Jake needed a speaker for Sunday, so Saturday he asked if I could. I am always happy to help him. I did recycle a talk with a few slight changes.
Matthew 25:31-45 (11/2023)
31 ¶When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
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 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.
Last night as I asked Christopher to bring me a drink, I was reminded of the simplicity to fetch a drink in our day. It is a simple thing to. Grab a cup, go to any faucet in the house and turn it on! However, the people of the first century did not have indoor plumbing. Unless you had potted water already, you had to walk out to a stream or go to a well to get water to drink. Neither of which was probably real handy, so either way it was not such a simple task! For us it may seem trivial, but it was a real chore for them. Doing something you wouldn’t want to do all the time, makes the service that much more meaningful.
Today we have automated machines to accomplish tasks such as making thread and weaving fabric, so making clothing is no big task. Back in biblical times clothing was not so easy and expedient to make. It took time and a lot of effort! Remember how they drew lots for Jesus Christ's clothing when he was crucified? Even a dead man's clothing was coveted. Are we seeking to truly feed the hungry, give others a drink who thirst, and cloth the naked?
This is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love the changing of the leaves, all the school breaks, the holidays, the decorations, the smells, THE FOOD, but most of all I love the Spirit that is more evident as December approaches. It is noticeable that Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, we are all a little more willing to serve, to give to someone in need, to hold the door open, or to put coins in a bucket.
November begins a crazy busy time of the year. Streets and stores are filled with people making preparations for turkey and gratitude and the soon to be Christmas season. Travelers on the highways increase, airports are crowded—and all of Christianity seems to come to life with music, lights, and festive decorations.
This time of year comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of this time of year lies in the life and mission of the Master. Elder Baird states:
It is a desire to sacrifice for others, to render service and to possess a feeling of universal brotherhood. It consists of a willingness to forget what you have done for others, and to remember what others have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and think only of your duties in the middle distance, and your chance to do good and aid your fellow-men in the foreground—to see that your fellow-men are just as good as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts—to close your book of grievances against the universe, and look about you for a place to sow a few seeds of happiness, and go your way unobserved.
As we follow in His footsteps today and as we emulate His example, we will have opportunities to bless the lives of others. Jesus invites us to give of ourselves: “Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.” Is there someone for whom you should provide service for today? Is there one who awaits your text? Your visit? Many of us have a desire to serve others, to seek out those who need to feel of the Savior’s love through us. And what a wonderful gift that is, for we all know that when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. (Mosiah 2:17)
The responsibility to care for the poor and needy lies at the very heart of the gospel. The scriptures tell us in James chapter 1 verse 27 “pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”. In addition to refraining from evil, true disciples of the Master wear out their lives in the service of others. It was Jesus Himself who said, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:27). As always, Jesus, the Chosen Servant, showed us the way, capping His mortal ministry with the supernal sacrifice of His sinless life
[Now], the ultimate measure of our discipleship is not to be found in the number of Church positions we have held but rather in the extent to which we keep Christ’s commandments. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,” Jesus said, “he it is that loveth me”. (John 14:21) We cannot fully keep His commandments unless we serve others.
However, we should not assume that service to others is the only virtue we are to cultivate as disciples of the Master. Far from it. But service to others is essential if we are to realize and retain the fullness of Christ’s Atonement in our lives.
President Spencer W. Kimball pointed out that “the most vital thing we can do is to express our testimonies through service, which will, in turn, produce spiritual growth, greater commitment, and a greater capacity to keep the commandments.”
In the final analysis, then, the greatest testimony we can ever give to others is an exemplary life devoted to service. “Service,” said President Marion G. Romney, “is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made” (CR, October 1982, 135; or “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance,” Ensign, November 1982, 93).
Service is multi-faceted. It can come in the least expected ways. Disney, the land of excitement, bustling with people, and anticipation for children that can hardly be contained. One of my most cherished miracles occurred there. On an elevator headed back to our room, I heard on the walkie talkie a child was alone in another elevator. Immediately my heart sank, I just knew it was my boy. I called Jake and was assured the kids were in the room with him, but a closer inspection showed one was missing, our 3–4-year-old son had escaped the room. My worst nightmare was a reality for a moment as the worst scenarios played through my head. He was so young, innocent, and cute. Who would not want to snatch such a cutie? I frantically did not know where to begin to find my rambunctious boy. Hotel staff and complete strangers began to help us look for our Will. Then after what seemed like forever but was only minutes, the Lord gave me a miracle. One of the greatest joys I have experienced was seeing him holding the hand of a stranger, knowing he was okay. For me, that was one of the greatest miracles and acts of love in my life, and it was from a stranger. Some of the greatest service I have been rendered comes from complete strangers that saw a mother in a time of need and hearts were filled with compassion and love.
Jesus asks us to be generous with our love. These simple words from one of my favorite hymns expresses this charge to us, which says:
Because I have been given much, I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live
I shall divide my gifts from Thee with ev’ry brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.
Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,
I cannot see another’s lack and I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread, my roof’s safe shelter overhead,
That he too may be comforted.
Because
I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord,
I’ll share thy love again, according to thy word.
I shall give love to those in need; I’ll show that love by word and deed:
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.
[“Because I Have Been Given Much,” Hymns, 1985, no. 219]
We must serve others and become fortified together as we do so. Recently Jake and I visited California and had the opportunity to see Redwoods (Jake was so excited, he loves rocks and trees). In preparing for this talk, I was reminded of a portion of talk my dear husband gave almost a decade ago. He stated: “…The largest trees in the world are coastal redwoods. These trees can stand 380 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 30 feet. Amazingly, their roots only go 5 to 6 feet into the ground, and its main roots are only about an inch in diameter. And the trees are exposed to frequent high winds as coastal storms slam into the Pacific Northwest.
How do these giants withstand the strong winds given their relatively weak foundation? The secret is in their weakness. As if they had knowledge of their weakness, redwoods’ roots interweave among the roots of other
redwoods. They create a webbing of roots that allow them to rely on each other when the storms come. As I look out among you, I see spiritual giants, the redwoods of the gospel. Not perfect, but in the pursuit of perfection. Each of us have weakness. The Lord said to Ether, “And if men come unto me I will show them their weakness.” Each of us are buffeted by storms. At times, each of us will fall short of the expectation we place on ourselves, and the potential we have. My hope, my plea, is that not one of us will be an island during those times. May each of us be yoked together, our roots weaved together, that at the times of those great storms we will still stand. “ We need one another. We need to serve one another, and we need to allow ourselves to be served so that our roots can be intertwined as we become the Savior’s hands and know Him better. We can become an anchor of love and hope for others.
L. Whitney Clayton said, “Because of the Savior born two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, there is hope—and so much more. There is redemption, release, victory and triumph. The wrong shall fail the right prevail. No wonder a choir of angels suddenly appeared as a heavenly exclamation point to the angel's announcement of the Savior's birth, singing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." No message could ever be more reassuring. No message ever was filled with more good will toward men”. .
So, if we desire to find and to have the true spirit of this season (Thanksgiving and Christmas too) and always and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this season, find time to turn to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees—alone or with loved ones—first, give thanks for the blessings that you have been given – name them by name, and then second, ask for His spirit to be with you so that you will have the strength and determination to strive to serve Him by following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and serving our fellow man. Search out opportunities to help others and offer random acts of kindness. Feed those that hunger and clothe those that are naked…this is applicable in every aspect: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
As we begin to notice the lights and decor, may we become a light to others and as Elder Bednar suggested several years ago: “May the beautiful lights of every holiday season remind us of Him who is the source of all light”. “Let us open our eyes and see the heavy heart, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and answer those prayers” – Deiter F Uchtdorf
