everlasting Gospel Teacher Material
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Jesus comforting a sick woman
Lesson 13 Class Preparation Material
Ministering like the Savior
We’ve all noticed—and sometimes haven’t noticed—people in need of help. Some may simply be having a rough day. Others may be experiencing loneliness, self-doubt, hunger, disappointment, or sickness. We may wonder, what can I do? When we look to the life of the Savior, we see many examples of how He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). As you look to His example, consider what you learn about ministering to the needs of others.
Section 1
What can I learn about ministering from the Savior’s example?
Imagine what the Savior might have felt during the Last Supper, anticipating the awful suffering awaiting Him in Gethsemane and on the cross. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed:
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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Under the strain of deep and profound emotion … Christ quietly arose, girded himself as a slave or servant would, and knelt to wash the Apostles’ feet. (See John 13:3–17.) This small circle of believers in this scarcely founded kingdom were about to pass through their severest trial, so he would set aside his own increasing anguish in order that he might yet once more serve and strengthen them. (“He Loved Them unto the End,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 25)
After washing the Apostles’ feet, the Savior gave them a new commandment, which would be essential to all who would seek to minister in His name.
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icon, study
Study in Preparation for Class
Read John 13:34–35, and consider why this commandment is central to ministering.
As we reflect on the life of Jesus Christ, we can see that He showed us how to minister in love.
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Study in Preparation for Class
Read or watch one or more of the following experiences from the life of the Savior and consider what you can learn about ministering from His example and teachings. Consider recording your thoughts, feelings, and impressions.
Most of us want to minister to others with Christlike love. But we may not know how or when to help. President Russell M. Nelson taught that “ministering means following your feelings to help someone else feel the love of the Savior in his or her life” (in Sheri L. Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson [2019], 349).
President Henry B. Eyring offered the following counsel:
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President Henry B. Eyring
The [Lord intends] to have His Saints care for each other in the way He cares for them. … They succeed when the Holy Ghost guides the caregiver to know what the Lord knows is best for the person whom He is trying to help. (“Inspired Ministering,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 62)
The Holy Ghost will often prompt us to serve in small and simple ways. President Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, taught:
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President Jean B. Bingham
Sometimes we think we have to do something grand and heroic to “count” as serving our neighbors. Yet simple acts of service can have profound effects on others—as well as on ourselves. What did the Savior do? … He … smiled at, talked with, walked with, listened to, made time for, encouraged, taught, fed, and forgave. He served family and friends, neighbors and strangers alike, and He invited acquaintances and loved ones to enjoy the rich blessings of His gospel. Those “simple” acts of service and love provide a template for our ministering today. (“Ministering as the Savior Does,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 104)
Read the following statement by Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, and consider what you can do to make ministering a more meaningful and personalized experience. Or you could watch “You Are the Gift” (0:54) in place of reading the statement by Sister Eubank.
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Sister Sharon Eubank
If we change our perspective so that caring for the poor and the needy is less about giving stuff away and more about filling the hunger for human contact, providing meaningful conversation, and creating rich and positive relationships, then the Lord can send us someplace. … The Lord wants to use you. There is a work for you to do, and it is specific to you and your abilities. Nobody will be the ambassador that you will be. … Remember that, in the same way as the Savior, you yourself are one of the best gifts that you can give to other people in need. (“Turning Enemies into Friends” [Brigham Young University forum address, Jan. 23, 2018], speeches.byu.edu)
Ask a family member, friend, or classmate how they minister to others. You may want to also discuss what sometimes keeps us from ministering to those in need of Christlike love.
Section 2
What can I learn from the Savior’s parable of the good Samaritan about ministering?
In Jesus Christ’s day, there was considerable hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Jews viewed the Samaritans with contempt because they were “partly Israelite and partly Gentile” and their “religion was a mixture of Jewish and pagan beliefs and practices” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Samaritans,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).
When a lawyer (lawyers of the time were experts in the law of Moses) tried to justify his actions regarding the commandment to “love your neighbor,” he asked the Lord, “Who is my neighbor?” (See Luke 10:25–29.) The Lord answered with the parable of the good Samaritan.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Gerrit W. Gong
On our dusty roads to Jericho, we are beset upon, wounded, and left in pain.
Though we should help each other, too often we pass to the other side of the road, for whatever reason.
However, with compassion, the Good Samaritan stops and binds our wounds. … He brings us to the inn, which can represent His Church. …
… Jesus Christ invites us to become, like Him, a good Samaritan, to make His Inn (His Church) a refuge for all from life’s bruises and storms. (“Room in the Inn” Liahona, May 2021, 24–25)
