Sunday, January 2

We

became gentle in the midst of you.—1 Thess. 2:7.

Jesus was patient and understanding. When his disciples needed correction, he offered it with love. (Mark 9:33-37) He encouraged them by expressing confidence that they would be effective preachers of the good news. No man has ever been a more loving teacher than Jesus. The love he showed to his disciples impelled them to love him in return and to keep his commandments. (John 14:15) Like Jesus, his disciples displayed deep love and affection for those to whom they preached. Enduring persecution and risking death, they ministered to others and succeeded in preaching the good news. What affection they felt for those whom they helped spiritually! Touching indeed are the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote: “Having a tender affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because you became beloved to us.”—1 Thess. 2:8