The Master Served

By Elizabeth Ricks

“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).

Jesus loved serving others. He was the perfect example of service. He said, “I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:27). He knew that He came to earth to serve others, not to be served. Do you think it is odd that the Master served others? Master and servant are opposite words. You might think it is surprising that the greatest masters are those who serve.

During Jesus’s mortal life, He served the poor. He taught the gospel. He fed crowds of hungry people. He washed His disciples’ feet. He healed the sick and even raised the dead.

Jesus taught the importance of service. When He comes to earth again, He will say to the righteous: “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: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:35–36).

Jesus said the righteous will not remember doing any of those things for Him. Then He will tell them, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). When we serve each other, we are also serving Him.

You can serve the Lord by serving those around you. You do not have to do something big to serve others. A smile can gladden a friend’s heart. Speaking a kind word, helping a brother or sister, obeying your parents—all are ways you can serve. When we willingly serve, we become more like Christ, and our faith grows.

Activity

Mount page F4 on heavy paper. Cut out the eight pieces. Punch holes where indicated. Using yarn or string, tie a loop in the hole at the top of the picture of the Savior. Use another piece of string to connect the bottom of the picture of the Savior to the scripture. Using six more pieces of string, tie each picture of an act of service to the bottom of the picture above. Hang your mobile where it will remind you that when you are serving others, you are also serving Jesus Christ.

Illustrations by Dilleen Marsh

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may 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. Mosiah 2:17

Note: If you do not wish to remove pages from the magazine, this activity may be copied or printed from www.lds.org. For English, click on “Gospel Library.” For other languages, click on “Languages.”

Sharing Time Ideas

Tell the account of Nephi’s broken bow (see 1 Nephi 16:18–32) by using a quiver with arrows. You can draw a quiver and arrows on the chalkboard or make them out of paper. On each arrow, attach a question. For example, write “Whom did Nephi ask for direction in where to hunt?” (his father, Lehi) and “What did Nephi do with the food he obtained?” (shared it with his family). On each arrow, write a word that relates to the question, such as obedience or sharing. After all of the questions are answered, point to each arrow, and ask the children to liken the quality written on the arrow to their own families. Ask for specific examples such as “I could help my dad make lunch.” Share an experience of how a family member’s service has blessed you.
Enter the room wearing an apron and carrying a tray covered with a napkin. Tell the children you want to serve them. Have them look up Galatians 5:13–14. Help them underline, “By love serve one another,” and, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” On the tray, have different scripture references, pictures of service, or quotes from stories you will tell. You might have small cups with a scripture reference on the outside, a picture of service on a plate, or quotes taped to silverware. After the children have selected an item and looked at or read it, ask them to share what they learned. Tell stories of service. You could share stories from the Liahona.