Matthew 18:11–14

The Compassion of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ taught that He and our Heavenly Father have love and concern for everyone. This lesson is meant to help you feel that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are compassionate and desire to save every lost soul.

Focusing on the attributes and character of the Savior. Use the scriptures not only to teach what Jesus Christ did but also to emphasize His divine attributes and character. This will invite the Holy Ghost to bear witness of Him, helping students better understand who He is and desire to become like Him.

Student preparation: Invite students to come to class prepared to share scripture accounts that demonstrate God’s love for those who are spiritually lost.

Possible Learning Activities

The nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

To help students feel comfortable answering the following question honestly, consider inviting them to write on a small piece of paper the number of the answer they chose (without writing their name). Consider collecting the pieces of paper and sharing the results with the class.

Which of the following statements do you think best describes how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel toward those who have sinned?
1. It is frustrating to Them to forgive sinners, but They will do so if we sincerely repent.
2. They would prefer that we repent so They can forgive us, but They are happy with whatever we choose.
3. They feel great joy in forgiving sinners who repent.
How might a person’s understanding of the nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ influence their choices?

As you study this lesson, consider what you learn about the nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how this knowledge can affect your life. After teaching His disciples how serious a sin it is to offend or harm the children of God, the Savior expressed His merciful desire to save “that which was lost, and to call sinners to repentance” (Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 18:11 [in Matthew 18:11, footnote c]).

Read Matthew 18:11–14, looking for how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel about those who are spiritually lost.

What words or phrases from these verses help you better understand the nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
What are different ways people become spiritually lost?

One of the truths we can learn from these verses is that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are compassionate and desire to save those who are spiritually lost.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, explained:

Over the centuries, this parable [of the lost sheep] has traditionally been interpreted as a call to action for us to bring back the lost sheep and to reach out to those who are lost. While this is certainly appropriate and good, I wonder if there is more to it.

Is it possible that Jesus’s purpose, first and foremost, was to teach about the work of the Good Shepherd?

Is it possible that He was testifying of God’s love for His wayward children? …

It matters not how you became lost—whether because of your own poor choices or because of circumstances beyond your control. …

Because He loves you, He will find you. He will place you upon His shoulders, rejoicing. And when He brings you home, He will say to one and all, “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost” [Luke 15:6].

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 102)

Why do you think Jesus Christ wants us to know how compassionate He and our Heavenly Father are?
How can understanding Their compassionate nature help you with your life’s circumstances right now?

Evidence of the compassionate nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

There are many ways to help students see evidence of how merciful and forgiving God is. Choose the methods that are best suited for students. Following are some ideas that may be helpful.

One way we can strengthen our testimony of gospel principles is to look for real-life examples that illustrate their truthfulness. As you see evidence of gospel principles in the lives of others, the Holy Ghost can help you feel hope and confidence that those principles will bless your life as well. The following suggestions can help you see real-life examples of the truth that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are compassionate and desire to save those who are spiritually lost.

For the following, consider inviting students to work in small groups. After students search the scriptures, one student from each group could write on the board examples they found. If students participated in the student preparation activity, they could be invited to use some of the scriptures they found as part of this activity.

Search the scriptures for accounts that show how forgiving and compassionate Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are. If you need help, consider studying one or both of the following scripture accounts: John 8:1–11; Alma 36:6–21.

Select some examples that students wrote on the board, and discuss them as a class. Help students see that just as God showed mercy to people anciently, He will also show mercy to us.

Then use one of the following videos to further illustrate the merciful nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

You may also want to watch one or both of the following videos: “The Savior Wants to Forgive” (5:50) and “Principles of Peace: Repentance #PrinceofPeace” (2:57), located at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. These videos show examples of how Jesus Christ reaches out in compassion and forgiveness to those who are spiritually lost in our day.

The Savior Wants to Forgive
A former addict and repeat convict shares his experiences with the Savior’s ability and willingness to forgive him again and again, even when he felt undeserving.

Principles of Peace: Repentance #PrinceofPeace
Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we all have the ability to repent—to be free from the guilt and burden of our past sins. Learn how Melody put her past behind her with Jesus’s help and was able to find peace in her new life.

What do you feel the Lord wants you to learn from the examples you chose?
In what ways did you notice the Savior showing compassion and seeking those who were lost?

Looking for examples of gospel principles in your own life and in the lives of people you know can be an especially powerful way to help you feel that they are true.

If students are invited to share the following aloud, encourage them not to share names or details that are too personal.

Without sharing personal details or names, describe someone you know whose life is evidence that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are compassionate and seek those who are lost in our day. Reflect on how these examples help strengthen your testimony of the compassionate nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Think about why it is important for you to know this about Them.

Commentary and Background Information

Who is represented by the sheep that went astray in Matthew 18:12–13?

Isaiah explained, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6; emphasis added). Therefore, the lost sheep that needs to be rescued by the Good Shepherd represents every one of us.

How does Heavenly Father feel about those who are trying to follow Him but who fall again and again?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, helped answer this question. You may want to watch the video “Four Titles,” located at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 3:07 to 4:49.

Four Titles
I would like to suggest four titles … that may help us recognize our individual roles in God’s eternal plan and our potential as priesthood holders.

We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold such an attempt? Of course not. What father would punish a toddler for stumbling? We encourage, we applaud, and we praise because with every small step, the child is becoming more like his parents.

Now, brethren, compared to the perfection of God, we mortals are scarcely more than awkward, faltering toddlers. But our loving Heavenly Father wants us to become more like Him, and, dear brethren, that should be our eternal goal too. God understands that we get there not in an instant but by taking one step at a time.

I do not believe in a God who would set up rules and commandments only to wait for us to fail so He could punish us. I believe in a Heavenly Father who is loving and caring and who rejoices in our every effort to stand tall and walk toward Him. Even when we stumble, He urges us not to be discouraged—never to give up or flee our allotted field of service—but to take courage, find our faith, and keep trying.

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Four Titles,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 58)

Since God is so loving, do we really need to strive to keep His commandments to be saved?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

Some seem to value God’s love because of their hope that His love is so great and so unconditional that it will mercifully excuse them from obeying His laws. …

If a person understands the teachings of Jesus, he or she cannot reasonably conclude that our loving Heavenly Father or His divine Son believes that Their love supersedes Their commandments. …

Jesus taught, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

(Dallin H. Oaks, “Love and Law,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 26, 28)

Supplemental Learning Activity

Matthew 18:1. “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Write the question above on the board, and invite students to think of various ways this question could be answered. Then invite them to picture what the Savior did in Matthew 18:2 before He vocally answered the question. Ask students what they could learn through the Savior’s nonverbal answer to the question.

Invite students to read Matthew 18:3–4 and discuss the Christlike attributes that children possess. What do we often see in children that can remind us of Jesus Christ? How can becoming like a child help us better prepare to enter the kingdom of heaven? Consider inviting students to link Matthew 18:1–4 with Mosiah 3:19 and to discuss what this verse adds to their understanding.

Invite them to prayerfully work to develop a Christlike attribute that they have seen through the example of children.