Jesus indicated that those who follow Him will become like Him (Matt. 10:25). What does it mean to "be like Jesus" in today's complex world? Matthew paints eight portraits of what Christ-likeness looks like, including:
#7: To Be Like Jesus Means...
TO SERVE OTHERS (Matt. 8:1--9:38)
The Sermon on the Mount was immediately followed by "deeds in the valley." Christlike values lead to servant actions--and it was obedient action that Jesus cared about, not just sermonizing (Matt. 7:21-29). Jesus modeled how to do the will of God by actively serving more than 25 different people (Mt. chs. 8-9). These included such undesirables as lepers, an officer of the Roman occupation troops, the sick, the demon-possessed, cave dwellers, tax collectors, and a diseased, outcast woman. If we want to be like Jesus, we need to befriend those who are weak, under oppression, or without Christ. Like Him, we need to become "a friend of sinners" (Mt. 11:19). He offered much more than religious information--He served them.
(from the Word in Life Study Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers)