Meekness
I am SO grateful to have the privilege and blessing of sharing just a bit of my love and testimony for the Savior today, on Christmas Eve. It’s impossible to share all that I feel in 5 minutes, but I’m grateful for this opportunity to speak about one of His attributes.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” The Savior instructed us in Matthew 11:29. Then again, in Doctrine and Covenants 19:23 He said, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” Of all the attributes He could have used to describe Himself, He pointed out His meekness and asked US to become meek like Him.
Elder Bednar describes meekness this way: “Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint.” He then continued, “The Christlike quality of meekness often is misunderstood in our contemporary world. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.
Whereas humility generally denotes dependence upon God and the constant need for His guidance and support, a distinguishing characteristic of meekness is a particular spiritual receptivity to learning both from the Holy Ghost and from people who may seem less capable, experienced, or educated, who may not hold important positions, or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute.”
The Savior Demonstrated Meekness
The Savior demonstrated meekness, submissiveness and righteous responsiveness from the very beginning. IN the premortal council in heaven, the Father’s plan was presented. A Savior and Redeemer was needed. In Moses 4, we read: “1 And I, the aLord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That bSatan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the cbeginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will dredeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely eI will do it; wherefore fgive me thine honor.
2 But, behold, my Beloved aSon, which was my Beloved and bChosen from the beginning, said unto me—cFather, thy dwill be done, and the eglory be thine forever.”
Always, Christ’s desire was to do the Father’s will and to give the glory to the Father, as it should be. This meekness continued.
The Savior’s birth was a humble one. The Savior’s life and ministry was filled with examples of meekness. While he was a young boy, his mother and Joseph had visited Jerusalem with him. When they departed, they assumed he was with the company. When they realized He wasn’t with them, they returned and searched sorrowfully for Him. When they found him in the temple and Mary questioned what He was doing, He replied “How is it that ye sought me? awist ye not that I must be about my bFather’s business?” (Luke 2:42-50) Even as a child, He submitted His will to His Father’s.
As the Living Christ testifies, “Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.” Throughout His ministry, He ministered to the poor, the sick and the needy seeking their comfort and healing and not seeking praise or His own glory. He washed the feet of His apostles. He forgave sins, fed the multitudes with loaves and fishes, traveled dusty roads to teach and to serve. He was MOVED with compassion. With every step, with every word, with every action, He showed meekness. He, as Elder Bednar said, was “strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash.”
And then, to the moment of His greatest triumph and His greatest example of meekness. The Living Christ says, “He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.”
““And when he was at the place, he said unto [His disciples], Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
“And he … kneeled down, and prayed,
“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:40-42)
Elder Bednar says, “The Savior’s meekness in this eternally essential and excruciating experience demonstrates for each of us the importance of putting the wisdom of God above our own wisdom.
The consistency of the Lord’s willing submission and strong self-restraint is both awe-inspiring and instructive for us all.”
I bear testimony of His goodness, His meekness, and His love. I love Him. President Hinckley, echoing Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” I will seek to follow Him. I will praise, worship and love Him. I will be loyal to Him. I will strive to keep His commandments. I will “talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, preach of Christ and prophesy of Christ.” I’m so grateful for Him...and for this opportunity to bear witness of Him this day.
We, Too, Can Develop Meekness
Elder Bednar said, “Meekness is an attribute developed through desire, the righteous exercise of moral agency, and striving always to retain a remission of our sins.15 It also is a spiritual gift for which we appropriately can seek.16 We should remember, however, the purposes for which such a blessing is given, even to benefit and serve the children of God.”
Christ Loves, One by One
I am SO grateful to have the privilege and blessing of sharing just a bit of my love and testimony for the Savior today, on Christmas Eve. It’s impossible to share all that I feel in 5 minutes, but I’m grateful for this opportunity to speak about one of His attributes. President Hinckley asked, “What does Christmas really mean?” My answer is that Christmas means LOVE. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoseoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Our Heavenly Father loved us so much that He sent His Beloved Son to atone for our sins. Our Savior loved us more than we can comprehend...so much that He suffered, bled and died for us, and so much more. And Christmas is about learning to love Them and to love one another. It’s all about love.
Christ loved each individual He came in contact with and He demonstrated love and turned outward toward others in every interaction. Christ’s love is so unique that we have multiple words to try to describe it...charity, loving kindness, Christlike love, pure love, mercy, or the Hebrew word to describe His covenantal love...hesed. It would be impossible to begin to ennumerate all of the times that Christ demonstrated love and compassion to others, but here are just a few of my favorites. When a woman was brought before him and had been caught in the act of adultery, He knelt and wrote in the dirt...taking some of the attention off her and onto Himself. Then He calmly asked that he who was without sin be the first to condemn her. John 8 records that each person in the crowd left and then the Savior turned to her and said: “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I acondemn thee: go, and bsin no cmore.” He met her where she was, loved her...and encouraged her to become better.
When Mary and Martha’s brother died, they came to the Savior, filled with both faith and grief. When he saw their grief, He wept. He knew that in minutes He would raise Lazarus from the dead...but He felt compassion and love for Mary and Martha and He wept with them.
In 3 Nephi 11, He appeared to the Nephites. He called them to Him and let each individual thrust their hands into His side and feel the prints of the nails. I imagine that He looked deeply into their eyes, tears welling, and perhaps embraced them and spoke words of love. He may have been tired after hours of individuals having this one on one experience, but He continued and showed care and concern for each one.
Throughout my life, the Savior has been by MY side. He has given me strength and power when I felt that my responsibilities were greater than I could fulfill. He has given me hope when my days felt dark or despair began to creep in. He has encircled me in the arms of His love and reminded me that I am a beloved daughter of God. I testify of Him and rejoice in His love.
When He was in the garden and on the cross, He exhibited love beyond our comprehension. The hymn He Died! The Great Redeemer Died! Expresses better than I can what occurred there in Gethsemane and Calvary:
Come, Saints, and drop a tear or two
For him who groaned beneath your load;
He shed a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of precious blood.
Here’s love and grief beyond degree;
The Lord of glory died for men.
He suffered for our sins, our sorrows, our temptations, our sicknesses, our heartaches. He descended below all things, so that He could truly be our Emmanuel which means God with Us....so that He could know exactly how you feel in every joyous moment and every pain filled moment. In ways that I don’t fully comprehend, He truly is able to be with us, to succor us because He suffered and died for us.
What is the meaning of Christmas? It is LOVE, the love that our Heavenly Parents and Savior offer to us...and the opportunities we have to develop love for Them and for others despite our imperfections and weakness. I testify of Christ and His love. He is all that is good, and He truly IS love. I give thanks for this matchless gift!
