New Testament Lesson #8 The Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

"And seeing the multitudes, [Jesus] went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him..." (Matt. 5:1) 

Why did "seeing the multitudes" result in Jesus going up into a mountain?  Generally speaking, in the scriptures, a mountain is an outdoor temple.  The temple at Jerusalem had been defiled by moneychangers, so the mountain in this case may have been more sacred.  Jesus was setting himself apart, into a more holy place, where those who were really seeking truth would have to put forth the effort to come to him, so he would be left teaching only "disciples."

"The English word 'disciple' fails to convey the richness of the relationship between a rabbi and his [followers] in the first century...The essence of the relationship was one of trust in every area of living, and its goal was to make the [disciple] like his rabbi in knowledge, wisdom and ethical behavior" (Stern, p. 23).

It was to this devoted audience that Jesus shared the powerful Sermon on the Mount.  He began the sermon by offering to these disciples instructions for achieving a state of blessedness.  The word used for blessed (makarios in Greek, asher in Hebrew) "means 'blessed,' 'happy,' and 'fortunate' all at once, so that no one English word is adequate" (Stern, p. 23)

THE BEATITUDES TEACH US HOW TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST

President Harold B. Lee said,  "In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect…and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives...

"In that matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given us eight distinct ways by which we might receive…joy. Each of his declarations is begun by the word 'Blessed'...These declarations of the Master are known in the literature of the Christian world as the Beatitudes...They embody in fact the constitution for a perfect life."

The Beatitudes are related and interwoven, and therefore, different interpretations and explanations of them can each be correct, and can complement each other.  My favorite analysis of the meaning of the Beatitudes is this one, offered by Camille Fronk [Olson]. 

"The Holy Spirit’s role in transforming us into Christlike beings is outlined in the eight Beatitudes. The first four teach how we go from being poor in spirit to being 'filled with the Holy Ghost.'

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit. I first recognize that I am lacking the Spirit, bankrupt in the Spirit, or poor in Spirit. Considered alone, lacking the Spirit is not a blessing. The Book of Mormon, however, provides the missing piece in Christ’s instruction: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me' (3 Nephi 12:3; JST Matthew 5:3). Only when I come unto Christ with my realized need can I hope to eventually be filled with His Spirit.
2. Blessed are they who mourn. Turning to Christ when I lack the Spirit illuminates weaknesses and sins that caused the Spirit to depart from me in the first place. That discovery causes me to mourn. Feeling 'godly sorrow' (2 Corinthians 7:10) because my shortcomings bring pain to the Savior encourages me to sincerely repent. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord communicates when my repentance and mourning have been accepted, and I am comforted by Christ’s forgiveness.
3. Blessed are the meek. Having newly tasted of His grace, I become meek and teachable. In this state, I am desirous to obey the Lord in whatever He asks. I will gladly go where He asks me to go, cheerfully say what He asks me to say, and have the faith to become whatever He tells me I am capable of becoming.
4. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness. That spirit of obedience leads me to hunger and thirst after righteousness, a desire that is answered with the very gift I longed for from the beginning: I am filled with His Spirit (see JST Matthew 5:3–6; 3 Nephi 12:3–6). Notice again that I am filled with the Spirit only after I recognize my need for the Spirit’s presence in my life, sincerely repent of subsequently illuminated shortcomings, and become meek in willingness to accept and do whatever the Lord may require.

"Now 'filled with the Holy Ghost' (3 Nephi 12:6), I am in a position to change and become more Christlike. The fruit of the Spirit can now develop in me, enabling me to reflect the light of the Savior in everyday living. The fruit is thereby identified in the concluding four Beatitudes.

5. Blessed are the merciful. Filled with the Spirit, we naturally feel merciful toward those around us. We have just experienced the Savior’s mercy and we want to show that mercy to people who frankly don’t deserve it any more than we did. As an example, we will graciously allow a driver to bulldoze her way into our lane of the freeway without taking offense or retaliating. In short, we feel a natural inclination to be kind whatever the circumstances when we are filled with the Spirit.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart. Our hearts are so pure when we are filled with the Spirit that we see God everywhere we look. We not only see Him in nature but in neighbors and coworkers, people whose weaknesses and faults are all too apparent. Being filled with the Spirit, we find ourselves treating them with respect and reverence. We listen more attentively, show consideration for their responsibilities and time constraints, and express genuine appreciation for their contributions to the overall good of the family or company.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers. We become peacemakers, or as Isaiah described them, those who 'publish peace' (Isaiah 52:7; see also Mosiah 15:14–18). We want to share the glorious good news so that others can be filled with the selfsame Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, we are 'ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us]' (1 Peter 3:15).
8. Blessed are all they who are persecuted for my [God’s] name’s sake. Finally, we can withstand any manner of persecution that the adversary may inflict upon us (see Matthew 5:7–12; 3 Nephi 12:7–12). Being filled with the Spirit, we cannot be offended even when others intend evil against us. We simply turn the other cheek and 'overcome evil with good' (Romans 12:21).

"Completing this cycle once does not immediately make us like Christ, but it does bring us closer. We know more about the Spirit and can discern sins and shortcomings that were not apparent before, and then the cycle repeats. With such divine tutelage and a willingness to endure to the end, we are gradually becoming like our Savior! We are changing from the inside out! We are learning to love as He loved—to receive the greatest fruit of the Spirit, charity, 'the pure love of Christ' (Moroni 7:47).  (Fronk, P. 87-103) 

The first four Beatitudes involve the inward workings of our souls, specifically our relationship with Christ, and the second four involve the outward manifestations of that relationship, our actions in relation to others.  The Beatitudes, therefore, can be seen as the instructions for living the two great commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind...and thy neighbor as thyself."  As we develop that vertical relationship (our relationship with God), we are grounded and better able to manage our horizontal relationships (our relationships with people).

(President Lee's interpretation is slightly different than Sister Fronk's.  He sees "Meek" as having to do with relationships with others, and "Pure in Heart" having to do with our relationship with God.  Of course, both explanations are completely accurate because gospel principles cannot really be compartmentalized, but all weave and flow together.  [Follow the link in the "Sources" below to read his interpretation.])

THE BEATITUDES IN PETER'S LIFE

Of course, one of the disciples listening intently to the Sermon on the Mount was the apostle Peter.  "Peter was one of the greatest of men.  It is true that the New Testament recounts some mortal weaknesses, but it also illustrates that he overcame them and was made strong by his faith in Jesus Christ" (Bible Dictionary).  We can follow the record of Peter's life and see that he set an example as one who learned and then truly lived the Beatitudes.

Upon receiving the miracle of the fish at his call to the Apostleship, Peter immediately realized that he was spiritually poor in comparison to the Master and, mourning over his sins, he "fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). 

Despite his great catch, he did not regard his business as more important than the Lord's, but meekly he "straightway" left his  net [which, of course, was completely loaded with fish], and followed him (Matt. 4:19). 

It is clear that Peter hungered for righteousness, since he followed Christ everywhere he went.  When Jesus went to a solitary place to have time alone with his Father, "[Simon Peter] and they that were with him followed after him.  And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee" (Mark 1:35-37).  Peter even tried to walk on water as he saw the Savior do, and with the Savior's help, he succeeded (Matt. 14:29-31).

So Simon Peter developed a relationship with his Savior, such that when he was asked, "Whom say ye that I am?  [he] answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 16:15-16).

Peter was the one who asked, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matt. 18:21-22), after which he related the parable of the unmerciful servant, so that Peter might understand the importance of being merciful. 

After the resurrection, Christ returned to the earth to teach his disciples even more, at which time he gave Peter the imperative to, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).  Peter spent the rest of his life spreading the gospel of peace.

Along with the other early saints, Peter endured persecution.  He was imprisoned (Acts 12:6), and "it is generally believed that he suffered martyrdom at Rome" (Bible Dictionary).

THE BEATITUDES IN OUR DAILY LIVES

Of course, progressing through the Beatitudes is not a one-time event.  We must continually, day by day, recognize our weaknesses, meekly learn the lessons set out for us, mourn for our sins of the last 24 hours, seek for greater righteousness, exercise mercy, apply for the purification of our hearts through the Atonement, and share the gospel with others.  If we are persecuted by men, or chastised by the Lord, or smacked down by life, we must endure it well for Christ's sake.

In the remainder of chapter 5, Christ elaborates on the necessity of living the Beatitudes in order to be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world."  He gives examples of ways in which our relationships with others will be different if we live the Beatitudes, rather than the letter of the Law of Moses.  If we "love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]"--in other words, if our attitudes and actions regarding our fellow men come from the Lord's constitution for a perfect or charitable life, rather than as a reaction to what others do--"[we] may be the children of [our] Father which is in heaven" (v. 44). We will clearly recognize that he loves them as he loves us, taking care of their needs for sun and rain just as he does ours (v. 45).  And then he delivers his famous injunction, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (v. 48).

“I am convinced that the Master was not merely thinking relatively when he said, ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’...Would you suppose the Savior was suggesting a goal that was not possible of attainment and thus mock us in our efforts to live to attain that perfectness? It is impossible for us here in mortality to come to that state of perfection of which the Master spoke, but in this life we lay the foundation on which we will build in eternity; therefore, we must make sure that our foundation is laid on truth, righteousness and faith. In order for us to reach that goal we must keep God’s commandments and be true to the end of our lives here, and then beyond the grave continue in righteousness and knowledge until we become as our Father in Heaven."  (Lee)

I like this analogy by C.S. Lewis:  "I find a good many people have been bothered by...our Lord's words, 'Be ye perfect.'  Some people seem to think this means 'Unless you are perfect, I will not help you;' and as we cannot be perfect, then, if He meant that, our position is hopeless.  But I do not think He did mean that.  I think He meant 'The only help I will give is help to become perfect.  You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less" (C.S. Lewis, p. 1065). 

Mr. Lewis then compared the Lord to a dentist; you may go to a dentist only wanting relief from a toothache, but the dentist is never satisfied with just that.  He insists on going over the whole mouth, and he will find other teeth that have problems which he will want to fix as well.  He won't stop until everything is in perfect order.  Give a dentist an inch, he said, and he'll always take a mile.  And so it is with Jesus.  He won't be satisfied with us until we are completely overhauled and fully developed.

Each Sabbath we have time for reflection on Christ during the Sacrament.  What a great time to check our spiritual progress against his Constitution, the Beatitudes!  Here is a little scripture bookmark that you can print out and use to guide your thoughts during the Sacrament.

SOURCES:

David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary 

Camille Fronk, "The Mission of the Holy Ghost:  From Believing to Becoming," Salvation in Christ: Comparative Christian Views, ed. Roger R. Keller and Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2005)

Harold B. Lee, "Striving For Perfection," Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:  Harold B. Lee

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, quoted in The C.S. Lewis Bible

New Testament Lesson #7 "He Took Our Infirmities, and Bare Our Sicknesses"

Mark 1-2; 4:35-41; 5; Luke 7:11-17

THE MIRACLE AT CANA

"[Miracles were] an important element in the work of Jesus Christ, being not only divine acts, but forming also a part of the divine teaching" (Bible Dictionary).  The first recorded miracle performed by Jesus Christ is not in any of our reading assignments, but is definitely worthy of notice.  It occurred in a public setting, but for the personal benefit of Jesus' own mother.

"And on the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage  And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.  Jesus saith unto her, Woman what have I to do with thee?  Mine hour is not yet come" (John 2:1-4). 

Mary was clearly in charge of the wedding, since she was the one concerned about the wine. "Considering the customs of the day, it is a virtual certainty that one of Mary's children was being married" (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, p. 135).  Since there is no mention of Joseph, it is probable that he had died prior to this time.

It is interesting that all the commentators on this scripture work hard to come up with ways to explain that Jesus must have not meant to be rude to his mother.  But in our Joseph Smith Translation, the meaning is perfectly clear:  "Woman what wilt thou have me to do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come."  Jesus's ministry had not yet begun, but this was Mary's day, and she was in need of a favor.  Mary had purchased wine for the celebration, as indicated by verse 9, but it had run out. 

The house held six large waterpots for the hand washing of the guests.  Each pot held 20-30 gallons of water (McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, p. 453; Stern, p. 164).  At Jesus' word, water was poured into the pots, and immediately it became wine.  "A good wine was one that was destitute of spirit (alcohol)...The common wine drunk in Palestine was that which was the simple juice of the grape" (Barnes, p. 193).  The wine was taken to the "governor of the feast," who was not the host, but the head waiter (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, p. 42-43).  He declared the wine to be excellent. 

This miracle became noised abroad, making Jesus well-known, and "manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him" (v. 11).  The Joseph Smith Translation makes a very insightful change, which unfortunately is not in our LDS footnotes: "And the faith of his disciples was strengthened in him." (For information on the Joseph Smith Translation, see a previous post.)  "Miracles were and are a response to faith, and its best encouragement.  They were never wrought without prayer, felt need, and faith" (Bible Dictionary).  "Miracles follow faith, and miracles strengthen faith," in that order (McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Book 1, p. 454)

Many more miracles were wrought by Christ during his ministry on the earth.  Some were recorded by the writers of the gospels and are a part of the reading assignment for this lesson.  Jesus cast out devils (Mark 1:23-28; 5:2-13), healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30-31), cleansed a leper (Mark 1:40-42), healed a paralytic (Mark 1:3-11), healed a woman with a 12-year issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34), raised Jairus' daughter to life shortly after she died (Mark 5:22-24, 35-42), and raised the widow of Nain's son who was actually being carried on his funeral bier to his grave (Luke 7:11-17).

LATTER-DAY MIRACLES

"And if there were miracles wrought [by Christ] then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being?  And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles" (Mormon 9:19) 

"Wherever the Kingdom of God is organized upon the earth one should expect to find miracles performed among the Saints" (Goates, p. 6).  Sometimes the recipients of such miracles are advised by the Spirit as Christ counseled the leper, "See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way..." (Mark 1:44), so we do not hear about them.  Sometimes they are guided to share them for the edification of others, as was the man who had been possessed by a legion of evil spirits, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee" (Mark 5:19).  When the Spirit advises, we should share stories of miracles in order to strengthen faith.

(You may want to ask class members to be thinking of miracles they have witnessed, and consider whether they should share them later in the lesson.) 

"President [Harold B.] Lee was an instinctive inveterate believer in miracles," wrote his son-in-law, L. Brent Goates.  "He was quietly but keenly interested in them and maintained [a file of them] as a verification of his faith in modern-day miracles.  When people wrote to him of miraculous results from his labors amongst the Saints, he often wrote back to them to document the event and circumstance.  These letters he would place in his 'Miracle File' as one more demonstration of God's goodness in rewarding faith...

"After President Lee's death, the file [was opened].  It contained over sixty separate miracle stories, most of them describing the healing of sick bodies, all of them telling of lives changed for the better" (Goates, p. 1-2).  He also kept the stories of those healed from sin.  "There is a power beyond the sight of man," he testified at Ricks College Baccalaureate Ceremony on May 6, 1970, "that heals not only sick bodies but sick souls...Yes, the Lord can heal sick bodies, but the greatest miracles we see are the healing of sick souls."  Thus he included stories of conversion in his Miracle File.

(This would be a good place to ask whether anyone feels inspired to share something with the class.  If they do not feel moved to relate anything at the moment, proceed with the following stories from President Lee's file.  Allow class members to testify at any time during the remainder of the lesson.)

The Faith of the Mothers in Zion
42 of President Lee's miracle stories were compiled, with permission of their authors, into a book by his son-in-law.  "Countless stories were related by grateful mothers who had sought a maternity blessing at Elder Lee's hands and were later able to bear children.  Over a dozen named their sons after him.  Some women were additionally able to adopt children as well" (Goates, p. 14). 

The Faith of a Little Boy
One remarkable story of healing occurred in Brazil in 1959 and was related by Richard R. Tolman, a missionary serving there at the time who later became a professor of zoology at BYU.

Elder Tolman and his companion met a wonderful family, the dos Santos family, who read from the Bible every night, and they began to teach them.  One day they told the family that an apostle of the Lord, Elder Harold B. Lee, would soon be visiting their town.  A huge smile covered the face of the five-year-old son, Joviniano who had been born lame, never able to walk at all.

"'When the Apostle comes,' he said enthusiastically, 'I'll ask him for a blessing and then I'll be able to walk.'

"The next day when I met with Elder Lee, I told Elder Lee about Joviniano's desire for a blessing.

"'Elder,' he replied, 'faith like that does not go unrewarded.'"

They met with the dos Santos family after their scheduled public meeting, where Elder Tolman anointed Joviniano and Elder Lee sealed the anointing, rebuking the illness, and commanding strength into the muscles and bones of his legs.

"The next day we visited the family, and the father proudly showed us that Joviniano could stand shakily on his own two legs for the first time in his life.  I telephoned the mission home with the good news and they promised to relay the message to...Elder Lee.

"In the city of Porto Alegre, as Elder Lee was about ready to leave Brazil...he bore a powerful testimony describing Joviniano's miraculous healing.  The effect of his powerful parting testimony quickly spread throughout the Brazilian South Mission and greatly stimulated the work...

"In my letter to the mission president in October 1959, I reported that Joviniano, whose legs were once useless limbs hanging from his body, was gaining more strength daily and learning how to use his legs.  By December, Joviniano was walking and still making excellent progress.  His parents had been baptized and were faithfully keeping the commandments." 

It is interesting to note that little Joviniano had to participate in the working of the miracle.  It required effort on his part to strengthen and exercise his legs. 

Elder Tolman received updates on the dos Santos family whenever he could find returned missionaries who had served in the town of Londrina where the family lived, and they remained a great strength to the Church there (Goates, p. 25-28).

Raised From the Dead
The following latter-day miracle of Biblical proportions, was a part of President Lee's file, although it did not involve him personally.  The story was related to Mrs. Leon F. Liddell by the village chief of Mapusaga, Samoa.  It was published in the Church News on May 16, 1948, accompanied by a photograph of the Eti Te'o family standing with then-Elder Lee. 

When Eti Te'o was eighteen years old, a friend of his by the name of George became very ill.  He was taken to the Navy Hospital where he stayed for six months, growing steadily worse.  "One morning [he] asked his uncle to send for the Mormon elders to administer to him or he would die.  His uncle refused, saying it could do no good since not even the doctors had been able to help him.  George then called the nurse.  'If I die,' he asked, 'please send a note to the elders and have my body taken to the mission home.'  At 7:30 that night George died."

In the morning, Eti was passing the hospital when a nurse informed him tearfully that his friend had died.  "I immediately took the news to Brother Lopati at the mission home, and he asked me to go behind the house and start digging the grave.  I had dug about two-and-a-half feet [deep] when he came to me and said, 'Put the shovel back.  We are going to the hospital to see George.'"

At the hospital, George's body was lying in the room for the dead.  It was against the law to enter such a room at the hospital, so Brother Lopati and his wife, Eti, and two other elders signed affidavits that they would go to jail willingly if they would be allowed to enter the room.  Eti was very resistent, but "Brother Lopati came up to him and told him that he had been promised in his patriarchal blessing that if he lived right he would have power to raise the dead."

They entered the room, reported Eti, and "Brother Lopati unwrapped the gauze from his face and we all knelt by his bedside.  I remember only three words he spoke as he lay his hands on the boy's head.  They were, 'George, come back.' He spoke a few words further, then said, 'Amen.'

"George sneezed and began to breathe.  His first words were, 'I would like a cup of rice.' Then he sat up and said, 'I heard your voice from a long distance.'

It was noon.  George had been dead for 16-1/2 hours.

Eti said, "I ran from the room--shaking all over.  Running down the halls, I kept saying, almost hysterically, 'George wants a cup of rice!' over and over.  I rushed into Dr. Lane's office without knocking and could only say, 'George wants a cup of rice!' He hurried back with me and when he saw George sitting up talking, he was speechless.  He could not speak for a long time, then he slowly walked over to the bedside to examine George.  After a few minutes he stated that the boy was normal and his heart action was perfect.

"Turning to Brother Lopati, Dr. Lane said, 'No one but God could do that.' He asked us to come to his house later and we stayed there all the rest of the day answering his questions.  He joined the Church in due time, as did several other hospital workers.

"Now, twenty-three years later [in 1948], George is in good health and lives in the village of Aua, Samoa--but his story will not be forgotten.  The open grave is still there in back of the mission home near where I live.  I keep it just as I left it that day.  I want my children and grandchildren to see it and know this story."  (Goates, p. 33-35)

EVERYDAY MIRACLES

Such astonishing miracles attract our attention, but we must also remember that everyday life is made of miracles.  A beautiful sunset, a healthy baby's birth, the migration of birds, the healing of a scrape on our skin--each is a miracle.

In reference to that first miracle performed by Jesus Christ at the wedding at Cana, C.S. Lewis wrote:  "God creates the vine and teaches it to draw up water by its roots and, with the aid of the sun, to turn that water into a juice which will ferment and take on certain qualities.  Thus every year, from Noah's time till ours, God turns water into wine.  That, men fail to see...But when Christ at Cana makes water into wine, the mask is off.  The miracle has only half its effect if it only convinces us that Christ is God: it will have its full effect if whenever we see a vineyard...we remember that here works He who sat at the wedding party in Cana" (C.S. Lewis, p. 1190)

"Ought we not also to turn the ordinary waters of life--the...mundane...performances that go with mortality--into the wine of righteousness and joy that dwells in the hearts of those whose lives are purified?"  (McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Book 1, p. 454).

"There are only two ways to live your life," the great physicist Albert Einstein said. "One is as though nothing is a miracle, and the other is as though everything is a miracle."  (I can find that quote in a million places, but never with the original reference.  If any reader knows it, please leave it in a comment below.)

THE MIRACLE OF PEACE

One of the most memorable of the miracles of Christ occured on the sea.  He had been teaching a great multitude from his "podium" aboard a boat.  (See "The Calling of the Apostles," in the previous lesson for more on the voice amplification which still occurs there.)  Afterwards he was exhausted and requested the former fishermen, now disciples, to take him to the other side. 

The Sea of Galilee is, by nature, a very stormy sea, and on this day a violent storm arose quickly.  The ship took on a great deal of water, and threatened to sink.

"And [Jesus] was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

"And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

"And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:38-41).

Why did the Savior rebuke his disciples for being fearful?  After all, it was a terrifying situation!  Wouldn't anyone have been afraid?  The weakness Christ saw is found in the disciples' statement to each other:  "What manner of man is this?"  They did not really know the Savior and the extent of his power, therefore their faith was insufficient.

This story provides us with an excellent lesson that can have a huge impact in our individual lives.  Sometimes we enjoy miracles that are "cut-and-dried," the problem is instantly solved, the mountain is moved, and we go on our merry way.  This was the case for many recipients of miracles in Jesus' lifetime, including those in this reading assignment.  But sometimes, like these fishermen-disciples, we must exercise our faith to ride out the storm in order to see the miracles. 

Have we studied the life of our Savior consistently?
Have we prayed and listened for answers over the years?
Have we kept the commandments and ordinances he gave us and seen their fruits in our lives? 
Have we followed the guidance of the Spirit day by day?

If we have done these things consistently over the days and years, we will come to know "what manner of man" our Savior is.  We will be able to trust him.  We will find ourselves, like Jairus, able to "be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36) when the crisis comes.  We will have the faith to stay aboard the ship, in the wind and the rain and on the roiling waves, knowing that, because the Savior is on the journey with us, we will eventually make our soggy, seasick way to the goal he ordained for us. 

We will reach the shore.

RECORDING MIRACLES

Perhaps as Church members we should each keep and treasure a Miracle File like President Lee's to strengthen and encourage our faith and that of our families.  President Henry B. Eyring recommended keeping a daily record of the little miracles that occur in our lives.  "Tonight, and tomorrow night," he suggested, "you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him."

Like Mormon, we will then be able to testify, "...behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Mormon 9:11).

Please follow the link in the comment by Shari Lyon below to a wonderful new painting of the Savior calming the sea by her husband, Howard Lyon. 

SOURCES:

L. Brent Goates, Harold B. Lee: Remembering the Miracles
Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1
C.S. Lewis, The C.S. Lewis Bible
J.R. Barnes, Barnes Notes on the New Testament, Vol. 9
Henry B. Eyring, "O Remember, Remember," October 2007 General Conference

New Testament Lesson #6 "They Straightway Left Their Nets"

Luke 4:14-32; 5; 6:12-16; Matthew 10

CHRIST PROCLAIMS HIMSELF THE ANOINTED ONE (Luke 4)

Christ announced the start of his ministry from the logical place, the place Jews might have expected their Messiah to appear:  the synagogue.  It was custom that a visitor in town was invited to read the scripture.  Christ, visiting his hometown of Nazareth, took this invitation.  Among the Jews, the speaker would stand to read the scripture, and then sit down to teach about it, which is what Jesus did here (Harper-Collins). 

It should have been a glorious event, but it was rather disappointing.  They "all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth" (Luke 4:22), but then they remembered that they knew him, that he had been an ordinary boy raised in an ordinary family.

Christ perceived their thoughts and responded.  "You are expecting that if I'm the Savior," he said, "I'll suddenly appear magnificent in your eyes, and I'll do wonderful miracles here like I've done in other places (v. 23), but you have to accept me and have faith for that to happen" (v. 24).  He pointed out Old Testament miracles in which only the person who had great faith was the witness and beneficiary.

This infuriated his townspeople.  They were not willing to see their own lack of faith; they only saw a hometown boy who was bragging on himself, and then not delivering the goods. They wanted to hurl him off a cliff as a heretic!  But of course, he miraculously escaped.

(For more details on this event and scripture, see "The Mission of Jesus Christ" in a previous post.)

THE HEALING OF THE MAN WITH PALSY (Luke 5:18-26)

Too bad the people of Nazareth did not possess the great faith that a group of friends in another city exhibited shortly thereafter.  They brought a friend who was paralyzed (see footnote to Luke 5:18) on a stretcher to be healed by Jesus, yet apparently they could not get in the building or get his attention because of the crowd.  Rather than being offended that they were ignored or overlooked, and rather than being discouraged that their goal was unattainable, they just continued to exercise their faith (displayed here as determination) to find another way to get their desired miracle.  They climbed up on the roof, removed tiles, and lowered their handicapped friend through the opening. (This would have taken some serious faith on the part of the paralyzed man as well, to be so precariously transported!)

We might have chastised them for dismantling the roof instead of exercising patience, but look how the Lord responded:  "When he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee...Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house" (Luke 5:20, 24).  One significant word here teaches us an important lesson about faith:  their.  "When he saw their faith," he healed him.  We can exercise faith effectively in behalf of others.  Collective faith is powerful.

THE CALLING OF THE APOSTLES (Luke 5:1-11)

Even though he was the Messiah, Christ did not spend much time working on his own.  The Kingdom of God is a cooperative effort, and those in it are blessed, not just by being served, but by serving.  As soon as his disciples were ready, Christ called them to be his Apostles.  The first four were called at the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Tiberias, the Lake of Gennesareth, and the Sea of Chinnereth are all the same sea.  "Its form is an irregular oval, with the large end to the north.  It is about 14 miles in length, and from 6 to 9 in width...Many populous cities once stood on its shores, such as Tiberias, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Chorazin, Hippo, etc...It is, however, stormy, owing probably to the high hills by which it is surrounded" (Barnes, p. 38).

Readers who are familiar with Bear Lake, on the Utah-Idaho border, might be interested in the following comment written by my stake president, Kent Wallis who, with his artist's eye, notes: 

"After reading this description and having been there personally, [the Sea of Galilee's] similarity to Bear Lake is very striking.  Even the dry hills to the east and the verdant hills to the west are Bear Lake-like.  Even the drive over the mountain [from Logan] and down into Garden City looks just like coming down to the Sea of Galilee.  What is more remarkable is that the distance between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee is about the same distance as that between The Great Salt Lake and Bear Lake."

Sea of Galilee (above), Bear Lake (below)

"And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets" (Luke 5:1-2). 

These fishing vessels were manned by brothers Simon Peter and Andrew, and their partners James and John, who had previously been invited to become disciples of Christ, and who had been spending time with and learning from him for possibly a year (Hendrickson, p. 248), while continuing their livelihood as fishermen.  (See "The Calling of the Apostles" in a previous entry.)  The fish were not biting that morning, and the men had given up.  Since their day's work was cancelled, their ships were on the shore in the perfect position to serve Christ's purpose.  Jesus was not a stranger to them, and so he asked Simon to push out from the shore and allow him to teach the crowd from the ship (v. 3). 

There is a small bay on the Sea of Galilee, now called "The Bay of the Parables", at the foot of what is now called "The Mount of Beatitudes."  "The slope of the hill forms a natural amphitheatre, rather like a Roman theatre. Acoustical research has demonstrated that as many as 7,000 people could hear a person speaking from a boat in the bay."  It is a popular attraction for present-day visitors to the Holy Land. (SeeTheHolyLand.net)  Jesus knew the acoustics of this place--after all, he created it!--and used it for amplification long before microphones and speakers were invented.

After Jesus preached his sermon (which is not recorded), "He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a [haul]" (v. 5).  Simon Peter answered, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."  Here is another example of faith which we can follow.  We may have reason to argue with the Lord's commands, but in the end we need to follow Simon's example and say, "nevertheless at thy word I will do it."  Simon and his brother Andrew (mentioned by name in Matthew's and Mark's accounts) cast their nets and took in so much fish they had to call their partners to bring the second ship, and both boats were so weighed down, they nearly sank (v. 6-7).

Even though they knew the Savior and his works already, it was a shock to them.  Simon Peter felt immediately unworthy for this obvious miracle in his behalf (v. 8).  (Compare this attitude to that of the townspeople of Nazareth.)  He had offered a small service to the Lord in allowing the use of his ship as a podium, and in return he had been given a financial windfall.

The four fishing partners were then called to the full-time ministry by Christ (v. 10).  The remaining eight apostles were soon called, and are listed in Matt. 10:2-4.  (Note Levi and Matthew are considered to be the same person.)  But in the telling of this call to the first four apostles, we see a great example:  Peter, Andrew, James and John, having just seen the largest profit of their careers, straightway "forsook all, and followed him" (Luke 5:11; Matt. 4:20; Mark 1:18).  These men passed the test of prosperity straight through to the Law of Consecration.  Can we do that?

A PARABLE FOR US

Jesus taught with parables quite effectively, and we might do the same.  Here is a fun little parable that exposes some truths about the ways we serve in the Kingdom that may not quite follow the example of Peter and his fellow fishermen. 

Jesus said, "Whereunto shall we liken the Kingdom of God?  or with what comparison shall we compare it?" (Mark 4:30).  He often began his parables by saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto..." So we might begin this one by saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a loaf of bread..."

A BREAD-MAKING PARABLE

By Nancy Wyatt Jensen

Once there was a baker who wanted to bake a loaf of bread.  He called all the ingredients together and asked them to help.  They all agreed that it would be great to make bread, but you will see how well it worked.

The first time the baker tried to bake bread, the yeast felt inadequate.  She thought of herself as just a coarse, grainy substance, with no spectacular qualifications.  Even when the baker told her that with his mixing and kneading and the help of the sugar and warm milk, she would rise to the occasion, she didn't believe it and wouldn't get in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a flat loaf of bread. 
[Post wordstrip:  Felt Inadequate for the Calling]

The second time the baker tried to bake bread, the oil had been thrilled to be asked to participate, but got so busy frying donuts and French fries late the night before, that she slept in and forgot all about getting in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a very tough loaf of bread. 
[Post wordstrip: The Calling was a Low Priority]

The third time the baker tried to bake bread, the sugar didn't show up.  She knew that her role was only to support the yeast, and she felt the yeast could easily handle the job of rising by herself.  The end result was a thick and heavy loaf of bread. 
[Post wordstrip: The Calling Seemed Insignificant]

The fourth time the baker tried to bake bread, the salt felt annoyed with her job.  It was a lot of work to spread herself so thin to flavor the entire loaf.  If she had had a better job--or at least one that was more prestigious, like the flour's--she would have happily climbed in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a bitter loaf of bread. 
[Post wordstrip:  Didn't Like That Particular Calling]

The fifth time the baker tried to bake bread, the milk was frustrated.  Although she poured herself into her work, no one seemed to notice in the end.  So she stayed in the fridge rather than waste her time and effort.  The end result was a hard, cracked loaf of bread. 
[Post wordstrip: Felt Unappreciated]

The sixth time the baker tried to bake bread, the flour had already been asked to be in the gravy, the biscuits, the pretzels, and two batches of cookies.  She was sick and tired of doing more than her fair share, so she just plain turned down the request to get in the mixing bowl.  The end result was a glob of goo that didn't remotely resemble bread. 
[Post wordstrip: Resented Being Overworked]

The seventh time the baker tried to bake bread, the flour, the sugar, the oil, the yeast, the salt, and the milk realized that each of them was essential to the baking of bread.  They each realized that, working together, they were much more than they had been alone.  They each realized their jobs were equally important, although different.  Each finally offered her services in the mixing bowl with a joyful heart and a trust in the baker and his recipe.  The end result was a light and beautiful loaf of bread, much more nourishing, delicious and fulfilling than any of them had imagined. 
[Display a loaf of bread.]

(Note:  If you have the time and means to "teach through tastebuds," you can make tiny 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.)

THE CALL TO THE WORK (Matt. 10)

In Christ's call and instruction to the twelve apostles in Matt. 10, we find these familiar phrases:  "Freely ye have received, freely give" (v. 8), and "He who seeketh to save his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (v. 39 JST).  These commands apply to our own service in the Kingdom as well. 

We are not often in jeopardy of dying for the gospel cause, but this scripture applies to the way we live for the gospel cause as well.  We sometimes seek to "save" our lives by hoarding our time and talents and everything with which we have been blessed, or by holding back just a little corner of them from the Lord.  Anytime we do so, we are abandoning the Law of Consecration. 

We don't have to be called as Apostles to be expected to give our all.  At the time of President Hinckley's call as the prophet, he said:

"Now, my brethren and sisters...I wish to leave with you one thought which I hope you will never forget.  This church does not belong to its President. Its head is the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name each of us has taken upon ourselves. We are all in this great endeavor together. We are here to assist our Father in His work and His glory, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said:

"'Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees' (D&C 81:5). 

"'And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord' (D&C 81:4). 

"Further, 'And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father' (D&C 81:6).

"All of us in this great cause are of one mind, of one belief, of one faith.  You have as great an opportunity for satisfaction in the performance of your duty as I do in mine. The progress of this work will be determined by our joint efforts. Whatever your calling, it is as fraught with the same kind of opportunity to accomplish good as is mine. What is really important is that this is the work of the Master. Our work is to go about doing good as did He...

"Unitedly, working hand in hand, we shall move forward as servants of the living God, doing the work of His Beloved Son, our Master, whom we serve and whose name we seek to glorify."

SOURCES:

Harper-Collins Study Bible
Albert Barnes, Barnes Notes on the New Testament, Vol. 9
Hendrickson Publishers, New International Biblical Commentary: Matthew
President Gordon B. Hinckley, "This is the Work of the Master,", April 1995 General Conference

New Testament Lesson #5 "Born Again"

John 2-3

A TALE OF OPPOSITES

Stories in the scriptures are often placed in a way that enhances the lessons that the stories teach.  Such is the case with the stories of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman.  Principles are taught by both stories, and more principles are taught by the juxtaposition of the two, which lets us see clearly the opposites involved, and the scope of Christ's reach.

NICODEMUS

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews" (3:1).  It is apparent that he was "one of the great Sanhedrin" (McConkie, p. 470; Stern, p. 165); in fact, verse 10 tells even more:  The phrase "Art thou a master of Israel" is "literally, 'You are the teacher of Israel.'  The use of the definite article implies that [his] position was uniquely important, although it is difficult to reconstruct precisely what it was" (Stern, p. 165).

"The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (3:2).  Was it a little unusual to come to Jesus at night and ask about his doctrine?  Yes!  "Nicodemus wanted to investigate the gospel in secret, lest his associates turn against him...But at least he came, and it is apparent that he thereafter believed in Christ and supported the gospel cause.  Indeed, as Edersheim says: 'It must have been a mighty power of conviction to break down prejudice so far as to lead this old Sanhedrist to acknowledge a Galilean, untrained in the Schools, as a Teacher come from God, and to repair to Him for direction on, perhaps, the most delicate and important point in Jewish theology.  But even so, we cannot wonder that he should have wished to shroud his first visit in the utmost possible secrecy.  It was a most compromising step for a Sanhedrist to take.  With that first bold [purging] of the temple (2:13-17) a deadly fued between Jesus and the Jewish authorities had begun" (McConkie, p. 470).

THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

"Then cometh [Jesus] to a city of Samaria...Now Jacob's well was there.  Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour [noon].  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)" (4:5-8).  In telling his account of the story, John makes sure we understand that Jesus was in Samaria, and he was talking to a Samaritan.  Why is this important?  "Though both Jews and Samaritans were descended from ancient Israel and practiced similar religions, there was long-standing hostility between them.  Thus it was also unusual for Jews to buy food from Samaritans" (Harper-Collins, p. 2019).  "Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC and deported many of its people, who belonged to the ten northern tribes, replacing them with pagans; they later intermarried with the remaining Jews to produce the Samaritans.  Their descendants were not idolaters, but they acknowledged only the Pentateuch [the five books of Moses] as inspired by God.  They also denied Jerusalem as the religious center, opting instead for Mt. Gerizim (4:20)...they [had] tried to obstruct [the] rebuilding of Jerusalem" (Stern, p. 167)   In fact, most Jews took the long way around the land of Samaria, even though it meant increasing the difficulty of their journey.  All of which explains the next verse:

"Then saith the woman of Samaria [John says it again, just to make sure we remember that we are talking about a Samaritan here] unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (4:9).

There were at least three reasons that Christ, according to social custom, shouldn't have spoken to this woman:

1) She was a Samaritan.
2) She was an adulterer (4:16-18).
3) She was a woman.

CHRIST'S RESPONSE TO EACH

Neither of these two would have been considered "golden" missionary contacts.  A Pharisee of the Sanhedrin which despised and mistreated Christ?  A woman of Samaria who was also an adulterer?  These were Christ's first two investigators noted by John (after the apostles)?  Interesting!  Nicodemus was from the highest standing possible within the Jewish church; the Samaritan woman from the lowest--a despised outcast.  Nicodemus certainly would have kept all the outward rules and commandments of the Law; the Samaritan woman obviously didn't.  Nicodemus sought Christ under cover of night; the woman in the brightness of noonday. By putting these stories back-to-back, John gives us the clear message that the Lord will answer us from wherever we are.  None is above or beneath his reach, and there is no one he loathes to help.

It is good to note that Jesus "neither criticizes [Nicodemus] for fearing to seek him openly nor praises his insight in perceiving that [Jesus] has come from God.  Rather, he deals with him at his point of need, which is to be born again from above. [The Greek word used] is sometimes rendered 'born again' and sometimes 'born from above'" (Stern, p. 165).

Jesus also offered the gospel, the "living water," to the Samaritan woman.  He addressed her by the respectful title, "woman," (4:21), similar to our saying "lady."  When the disciples returned, they "marvelled that he talked with the woman" (4:27).  But Jesus is truly "no respecter of persons."  "He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile" (2 Nephi 26:33).  Bear in mind that John's gospel was written to the Church members (see "The Gospel of John" in a previous post) so that they would learn what we should also learn:  We are to give up our prejudices and reach out to all, whether their position in life is above us or below us, and use the gospel to lift them to higher ground.

THE RESULT FOR EACH

The result for Nicodemus:  When the church "officers" failed to take Jesus later in his ministry saying, "Never man spake like this man," the chief priests and Pharisees were livid and retorted, "Are ye also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?" (7:45-48)  Well, the answer was yes, although they didn't know it:  One of their leadership, Nicodemus, believed.  Perhaps his conviction was not strong enough yet to stand in front of his brothers and testify, but it was enough to defend Christ by reasoning, and therefore buy him a little time.  "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" Nicodemus asked the others.  Even this was spoken dangerously, as the Sanhedrin insulted him, "Art thou also of Galilee?" (7:50-52).

At Christ's death, Nicodemus was still there. When Joseph of Arimathea (also a secret disciple from the Sanhedrin, according to Stern, p. 211) claimed the body of Christ, Nicodemus "brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight," (19:38-39) a very costly gift for the embalming of his Savior.  "The myrrh and aloes (the latter is an aromatic wood) would have been in powdered form and were meant to reduce the odor of decay.  The hundred (Roman) pounds (about 75 English pounds or 34 kilograms) of burial spices is much more than was necessary" (Harper-Collins, p. 2052).  Clearly, Nicodemus' testimony had grown, and he wished to show great love and honor for Christ.  Was he still a secret disciple?  Not after this act, which would have been reported widely among the believers.

As for the Samaritan woman (too bad we don't have a name!), she first said to Christ, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet" (4:19).  Within minutes, she added, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ; when he is come, he will tell us all things" (4:25), and as soon as the conversation was over, she shared her testimony with any who would listen, saying, "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" (4:29)  And, although a woman was not considered a credible witness in that culture,

"Many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified...so when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.  And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world" (4:39-42).

It took quite a long time for Nicodemus to become a public witness for Christ.  But for the Samaritan woman, it was instantaneous.

THE DOCTRINE HE TAUGHT

Being Born Again

To Nicodemus, Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Then to clarify, he said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:3,5).

The leaders of the Jews did not believe that Jews needed to be baptized, according to some historians.  (See "The Baptism of Jesus Christ" in a previous post.)  Jesus taught Nicodemus clearly that baptism and the receipt of the Holy Ghost were necessary.  He also taught it by example, being baptized himself.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught, "We were born again when we entered into a covenant relationship with our Savior by being born of water and of the Spirit and by taking upon us the name of Jesus Christ...In order to realize the intended blessings of this born-again status, we must still keep our covenants and endure to the end. In the meantime, through the grace of God, we have been born again as new creatures with new spiritual parentage and the prospects of a glorious inheritance."

So being "born again" is more than just the single act of baptism.  It is a life-long process.
Elder Bednar clarified this doctrine:  "The Lord’s authorized servants repeatedly teach that one of the principal purposes of our mortal existence is to be spiritually changed and transformed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Alma declared: 'Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God' (Mosiah 27:25–26).

“'Because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters' (Mosiah 5:7).

"The spiritual rebirth described in this verse typically does not occur quickly or all at once; it is an ongoing process—not a single event. Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly, our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the will of God. This phase of the transformation process requires time, persistence, and patience."  Elder Bednar compared spiritual rebirth to pickling cucumbers: a process, not a single event, with multiple steps that cannot be skipped and which take time.

The Atonement

Christ also told Nicodemus of his divine mission: "For God so loved the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  Most interesting is this comment by David H. Stern, a Messianic Jew: 

"This perhaps most famous and most quoted of verses in the New Testament epitomizes the truth of God that has come to Jews and Gentiles alike in Yeshua [Jesus Christ] the Messiah.  It teaches that (1) God loves his creation, the world; (2) to love is to give, to love much is to give much, and God loves the world so much that he gave what is most precious to him; (3) Yeshua was fully aware in advance that he would die as God's own sacrifice, (4) Yeshua knew that he was uniquely God's son; (5) the destiny of man when he relies on himself and does not trust in Yeshua is total destruction...not cessation of conscious existence, but the eternal suffering that is the inevitable consequence of sin; and (6) the destiny of an individual who trusts in Yeshua is everlasting life--not only in the future but right now--not just survival beyond the grave, which everyone has, but positive life 'in' Jeshua.  Trusting in Yeshua is not mere intellectual acknowledgement but adherence to, commitment to, trust in, faith in, reliance upon Yeshua as fully human, completely identified with us, and at the same time fully divine, completely identified with God" (Stern, p. 166).

The Identity of Jesus

When the Samaritan woman said to Jesus, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he" (John 4:25-26).  In the King James Translation of the Bible, words that were added by the translators for clarification are italicized.  So the word he is an addition.  "The original phrase used by Christ is ego emi in Greek, translated as I Am.  Jehovah is the third person form of this term: He is.  Christ, therefore, was saying that he was the God of the Old Testament, Jehovah" (Bokovoy). 

David Stern explains it similarly:  "The declaration, 'I am,' echoes [God's] self-revelation [to Moses], "I am who I am" (Exodus 3:14).  Yeshua says this "I am" nine times in [John's] Gospel (here; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58, 13:9; 18:5, 6, 8).

Living Water

Kathleen Hinckley Hughes taught us about the Living Water. "The Samaritan woman looked into the face of Christ, listened to His voice, and recognized Him at a time when most others rejected all He taught. We know Him too, or we can, if we allow His healing power, His nourishing strength, His peace and joy, to flow through us like 'a well of water springing up into everlasting life.'


She explains, "The living water is the gospel of Jesus Christ; its communicator is the Holy Ghost."  In our times of trial, worry, depression, heartache, "a wellspring of goodness, of strength and confidence is within us, and when we listen with a feeling of trust, we are raised up. We are healed. We not only survive, but we love life. We laugh; we enjoy; we go forward with faith.


"The living water also nourishes. I testify to you that just as He promises, Christ comes to all who are heavy laden; He gives us rest. He sustains us when we are weary. A wellspring is a flowing well, offering continual refreshment—if we drink of it. Pride can destroy its effects, as can mere inattention. But those who drink deeply not only become whole themselves, but they become a fountain to others, as one spirit nurtures and feeds another...

"Christ’s promise is simple and sublime: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27). Brothers and sisters, turmoil is raging all about us. Economies are in distress; families are struggling; we are living in, as President Hinckley has said, 'perilous times'. But the living waters still offer peace and joy. When we live righteously, when we have done all we can do, one of the gifts we receive is confidence. The Lord tells us, 'Be still and know that I am God' (D&C 101:16). In the midst of chaos, we must pause. We must listen for the Spirit that tells us, 'All is well!' just as the early Saints had to do. There is cause to be concerned, but there is greater reason to be at peace."

The great LDS psalmist, Joseph L. Townsend, voiced the invitation made by Christ to Nicodemus, to the Samaritan woman, and to each of us, to partake of the Living Water in his hymn, "Reverently and Meekly Now:"

Bid thine heart all strife to cease;

With thy brethren be at peace.

Oh, forgive as thou wouldst be

E'evn forgiven now by me.

In the solemn faith of prayer

Cast upon me all thy care,

And my Spirit's grace shall be

Like a fountain unto thee.

SOURCES:

Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Book 1
David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary
The Harper-Collins Study Bible
Dallin H. Oaks,"Have You Been Saved?" General Conference, April 1998
David A. Bednar, "Ye Must Be Born Again," General Conference, April 2007
David Bokovoy, BYU Campus Education Week Lecture, August 2002
Kathleen H. Hughes, "Blessed by Living Water," General Conference, April 2003
Joseph L. Townsend, "Reverently and Meekly Now," Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no. 185, verse 3

Free downloadable/printable pictures of Christ, including those used in this post, are available from the online Gospel Art Book at LDS.org.

New Testament Lesson #4 "Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord"

Matthew 3-4; John 1:35-51

THE MESSAGE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Let's look at a very familiar passage from the Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 25:26.  Ask your class if they can fill in the blank without opening their scriptures; good chance nobody will be able to do it.  Here is the scripture: "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophecy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that...[fill in the blank]."  The missing phrase is: "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

John the Baptist stood in a unique position in history:  He "was the last legal administrator of the old dispensation, the first of the new; he was the last of the old prophets, the first of the new. With him ended the old law, and with him began the new era of promise. He is the one man who stood, literally, at the crossroads of history; with him the past died and the future was born"  (McConkie, p. 113).

In this pivotal spot, what was his message?  "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  This was also the first recorded phrase of the Savior's ministry.  (See Matt. 4:17.)

We spend great effort teaching and preaching about the importance of keeping all of the various and specific commandments and striving to "be therefore perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect," sometimes so much that we eclipse the greatest message of the gospel:  that everyone is going to mess up in major ways and minor ways and fall short of that perfection, and so our Father in Heaven has provided the wonderful opportunity, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, for us to repent.  Repeatedly.  Throughout our lives, we must hear this message and heed it over and over and over.  We must drill it into our children's heads and hearts so that they know there is always a way back, a way out, a way up from wherever they are right now, and that Way is Jesus Christ.  (See John 14:6.)

The Greek word translated as "repentance" in the New Testament "denotes a change of mind, i.e., a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world...a turning of the heart and will to God, and a renunciation of sin to which we are naturally inclined" (Bible Dictionary, p. 761).

WHAT THEN SHALL WE DO?

John the Baptist was the prophet who prepared the way for the Lord. And what did he preach? Repentance, of course. (See Luke 3:7-9.) He demanded of the multitude that they show by their actions that they were sincere about repenting, or they would be cut down like a tree that didn't produce good fruit.

Three groups of people were listening: the Jews (the people), the Jewish tax collectors (the publicans), and the Roman soldiers. Each asked him, "What shall we do?"

To the Jews, the "Church members," he said, "Give your excess to the poor" (Luke 3:11). Throughout scriptural history, whenever someone sincerely repents (think=Enos, Alma, sons of Mosiah) they are filled with the love of God (manifest in the Spirit) which immediately creates in them an overwhelming desire to share that love with others. If you truly repent, you are then filled with the Spirit, which prompts you in how to help others.

To the publicans, the Jewish tax collectors who worked for the Romans, he said, "Don't cheat or embezzle" (Luke 3:13). They were well known for padding their own coffers from the taxes they collected.

To the soldiers, he said, "Don't be violent. Don't frame people for crimes. Don't complain about your wages (Luke 3:14).

It's interesting that for each of these people, he offered them the next "best step" they could take in the repentance process. He told the Jews, who were already trying to be good, to help those less fortunate; in essence, to start working towards a Zion society in which everyone is cared for. That's a big step! But this is not what he told the other two groups. He told the publicans the next "best step" they could take, which was simply to be honest. And he didn't tell the soldiers, "Join the church, be baptized, get circumcised, go to the temple, give all your money to the Church." He told them three ways in which they could improve themselves and come just a little closer to Christ.

This is a very helpful example for us when we are working with nonmembers, wayward children, or even ourselves. All we/they need to do now to "bring forth fruits meet for [worthy of] repentance" is to take the next "best step." We can ask the Lord daily for this instruction for ourselves, and if we are trying to help someone else, we can ask Him how we can help them with their next best step. We don't need to expect people to make massive changes right away. One step at a time (more steps, if we're far, far away from the path) is enough. The Lord is infinitely patient. The more we read the scriptures, the more we see that He is willing to wait for us to learn; He is willing to wait for our children and our neighbors to travel the path to Him, one step at a time.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST

According to some historians, the Jews would baptize their proselytes, but were not baptized themselves (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 103).  With our additional Latter-day revelation, we know that baptism has been a necessary ordinance since the world began--even Adam was baptized (see Moses 6:53)--but perhaps this practice had disappeared with the decline into apostacy that preceded John's time.  The Jews seemed to feel that simply being of the House of Israel made them holy, and they had no need of the ordinance of baptism, or of a Savior.  That would explain why Jesus criticized the Pharisees and Saduccees who came to his baptism, but did not intend to be baptized themselves.  To be told they were "outside the Messianic kingdom, and unfit to enter into it without a [baptism] was distasteful to [their] pride..." (Dummelow, p. 630).  (Notice the JST change in verse 7.)

But Jesus was baptized of John to set the example, "to fulfill all righteousness."  Even for the Perfect Person, the ordinance was required.  As a ratifying sign, a dove came down, witnessing the presence of the Holy Ghost.

"The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage...The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence" (Smith pp. 275-76).  "It thus appears that John witnessed the sign of the dove, that he saw the Holy Ghost descend in the "bodily shape" of the personage that he is, and that the descent was 'like a dove'" (McConkie, p. 123-4).

"The dove was the only fowl that was offered in sacrifice (Lev 1:14), and Christ by the spirit, the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God.  The tidings of the decrease of Noah’s flood were brought by a dove, with an olive-leaf in her mouth; fitly therefore are the glad tidings of peace which God brought by the spirit as a dove" (Henry, p. 24).

THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST

The first thing that is very important to note in the telling of the temptation of Christ is that the devil did not take Christ anywhere; he has no such power over the Son of God.  The JST footnotes to Matt. 4:1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9 tell us that it was the Spirit that led Christ to the wilderness, set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and took him up to the high mountain.  It is specifically mentioned that his purpose in going to the wilderness was to commune with God His Father, and that is also the purpose for which one would go to the temple or to a high mountain.  Jesus did not intentionally go to a place where he would find temptation (nor should we).  He prepared himself for 40 days to meet his Father.  (For the symbolic meaning of 40 days, see a previous entry.)  It is not our privilege to be told what transpired between the Father and the Son in those communications, but it is important for us to know that the devil will try with all his might to win us over once we have taken a giant spiritual step such as this.  (See Moses 1 for another example.)

Each time, presumably after the spiritual enlightenment, the devil approached the Lord with a temptation.

1) "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread" (verse 3).  Satan tried to cast doubt as to Christ's relationship with God.  This is the same thing he will try to do to us. 

Lucifer also tried to convince Christ that God The Father would not want him to hunger.  How similar is this to the argument we often hear:  "If there was really a God, he would not allow his children to suffer."  And this temptation often succeeds in casting doubt!  Another angle in this first temptation is the temptation to feed the flesh and neglect the spirit.  Jesus answered, "Man shall not live by bread alone [physical concerns], but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God [covenants and commandments]" (verse 4). 

"In the life of Jesus there is not a single example of a miracle worked for His own advantage" (Dummelow, p. 633).  His turning the stones to bread would have been in direct opposition to his role as the Savior.  By overcoming this temptation he proved that he could be trusted to always have our best interest (or God's will) in mind over his own.

2) "If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee" (verse 6).  The devil loves to twist scripture to his advantage.  Here he quoted Psalm 91:11-12. 


"The porch on the south side [of the temple] was...150 feet high.  From the top of this to the bottom of the valley below was more than 700 feet, and Josephus says that one could scarcely look down without dizziness….How much more easy would [a dramatic leap and angelic rescue] be than to engage in a slow work of years to establish [the] claim [of divinity]; to encounter fatigue, and want, and poverty, and persecution, before that claim would be admitted?  And where could be a more fit place for thus at once demonstrating that he was the Son of God, than on this pinnacle of the temple, in the very midst of Jerusalem, and perhaps in the presence of thousands who would see the wonderful performance?" (Barnes, p. 34-35)  The temptation here was not just showing off (pride: something by which we are also often tempted), but taking a short cut.  There are no shortcuts in the Kingdom of God--not for Christ's mission and not for ours.


Jesus said, "It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."  What is meant by tempting God?  Trying to get him to change his plans to fit ours.  We also try to "tempt the Lord" when things are rough and we question God's designs.  It is good to remember that "God casts down, that he may raise up; the Devil raises up, that he may cast down…." (Henry, p. 28).


3) "All [the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them] will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (verse 8-9).  What was the temptation here?  I've always struggled with this one.  Why would Christ, who had such great knowledge that he couldn't even be taught by men (see JST Matt. 3:25), be tempted by this kind of power?  I'll give credit to my awesome husband who pointed me toward an answer neither of us had thought of before, but which finally satisfies me.


First, let's clarify that Lucifer did not have the power to show Christ all the kingdoms of the world; "such was done by the Spirit; it was after he had seen the vision that the devil made his false offer" (McConkie, p. 128).  What might this vision have been like?  Well, the best commentary on scripture is always other scripture.  Who else in scripture had this type of a vision?  Enoch comes to mind instantly.  Enoch saw in a vision the God of heaven crying.  He asked what could be so devastating that it could cause God himself to cry. (Moses 7:31)  In answer, he was shown a great vision of the children of men, their sins, their refusal to accept the Atonement, and their resultant agony in spirit prison (Moses 7:38-39).  The scene tormented Enoch so that he "wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook" (Moses 7:41).

If the God of heaven wept when he showed this devastating vision to Enoch, it is likely that he was similarly in an agony when he saw it at the beginning of his earthly ministry in his semi-mortal condition.  How discouraging to see how many people would not accept his great sacrifice!  In this state, might there be the tiniest doubt as to whether Satan's plan had been the best one after all?  Wouldn't any good parent give almost anything to alleviate such intense suffering in their offspring?  If he would worship Satan, he would be accepting Satan's plan.  He would then be given power to rule over the kingdoms of the world and force everyone to do what was best for them (or at least that was Satan's claim), and all this misery to his dearly beloved children would be circumvented.

But the scriptures were written in Jesus' heart, and he would not abandon his Father's plan.  "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (verse 10).  He knew, as we should also learn, that our Heavenly Father's plans and designs are always best, and that our only chance to experience joy and growth and any degree of glory is through the exercise of our agency, even if that agency leads us first through various degrees of hell. 

(Note the JST footnote to verse 11.)

THE CALLING OF THE APOSTLES

John notes the call of five apostles immediately after his baptism (John 1:35-51), where the other gospels report them called later, in a different order, and under different circumstances (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11).  Is this a contradiction?  "If we take [John's account] as historical, Simon, Andrew, Philip, and Nathaniel first followed Jesus at an earlier date [than that recorded in Matthew and Mark].  On returning to Galilee, they again took up their normal work.  This is inherently plausible.  The disciples’ commitment and understanding advanced by degrees; even after the Resurrection, they returned once more to their fishing.  Here an earlier commitment may explain their haste in following Jesus [later]."  (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8, p. 119)  In this preliminary or preparatory call, they were invited to "come and see" (verse 39).  They spent time with Jesus, and their testimonies grew as they did so.  First, Andrew told his brother Simon, "We have found the Messias" (John 1:41).  This term means "the anointed one," who was prophesied to lead the Israelites to freedom.  The next day, Philip was invited to follow Christ, and afterwards he told Nathanael, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John 1:45).  As Jesus let Nathanael know he was aware of a private moment of divine communication Nathanael had experienced under a fig tree, Nathanael's witness expanded: "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel" (John 1:49).

Later, when their call to full-time apostleship came, the disciples were told, "I am he of whom it is written by the prophets; follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (JST Matt. 4:19).  Knowing they had previously had the opportunity to "come and see," to learn of Christ, and to educate their desires, we can comprehend how they could now, with joy, and without a moment's hesitation, "straightway [leave] their nets," follow Christ, and become fishers of men (Matt. 4:18-22).

SOURCES:

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1
J. R. Dummelow, The One Volume Bible Commentary
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 5
Albert Barnes, Barnes' Notes on the New Testament, Vol. 9

I am indebted to my stake president, Kent R. Wallis, who shared his copious research with me.