TOPIC: BE GENTLE TOWARD OTHERS
1. STORY
The sun and wind had a dispute over which of the
two was the stronger. One day an opportunity arose
to settle the dispute. A person dressed
in a coat was walking down a country road. The sun said to the wind that the one who
could make the person remove the coat faster would be the winner. The wind went first. He blew and blew, but the more he blew, the
tighter the person held on to the coat. Finally, exhausted, the wind gave up. Then the sun took over. It merely shone on the person and within
minutes, the person took off the coat. The
moral of the story is you can achieve more by gentleness than by violence.
2. GOSPEL, MATTHEW 11: 25-30
A) LEARN FROM ME
Jesus is our great teacher who taught us by his words. He taught us forgiveness in the story of the
prodigal son. He taught us about how
some people need extra help by the story of the Good Shepherd. He taught us to help others by the story of
the Good Samaritan. Jesus taught us by
his work. He cared for the needy, the
lame, the blind, the hungry and the sick. He comforted those in sorrow and forgave the
sinners.
B) I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE OF HEART
Jesus was gentle.
i) He was understanding when dealing with the problems and difficulties
of others.
ii) He was forgiving and not critical of those who were sinners.
iii) He helped people become better. Jesus was humble as he always obeyed his
Father's will.
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) LEARN FROM JESUS
i) Many people teach us by their words and actions such as our parents,
relatives, friends, and school teachers. We are taught by what we
read from newspapers, magazines, what we watch on TV and the computer, and what
we hear on the radio.
ii) We must remember that our great teacher is Jesus. He teaches us when we attend Mass, read the bible, and other spiritual books. He teaches us through our Pope, bishop and priests. He teaches us through our parents and good friends.
B) BE GENTLE TOWARD OTHERS
We are gentle toward others by our words:
i) When we use kind, forgiving, encouraging, and supportive words.
ii) When we avoid using nasty, harsh, and hurtful words.
iii) When we are gentle toward others by works.
a) When we help those in need by using our time and money to make life a
bit easier for them.
b) When we give our time to listen to people, to make a phone call
showing our concern, and to visit the sick in the hospitals.
4) CONCLUSION
Just as the warm sun was stronger than the powerful wind, so too was
Jesus powerful as he treated people by his word and actions and taught us to
treat others by our words and actions in a gentle way. We follow Jesus' good example by using kind
and encouraging words and by treating people with care and respect.
