New Testament Lesson #12 "I Am the Bread of Life"

John 5-6; Mark 6:30-44; Matthew 14:22-33

WITNESSES OF CHRIST

As Jesus Christ was going about doing good, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, cleansing the lepers, casting out the devils, and teaching eternal truths, the Jews repeatedly sought his death.  What was up with that?  Why would they want to kill someone who did only wonderful benevolent things?  The odd answer is because of their religion.  They considered it religious high treason that he would proclaim himself the Son of God, "making himself equal with God" (John 5:18).

Admittedly, it would be rather difficult to believe that a man who was standing before you, living, breathing, and looking in every way human, could be the Son of God.  But Jesus pointed out to them many times, and particularly explicitly in this reading assignment, that there were more than enough credible witnesses to his divine Sonship to prove it, especially for a people who professed to believe so strongly in the scriptures.  He itemized four completely trustworthy witnesses.

"If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

(1) "[But] there is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.  Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.  And he received not his testimony of man, but of God, and ye yourselves say that he is a prophet, therefore ye ought to receive his testimony.  These things I say that ye might be saved.  He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

(2) "But I have greater witness that that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

(3) "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me...

(4) "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: [but] they are they which testify of me.  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."  (John 5:31-40 JST)

The scriptures were of utmost importance to the scribes and pharisees, and they thought that the Law of Moses, contained in the scriptures, would be the source of their salvation.  The law was merely there to bring them to Christ, and yet they would not come.  Therefore, their trust that eternal life was found in the scriptures was misplaced because they did not use the scriptures to find the Savior.

"Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.  But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

THE LETTER OF THE LAW VS. THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW

When I was expecting my fourth child, I had three very small boys ages 1, 3 and 5.  I was morning sick, and was recovering from a strep infection when I received the glorious and unexpected blessing of having my very active 1-year-old fall sound asleep for a nap.  My older two children were fairly calm and obedient and the idea of a nap for myself was so divine that I dared to ask them if they would go downstairs and play together quietly while I got a little rest.  They asked, "Can we paint?"  In our basement we had an old dining room table for the boys to use for their artistic endeavors, we had paper and watercolor paints and we had art smocks, so I said, "Sure, as long as you don't get any paint on the carpet or on your clothes."  I went into my bedroom and fell into a deep and blessed sleep.

When I woke up, I glanced at the clock and nearly had a heart attack:  I had slept for two hours!What was even more alarming was that I couldn't hear anything from the basement: always a bad sign when small children are involved.

I dashed down the stairs, and this is what I found:

(scroll down)

The boys had gone into the storage room, which had no carpet, removed all their clothes but their underwear, and painted each other to their hearts' content!  They had kept the rules, but missed the point.

The Jews were very like my two boys (only not nearly as cute):  they focused on every detail of the law while entirely misunderstanding the gospel.

An example of this huge oversight can be found at the pool of Bethesda where lay "a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water" (John 5:3).  Bruce R. McConkie wrote, "No doubt these waters had--as hot mineral springs do in our day--some curative and healing powers, which gave rise to a legend, among the superstitious and spiritually illiterate Jews, that 'an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water,' and that 'whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had'" (The Mortal Messiah, Book 2, p. 66).

In a previous lesson, we read of the paralyzed man whose friends let him down through the roof so that Jesus could heal him.  Because of their faith, Jesus said, the miracle was performed for him (Mark 2:1-5).  They were living pure, faith-filled religion.  But no one would help the palsied man who lay at the pool of Bethesda.  Instead, others rushed down greedily, to soak up the waters for themselves (John 5:6-7).  Of course, Jesus was always concerned for the one.  And it did not matter whether the pool was there or not.  Jesus said to him simply, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath" (John 5:8-9).

Not only were the people not helping this suffering man, but when they later saw him carrying his bed and walking, they didn't rejoice with him, but they chastised him for breaking the sabbath.  He told them of the command of the Savior to rise up and carry his bed, another one of those many, many works that clearly testified that Jesus was the Son of God, but the Jews saw it only as a breaking of the law.  They didn't understand that the law without the gospel contained in it was a fruitless false religion.  As James later wrote, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is" not just to remain personally holy, but to love and serve others (James 1:27), and Jesus taught that "All the law and the prophets" could be encapsulated in the simple commandment to love (Matt. 22:37-40).  Over and over, Jesus was showing them how to live real religion, but only a few got the message.

Question:  Are we too busy living our religion to live the gospel?

"When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align.  Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful.  Our lives take on new meaning.  Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound.  Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden" (Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, p. 21).

"All of the cute handouts, well-orchestrated meetings and finely decorated events can never compensate for true love of the people we serve.  A person will be able to read past this 'fluff' and see if your actions and intentions truly show that you have love and concern for them, or if you are simply trying to mark your box as 'done.' Instead of spending money and time on elaborate programs and materials, why not spend the time attending an event of that person's, dropping by during a Sunday walk to say 'Hi,' or offering your time to help them?  We have recently been the beneficiary of many of these acts of kindness and can testify that this is how we truly know members around us sincerely care; even those who are not 'assigned' to us."  (James & Andrea Nye, Logan Utah East Stake Star, March 2011, Vol. 32, Issue 1.)

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not the "icing on the cake," but the "bread of life."

THE BREAD OF LIFE

I found two wonderful articles on the Bread of Life, and I am providing links to them, rather than picking out quotes or paraphrasing, because they are just too good to slice up.  The first relates the events of John 6 to the Exodus.  The second tells how the spiritual hunger of today can be alleviated by coming to Christ, the Bread of Life.

Thomas R. Valetta, "The True Bread of Life," Ensign, Mar. 1999

Jeffrey R. Holland, "He Hath Filled the Hungry With Good Things," Ensign, Nov. 1997

(Note:  If you have the time and means and a smallish class, you may want to make mini loaves of bread using frozen Rhodes Texas Roll Dough.  Thaw and roll into 4-inch loaves and place them either in 2 x 4 inch mini loaf pans, or an inch apart from each other in a rectangular pan.  Follow the instructions for rising and baking printed on the package.  Or use your own homemade bread or roll dough.  Put each loaf in a small plastic bag, and tie it with a tag that has John 6:35 printed on it.)

New Testament Lesson #11 "He Spake Many Things unto Them in Parables"

Matthew 13

WHY PARABLES?

"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  And he spake many things unto them in parables" (vs. 1-3).  (Remember the awesome acoustic effect of the Bay of Parables?  If not, you can read about it in "The Calling of the Apostles" in a previous post.)

"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand" (vs. 10-13 JST).  Then he quoted a prophecy of Isaiah's about this very thing (vs. 14-15).

Why would Jesus not want everyone to understand what he was really teaching?

The answer can be found in the words "receiveth" and "continueth not to receive."

Parables were a great way to give each individual a kind of trial, a sample of the gospel.  If they were sincerely interested in the doctrine behind the parable, they could simply ask later and he would tell them.  But in his mercy, he provided this extra step so that spiritual knowledge was not obtained too easily, because:

"Of him unto whom much is given much is required, and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation" (D&C 82:3; see also Luke 12:36-48).  Or as Peter said, "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (2 Peter 2:20-21).  The Lord was protecting the insincere, the spiritually handicapped, from knowledge that would condemn them.

But for those who will take the one extra step--to ask--great treasures are found.  "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (Matt. 13:16-17).

As we look at the parables, notice how they are placed in a way that enhances our understanding.  There is a theme to each parable, to pairs of parables, and to the entire set.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (vs. 3-8)

In explanation of this parable, Elder McConkie wrote, "The seed is the word of God, the gospel of salvation.  Jesus preaches it and he directs his servants so to do.  And the seed is the same whether sown by the owner of the field or by the servants whom he employs.  And as to whether the seed sprouts and grows and ripens and is harvested, such depends not upon the seed, but upon the soil...Thus, this parable of the sower, as we are wont to call it, might more aptly be considered as the parable of the four kinds of soil.  The growth of the seed depends upon the nature of the soil; it depends upon the hearts and minds and souls of the hearers of the word (McConkie, p. 249).

There are four different types of soil:

1) the way side
2) the stony places
 3) the thorny soil
4) the good ground

The Savior himself explained the parable very well to his disciples later (vs. 18-23), and so it is easy for us to understand.  But we must always relate the parables to ourselves and see where we stand, and how we can improve.  We are the soil.  We are probably each of the four types of soil at some point in our lives.  What kind of soil are we right now?

1) The way side refers to the paths or roads through farmers' lands. 

They are unplowed and are hardened by the treading of many travelers' and beasts' feet and the rolling of heavy cart wheels.  A seed sown in such a place will simply lie on top of the ground, easy prey for birds. 

In this condition of soil, we have already had our hearts filled with false doctrines and worldly knowledge.  We have become eye-rollers, scoffers.  We already know too much to accept simple gospel truths. 

Or our hearts have been hardened by the trials of life.  We don't believe God speaks to us or cares about us. 

It is easy for Satan, just like the birds, to snatch away the truth from us, because we never provided a space for it to enter our hearts in the first place.

2) The stony places have a thin layer of soil with rock underneath. 

The rock can trap water for a time, providing a great opportunity for the seed to sprout up quickly.  But once the rainy season is over, the rock collects heat and bakes the seedling, while also keeping its roots from digging deep for a permanent water source.

Are we sometimes a stony place?  We got super-excited about something we heard at General Conference, and we felt the Spirit prompt us to do it, and we were going to follow through on it, we really were...but then we got busy...or it was too hard...or we forgot...or we lost interest.  A lack of commitment is the problem.  We become fair-weather saints.  When it is fun and easy to live the gospel, we do it with zest.  But when the going gets hard, the initial excitement has worn off, and real depth of commitment and sacrifice are required, we give up or wander off. 

Or sometimes the rocks under the soil are our unrepented-of sins.  As long as we leave them there, they provide a very effective barrier between ourselves and the spring of living water under the ground.  When the light of truth shines down on us, the rock of sin heats up and kills the seed.

3) Thorns or noxious weeds will easily choke out any good seed.

Probably every one of us falls into this category over and over throughout our lives.  We get carried away with wordly things--schedules, commitments, aspirations, appearances, entertainment, conflicts with others, earthly appetites or addictions--and these take up "all of our time, talents, and everything with which we have been blessed," so there is little left for building the kingdom.

We're so out of focus that we don't notice the overgrowth, or it may be that we like the lush look of the weeds.  Either way, we don't bother to pull them and eventually they choke out the seed.

4) The good soil is prepared to receive seed, and provides space and nourishment for the seed.  It is in full view of the sun, and is willing to accept the rain as another necessary ingredient of growth.

Anyone can become good soil, but it takes work and sometimes pain. 

1) The long, sharp tines of the harrow can be raked through the hardened dirt of the wayside path.  The dirt can be overturned with a plow or a shovel.  Fertilizer can be worked into the soil.  It's painful, it's unpleasant, but it's necessary.

2) The rocks can be dug up and hauled away from the stony ground.  It is backbreaking, painstaking, time-consuming work.  But it can be done.

3) The weeds can be killed and pulled.  Extra care must be taken with weeds, however: if the dead weeds are left on the soil for any period of time, they will drop their seeds in an effort to preserve themselves, causing many more weeds to spring up in their place.  They must be cast far away from the garden.

4) It sounds like a lot of work to prepare soil for seed, and it is, but the payoff is huge:  "He that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth and endureth; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matt. 13:23).  Wow!  That is an amazing return!

THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES (vs. 24-30, 36-42 JST)

Perhaps this parable is here just to remind us that 1) even if the soil of our hearts is prepared, tilled, cleared, and weeded, we will still be surrounded by challenges, but 2) we can endure to the end without being "choked out" by the weeds, and 3) we will triumph eventually.  The struggle will be worth it and the harvest will still be great.

THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED (vs. 31-32)

Bruce R. McConkie reported that both of the symbols in this parable would have been well-known, and the meaning would have been clear to any listening.  Mustard seeds were often used by the rabbis as examples of the smallest things possible.  A tree with branches large enough to host birds was clearly known in ancient Israel to symbolize "a mighty kingdom that gave shelter to the nations" (McConkie, p. 260-261).  (See Ezekiel 17, 31 and Daniel 4.)

"Mustard seeds are highly renowned for the high amounts of glucosinolates, which are believed to have anticancer properties. They are a good source of iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorous, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and zinc" (Ask Dr. Gott website).  Whether ancient Israel knew all of the nutritional and medicinal properties of mustard may be doubtful, but Christ did, and perhaps this information has meaning for us today to symbolize how the gospel helps us to grow spiritually, and heals and prevents spiritual disease and decay.

Isn't the mustard blossom the cheeriest-looking little thing?  When seeing this little gem of a flower, it's easy to feel the gigantic hope in the itty-bitty, expressed in the parable of the mustard seed.

Joseph Smith explained the parable of the mustard seed:  "Now we can discover plainly that this figure is given to represent the Church as it shall come forth in the last days.  Behold, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto it.  Now, what is like unto it?

"Let us take the Book of Mormon, which a man took and hid in his field, securing it by his faith, to spring up in the last days, or in due time; let us behold it coming forth out of the ground, which is indeed accounted the least of all seeds, but behold it branching forth, yea, even towering, with lofty branches, and God-like majesty, until it, like the mustard seed, becomes the greatest of all herbs.  And it is truth, and it has sprouted and come forth out of the earth, and righteousness begins to look down from heaven, and God is sending down His powers, gifts and angels, to lodge in the branches thereof.

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a mustard seed.  Behold, then is not this the Kingdom of Heaven that is raising its head in the last days in the majesty of God, even the Church of the Latter-day Saints" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 98-99).

The Church has made a short video of its growth up until the year 2007, with beautiful and inspiring music, which you can download here.

THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN (v. 33)

In ancient Israel, bread was leavened by simply letting it sit long enough for the yeast in the environment to work its way into the dough and grow and ferment there, similar to the way we might make sourdough bread.

Elder McConkie points out that, while the tiny mustard seed grew into a large tree that showed the kingdom of heaven in a way that all the world could see, the invisible "leaven worked silently, without observation, unknown to many among men, to establish the plans and purposes of Divine Providence...In this parable of the leaven we see the glory and triumph of the kingdom in the hearts of men...The leaven of life, the leaven of righteousness, the leaven of the word of God--the yeast of eternal truth--is 'kneaded' into the souls of men.  Then its spreading, penetrating, life-giving effect enlarges the soul and 'raises' sinners into saints" (McConkie, p. 262).  Both visible world growth and invisible inner growth are miracles prophesied in Christ's parables, and being fulfilled today.

THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE (v. 44)

There has always been hidden treasure in Israel (Wright, p. 249).  Many civilizations passed through, conquering or being conquered, over the centuries.  Men leaving for battle, or for a long journey, used the earth itself to keep their treasures safe while they were gone.  If they returned, they could reclaim their buried treasure.  If they did not, it remained to be found by someone else.  With all the upheaval and unrest in the middle east throughout its entire history, the burying and finding of treasure were familiar topics with Christ's audience.

The treasure belonged to the land on which it was hidden.  If one found buried treasure, the wise thing to do would be to rebury it, and discretely purchase the land.  Of course, it was expensive to purchase land and the man in the parable had to sell everything he had to buy it, but if there was buried treasure on the land, he knew the return would be much more than the purchase price.

This parable also has a twin:  The parable of the pearl of great price.  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it" (vs. 45-46).

In the first parable, the man stumbled across the treasure accidentally.  In the second, the merchant sought a pearl.  The converts to the Church fall in both categories, but what matters is whether they recognize the worth of the find so that they are willing to "sell all" to obtain it.

THE PARABLE OF THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE (v. 45-46)

One of our books of scripture got its name from this parable.  "The Pearl of Great Price began as a mission pamphlet, compiled and published in 1851 by Elder Franklin D. Richards, then president of the European Mission of the Church.

“'It is presumed,' Elder Richards wrote, 'that true believers in the Divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, will appreciate this little collection of precious truths as a Pearl of Great Price that will increase their ability to maintain and to defend the holy faith by becoming possessors of it.' (Preface, 1851 ed., p. v.)

"Pearls grow and develop until they become priceless. Our fourth volume of scripture likewise grew from a small beginning as a mission pamphlet to occupy a position beside the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants" (Clark).

The original pamphlet edition of The Pearl of Great Price contained the book of Abraham, parts of Joseph Smith's Bible translation, selected revelations now found in The Doctrine and Covenants that dealt with basic ordinances of the gospel, the second coming of Christ, and the rise of the latter-day Church.  There were extracts from Joseph Smith's history, explanatory revelations about Bible passages, a poem by John Jacques entitled "O, Say What is Truth?" (which is now in our hymnal) and Joseph Smith's 13 Articles of Faith.

"The Pearl of Great Price was not originally compiled by an official committee of the Church and did not become a collection as a direct result of a commandment to the President of the Church or by specific appointment from the First Presidency, so far as the record shows" (Clark).  Many Europeans in the 19th century recognized the great worth of President Richards' Pearl of Great Price and consequently joined the Church.

President Richards' pamphlet was a perfect example of the scripture, "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily, I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness" (D&C 58:27).

We, like President Richards, can see a need for the gospel in the world around us, or in our own little circle of family and friends, and share the "pearl of great price" which we have found with them.

THE PARABLE OF THE GOSPEL NET (vs. 47-50 JST)

"The net here meant is a draw net or a seine, which may be as much as half a mile in length; it is leaded below so it will sweep the bottom of the sea, while corks keep the top floating near the surface.  As it is swept along the beach it gathers in fish of every sort without reference to their ultimate use or worth" (McConkie p. 266). 

Here is an illustration of a modern-day seine:

Like the parable of the wheat and the tares, this parable tells of a large group of people, some of whom are wicked and some of whom are righteous.  The big difference in the two parables, however, is that the wheat and tares are growing in the field of the world, but the fish are all inside the gospel net: they are members of the Church.  Among these, Elder McConkie says, "Some are repentant and worthy and will be put in vessels; others are swept along by the tides of social pressure.  Some are drawn in by the tight net of business necessity and economic advantage; yet others join with the saints to inherit property, marry selected persons, or gain political preferment.  And all such shall be cast away with the wicked to be burned." 

Yikes!

"Those in the Church are not perfect, and more than church membership is needed to save and exalt.  Baptism alone is not enough: thereafter...they 'must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men'; they must feast 'upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end'" (McConkie, p. 266).

CONCLUSION: THE PARABLE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER (v. 52)

The last parable was important counsel which the true disciples of the Lord followed, but which was a stumblingblock for the leadership of the Jews:  "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."  The man in this parable recognized the worth of newly acquired treasure as well as that which had been handed down in his family.  Imagine someone who rejected a gift of great worth just because it was new!  How strange!  

The Old Testament was to be combined with the teachings of Christ which we now have in the New Testament, but many of the Scribes and Pharisees clung to the Old Testament while not realizing its very God, Jehovah, stood before them, offering more.  Christ's teachings were unnerving to many of his listeners.  They were comfortable with the scriptures and commandments they already had, but did not want Christ to elaborate on them, to add more light to them, or to change them.  Tradition was truth in their minds.

For us in the latter-days, the Book of Mormon and latter-day revelations are to be added to the Bible.  Christ also prophesied to Nephi that people of the latter-days would reject the new treasure.  "A Bible!  A Bible!" they would cry.  "We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible" (2 Nephi 29:3).

But we, if we are wise, will make a place in our garden for the seed the Savior sows every day and week in our lives.  We'll not worry about the tares around us, but will keep growing and reaching for the sun.  We'll help the kingdom expand in the world as a mustard tree, and in our hearts as a leaven.  We'll treasure truths we stumble upon, and truths we seek for diligently.  And if we do so, we will reap the blessing promised by Christ as he taught these parables:

"Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (v. 43).


SOURCES:

Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, Book 2
Fred H. Wright, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands
James R. Clark, "Our Pearl of Great Price: From Mission Pamphlet to Standard Work," Ensign, Aug. 1976

Where Are You?

Just for fun, I'd love to have readers tell where they live.  Blogger keeps some general data on pageviews, which is great, but it would be fun to have a personal report.  If you'd like to disclose your country, state, or city, just add a comment below.  (Names or profiles are not necessary.)  Thanks for reading!

New Testament Lesson #10 "Take My Yoke Upon You, and Learn of Me"

Matt. 11:28-30; 12:1-13; Luke 7:36-50; 13:10-17

Our lesson starts with the beautiful scripture:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

WAIT...WHAT?

How does this saying jell with all those other things Christ said?  Things like:

"He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:38).  A cross is not an easy burden! 

"Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life" (Matt. 19:29).  That doesn't sound easy!

"One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me" (Mark 10:21).  Okay, trading in everything you have for a cross?  That does not sound like a good deal.

And what happened to all those early Apostles who did this?  Did even one of them die a natural death?  No.  They were all martyrs for the cause.  Was that an easy burden?

And even in our latter-day luxury, as members of the Church, we are required to give all that we possess, our time, our talents, everything!  There are a whole lot of commandments, expectations and demands imposed upon us by our religion. 

How is that easy?

THE PARADOX OF THE CHRISTIAN WAY

A paradox is a "statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth" (Dictionary.com).  Christ's Way is very possibly the greatest paradox that ever was.  David H. Stern, a Messianic Jew (a Jew who believes in Christ), states it this way:  [Christ] speaks of his own easy yoke and light burden.  These two are sometimes contrasted in a way implying that in comparison with Judaism, Christianity offers 'cheap grace.'  But this saying...must be put alongside remarks such as [the "take up your cross" scripture].  The easy yoke consists in a total commitment to godliness through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It at once requires both no effort and maximal effort--no effort, in that the necessary moment-to-moment faith can not be worked up from within but is a gift of God; and maximal effort, in that there is no predeterminable level of holiness and obedience sufficient to satisfy God and let us rest on our laurels" (Stern, p. 44).

So how does it work?  What does this paradox really mean?

THE COST AND BENEFITS OF DISCIPLESHIP

Camille Fronk (Olson) listed five ways in which our burden becomes light when we are yoked with the Savior.

1) We can dispose of unnecessary baggage:  sins not repented of; sins repented of but still dwelled upon in guilt; being judgmental or competitive; worldly aspirations; grudges.  We are warned against many of these pitfalls in the Sermon on the Mount. 

2) We can gain sustaining power through the covenants we make.  They are the primary source of power in life.  When we covenant, God promises to bear us up.

3) We get mutual support from other saints, as agreed in our baptismal covenant.  There is a synergy in the Church.  We help each other, and we gain wisdom from each other's trials without having to personally experience them all ourselves.  We rejoice with each other, and our joy is doubled.

4) The Lord makes us stronger.  We build spiritual muscle through consistent use.  We learn step by step, line upon line.

5)  Christ teaches us how to carry burdens, how to be "meek and lowly of heart."  We learn from him how to never be weary of well-doing, how to be patient in trials, how to submit to God's will.  Jesus knows how to carry a heavy burden.

The vendor in the picture below illustrates how a yoke helps--with the yoke, he can carry a much heavier load than he could with his arms.  Because of the leverage and balance provided by the yoke, the burden is distributed so well that it feels significantly lighter than its actual weight.  The vendor is able to reap the benefits of the heavier burden in his sales.  The yoke is a tremendous boon to him.

THROWING OUT THE YARDSTICK

Until we take Christ's yoke upon us, we expend a lot of effort checking to see if we have given enough to the Savior.  We have our checklist of commandments.  We have our Mormon culture that adds even more to the checklist.  We have things we need to give up in our lives, and things we need add.  When we try to keep track of our checklist of individual commandments, it is as if this vendor were trying to carry all of these items in his arms.  We don't find the burden easy until we give ourselves over completely, and that is why Christ taught us to "Love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you" (Moro. 10:32).  When we take up the yoke of Christ, we throw out the scales and the yardstick.

"It sounds so hard to give in a trusting, unmeasured way.  And yet it is the measuring that wears us out...It is precisely this exhaustion the Lord is adressing when he says, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest'...

"Once I believed that I could give well-being to others with no yoke at all--by telling them that they were wonderful just the way they were.  Now I know...I was trying to give them pride.  It must surely have stood in the way of their peace.  A yoke is necessary, I now know, but not a heavy 'checklister's yoke.'  It is the light burden and the easy yoke of giving your whole heart--doing all you can and looking to the Lord to make up for your inadequacy...We can have peace...It comes through identifying that the need of our heart is grace, and that grace comes when the motivation for our unmeasured doing is founded in love" (Rasband, p. 29-30).

A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

This leads us into one way in which Christ teaches us how to carry heavy burdens so that they will be light.
There is really only one commandment: To love.  "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Gal. 5:14).  There are many different ways in which to express that love, including making and keeping covenants, serving in the kingdom, learning about our Savior, giving up our sins through the Atonement.  Often we get confused and base our obedience not on the real commandment, the commandment to love, but on some fear-based motivation.  Therefore, almost every "commandment" we "keep" can be either a heavy burden or a light and joyful burden.

There are two principles of the gospel that work hand-in-hand with love, forming a magnificent trio with which we can "do all things through Christ which strengtheneth" us.  They apply to our very salvation, but they also apply to everyday situations and problems.  In order to achieve goals, make changes, repent of sins, magnify our callings, or make any positive, permanent steps toward becoming more like Christ and receiving his peace in our lives, we must exercise faith, hope, and charity.  These three comprise a true formula for success in any righteous endeavor. 

"Christ truly said...If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me" (Moro. 10:23).  "Faith is a principle of action and of power...True faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action" (Bible Dictionary, Faith).  Faith refers to the works that you do to create the change.  Your faith must be based on Jesus Christ and his ability to help in you in order for it to have full effect.  Exercising your faith gives you reason to hope for change, even "hope for a better world," both in this earthly existence and in the next life.

"...Hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast" (Ether 12:4).  Hope seems an unassuming, ethereal principle, but it is absolutely essential to this process.  "If ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity" (Moro. 10:22).  What?  Despair is a sin?  What is the sin?  A lack of faith in Christ.  (See "The Miracle of Peace" in a previous lesson for more on this.)  Faith and love form the breastplate of righteousness, but hope is the helmet, the vision, the perspective, the frame of mind that makes the other two efficacious (1 Thess. 5:8).

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.  Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all..." (Moro. 7:46).  Why is charity essential?  Because it is the only thing that works!  Let's look at a familiar scripture:  "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained...only by [the attributes of charity:] persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness...love unfeigned..." (D&C 121:41).  Let's revisit this scripture, not worrying about what we ought to do.  "No power or influence CAN...be maintained..."  It isn't just that we should have love; it is that love is the only motivation that will work to effect lasting change.

Plug this formula into any problem you are having, any sin issue you need to overcome, any relationship challenge, any habit you would like to change, any goal you would like to reach, any trial you must endure, and you will find that it is a true formula for success.

Let's take a change that is easy for many to relate to:  Getting in good physical condition.  If the motivation is self-loathing because of your past sloth and overindulgence, and embarrassment over your extra pounds, you may succeed for a while, but eventually the feelings of resentment and deprivation will take over.  For lasting success, the motivation needs to be love-based:  gratitude and respect for your mortal body, greater energy to do the things you love, ability to enjoy nature more easily, longevity of life, etc.  Any motivation that is not love-based is fear-based and works in opposition to the mind of Christ.  "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7).

You must also exercise faith.  You must take action.  You must employ a fitness plan that is based on true principles so that you can have faith in the process.  The guidance of the Spirit can help you know which path to take.  You must have faith that Jesus Christ will help you to succeed.  Therefore, you must also have a knowledge that your goal is in line with his plan for your life.  This can be validated through prayer and the ensuing personal revelation.  You must also have faith in yourself and in your ability to change with the Savior's help.

And you must not overlook hope, which so many often do!  Hope is the expectation, the vision, the attitude of success.  You must be positively focused at all times, even when--especially when--the going gets rough.  You need a clear vision of what you hope to accomplish, and an expectation that it will come to pass.

Without an ongoing state of hope, you will lose faith and stop action. 

Without the action of faith, you will lose hope or have a false hope. 

Without love, you will run out of patience and energy before the process is completed with the resulting change solidly in place.

The divine formula of faith, hope and charity is one way that Christ's easy yoke makes our burdens light.

BOTH HARDER AND EASIER

C.S. Lewis wrote:  "The ordinary idea which we all have before we become Christians is this.  We take as starting point our ordinary self with its various desires and interests.  We then admit that something else--call it 'morality' or 'decent behaviour,' or 'the good of society'--has claims on this self: claims which interfere with its own desires.  What we mean by 'being good' is giving in to those claims.  Some of the things the ordinary self wanted to do turn out to be what we call 'wrong': well, we must give them up.  Other things, which the self did not want to do, turn out to be what we call 'right': well, we shall have to do them.  But we are hoping all the time that when all the demands have been met, the poor natural self will still have some chance, and some time, to get on with its own life and do what it likes.  In fact, we are very like an honest man paying his taxes.  He pays them all right, but he does hope that there will be enough left over for him to live on.  Because we are still taking our natural self as the starting point.

"As long as we are thinking that way, one or other of two results is likely to follow.  Either we give up trying to be good, or else we become very unhappy indeed.  For, make no mistake: if you are really going to try to meet all the demands made on the natural self, it will not have enough left over to live on.  The more you obey your conscience, the more your conscience will demand of you.  And your natural self, which is thus being starved and hampered and worried at every turn, will get angrier and angrier.  In the end, you will either give up trying to be good, or else become one of those people who, as they say, 'live for others' but always in a discontented, grumbling way--always wondering why the others do not notice it more and always making a martyr of yourself.  And once you have become that you will be a far greater pest to anyone who has to live with you than you would have been if you have remained frankly selfish.

"The Christian way is different: harder, and easier.  Christ says 'Give me All.  I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You.  I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it.  No half-measures are any good.  I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down...Hand over...the whole outfit.  I will give you a new self instead.  In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.'" (Lewis, p. 1076-1077).

THE REST OF THE LORD

Now let's go back to those early martyrs.  How was the yoke easy and the burden light for them?  We will let Paul answer for himself:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:1-5).

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28).

"If God be for us, who can be against us?...For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:31, 38-39).

"Why face life's burdens alone," President Howard W. Hunter asked, "or why face them with temporal support that will quickly falter?  To the heavy laden, it is Christ's yoke, it is the power and peace of standing side by side with a God that will provide the support, balance, and the strength to meet our challenges and endure our tasks here in the hardpan field of mortality."

SOURCES:

David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, quoted in The C.S. Lewis Bible
Camille Fronk [Olson], "The Cost of True Discipleship," BYU Women's Conference, May 1999
Howard W. Hunter, "Come Unto Me," Ensign, November 1990 talk given at BYU Women's Conference, May 1999
Ester Rasband, Confronting the Myth of Self-Esteem
Joseph Fielding Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 58

Beautiful Painting

For those of you who have read beyond lesson #7 (most of you), I just want to draw your attention to a wonderful painting that was shared by a reader in the comments following that lesson this week.  Shari Lyons shared a link to her husband Howard Lyons' painting of the Savior calming the sea.  It includes his messages about the state of our faith as it compares to the disciples in the boat.  Thank you so much, Brother and Sister Lyons!  That is truly inspirational and absolutely gorgeous!

Here is the link:

http://fineart.howardlyon.com/2011/02/01/from-fear-to-faith/

New Testament Lesson #9 "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God"

Matthew 6-7

Preparation:  Bring a lamp and set it on the classroom table, but don't plug it in.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

"The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most significant testimony of our Lord ever recorded. It is a blueprint for exaltation because it bears witness of the Savior’s celestial nature" (Marsh).  Many people jokingly comment that life needs an instruction book.  Well, the Sermon on the Mount is just that.  "It is the constitution of Christian conduct—the rudder that should guide our actions and an important standard against which we can measure our spiritual development." (Bachman)

"The Sermon on the Mount is not an assemblage of disjointed sayings, spoken on diverse occasions, that have been combined in one place for convenience in presentation, as some uninspired commentators have speculated.  It is rather selected sayings, all spoken by Jesus on one day, following the ordination of the Twelve; it is that portion of his words, spoken on that occasion, which the Spirit knew should be preserved for us and for all men who seek truth" (McConkie, p. 117).

"The JST, like the Book of Mormon, makes it clear that the message now known as the Sermon on the Mount was directed to the Twelve Apostles and to the Savior’s disciples, or the baptized, covenant members of the Church...So in one sense the sermon was aimed at preparing the Saints to make covenants with God.  It was a call to a higher level of living as well as a mission call to share the gospel with others." (Marsh)

"This sermon is a recapitulation, a summary, and a digest of what men must do to gain salvation; and the eternal concepts in it are so stated that hearers (and readers) will get out of it as much as their personal spiritual capacity permits.  To some it will point the way to further investigation; to others it will confirm and reconfirm eternal truths already learned from the scriptures and from the preachers of righteousness of their day; and to those few whose souls burn with the fires of testimony, devotion, and valiance, it will be as the rending of the heavens: light and knowledge beyond carnal comprehension will flow into their souls in quantities that cannot be measured.  Every man must judge and determine for himself the effect the Sermon on the Mount will have upon him" (McConkie, p. 116).

OVERVIEW OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Bearing in mind Elder McConkie's statement above, it is easy to understand that there are many ways of viewing, analyzing, interpreting, and explaining the Sermon on the Mount, including those found in the links at the end of this posting.  Even the same person may see it in different ways and learn from it different things at different times in his or her life.  Here is my present perspective on the Sermon:

I.   Directions for Spiritual Development (Matt. 5:1-48)
II.  Pitfalls to Avoid (Matt. 6:1-7:6)
III. Counsel for the Journey (Matt: 7:7-23)
IV. Conclusion (Matt. 7:24-27)

Write the outline on the board, leaving space after sections II and III to fill in details from the discussion.  (Section I was covered in the last lesson.)


(Please notice there are four significant JST additions in the Bible appendix for Matthew 6 and 7 [p. 802-803]).
 
PLUGGING IN THE PRINCIPLES

Start fiddling with the lamp, trying to turn it on, and pretending that you don't realize it isn't plugged in.  Make a comment about how you know this is a really good lamp; why isn't it working?  Some helpful class member is sure to point out the problem, and you can then make the following point.


If I have a lamp with which to read at night, but I don't plug it in, I will not get any light.  No matter how good the lamp is, nothing will change for me; I will still be in the dark.  It must be plugged in to have the power to accomplish the task. 

Set your scriptures next to the lamp.

So is it the case with every gospel principle found in the scriptures.  We can read them, study them, know them, but until they are "plugged into" our everyday experience they won't have the power to enrich, enable, and sanctify our lives. 

So today we are going to discuss how we can "plug" the Sermon on the Mount into our lives.

Ask your class members to be thinking of specific examples of how living the Sermon on the Mount could make their lives happier this very week.  Very briefly review the "Directions for Spiritual Development" section, which was taught in the previous lesson.  Then divide the class up into two groups: one that will look over the "Pitfall" scriptures (6:1-7:6), and the other that will look over the "Counsel" scriptures (7:7-23).  You can use the ideas below to get the discussion started and also to elaborate on and validate the comments they share. 

I. DIRECTIONS FOR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

5:1-11    The Beatitudes (the "Constitution for a Perfect Life")
5:13-16  Responsibility for Example
5:17-20  The Fulfillment of the Law
5:21-47  Examples of the Higher Law
5:48       Conclusion: These things will complete/perfect you

(See the previous entry for more on this section.)

II. PITFALLS TO AVOID

Christ has shown us some specific danger zones that will rob us of happiness on our journey through life.  Anytime we are feeling unhappy, this list of pitfalls might be the first place to look to discover and eliminate the source of our misery.

Doing Good for Praise (Matt. 6:1-18)
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 6:1).

Do we feel diminished in the service we give to our families, neighbors or ward if no one notices/appreciates it?

Are we content having only "our Father which seeth in secret" know the extent of a sacrifice we make? 

Will we get "full credit" in heaven for a fast that includes the components of mentally or verbally whining, focusing every thought on food, and letting everyone know that we are suffering? 

Do we offer a "better" prayer at a church function than we do when we are home beside our bed?

Here is the reward for not doing good to be seen of men:  We are free to have joy in our service, because that joy is not dependant on someone else's opinion of what we have done.

          The Lord's Instructions on Prayer
          Nestled in the center of the Sermon on the Mount,
          we find the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).  Each line
          of the Lord's prayer is a guideline for an effective prayer.

  

          Elder Bernard P. Brockbank wrote, "I learned the
          Lord’s Prayer as a child, but it was years later that I
          learned that our Savior’s elegant, simple, masterful
          words were actually a commandment. In the Lord’s
          Prayer...he teaches us how to pray and tells us to follow
          his model. Once I began obeying that commandment,
          my prayers were more personal, more purposeful, more
          powerful.

          “'After this manner therefore pray ye,' the Lord instructed.
          Since he had just warned against 'vain repetitions' in
          prayers, we know that he meant for us to use his prayer
          as a model for our own."

          (For more detail and explanation, follow the link to Elder
          Brockbank's article at the bottom of this page.)

Treasuring Temporary Things (Matt. 6:19-44)
"Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth...but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (6:19-21).

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye [perspective] be single to [focused on] the glory of God, thy whole body [actions] shall be full of light" (6:22 JST).

"No man can serve two masters" (6:24).

"The first words we hear from [Christ's] premortal life as recorded in the scriptures are 'Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever' (Moses 4:2). The first words we have in the scriptures that the Savior spoke as a mortal include 'I must be about my Father’s business' (Luke 2:49). In Gethsemane He prayed, 'Not my will, but thine, be done' (Luke 22:42). His final words on the cross were 'Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit' (Luke 23:46) and 'Father, it is finished, thy will is done' (see JST, footnote to Matt. 27:50). From His premortal existence throughout His entire life, the Savior’s eye was single to doing the will of His Father.  To follow in the Savior’s footsteps is to assist the Father in His work and glory, which is 'to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39)." (Marsh)

Do we give priority in our schedules to gospel study, service, temple & family history work, church callings, care of our family, prayer, etc.?

Do the principles of the gospel excite us?  Do we find ourselves thinking about them throughout the week, and trying to apply them to situations we face?

Do we love serving others, or does it feel like a frustrating interruption in our schedule? 

If our friends do not share the same values, standards, and beliefs that we have, do we change to meet theirs, or do we stand as an example of the believers?

Do we fill our home environment with art, music, and media that reflect our eternal perspective?

Of course, if we are spending time enjoying sinful activities, it is clear that we are serving the wrong master altogether.  We cannot live a double life for long.

Here is the reward for not treasuring temporal (temporary) things:  We free ourselves to be more happy, because our happiness is not based on things that will not last, but on eternal things.

Worrying (Matt. 6:25-33 JST)
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?...Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  Wherefore, seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (6:25-33 JST).

Although the JST makes it clear that this was counsel to the Apostles as they were about to leave their livelihoods and start their full-time ministry, there is good counsel here for us as well.

Do we spend more time getting physically ready for church on Sunday, or getting spiritually ready for our communion at the sacrament table?

Do we worry excessively about money, health, safety, or things that are beyond our control despite doing our best to be prepared? 

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow...sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (6:34).  The Lord advises us to focus on the things in the present, where we can take action, rather than wasting energy on worries about the future, which we cannot see.  Of course, we must make plans for the future.  But if we think about it, the Spirit will sometimes prompt us to do something tomorrow or next week, but most often it will prompt us about what we should do today.  We are "of little faith" (6:30) if we think we have to anxiously micro-manage our lives, as well as worry about things that are beyond our control, rather than living by the Spirit and trusting the Lord to guide us and care for us day by day.

Here is the reward for not worrying:  We can feel at peace, and all our energies can be spent on things that we can control.

Judging (Matt. 7:1-5)
Righteous judgment involves distinguishing between good and evil, and we must make those judgments.  But in this instance, we are talking about avoiding unrighteous judgment, which puts us in a state of opposition to others.  Judging almost always involves comparison--comparing others with ourselves.  We may judge someone else to be better than us in some way, or worse than us in some way.  Either way, one of us is going to look good, and the other is going to look bad, and we are going to have a feeling of enmity.

Another way of looking at it is that judging effectively puts us on a different team from the other person.  Remember the Father's work and glory is to bring to pass their exaltation, as well as ours, and if we are going to be on His team, that means we are going to be on their team.  Any offenses or inadequacies, then, can be viewed from a merciful vantage point.  We can assume the best was intended even if we cannot understand it.  We can accept that another's way of doing things is different from but very possibly just as good as ours.  We can always keep in mind that everyone's spiritual development is in a different place on the road to perfection.  We can always attempt to view others through the lense of Christ's love.  We then avoid the feelings of jealousy, anger, intimidation, irritation, superiority, disgust, and any other competitive misery, and replace them with compassion.

Here is the reward for not judging:  If we stop comparing, our own peace and happiness are no longer related to what others have, do, or are.

Not Treating Sacred Things Casually (Matt. 7:6-7 JST)
The JST links up two seemingly unrelated thoughts in the Sermon.  "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (7:6).  Many have had the disheartening experience of sharing a very sacred memory, testimony, or even miracle with others, only to have them doubt its divine origin.  The JST therefore counsels, "Say unto them, Ask of God; ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Bible appendix, p. 803).   Rather than convincing others of our relationship with God, we are to teach that each person who will put forth the effort can have his own intelligence from God, his own personal miracles and transforming experiences.

Here is the reward for not treating sacred things casually:  The Lord will bless us with more sacred experiences, because we can be trusted.

COUNSEL FOR THE JOURNEY

How to Get Help (Matt. 7:7-11)
Take special note of the words "ask," "seek," "knock."  Effort is required.

"Spiritual knowledge is not available merely for the asking; even prayers are not enough.  It takes persistence and dedication of one's life" (Spencer W. Kimball, Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 389-390).

"The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them...We pray in Christ's name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ...Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ's name at all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man's heart" (Bible Dictionary, Prayer, p. 753).

How to Treat Others (Matt. 7:12)
The natural outgrowth of receiving the blessings from our Heavenly Father for which we ask, is the desire to bless others. This is what we call the Golden Rule: "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets [the teachings of the scriptures]" (7:12).  Possibly the top of the list of things we would like for men to do for us would be to forgive us of our shortcomings, errors, and sins, so this would be a good place for us to work on in keeping the Golden Rule.

Which Path to Take/Who To Follow (Matt. 7:13-14/Matt. 7:15-23)
There are many philosophies of men that teach "ask and ye shall receive," as does the Sermon on the Mount (7:7-8), but most of them disregard the truth that "strait is the gate and narrow the way" (6:13-14) to a full and rich life here on earth and in the eternities.  Therefore, the counsel is very wise to "beware of false prophets...in sheep's clothing".  It could be that their advise will rip us apart as wolves would, make our lives bitter as rotten fruit will, and keep us from a true relationship with our Father in Heaven! (6:15-23)

CONCLUSION

The parable of the wise man and the foolish man is the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, and it is a perfect ending.

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.

"And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it" (7:24-27).

Here is a little object lesson for this parable:  In a 9x13 cake pan, make a little sand hill using a small bowl packed with damp sand.  (You may not want to invert it into the pan until you are in the classroom, so it won't fall apart.)  If you can't get any sand, you can make a "sand" hill out of packed brown sugar.  Put a good-sized rectangular rock next to the sand hill in the pan.  Tell the class to imagine a house built upon each of these hills.  Pour a pitcher of water over the two.  The sand hill will, of course, disintegrate, while the rock will, of course, retain its form.

Notice that the rain, the wind, and the flood attacked both houses.  No one escapes the storms of life, not even the disciples of Christ.  But the difference is in the effect they have upon us.  If we build our lives upon the foundation of the Rock found in the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, we may get wet, but we will still be standing.  "The Savior’s message in the Sermon on the Mount is that the basis of real happiness does not lie in trying to subdue the storms outside us, but in sacrificing our sins and allowing the Savior to activate righteousness within us" (Thomas).

There is no guarantee for those who base their lives on anything else.

"Much of the unhappiness we feel in this world comes from a refusal to let go of those things that cause our unhappiness. Often as we seek relief, we aren’t able to discern the real problem, and we have trouble shaking off a sense of dissatisfaction.  For those suffering spiritual and emotional distress, the Sermon on the Mount offers relief" (Thomas).


SOURCES:

Jeffrey Marsh, "Prophetic Enlightenment on the Sermon on the Mount," Ensign, Jan. 1999
Danel Bachman, "Sermon of Sermons," Ensign, Mar. 1981
Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Book 2
Bernard P. Brockbank, "After This Manner." New Era, Dec. 1981
Catherine Thomas, "Blessed Are Ye," Ensign, June 1987

Although I didn't use it in this lesson, a good article you may want to use which focuses on how the Sermon on the Mount gives counsel for improving marriage is "Your Marriage and the Sermon on the Mount," in the Sept. 1995 Liahona, or the August 1991 Ensign, by Paul K. Browning.