The members of Zion, working together and joining their efforts, are presently producing plentiful fruits of the gospel worldwide. Through mutual support and the tangible demonstration of love that brings joy to Heavenly Father, it seems that He has bestowed favorable outcomes.
In the parable, a priest and a Levite encountered a dying man on the road but chose to pass by. Conversely, the Samaritan came across the same scene on his journey. Moved by compassion, he took care of him without hesitation. So, who among these three will receive eternal life? It is the Samaritan who had mercy on him (Lk 10:25–37).
Showing mercy to others is crucial. The priest and the Levite, despite their strict adherence to God’s commandments, overlooked the dying man. When we deeply explore God’s commandments, we discover love within them. However, since the priest and the Levite merely observed God’s commandments on the surface, they lacked love. The Bible emphasizes the importance of faith and hope but declares that love surpasses them all. It also asserts that love fulfills the law (1 Co 13:13; Ro 13:8–10).
Our Heavenly Father, driven by compassion, came to the earth for our sake. He took pity on souls destined for hell due to sins committed in heaven. Though immortal, He put on flesh like thorns, enduring crucifixion to atone for our sins. Likewise, we should cultivate compassion for our Zion family members. Without compassion, we cannot find our Zion family members lovely anymore and preaching is also hindered. Compassion prompts us to care for dying souls. If we are not compassionate, we may speak or act thoughtlessly, causing hurt; but if we are compassionate, we refrain from speaking words that may hurt others, fearing their pain. That is love.
Heavenly Father said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). The love bestowed by Father is sacrificial, as He sacrificed Himself to save us. Only when we cherish our brothers and sisters and love them as ourselves as Father did, can we save the souls. God wants the knowledge of God, that is, the knowledge of His love, more than sacrifice; He wants mercy and compassion (Hos 6:6). If you know God, you will learn love from God. It is written that we gain nothing if we do not have love even if we surrender our body to the flames. The greatest love is to lead people to receive eternal life and go to the kingdom of heaven. This love is patient, not rude, and endures everything (1 Co 13:1–7).
Today, amidst numerous calamities and various difficulties, people struggle to live. Everyone desires the heavenly kingdom overflowing with eternal life and joy, free from pain and sorrow. However, many fail to reach it because they do not know the truth leading to there. They suffer from a famine of hearing the words of God and a thirst for the love of God (Am 8:11–13). We should diligently preach the Passover, which contains the blessing of eternal life, with compassion toward them. It is not enough to merely convey the truth; we must take care of them with love until they grow in faith to practice God’s word. To resist the schemes of the devil, we must always put on the full armor of the Holy Spirit of God, and ensure our loved ones do the same (Eph 6:10–17). To do this, we must should hold fast to God’s word (1 Ti 6:3–6). Isn’t it love desiring to feed spiritual food to even one soul to bring them to life?
What must we do to receive eternal life? If we keep the Passover, we have eternal life. The Passover is the tree of life, which is God and love. Just as God leads us with His love and mercy, let us strive to save souls with love. Let us share the blessing of eternal life through the Passover, and extend mercy, too. If, with the warmhearted love of the Good Samaritan, we compassionately care for each soul, then within the depths of emotions, the abundant fruit of the gospel will be borne. Let us give thanks to Father for saving us and making us gospel workers, and complete the gospel of the kingdom with love and unity. Believing firmly that Father will fulfill His promises, let us practice God’s words and receive abundant blessings. I hope that you will be given many rewards and radiant crowns in the kingdom of heaven.
