The Heavenly Host - Nativity Story

Interview with Rebecca Holt Stay, Instructor of Biblical Studies - BYU Continuing Education

There appeared to the shepherds an angel of the Lord. "And the glory of the Lord shown round about them: and they were soar afraid. And the angel said, 'Fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy!'" (Luke 2:10). Now of course, good tidings is the term that means 'gospel.' So "Good tidings of great joy." And 'joy' in the Old Testament is always associated with two things: one, with having children, and second, with receiving a forgiveness of sins. This combines both of those themes. And that is to be given to all people, "'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.' And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God" (Luke 2:11-14).

Now when you speak of 'host' as a biblical term, 'host' or 'tsabaot' in Hebrew means army. Jehovah is called 'Yahweh tsabaot,' or Jehovah, the leader of the army. So what we're getting here is not a choir of putee little cherubs with pink cheeks and floaty wings, but rather it is much more like Gabriel coming. Gabriel's name means 'mighty warrior of God.' So when you see Gabriel, you should see an individual who has come in full armor as one of Jehovah's (Jesus') handpicked soldiers, and so that's who this is, is a military choir that has come to witness, and let people know, that the Commander and Chief of the heavenly host, the heavenly army, has been born. And that the battle is now going to ensue. And they know through their faith that their Commander and Chief is going to win this battle. And he will take back the keys of death and hell and open the prison doors and let us all go free. And thus "Tidings of great joy which shall be to all people!"

Christlike Attributes: Respect for Women

For this Mother's Day, I decided to blog about Jesus' interactions with women. I chose this because of several experiences I have had over the last few weeks in regards to how men have treated women. Sadly, most of these stories have not been of how men should treat women, but how they should not. Most of these men have either mistreated, belittled, abused, or even tried to kill these women. Even sadder is that the culprit of many of these cases was the husband, the supposed protector of the home. The result has often been that the woman, who is not at fault, blames herself for the actions of the man. Low self esteem on the part of the woman almost always follows.

The intriguing thing about Jesus is that he always tried to break the mold. He was raised in a world where men ruled, women submitted to husbands, and wives were property. It is ironic that much of the basis for this supposed claim of authority by men came from the Laws of God, the Law that Jesus himself, as Jehovah, gave to Moses and the other prophets. If anyone could interpret the Law on how men ought to treat women, it was Jesus, the very Lawgiver. I will share only three examples of how Jesus showed his perfect attributes, by how he respected and honored women.

The first example can be found in John 4 when Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus and his disciples had been traveling through Samaria and they stop at Jacob's well. Jesus' disciples leave him as they enter the city, and as he sits at the well, a Samaritan woman comes to draw water. The interesting thing is that she comes at noon, or the sixth hour (4:6). Women would normally draw water in the cool of the morning when they could meet with the other women of the village and share a brief moment. Why would this woman come at noon? It is hard to say, but it is very possible that she came at noon because she was fearful of seeing other women. She was fearful of their gossip. She may have been hurt in the past and now found that coming at the heat of the day meant she could come alone.

However, on this day she finds Jesus there. She seems reluctant to even talk with him. To her surprise he asks for a drink of water. In a way you might expect a man to ask this (after all he had nothing to draw with), except that Jesus is a Jew, and she is a Samaritan. The rift between these two people was so deep that both groups completely avoided any form of contact (4:9). Even to walk on the land of Samaria was considered by some defilement. If this was not enough, we also find out that this women was living with another man (not married) and had had five previous husbands (4:17-18). Perhaps this was only one of the many reasons she chose to avoid the women of the village by coming to the well at noon.

So how did Jesus interact with this woman? How did he treat a fornicator, a five time divorcee, an outcast, and a Samaritan? Quite simply, he asked her to provide service to him (4:7), and then he taught her of her true worth. He taught her that she, as a Samaritan, could worship God (4:21-23). He taught her, by never once condemning her, that it was who she could become, not what she had done, that marked her value as a daughter of God. Then, he offered the greatest gift he could give, he proclaimed his divinity (4:25-26). Very few in the scriptures were privileged to have the Savior personally testify of his own divinity, yet this woman, who most would call a vile sinner, was given this priceless gift.

The second example is of how Jesus treated his mother, Mary. The scriptures record several interactions of Jesus and his mother, but I will only share one. Though short in narrative, the words that Jesus gave on the cross about his mother are a powerful example of how men should treat women. In his agony on the cross, Jesus looked to his mother, to comfort and support her. John 19:26-27 reads, "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." When he himself was suffering and dying, he looked to his mother, and made sure that someone would care for her emotionally, spiritually, and physically. There is no better example than this.

The third, and most powerful story is in John 8:3-11. This is the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman. Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. During the previous days, the scribes and Pharisees had been trying to entrap Jesus by his words or actions, but had failed miserably in each case. Now they had a foolproof way (or so they thought) to catch him, they would use the Law of Moses against him. A woman caught in the act of adultery was taken to Jesus and was cast before him. With a triumphant voice they asked how Jesus would respond. "Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?" (8:4-5).The ironic thing is that Jesus is the one who gave the Law to Moses. Does he not know the Law? Yet, as if he was rewriting the Law with his own finger, he stoops down and writes in the dirt on the pavement of the temple court. The silence only encourages them, he must have been caught, he is speechless! Yet, majesticlly Jesus replies, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (8:6-7). Each man, condemded by his own acts, leaves the temple court. Jesus once again writes in the dirt and as he lifts his head he asks, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." (8:8-11). The powerful message of this story is this, Jesus was the one who gave the Law of Moses. He knew what was required for those who broke the Law, and yet, he chose not to condemn her. Even more, he who was without sin, was Jesus himself! The only one who could cast a stone (by his very own decree) chose not to.  How powerful!

This Mother's Day, may we be as the Savior, and honor and respect women the way He did. In our interactions with women, let us be slow to judge, let us teach with love and by example, and let us forgive unceasingly. How grateful I am for a father who taught me to honor and cherish my mother. How grateful I am for a mother who literally was willing to sacrifice her life for me, for a mother who has always been a friend, and for a mother who has always loved me unceasingly. Happy Mother's Day!

Christlike Attributes: Sacrifice

As I have reflected over the atonement, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ this last Holy Week, I have thought a lot about the great love the Savior has for each of us. Nothing can compare to His love. As I thought of why I feel the way I do, I choose to comment on the Christlike attribute of sacrifice.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, each of the Christlike attributes are based on the concept of power; power that is given both to those who possess the attribute, and power to those who are the recipient of the attribute. Perhaps no other attribute can better explain this concept than the infinite sacrifice of the Lord and Savior.

The question I like to ask myself is why. Why are we commanded to gain the attribute of sacrifice? Why does the Savior have this as an attribute? Why is sacrifice so important?

I think the answer is quite simple to be honest. Why? Because from sacrifice comes the power of unity, love, devotion, and true oneness. When someone sacrifices something for another, they not only draw themselves to the other person, but they draw the other person to themselves. Think of someone who has done something great for you. Someone who has changed your life because what they have given you. Why are you drawn to this person? Why do you respect them? It is because of their selfless sacrifice on your behalf. It is because they showed that they would be willing to give up something important to them (whatever it may be) to help and bless your life.

One of the greatest examples I can think of is that of mothers. They literally are willing to give their life for the life of their children, and this enormous sacrifice draws them to us, and us to them. How grateful I am to my own mother, who not only was willing to give her very life for me, if needed, but also continues to give her life to me through her time, efforts, prayers, devotion, care, and love. Because of these great sacrifices, I am drawn to her, and her to me.

Just before suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His ultimate death on the cross, the Savior offered the great intercessory prayer, found in John 17. This prayer could be said to be the so called last will and testament of the Lord. His last desires before His tortures death. His last discourse offered in a form of a prayer. In this prayer, one of the major themes is that of unity or oneness.

“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:9-11, 20-22).

One of the greatest desires of the Savior is that we become one with Him and the Father. The reason He performed His great sacrifice is that this could come to pass. As He gave His all, His very life, we are drawn to Him because of this great love He had. Think of the lack of power the life of Jesus Christ would have if He only healed the sick and taught of His Gospel. He would then stand with many other great prophets who had done similarly, but it was because of His giving His life for our sakes, that He is different than the prophets. He is different because He was willing to suffer for us that we might be redeemed from our sins if we but have faith in Him. He is different because He was not only willing to give His life, but to take it up again and bring about the resurrection of all. No other person in history can claim this level of sacrifice. No one.

Why is the atonement of Christ so powerful, because, as the word suggests in English, the atonement brings about our at-one-ment with the Father. Through His sacrifice we are drawn to Him, and He to us.

As we celebrate this Mother’s Day this year, may we reflect on the sacrifices our mothers have made for us, and for the unity that that sacrifice brings. May we likewise reflect on the Lord’s great sacrifice of all, that we might be at one with Him.

I know the Savior loves us. I know He cares for us beyond all our comprehension. I know that it is only through His grace that we are saved. I know that He lives. I know this because of the peace and love I have felt on countless occasions; a love which surpasses all things. A love that has brought me closer to my own at-one-ment with the Holy Messiah.

The Reason for the Season

This Christmas Eve I wanted to post this video I made about the birth of the Savior. The artwork was done by my grandmother Isabel Bacheler Smith (1898-1985). She loved the Savior and always depicted this love in her art. She of all people lived a life of service towards others, and truly gave her whole heart unto the Lord. She always looked for opportunities to serve. Her and my grandfather Monroe Smith started American Youth Hostels (AYH) and served thousands of youth throughout the world. They did this so that youth could learn about other cultures and people, in hopes of helping them to more fully love their neighbor as Christ had taught. Much of the artwork is taken from the AYH Knapsacks which were published each quarter. 

May the light of Christ rest upon each of you this Christmas Season, and may each of us reflect His light and life to others by living as He did. May each of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Law of Obedience

I have recently thought a lot about the law of obedience. I must say that much of this has been due to the fact that I have struggled with feeling inadequate and unable to live up to all that God asks of us. I also have often seen the commandments as burdensome. I many times could not understand the reason behind the law; they often just seemed more like a checklist. However, in the last few years I have had, I guess you could say, a change of heart. I have seen the commandments not as mindless rules to bind us to the old ways of life, or numbing regulations so as to curtail our enjoyment of life, but instead laws of power taught to us by a loving God who wants us to have dominion and power over all things. In short, He desires that we become even as He is.

Imagine for an instance a chemistry class. The professor walks in and begins teaching his students how they can cause chemical explosions by adding certain elements together. These explosions can then be used to help better the world. One explosion might loosen the debris that has piled on top of an innocent victim after a severe earthquake. Another might be used to explode within the engine of a vehicle so as to power an ambulance on its way to an accident scene. And yet another might be used to prepare the foundation for a building that will be built for the benefit of mankind. As the teacher is explaining the sheer power behind learning certain natural laws a young student raises his hand. “What you are doing is limiting our freedom! I would rather have a class where I can do whatever I want, where I can just do as I please. You teaching us all these laws and requiring us to follow such strict measures only limits my abilities.”

I unfortunately have often found myself making similar claims to God. When asked why God gave us commandments I would give the standard answers that He knows what is best, or He wants us to choose the right. Though these are true, one must ask why one thing is right and another thing is wrong? Why does God want us to obey the laws as they are? If He is God, can He not change them to whatever He feels is right?

Law is power and power is in law. Just as the chemist or physicist who learn to obey certain chemical or physical laws can harness the power of an atom and produce an atomic bomb, so God gains power over all things by obeying the laws of nature. Why does God give us the laws He does? Because He knows the power that lies within them. What makes these laws right? Because of the power that they wield when obeyed.

God in His infinite mercy teaches us laws of the universe not to limit us but to empower and enable us to become as He is. He does not have us obey laws just so we can be found worthy to join the choirs that will sing eternal praises to Him as He sits upon His yonder throne. No, if God wanted this, He would have made the requirements for salvation a doctorate in coral singing, not faith in Christ and repentance. If God wanted concourses of angels to serve Him forever more, He would have made culinary education and butlery skills as a requirement for exaltation and not love towards our neighbor.

As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said so powerfully “it isn’t that God seeks to shape us capriciously, just to prove that He is in charge; He is fitting us for special chores for which there are righteous and nonwaivable specifications.” In other words, God knows how to be a god, and he desires us to learn these same attributes. He desires that the joy and happiness that He has can be ours and thus gives us laws that we may learn how to come to that point.

Because God loves us He ensures that every command and every law will bring us to His eternal glory and allow us to partake of His power, dominion, and authority. I would invite you from this day to look at each commandment not with the eye of what is right and wrong (though they are that), but to instead look at them with the eye of learning who God is, learning why God is the way He is. For “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

The Power of Choice

The past few months have been, well, difficult to put it mildly. With school starting, many new responsibilities, and just life in general I found myself at one of those times in life where I just wondered how I would make it to the next day. Amidst this challenging time my mind for some reason was drawn to the concept of agency. I thought many hours on why agency is so important in the gospel. Sure, I have heard all the basic answers but the question still remained as to why God would be willing to give up one third of his children in the war in heaven for the preservation of this law. There must be something greater and deeper than what I understood.

As I was pondering upon this subject I read the following quote by C.S. Lewis: “Why, then did God give [us] free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having….Of course God knew what would happen if [we] used [our] freedom the wrong way: apparently He thought it worth the risk. Perhaps we feel inclined to disagree with Him. But there is a difficulty in disagreeing with God. He is the source from which all reasoning power comes: you could not be right and He wrong any more than a stream can rise higher than its own source. When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on.” (Mere Christianity, pp. 52-53).

As I thought about it I realized that agency is the very law that gives power to all other laws. Why is love so powerful? Because we choose to love someone despite their faults. Why is faith so powerful? Because we choose to believe even though it may seem that the very gates of hell are open unto us. Why is the atonement of Christ so significant and powerful? Because He chose to perform this act of service for us, even though we did not deserve it.

Love would not be love if we did not choose to love. Nor would love have the power to change lives, to inspire or uplift if we knew the person did not choose to feel the way they did. Yet when someone chooses to love, oh, the influence and sheer power it wields. When God chooses to love us, despite all we have done, when He loves us, in fact, because of these things, then, and only then does His love have so much power and so much force as to inspire and change the hardest of hearts. It is because God chooses to love us as we are that His love has such great power.

God knew that the only way to teach us of pure love was to allow us to make mistakes and then to show us that He still loves us enough to be willing to give us everything He has. Satan’s plan of destroying agency or free-will would have destroyed love, which in my opinion is the greatest of all of God’s powers; “for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Why is agency the power behind love? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God chose to love us by giving us His only Son that we might eternally live with Him.

Thus, each day we are faced with the decision of choosing. Will we choose to have faith even in the darkest and loneliest times of our lives? Will we choose to believe in the Savior and the power of the atonement? Will we choose to love? If we do, the very power of God, the power of the “pure love of Christ” will envelope our lives and we will become like unto the Lord and Savior. Why? Because we chose to follow Him.

Hope, a Principle of Power

Recently I have thought a lot about the principle of hope. Much of this is because I have realized how much I need hope in my own life. I must first say that I have often thought of hope as one of the lesser attributes of godliness. After all, generally when we teach of hope we teach that we need it at those times of despair, pain, suffering, and loss. We teach of how one needed hope when a spouse died, or when a job was lost, or when a family member was diagnosed with a terminal illness. When was the last time you heard the word hope characterized as an attribute of strength or power (at least power in oneself)? I invite you to think of one time when you heard in a testimony someone stand and say “when my wife and I finally were able to have our first child and we were both so incredibly happy, we realized that we needed more hope in our lives.” Or how about this one: “because everything is going right in my life, I need to increase my level of hope.” This is not to say that you could not hear these statements, but for the most part when we teach of hope we teach of needing it at a time of despair and discouragement, at a time when all seemed to be lost.

Yet, this just never made sense to me. Part of this could be because I think too much and just can’t say “yes I need hope,” I have to say “what is hope, why do I need it, why is it a part of the gospel?” Until I can answer these questions, I often struggle to make this principle a part of the gospel and thus a part of my life.

Today I was reading in Preach My Gospel where it discusses the principle of hope. It states: “Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur.” (page 117) As I read this passage I had to stop and read it again to realize what I had just read. Hope is “confidence, optimism, [and] enthusiasm.” I literally sat back and thought, “wow, that is a first.” Then I understood. Why does God want us to have hope? Is it just so we can get through trials and tribulations? No. We have hope because God has hope, or because God is confident, optimistic, and enthusiastic. Hope is not a sign of despair, but a sign of power. You do not just have hope just because you are sad or lonely, you have hope because God has hope. When God stated “let there be light” He hoped that it would happen with such a hope that He was completely and totally confident that it would. And what happened? Light burst forth and filled the endless galaxies.

Thus, when we are commanded to have hope (and I might add faith) we are being commanded to be completely and totally confident in ourselves. To have a perfect hope of things that are to come. A hope that is so sure that you never doubt, you never fear, you never waver. A hope that no matter what will happen, you know that you can overcome all things. This is what God has. He has created a beautiful world, only to be peopled by men who are so hard that they will never turn to Him; a world so full of wickedness that we as humans are often full of despair. Yet, God does not despair, in fact He is so confident that things will work out that He has inspired books such as the book of Revelation that teach of nothing except the glorious triumph of the Lord in the end. He does not just say He will win, He states that He will win and all things will be made right. All power will reside in Him. All things will be subdued by His power and will. Why? Because He has a perfect hope for things yet to come.

However, we are not at this level of hope yet, nor will we be able to in this life. So how do we gain this hope? After all we are mortal and weak and often falter and fall. Well, the answer is quite simple, if we can’t have a perfect hope in ourselves (as God has), then we must have hope in something, or in this case, Someone. Christ came to this earth to teach us that we can have a perfect hope. He showed forth so much power and might in overcoming sin, death, illness, misery, helplessness, doubt, sadness and despair that we now can put our complete and total hope in Him. Again, because we cannot have a perfect hope in ourselves, we must place our hope in something if we want to become like God. If we want to have the confidence, optimism, and enthusiasm that He has, we must learn to hope, and because we are in a fallen state we cannot have a perfect hope. Thus the Plan of God does not just provide hope in the Savior and in His power because it helps us at times of trial, His Plan gives us hope so that we can become like Him. It gives us hope that one day we can have the same power that God and the Savior have. It gives us hope that someday we can see what may seem to be like the very jaws of hell opening up, and yet we will have hope and confidence that we will overcome.

What is hope? Hope is a power that is mightier than anything we know. Hope is the very power that created this earth and universe. Hope is the very attribute Christ had when praying in a garden and when seeing the myriads of lost and fallen souls pass before His mind, He did not have feelings of doubt or despair, but instead a perfect hope that the pain He was about to suffer would work. A hope that His life would not be lived and died in vain. A hope that in overcoming all things, He would be able to give us that same hope so that through His hope, we too might overcome all things because of hope.

Becoming One With Christ: Introduction

As followers of Christ we are commanded to become one with Christ. He is to be the very center of our lives. He is to be our all, our greatest Friend, our Companion in times of weakness and triumph, our Advocate and our Comrade. To Him we owe our all. Our very lives are dependent upon Him, both spiritually and physically. He alone has done more for us than any other mortal to walk the face of the earth. As Joseph Smith so eloquently stated “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” (1) By becoming one with the Savior, His infinite atonement becomes the most important part of our life. It becomes our life.

Yet, this challenge of becoming one with Christ is by far the greatest difficulty we will face in this life. This single goal is far more difficult than climbing to the heights of the Himalayas, or descending to the depths of the greatest abyss in the deepest ocean. Many have battled and conquered nations, even more have battled sicknesses and disease. Millions have overcome almost impossible feats. Yet the struggle to become one with the Lord is far more difficult and challenging than any other feat known to man. For to accomplish such a lofty goal we must look to the very deepest part of our soul and climb to the highest point of heaven, peering through the clouds, gaining a greater and greater view of the eternities until with time we can look upon our Savior and Friend. With this pursuit comes many perils; yet also with this same pursuit comes the greatest of all gifts that we can gain, that of knowing the very Creator of the Universe, the Great I AM, the Savior, Lord and Redeemer. For “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

To become one with Him is to come unto Him and partake of His goodness. It is to become like unto Him. When He becomes one with us we begin to reflect the illuminating light of His persona by the lives we live. As we more fully make Christ the center of our lives, the focus no longer is upon us but is centered upon Him. All that we do, all that we are, all that we say is what He would do, be and say. We become reflectors of His light so that others may glorify and praise His name forever more.

Christ as the Master Teacher uses all things to teach of Himself. Thus, as we study the scriptures we will find on every page attributes and characteristics of our Savior. As we examine each story, each chapter and each verse, we will find that we better know the Lord. In seeing how men and women of old overcame, we are taught how Christ overcame all things. When we read of great prophets and their wives, we learn of who the Savior is. Each of these faithful men and women are a type of Christ. Each in their own way is a blueprint for how we can become one with the Lord. Thus, within the sections of this blog, the scriptures will be used as a foundation in showing how we may become one with Christ. In doing so, I hope to teach lessons learned from the scriptures that point to the attributes and character of Christ. Each chapter has been chosen because of its importance in each of our lives. With each of these principles comes power. With the development of each of these attributes will come a greater unity with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are taught in the scriptures that “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20-21). Thus when we first learn of the law and then obey, we are enabled or empowered by that same law. We are empowered to progress as the Savior did while in mortality, from grace to grace. John the Baptist said “And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness” (D&C 93:13).

While teaching his disciples just before he was to be crucified Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). If we desire to become one with our Redeemer we must walk the path He walked, we must live the life He lived, we must do the works that He performed. This is the hope of this section of this blog, to help solidify the attributes and works of Christ in each of us, so that we can better follow the path that He set out before us. To better become like the Savior, to walk the path of perfection that we may once again return to live with Him. “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

(1) Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (1938), 121.

Charity of Christ

The Earthquake by James Tissot

In a class we were discussing charity and how it is the true love of Christ. As I was thinking of Christ's last days, I realized how much he did for others while he was in pain and agony. He gave comfort to his disciples who were fearful. He healed the soldier's ear that had been cut off by Peter. He sought to give comfort to the woman as he carried his own cross. He told the thief hanging with him that the man would be in heaven. He asked John to care for his mother. The only time in this entire period in which he cared for himself was when the scriptures say that he complained of thirst. This is true charity. To care for all others before self, no matter what may be happening to you. This is what Christ taught. This is what Christ lived.