New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 14: “Who Is My Neighbour?” Matthew 18, Luke 10

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 14: “Who Is My Neighbour?”
Matthew 18, Luke 10

Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 18:1-6

The disciples of Jesus were very competitive. Many sought to be the greatest. One mother would ask the Lord to place her sons, one on each side of him in heaven (Matthew 20:21). The answer was a surprise to them all. They had to be like a little child.

Tradition tells us that the small child that Jesus picked out of the crowd and blessed was Ignatius, who would later be one of the great early Christian Fathers and martyrs of the Church. Ignatius would grow up to be a disciple of the apostle John, and later become bishop of Antioch. Roman Catholics believe him to be one of the successors of Peter as Pope of the Christian Church. He sought his entire life to emulate Christ. He wrote several letters to the Christians, encouraging them to be faithful in their testimonies. Several of these were written as he traveled in chains to Rome, where he was slain by lions in the Coliseum.

Such is the testimony of a small child that continues in the testimony of Christ his entire life. He eagerly seeks to emulate his Master, and to encourage others to do the same. He is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but will preach it in the face of death. When things get difficult, he does not seek a way out, but seeks the way up to God.

And as the disciples of Christ learn to be child-like, they also become as little ones, worthy of the special blessings and considerations of the Savior.

If thy hand offend thee
Matthew 18:7-14

As a continuation of the discussion on the little ones above, the Lord warns us not to offend. It is better for us to remove the thing that offends the child of God, than to allow it to remain. Offenses often drive people away from Christ, and it is a matter for which the Lord will some day ask us how we treated those around us. So important is it to refrain from offending that the Lord stated it would be better to pluck out the offending eye or cut off the offending arm (both important body parts that we can live without), than to drive ourselves and those around us to hell.

In discussing the lost sheep that we must go out to find, we learn that we must not only avoid offending, but also seek out those who have been offended in the past and recover them.

The early Church Historian Eusebius of Caesarea gives an account concerning the apostle John that had been passed down to his day. In his travels to establish churches, John found a wonderful youth who converted to the gospel and eagerly followed the teachings of the apostle. As John prepared to leave to other cities, he directed the bishop of the city to care for the youth. The bishop accepted his charge.

“8. But the presbyter taking home the youth committed to him, reared, kept, cherished, and finally baptized him. After this he relaxed his stricter care and watchfulness, with the idea that in putting upon him the seal of the Lord he had given him a perfect protection.
“9. But some youths of his own age, idle and dissolute, and accustomed to evil practices, corrupted him when he was thus prematurely freed from restraint. At first they enticed him by costly entertainments; then, when they went forth at night for robbery, they took him with them, and finally they demanded that he should unite with them in some greater crime.
“10. He gradually became accustomed to such practices, and on account of the positiveness of his character, leaving the right path, and taking the bit in his teeth like a hard-mouthed and powerful horse, he rushed the more violently down into the depths.
“11. And finally despairing of salvation in God, he no longer meditated what was insignificant, but having committed some great crime, since he was now lost once for all, he expected to suffer a like fate with the rest. Taking them, therefore, and forming a band of robbers, he became a bold bandit-chief, the most violent, most bloody, most cruel of them all” (Eusebius, book 3, chapter 23).

Here, due to neglect and then sin, the young man became offended. The bishop assumed he only had to do some quick preparations and then baptize the boy, and then everything else would work out just fine. Instead, the child went from being among the faithful to being one of the most feared crime bosses in the area. He led a gang of youth in the worst of crimes, thinking there was no longer any salvation for him and that no one cared about him anymore.

After making rounds throughout the area, the aged apostle John finally returned to the town. Upon meeting with the bishop, John’s first words were:

“12...'Come, O bishop, restore us the deposit which both I and Christ committed to you, the church, over which you preside, being witness.'
“13. But the bishop was at first confounded, thinking that he was falsely charged in regard to money which he had not received, and he could neither believe the accusation respecting what he had not, nor could he disbelieve John. But when he said, 'I demand the young man and the soul of the brother,' the old man, groaning deeply and at the same time bursting into tears, said, 'He is dead.' 'How and what kind of death?' 'He is dead to God,' he said; 'for he turned wicked and abandoned, and at last a robber. And now, instead of the church, he haunts the mountain with a band like himself.'
“14. But the Apostle rent his clothes, and beating his head with great lamentation, he said, 'A fine guard I left for a brother's soul! But let a horse be brought me, and let some one show me the way.' He rode away from the church just as he was, and coming to the place, he was taken prisoner by the robbers' outpost.
“15. He, however, neither fled nor made entreaty, but cried out, 'For this did I come; lead me to your captain.'
“16. The latter, meanwhile, was waiting, armed as he was. But when he recognized John approaching, he turned in shame to flee.
“17. But John, forgetting his age, pursued him with all his might, crying out, 'Why, my son, do you flee from me, your own father, unarmed, aged? Pity me, my son; fear not; you have still hope of life. I will give account to Christ for you. If need be, I will willingly endure your death as the Lord suffered death for us. For you will I give up my life. Stand, believe; Christ has sent me.'
“18. And he, when he heard, first stopped and looked down; then he threw away his arms, and then trembled and wept bitterly. And when the old man approached, he embraced him, making confession with lamentations as he was able, baptizing himself a second time with tears, and concealing only his right hand.
“19. But John, pledging himself, and assuring him on oath that he would find forgiveness with the Saviour, besought him, fell upon his knees, kissed his right hand itself as if now purified by repentance, and led him back to the church. And making intercession for him with copious prayers, and struggling together with him in continual fastings, and subduing his mind by various utterances, he did not depart, as they say, until he had restored him to the church, furnishing a great example of true repentance and a great proof of regeneration, a trophy of a visible resurrection” (Ibid).

Who among us would, at any age, ride into harm’s way and pursue the lost until we brought them back? Or would we be as this bishop, chocking it up to bad fortune, and counting the child forever lost? Even with his many violent crimes, John was able to promise the child forgiveness, peace, and joy in the atonement of Christ.

Forgiveness
Matthew 18:15-22

How often shall we forgive? Seven times? Seventy times seven times (490)? In the previous stories of small children being the chief in heaven, of searching for the lost sheep, and of casting off the offending thing, we find a common story: thinking of the other person before ourselves.

We are not always going to agree with everyone. Some we will never agree with. But there is a right way and a wrong way to dealing with such. Many are quick to hire an attorney over every little thing that occurs. For example, imagine a judge suing a dry cleaners for millions because they ruined his favorite pair of pants. Such lawsuits, though seemingly crazy, happen all the time when people do not follow the teachings of the Savior.

In telling Peter that we must forgive “seventy times seven” times, Jesus was telling Peter that we must not stop forgiving. The Lord gave no exceptions, when he commanded,

“10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64).

Forgiveness is not only a commandment, but it is necessary for us to experience the true peace that Jesus offers us. To hold onto anger and judgment is to establish that we are no longer one of the little ones, but among those who offend. Instead of plucking out the offending eye, or cutting off the offending arm, we allow them to become gangrenous, spreading poison throughout our system until we too are offensive. Eventually, the poison leaves no room for the Spirit, and it departs from us. We forget how to be one of the little children, as we become one of the offenders.

Who is my neighbor?
Luke 10:25-37

In the Mosaic Law, we are commanded to love our neighbor, but “hate thine enemy” (Matthew 5:43). The Lord was asked what must be done to obtain eternal life. In his teaching, he commanded that all must love their neighbors. Perhaps one of the most important questions asked in the New Testament was this: “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus would give the Jews an entirely new way to look at this commandment through the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Samaria was located north of Jerusalem. More than six hundred years before Christ, when Israel and Judah were carried off by Assyrians and Babylonians, the area was resettled by foreigners who mixed in with the few Israelites still dwelling in the land. When the Jews returned from the Diaspora, they refused to allow the Samaritans to assist them in building the temple, because their blood lines had been tainted by the mixing and intermarriages among Israelites and Gentiles. There were few peoples worse than Samaritans, according to Jewish belief.

So, when a good Jewish man is injured by robbers in Jesus’ story, the first two people to come across him were a priest and a Levite. These were supposed to be men of God, but each gave their own reason to walk on the other side of the road to avoid contact with the injured. Only the Samaritan, he who was hated by the Jews, came forth to help. He went beyond helping, in fact, as he paid for the man’s care and feeding in an inn.

The Samaritan did not think about what was in it for him. This is plainly what the Levite, priest, and judge who sued over his ruined pants did. Instead, he looked outside himself and asked, “what is it that I can do for this little one of Christ?” In searching for the lost lamb, he didn’t have to travel far - just across the street. But once there, he didn’t think, “I’ll do only a little.” Instead, he asked himself, “What would Christ have me do that is sufficient or more than sufficient to bind this man’s wounds and heal him?”

The stories and teachings in this lesson come together in this one thought: What must I do to be Christ-like?

Bibliography

Wesley on Matt 18:1-6 and Ignatius being the child: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/matthew/matthew-18.html

St Ignatius of Antioch - wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Antioch

Eusebius’ account of John the Beloved (book 3, chapter 23): http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250103.htm

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 13: “I Will Give unto Thee the Keys of the Kingdom” Matthew 15-17

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 13: “I Will Give unto Thee the Keys of the Kingdom”
Matthew 15-17

Traditions
Matthew 15:1-9

Several Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus to question him. The Pharisees believed in protecting the Torah by building a wall of tradition and rules around it. This would prevent people from seeking loop holes on what they felt was important. One of the traditions of the Pharisaic Jews was to wash their hands before eating, as a symbol of being clean. Jesus was not into traditions, but into commandments and the Law of Moses.

He turned straight to the Ten Commandments, the most important of all the laws of Moses.

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12).

This meant that children needed to not only speak kindly and with respect to their parents, but to also take care of them in their later years. However, in the new Pharisaic tradition, if a person chose, he could offer sacrifice “a gift” once a year at the temple in place of caring for their parents. This enriched the temple priests and Sanhedrin (who obtained a portion of the gift, as well as sometimes receiving a contribution), but did nothing to strengthen the family.

Today society has the same attitude towards honoring parents, especially the aged. We expect the government to care for their needs. We put them away in nursing homes and only visit when it is convenient for us. We do not take the time to learn their stories or history.

Recently, I visited my own mother, who lives hundreds of miles away. It was an opportunity to ask her questions regarding her own childhood. She recalled growing up in the farmland of western North Dakota during the Great Depression. Her grandfather (who I knew when I was a child) left to find a better place to live, outside of the great Dustbowl. He soon found a place in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. He wrote my grandfather and told him to bring everything. My grandfather built a second seat on the truck, loaded up everything. My mother sat next to grandfather as they drove 500 miles on dirt roads to their new home. By the time they arrived at the Bitterroot Valley, my grandfather had 25 cents left in his pocket. My mother has a photo of the old homestead my grandfather and great-grandfather purchased and then expanded on in Montana. What a great story that I can now share with my own family!

How often we forget the wonders our ancestors went through, even a generation or two ago, because we are too busy with our own lives. Instead, we send a gift to assuage our conscience. But it is we who are losing out.

Canaanite woman begs for scraps
Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus traveled to the border of the Jewish nation along the Meditterranean coast to the city of Tyre. Not far from Tyre was the town of Sidon, which was a Gentile town. In this setting, Jesus was accosted by a Canaanite woman to heal her child from demonic possession. The Canaanites long had been neighbors of the Israelites, but were often enemies. Centuries before Jesus, the Canaanites were major competitors of Israel and its God. Canaan’s major god, Baal, competed against Yahweh for primacy in the days of Elijah. The Canaanite Jezebel and her husband Ahab, king of Israel, introduced Baal worship to the kingdom. Family members would later bring Baal worship to Jerusalem’s temple. There was a very long period of distrust and feuding between the two gods and their nations.

As the Canaanite woman begged for help, Jesus chose not to do so. He told her he was sent only to the House of Israel. Not long before, he commanded his apostles to

“not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israe”' (Matthew 10:5-7).

Not until years after Jesus’ death would Peter receive the vision to bring the gospel to the Gentile nations. But Jesus was not sent to the Gentiles, only to Israel. In clarifying this view, he explained to the woman that the dogs do not eat from the Master’s table. The term he used is closer to the idea of a lap dog than that of a wild dog, often used in the Middle East as a derogatory term towards other men. But the Gentiles were not Israel, and could not eat at the table. She took up the idea of lapdog and ran with it. The lapdogs still ate the scraps from the table. Because of her faith and determination, she succeeded in receiving the blessing she sought.

To this day, we do not know why God occasionally limits who shall receive gospel blessings. But it has happened often in Bible times. The Levites were the holders of the priesthood for most of Jewish history, but this meant others could not have the same benefits or blessings. Later, the gospel of Christ would be limited to Israel until after Jesus’ death. With the family of Cornelius accepted by the Lord, Peter could extend the gospel to all mankind, opening the door for Paul’s missionary efforts.

Again, we do not understand the full reason for this. However, God has promised that the “first shall be last, and the last first.” Those at the end of the line will be brought forward first. Their conversion will be a bigger event than that of Jews who had been raised with the expectation of a Messiah, and so their reward will be given them first in the heavens to come.


Thou Art the Christ
Matthew 16:13-20

Alone with his disciples, it was time to question them and see what they had learned of most importance.

What do others think of Jesus? He is a prophet, John the Baptist, Elias, or Jeremiah back from the dead. They knew Jesus was special, because of the miracles he performed. Yet they placed their sites too low.

Peter was able to say, “

Thou art the Christ (Anointed One, Messiah), the Son of the living God.”

Jesus proclaimed that Peter did not learn this from anyone else, since they all thought Jesus was a dead prophet. Instead, Peter gained the witness through revelation from God.

This is how any of us gains faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many believe in the Bible, call themselves Christians and believe in Jesus. Yet to ask them, most cannot explain how they have such a belief. I’ve had many tell me because the Bible tells us. But for the logical thinker, we could ask why we believe the Bible and not in any other ancient book. Why don’t we believe in Buddhism, or in Zeus?

It is because God wishes to speak to each of us. And he does it through personal revelation. He wishes to reveal to us who Jesus Christ truly is. As the angel explained to the apostle John, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). If we have a testimony of Christ, it is because God has witnessed it to us. This occurs through the power of the Holy Ghost. He is a member of the Godhead, whose main purpose is to reveal God and Christ to mankind.

As Nephi discovered in talking with the Holy Spirit concerning his belief in Lehi’s dream of the Tree of Life,

“6 And when I had spoken these words, the Spirit cried with a loud voice, saying: Hosanna to the Lord, the most high God; for he is God over all the earth, yea, even above all. And blessed art thou, Nephi, because thou believest in the Son of the most high God; wherefore, thou shalt behold the things which thou hast desired” (1 Nephi 11:6).

Each of us must do as Peter and seek our own witness of the Christ. It is through that personal revelation that we not only logically learn about Jesus, but we have a spiritual rebirth. We are born anew in the witness we gain of Christ. Jesus miraculously fed thousands, but most walked away when the bread was gone. But Peter stayed. It was because of the spiritual witness he gained from Heavenly Father concerning Jesus the Christ. He knew that the Messiah came to not only feed us bread, but to feed us with the Bread of Life. Because of Jesus, death would soon have no sting. Jesus is the only one who can take us back into the presence of the Father. He is the Christ.

Bibliography

Jewish tradition of giving a gift instead of caring for parents: http://www.newadvent.org/bible/mat015.htm
http://bible.cc/matthew/15-5.htm

The Canaanite woman: http://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-hermeneutics-matthew-1521-39

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 12: “I Am the Bread of Life” John 5-6, Mark 6, Matt 14

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 12: “I Am the Bread of Life”
John 5-6, Mark 6, Matt 14



The Pool at Bethesda

The pool of Bethesda (House of Mercy) was a place believed to be enchanted. Occasionally, an angel would dip its foot in the pool and stir it. The disabled person who was first into the pool would be healed. Dozens of disabled and sick surrounded the pool, hoping to be the first in. Jesus found one man who was unable to enter the water soon enough to be healed, and healed him. We do not see in the story the Savior stayed long enough to heal anyone else. Instead, the healed man is soon approached about carrying his bed on the Sabbath, and he claims that his healer told him to do so. Arriving at the pool, the man and the Pharisees do not see Jesus among the sick. Obviously, the Lord has not stayed to heal others. Why not?

Here we have an event that is extraordinary. Whether an actual angel healed randomly at the pool, we do not know for certain. However, recent archaeological digging has uncovered a pagan healing shrine next to the pool, dating back to the times of Christ. The shrine is to the Semitic God Eshmun, the god of healing. The pool of Bethesda lies outside of the city walls, and therefore not considered part of the holy city or in the suburbs of the temple. It is near a Roman fortress, Antonio. Therefore it is very possible that this pool was believed to be magical due to the angel of a god or goddess.

Even as Moses confronted the priests and magicians of Egypt, and Abraham confronted Pharaoh for priesthood primacy (Book of Abraham 1), Jesus would confront the pagan god of healing. Christ showed forth his power to heal the disabled, and demonstrate his divine status at the altar of a pagan god. Others would have seen Jesus heal someone who laid by the pool for years without being healed by the pagan god. This would give Jesus potential divine status, not only among the Jews, but among the Romans and foreigners in the city, as well.

Jesus: Son of God or blasphemer?

This would also explain the reactions of the man who was healed. When the Pharisees asked him why he was disobeying the Sabbath by carrying the bed, he had no problem in helping them find Jesus. The healed man, though probably grateful to an extent, was definitely not a disciple of Christ. Perhaps he was also not a Jew, as he sat at a pagan healing shrine for years waiting to be healed. Keeping in line with the religious leaders in Jerusalem was politically smart for someone eager to enjoy his new life.

So incensed that Jesus would challenge their interpretation of the Sabbath Day rules, they sought to kill him. Jesus then incensed them even more, stating:

“17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
“18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5).

Jesus now claimed godhood as the literal Son of God. He challenged the pagan god. Now he would challenge the defenders of Yahweh’s temple and the Torah (writings of Moses). Jesus was changing the long held beliefs and rules of the Sabbath. Why? Because he was the Son of God and had the power to do as he thought best on that day. Second, the Savior’s claim that he was the Son of God put them into the position of either accepting that he was worthy of worship, or to reject him as a blasphemer, worthy of death. There would be no middle ground or sitting on the fence. Either he was the Messiah, or he was not. The Jews chose to believe he was a fraud and despite healing an invalid, they decided to plan his death.

Law of Witnesses

Jesus understood the law of witnesses. If a man witnessed alone, his testimony was left in doubt. But if the man had solid witnesses, then he could be considered trustworthy in his testimony. Jesus first provided John the Baptist as a witness for him. Second, God himself would be a witness. How?

"19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
"20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
"21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will....
"36 But I have greater witness than 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."

Jesus saw that God the Father could heal and raise men up. God raised men from the dead through prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, and others. If Jesus were truly God’s son, then he would also have this power, which indeed the healing of the disabled man was proof of. Jesus’ miracle was proof that the Father had shared his power with the Son. This was the testimony given by God of his son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus then foretells the resurrection, He will be the actual force behind the resurrection of the dead:

"28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
"29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
"30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."

The Savior then explains that the Jews have never experienced the revelation of God, for they have rejected the Melchizedek Priesthood, which holds the “key to the mystery of godliness” (D&C 84:19-27). Left with only the Levitical priesthood, they cannot see God’s face. But if they were to accept Jesus, they could again return into God’s presence:

"37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
"38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
"39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
" 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

The Jews would not or could not receive a witness of Jesus through the Spirit. They rejected that personal revelation and witness from God. The only witness available to them were the scriptures. Sadly, the Jews thought their eternal life came from obedience to the law of Moses and the sacrificial rituals therein. They focused on keeping the Sabbath holy by not carrying beds, and in focusing solely on the literal letter(s) of the law, they missed the verses prophesying of the coming Messiah. True eternal life does not come from the scriptures, but from devotion to God through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Jews had the scriptures, thinking they were saved by studying it copiously. Instead, it became an albatross around their necks, preventing them from accepting the Son of God, even he who commanded Moses in the first place! And because they would not come unto Christ, they would not have eternal life.

Interestingly, many Christians, including Latter-day Saints, use verse 39 out of context, as encouragement to study the scriptures. In context, we find that the scriptures are good to learn about Jesus, but they will not save us, heal us, or return us back into the presence of God. The Jews showed that the scriptures, when used improperly, can be used to justify a lifestyle that is blind to true devotion to God. The Bible, while the word of God, is not where one obtains God’s authority nor power. Instead, Jesus showed that he was the true source of power and authority. The scriptures may help us to understand Jesus and his holy work, but they are not a replacement for having an actual devotion and covenant with Christ the Savior.

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

Moses would condemn them, for Moses’ law and teachings were geared to lead mankind to Christ. Since the Jews had twisted the prophetic words to the point that they now were an ends to themselves, they could lead no one to the Messiah. In other words, Moses is one last witness for Jesus Christ, and a true believer in Moses’ words will find his way towards belief in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus that we are reconciled to God. No prophetic writing could ever do that for us.

Feeding the Five Thousand

Thousands followed Jesus into the wilderness, where he taught them his gospel. Through a miracle and a lad’s fish and loaves, five thousand people were fed. Afterward, many decided,

"14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
"15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone" (John 6).

To the people, this was that prophet, the Messiah. Many Jews believed the Messiah would come, destroy the Roman yoke of servitude off their necks, and feed them manna for the rest of their lives. Eagerly they accepted many false Christs, hoping they had indeed found the real one and install him as their king. Jesus realized that they were going to make him king, so he could drive out the foreign invaders and give everyone plenty to eat.

Just as the Jewish leaders were “looking beyond the mark” in their approach to the scriptures, so the people were beyond the pale in their hopes for a new King David. They were not interested in Jesus’ teachings of being peacemakers, merciful, and repentant followers of God; looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and exaltation in God’s presence. Instead, they sought their own Garden of Eden. And if Jesus would not give it to them willingly, they were willing to take it by force. This is similar to the attitude of the people at the Tower of Babel. They sought heaven, but sought it in their own way. They sought to build a tower to heaven, then overthrow God and his angels, so they could have the place for themselves. Instead of embracing Christ as their Savior, they wanted to bottle up his power, using it for their own wicked purposes and evil designs.

The Living Bread

Jesus escaped the people, but they soon caught up to him the next day.

"26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, anot because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
"27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
"28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
" 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
"30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
"31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
"32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
"33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
"34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
"35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
"36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not."

Jesus offered them celestial glory. They only wanted food to stuff into their cheeks. Moses offered bread/manna that lasted only a day, and then they were hungry again. Jesus offered them spiritual bread that would crown them children of God. When they asked, “evermore give us this bread”, they wanted actual bread. They did not want the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The day before, Jesus fed this people and they decided he must be the Messiah of God. Now, as Christ would not feed their faces with what they wanted, they rejected him.

"41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
"42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?”

Still, Jesus tried to explain to them, He is the true bread of life. Those who ate Moses’ manna were dead and buried. But those who embraced Christ as Savior of mankind and as the Son of God would live forever in God’s presence. Again, the Jews scoffed him. They were pretended ignorance to Jesus’ teachings, refusing to partake of his flesh in symbolic form so they could be saved.

“66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

Today, many people only serve God when there’s something in it for them now. Right now. Given the world as it is, most people do not think much on Christ, except in times of great need. In most cases, it is a request to be physically fed or cared for. This is not what salvation is about. We are to come unto Christ in all times and places, hoping on his resurrection to heal us spiritually. So that even if great worldly tragedies fall upon us, we can have joy and peace; assured that Jesus Christ has paid for our sins if we will just repent and place our hand in his. Discipleship comes at a price: rejecting the world and embracing Jesus and God.

Walking on Water



In this lesson, there are a few accounts of Jesus walking on water. Perhaps the most detailed and interesting is in Matthew 14.

While Jesus prayed alone in the mountains, his disciples set off for a night time crossing of the Sea of Galilee. The waters were rough, and the disciples struggled. In the fourth watch, or between 3 and 6 in the morning, when they saw a person walking towards them on the water. At first they were afraid, but the Lord told them it was he. Peter asked if he could join him on the water, and Jesus told him to come to him.

"26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
"27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
"28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
"29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
"30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
"31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

Occasionally, the Lord asks us to step out of our comfort zone in order to build faith. Peter stepped out with faith. After all, he spent the previous day watching Jesus heal many people. Initially, Peter walked with faith and boldness. But then he was distracted by the crashing waves around him. The distraction caused him to forget his Savior and the power of the Son of God. He was instantly caught up in his worldly fears and they paralyzed him. Fear replaced faith, and without faith he could not stand. He began to sink into the rough waves.

Jesus miracle only worked based on Peter’s faith. While Peter believed, he could perform the miracle. When he feared, God had no power to save him. For each of us this becomes a clear warning. Satan and the world will throw many waves to crash around us. We may allow ourselves to become distracted and dismayed at the sight. Our whole world may feel like it is sinking down around us. Panic may sit in as we helplessly see ourselves go under for the third time. But the Lord would have us to focus on him. Do not let the world distract us with scary fears, politics or video games. Our focus should remain steadfast on Jesus Christ. Where our heart is, there will also be our treasure. If our focus is mainly on the distractions of the world, whether good or bad, then we are not focusing on Christ. Our faith cannot grow if it is neglected or transplanted by fear.

Miracles occur when we focus our faith in Christ. He can heal us physically, emotionally, spiritually. He can give us hope when all seems lost. He can help us look forward to a better world, even when we are still engaged in this one. He can resurrect us and give us Eternal Life with God and our families, if we but believe and focus on that belief. Our faith must grow, if we ever hope to be able to have sufficient faith for Jesus to exalt us. As with Peter, we must focus on the face of Christ, and not become distracted by any wind or wave of false doctrine, thought of fear, or even pleasant distraction that keeps us from developing an eternal relationship with God.


Biography

Eshmun pagan shrine at Bethesda: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2007/11/Divine-Healer-Jesus-vs-Eshmun.aspx

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 11: “He Spake Many Things unto Them in Parables” Matt 13, Mark 4

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 11: “He Spake Many Things unto Them in Parables”
Matt 13, Mark 4




Parables

The term “Parable” (Hebrew mashal; Syrian mathla, Greek parabole) means a comparison of parallel things. In the Bible, about one-third of the Lord’s teachings are in parables, and they are found in all four of the gospels, though mostly in the synaptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Jesus normally gave a story or event that was common for the people of his day. This story would also include a symbolic spiritual component to it that would be understood by those who truly sought out its meaning.

Wikipedia tells us, “Christian authors view them not as mere similitudes which serve the purpose of illustration, but as internal analogies where nature becomes a witness for the spiritual world”. While fables focus often on animals with human characteristics, parables mostly deal with humans and everyday events: baking bread, fishing, planting, finding a lost coin, etc.

Parables were known by the Jews in Jesus’ day, as they are also found in the Old Testament The Hebrew term ‘mashal’ may also be interpreted as “riddle.” So a parable is a simple story with a riddle or hidden meaning that the listener must figure out. Since Jesus was often speaking to mixed crowds of believers and non-believers, it may be that he spoke frequently in parables that the believers could understand, but that the scoffers could not; sort of a secret teaching given out in the open.

For example, the parable of the Sower would sound just like a normal story of a man broadcasting seed across the field. In Jesus’ day, furrows and planting seed as we do today was not common. Instead, the field was generally prepared, and then seed spread about in a wide cast. This allowed for some seed to fall in many places, both good and bad areas. For the non-believing Pharisees, they might be confused why Jesus would give a story of planting that led to no real teaching. But for the followers of Jesus, they knew there was a deeper meaning, and asked him for the interpretation after the crowds had left. Herein, Jesus explained that the parables would bless the believer, but leave the unbelievers in the dark about his teachings.

Unlike myths or fables, parables are about ordinary people and things. There are no giants, magic, nor superheroes in any of the parables. Instead, we find people quietly going about their normal businesses, and acting upon a regular event (Good Samaritan, woman finding the coin, man buying the pearl of great price)..

Although modern parables are often obvious to the listener, the parables of Jesus were not. George Fyler Townsend explained it as "the designed use of language purposely intended to convey a hidden and secret meaning other than that contained in the words themselves, and which may or may not bear a special reference to the hearer or reader."





Mysteries of Kingdom of Heaven

One of the key concepts of Jesus’ parables was to prepare mankind for heaven. Only those who had the seed of faith sown in good soil of the heart would grow in the gospel faith. Those who had sinned or lost their faith could search diligently for it, even as the woman sought for the lost coin, and in finding it may rejoice with the saints of God. Those who recognize the gospel as the truest treasure, even a pearl of great price, will sell all they have and do anything necessary to possess it. The kingdom of heaven requires a valiant and lifelong effort to attain. It cannot be had by lip service, but only by true service.

That Jesus meant for the parables to be understood only by his true followers is affirmed by his own words:

“9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
“10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
“11 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.
“12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
“13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
“14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
“15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew 13).

Jesus followed his own advice of not casting pearls before swine. When people are ready to hear the gospel, they shall humble themselves and learn to truly hear.

The apostle John would use such teaching with the seven churches of Asia:

“7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
“11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
“17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

“26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
“27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
“28 And I will give him the morning star.
“29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev 2).

"4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
" 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
" 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

“12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
“13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

"21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
"22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev 3).

We see that learning to have a listening ear and heart, allows us to understand the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” Today, much of this we learn in the temple, where modern day parables teach believers the sacred secrets of being like Christ-like and prepare them to enter into the presence of God. For those with a listening heart, they can see that Jesus’ and John’s parabolic promises for the true hearers are tied with the teachings in the temple. And it is there that we find the pearl of great price: Jesus highest teachings for those seeking to know the mysteries of heaven.

Bibliography

Parables of Jesus - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parables_of_Jesus

Parable - Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable

Parable - Catholic New Advent Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11460a.htm

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10 - Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me - Matt 11-12, Luke 7, 13

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 10 - Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me - Matt 11-12, Luke 7, 13





The 613 Mitzvot

In a society built upon numerous and complex rules, the Jews were muzzled spiritually by the law of Moses. In the current Mosaic Law, there are 611 Mitzvot (laws/rules) for the people to follow. Added to these are the two commandments given to Adam and Abraham (multiply and replenish the earth and male circumcision), making a total of 613 commandments. These range from the 10 Commandments, to dietary laws, to how far a person could walk on the Sabbath.

All of these were officially codified and numbered by the Jewish master Maimonides (b. 1135 AD). According to him, there are 365 negative commandments, one for each day of the solar year. However, there are only 248 positive commandments, equal to the number of bones and organs in the human body. According to Maimonides, the three negative commandments for which it would be better to die than to commit are: murder, idolatry, and sexual sin.

Due to the loss of the 2nd Temple, most of the laws cannot be followed today, including the laws regarding sacrifices. And of the 77 negative and 194 positive commands that can be followed today, there are 26 that only apply within Israel itself. Maimonides’ list include laws on worshiping God, obeying the commands of God’s prophets, to be kind to other Jews, etc. But they also include some strange rules, such as: not to plant a tree in the Temple courtyard, one must afflict himself and cry out during hard times, a man cannot remarry his ex-wife after she has married someone else, a rapist must marry the woman he assaulted, and you cannot slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.

And then there were additional rules created to ensure people were keeping the rules of the Torah (Books of Moses). These were formed to build a wall of protection around the Torah, so no one could discover loopholes for their own benefit. For the Sabbath, there were rules about which knots could be tied. You could not set a broken bone on the Sabbath, although you could save someone from a burning house. Some laws became very exact and burdensome.

It was in this situation that the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day.

Take Upon You My Yoke

In this environment, Jesus called forth to the people:

“28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“29 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.
“30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus rules would be few: have faith in Christ, repent of your sins, receive the ordinances as a symbol of obedience and faith, Love God and neighbor with all your heart.

In recent discussions I’ve had regarding sin and repentance, we find in LDS belief that we must repent:

“16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
“17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
“18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
“19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
“20 Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit” (D&C 19:16-20)

What we find here is that a complete and full repentance is required if we want to be saved by Christ’s atonement. It requires full submission. We are either yoked with him, or we are not. We cannot be partially yoked. If we choose not to be yoked with Christ, then we take upon us the full brunt of our own sins: the Spirit is fully withdrawn and we face the pangs of guilt, sin, and perdition, even until we do humble ourselves enough to surrender completely to Christ, and take his yoke upon us.

What kind of pain? Even as Christ suffered from Gethsemane, where he bled from every pore, to the cross, where he cried out: “My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalms 22:1, Matt 27:46). Here, God the Father left Jesus utterly alone, even without the presence of the Holy Ghost, so that he could fully taste perdition and hell, so that he would know how to “succor his people” (Alma 7:12, Hebrews 2:18).

Alma the Younger experienced this great suffering. As he went about seeking to destroy the Church, an angel called him to repent or be destroyed. He collapsed into a coma, and experienced what some believe to be a Near Death Experience. He later related the experience to his son, Helaman:

"12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
"13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
"14 Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
"15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
"16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
"17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
"18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
"19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
"20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
"21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
"22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.
" 23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.
"24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Alma 36:12-24).

Alma was bereft of the Holy Spirit or Light of Christ (not the same as the Gift of the Holy Ghost), which giveth light to all mankind. Forced to face his sins, fears, and thoughts all alone, he knew just what he had become. Only in surrendering totally to Christ could this burden be forever removed, and he could return back into the light and even the presence of God (which Alma saw sitting on His throne).

So, Jesus does not just remove the long list of rules that burden us, but he offers an escape from the sufferings for our sinful choices. He will bear all pain and hell for us if we but yoke ourselves completely to him, and follow his lead.

The Sabbath Day

How many of us who seek to keep the Sabbath day holy find it to be burdensome and hard? Perhaps it is because we overburden ourselves with rules on how to keep it holy. Many have hard and fast rules: no television, no shopping, no sports, etc. These are all decent rules to live by on the Sabbath. However, the average child hears these and thinks the command is: “Thou Shalt Not Do Anything At All on the Sabbath!” or “Thou Shalt Be Bored on the Sabbath Day!”

We end up creating rules as did the Jews. While we may not establish rules for which knots we can or can’t use, we can often make very tough distinctions on what can or cannot be done.

Yet Jesus taught by example: is it okay to do good things on the Sabbath? This threw the Pharisees completely off guard, because this did not fit in with their many rules. Today we may say we do not go on walks or have dinners with others on the Sabbath. But what if by doing so we lift someone who is struggling and down?

Christ taught that by the Jewish law it was okay to pull an animal out of the mud on the Sabbath. Given that humans are more important than animals, healing a person should be even a better work to do on the Sabbath. And so Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

Perhaps this is the way to truly observe and keep the Sabbath holy: not by what we avoid doing, but by who we seek to bless. Did my efforts this past Sunday end up making me bored and anxious to see the Sabbath end? Or did I use the day as an opportunity to heal others?

Think of the many ways we can do this: writing letters to military members, visiting the sick and troubled, making cookies for the neighbor next door, taking the widow’s dog for a walk. In doing such, we ensure that the Sabbath is made for man, and not the other way around.



Bibliography

613 Mitzvot - wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/613_Mitzvot

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9 - Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God - Matthew 6-7

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 9 - Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
Matthew 6-7

This week is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. Last week’s blog discussed how the Sermon on the Mount, and particularly the Beatitudes, were stepping stones to prepare us to be like God and to return to his presence. The expectation and command Jesus gave his disciples was, “be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which art in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). While we can determine that no one is absolutely perfect in mortality, it does seem that we can become perfect in a fashion acceptable to the Savior. The word “perfect” meant “completed” or “finished” as in the potter proclaiming his prize pot of clay completed/finished and ready to be used.

In this lesson, Jesus gives specifics of ways to achieve that perfection in a variety of activities and actions that the Jews did frequently according to the Mosaic Law.

Alms, Prayer and Fasting
Matthew 6:1-18

Alms

The Mosaic Law was a very visible one. Sacrifices were performed at the temple, where all could see whether you were wealthy enough to sacrifice a lamb, or among the poor who would offer a pair of turtle doves. One wore tefilin (scriptures in a small box attached to the wrist or forehead) as an outward display of continual devotion to God. The annual ritual festivals of Passover, Tabernacles, Atonement, and others, were very significant to the Jews. Many made the pilgrimage from throughout the Greek world to attend such festivals. To attend was an outward sign of one’s faith.

The Mosaic Law was, as we can see, based on outward expressions. For the prophets, these outward expressions were to display the inward motives and desires of the true believer. However, by Jesus’ time, inward motives were ignored as the outward expressions seemed sufficient to the religious leaders of the day. Jesus would show them that outward expressions were meaningless.

Alms was the paying of tithes and offerings in order to help the poor and finance the work of the temple. Many saw it as an opportunity to promote themselves, and so when they paid their alms, they made sure everyone else saw. Imagine an actor today announcing he has donated $1 million for a children’s cause. What was the purpose of announcing the donation? Would such an announcement induce others to also contribute to the cause? Probably not as many as one would think. The main purpose, then, was to use the charitable event as self promotion.

Jewish leaders and the rich were paying alms for the same reason. It increased their popularity, made them feel good, and they received applause from their rich friends.

However, in Jesus’ view, things were different:

“41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
“42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
“43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
“44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Matthew 12:41-44).

Jesus knew that many of the rich had gained their wealth off the backs of the poor. To have someone drop $5 thousand dollars into the bucket may seem like a lot of money, but not if the person is a millionaire. Perhaps this is the reason Jesus tested the rich man who kept the commandments, calling on him to sell all he had and give it to the poor, “and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).

So, how much should we pay in alms or offerings? The Christian author C.S. Lewis suggested, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”

Prayer

As for prayer, we are taught not to pray like the hypocrites, who do it openly in order to be seen of men. Perhaps the greatest thought I’ve seen on this come from Donna Nielson, who notes at her Connections blog a quote on prayer by Sadhu Sundar Singh, a Christian convert from Hinduism:

"The essence of prayer does not consist in asking for things, but in opening one’s heart to God. Prayer is continual abandonment to God. It is the desire for God himself, the giver of life. Prayer is communion with God, receiving him who is the giver of all good gifts, living a life of fellowship with him. It is breathing and living in God.
“A little child will run to his mother exclaiming: “Mother! Mother!” The child does not necessarily want anything in particular. He only wants to be near his mother, to sit on her lap, or to follow her about the house. The child longs for the sheer pleasure of being near her, talking to her, hearing her voice. This is what makes him happy.
“It is just the same with those who are truly God’s children. They do not trouble themselves with asking for spiritual blessings. They only want to sit at the Master’s feet, to be in living touch with him; then they are supremely content."

Prayer is our way to be with God, even here in mortality. When we forget those around us, and focus on being with God, giving ourselves fully to Him for those few precious moments, then we are in touch with Him, and He with us.

Fasting

Fasting goes hand in hand with prayer. It prepares our physical body to receive spiritual renewal. Our lives are constantly met with the pangs of hunger for physical nourishment and attention. Fasting allows us to put off the natural man for a time, and take upon ourselves the spiritual person. It is the overcoming of the outward appearance and needs, and focusing upon the inward spiritual contact with God. For the person who “uglifies” himself outwardly so that others may see him fast, he has his reward. It is the attention of those mortals around him. Yet such action denies the beauty one should seek by quietly fasting, throwing off temptation and appetites, and lifting one’s spirit to heaven so as to touch the face of God.

Treasures in heaven and earth
Matthew 6:19-34

The Savior then speaks concerning the “root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Whatever our real treasure is, that is where our heart is, and that is where our reward is.

I work as a counselor and hearing officer (judge) in a state prison. I often have to talk with individuals who have made very poor choices in their lives. Often, bad choices made within the prison system requires me to lengthen their prison stay. This often means children will not have father home as soon as they had hoped. I often ask the offender whether they love their children. They always answer, “yes.” I then ask them why they would risk months or years more in prison by using drugs, assault another, etc., if their children are waiting for them to come home soon. I point out that their behavior shows where their treasure truly is. I have no doubt they love their kids. But I’m convinced that they love their addiction or violence even more.

In 2011 as I write this, millions of Americans risk home foreclosure, bankruptcy, or other serious financial stress. The federal and many state governments are awash in red tape. Many are out of work, or working at jobs that do not pay what they are worth. Sadly, much of this is due to the choices and actions made by those same Americans. Americans in the government wished to stimulate the economy, and so made buying a house affordable and easy. The put pressure on financial institutions to open up the piggy bank to more and more individuals, regardless of their ability to pay. The financial institutions, seeing green, convinced home buyers they could afford more home than they really could. Home buyers took out second and third mortgages to buy furniture to put inside the home. Each American involved showed where their heart was at.

For those Mormons (and others) who listened to President Gordon B. Hinckley’s prophetic warnings of economic hardships, of getting out of debt, paying off one’s modest home, and preparing for hard times, they now have the blessing of being able to better weather this economic Great Recession.

In the long run, we cannot serve two masters. Elder Jeffrey Holland said, “such people know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon.”

When we think of those in the scriptures, or those around us, who have traded their birthright for a mess of pottage (vegetable soup), we cannot understand how they could be so foolish. Yet, because most of us place at least some worldly treasures in our hearts, we all find ourselves in folly. This is not to say we cannot live a comfortable life. It means we need to ensure God is first and foremost, and that when given a choice, we eagerly and quickly resolve to follow God.

“28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
“29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
“30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
“ 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
“ 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
“ 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:28-33).

While not all of us will be clothed in this life with the silks and linens worn by Solomon, we can look forward to the white garments that will be placed upon the righteous as they enter heaven. And while our meals may often be meager in this life, nothing will compare to partaking of the fruit of the Tree of Life, or sitting at the marriage feast of the Savior.

Enoch and Isaiah sought God first, and were clothed in white garments that showed forth the glory of God in them. As Isaiah spoke with the dead prophets, he was told,

“And many will change the honour of the garments of the saints for the garments of the covetous, and there will be much respect of persons in those days and lovers of the honour of this world” (Ascension of Isaiah 3:25).

Compare the wicked to the righteous:

“But the saints will come with the Lord with their garments which are (now) stored up on high in the seventh heaven: with the Lord they will come, whose spirits are clothed, they will descend and be present in the world, and He will strengthen those, who have been found in the body, together with the saints, in the garments of the saints, and the Lord will minister to those who have kept watch in this world” (ibid ch 4:16).

As Isaiah ascended the levels of heaven, he reached the 7th heaven where the beginning of the most holy heavens began:

“AND he (the angel) took me into the air of the seventh heaven, and moreover I heard a voice (one of the sentinels) saying: ‘How far will he (Isaiah) ascend that dwelleth in the flesh?’ And I feared and trembled.
“And when I trembled, behold, I heard from hence another voice being sent forth, and saying: ‘It is permitted to the holy Isaiah to ascend hither; for here is his garment’” (ch 9:1-2).

God seeks to clothe us with wonderful white garments, even as the white lilies of the field are clothed by God. But we must have our treasure in heaven, if we wish to obtain such a treasure as this.

More Celestial Teachings
Matthew 7

Judging and Hypocrites

In the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, we are taught “Judge not unrighteously”. This is a major change to what we read in the KJV. Still, it is important that we use care in any judgments we do. Often, we do not know the whole story behind an event or decision, and so are only judging with a partial understanding. While God can see the thoughts and desires of all men, including their life struggles that brought them to where they are, we can only see a brief moment of behaviors. We may not see how the murderer was abused as a child, or how the addict was directed to drugs by his parents. While this does not excuse behavior, it allows God to judge it differently than we are able to do so.

Often our judgment is clouded by personal beliefs, perceptions, and idiosyncrasies. There are many good Christians who believe Mormons are a cult and will burn in hell, regardless of whether they proclaim Jesus their personal Savior or not. There was a time when some white people did not believe blacks had souls, or to give them full rights as citizens would destroy the nation. There are many who believe the earth is only 6000 years old and those who do not believe it will be damned.

Such are the beams or wood planks that inflict our own spiritual vision. We cannot help save others if we insist on fiercely holding onto our own perceptions and beliefs. Jesus said that all who believe in him and follow him will be saved. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that there are exceptions to this rule. Nowhere in scripture does it say blacks are without souls, or are the descendants of Cain. And both the Creationist and Evolutionist have a seat at Jesus’ supper.

Our responsibility is to use judgment with great care, ensuring we are not turning Christ’s pure and sacred doctrine into a Pharisaical set of complex rules geared towards condemning all but our own group.

Sacred Pearls

Some things the world is not ready for. Sacred things are often made trivial by being made common place. When Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers, those charging exorbitant prices to travelers who wanted to exchange foreign money for local money and animals for sacrifice, he showed the importance of keeping sacred things sacred.

Places, doctrines, and experiences may all be sacred. God often uses holy space (Eden, Sinai, temple) as a place to speak with mankind. His doctrines are sacred, and He often gives us “line upon line” as we are ready for it, so that we do not reject or ignore it. At Sinai, Israel was not ready for the doctrine of Christ, and so were given the lower law of Moses (D&C 84:19-27). Moses and Joshua were commanded to remove their shoes in sacred places. Isaiah, Enoch, Moriancumer, Jacob, Abraham, Moses stood in the presence of God; what experience could be greater than that?

Yet, many people today speak of such sacred things in such common ways. Many Christians will share their most sacred experiences to just about anyone around them. They do not realize they are taking sacred experiences and events, and tossing them before swine. Swine are the unclean; those who are not truly interested in the sacred. Swine are those who constantly dwell in filth, and root around in the mud to fulfill their personal appetites.

When we keep things sacred, God knows he can trust us with more sacred experiences. So when we ask him for a fish, he will give us a fish. He desires to give us good things, but only as we are ready for them (Alma 29:8).

Beware of False Prophets

The warning concerning false prophets is one often tossed out at Mormons: Jesus warned about false prophets, therefore Mormon prophets must be false ones.

Herein lies the fallacy of that assumption. The Bible continues to have prophets (Acts 21:10), and even John the Revelator prophesied of two prophets who would dwell in Jerusalem in the last days (Rev 11). If there are to be no more prophets after Jesus, then Agabus and the two prophets foreseen by John must be false prophets. Yet, they are not.

What Jesus warns about is that there are false prophets among us, and we must learn to distinguish them from the true prophets. How do we tell a true prophet from a false one? By his fruits. We do not believe any of the prophets to have been perfect, and we even see mistakes among some of them in the Bible. But we should be able to study their main teachings and acts, and see if they are generally good or evil. It is easy to see a self-proclaimed prophet like Jim Jones as a false prophet, because his actions led to the death and murder of his congregation. It is not as easy when a prophet foresees things in the far distant future, or makes claims that tend to turn everything on its head.

For the Pharisees and Sadduccees, Jesus was such a prophet. His teachings turned theirs upside down. It required each of them to look at how they were praying, fasting, giving alms, and preaching. That Jesus also told them that it wasn’t enough to say, “Lord, Lord, haven’t I done this marvelous thing” in order to be saved. Such was what the Pharisees were already doing, when they said, “look at me! I’m praying/fasting/giving alms!”

For the Lord, it meant learning the true doctrine of Christ, teaching it, and living it. This is how one becomes a true disciple of Jesus, and how we can tell if a person is a true prophet or not. For if we believe, truly believe, in Jesus with all our heart, then we will want to be his true disciple and follow his example.

Bibliography

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (on Alms giving - Google books): http://tinyurl.com/4be65yr

Connections: Sitting at the Master’s Feet (on prayer): http://donna-connections.blogspot.com/2011/02/sitting-at-masters-feet.html

President Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and to the Men”, Nov 1998 Ensign: http://lds.org/ensign/1998/11/to-the-boys-and-to-the-men?lang=eng

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Best is Yet to Be”, Jan 2010 Liahona:
http://lds.org/liahona/2010/01/the-best-is-yet-to-be?lang=eng

Book of Enoch: http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/boe074.htm

Ascension of Isaiah: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: The Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 8: The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5




The Law and the Prophets

“17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
“18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

For most Christians, we see the teachings of Jesus as an altogether different religion than that found in the Old Testament. In reality, Jesus did not replace the Law of Moses, but fulfilled or transcended it with a higher law. In Jesus’ teachings, we do not find a rejection of the Mosaic Law, but a newer and higher interpretation of it.

The purpose of all prophets is to get the people prepared to enter into the presence of God and experience personally the glory of the Almighty. D&C 84 teaches us that this is what Moses had in mind when he took Israel to Mount Sinai, immediately after escaping the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

“19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
“20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
“21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
“22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.
“23 Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God. (D&C 84)”

It goes further and explains that because Israel refused to enter into God’s presence, and chose instead to rebel and worship the golden calf, they were given the lesser Aaronic priesthood with its gift of ministering angels instead of the Melchizedek Priesthood and its gift of the mystery of godliness, or to stand in God’s presence and have Him revealed personally to them. Along with the lesser priesthood, the Israelites received a lesser, terrestrial set of laws and rules to follow, called the Mosaic Law, or Law of Moses. This included the Ten Commandments, and hundreds of other rules that each person was expected to abide by.

Jesus did not tell people to stop following the Ten Commandments, stop paying tithes, stop praying, or stop eating according to the dietary commandments of the Mosaic Law. Instead, he gave the people key principles of the higher law to abide by.

Today, General Authorities of the Church encourage us to focus on the key doctrines and principles of the gospel. For example, President Boyd K. Packer stated:

"True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."

The key doctrines and principles never change. However, the implementation of certain teachings, practices, and policies can change. Why? Because they are not at the foundation of all the doctrines and principles God gives us.

“Thou shalt not kill” is forever important, but not as great or challenging a law as “whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”

“Thou shalt not commit adultery” is just the beginning of the Law of Chastity, wherein Christ warns us against lusting in our hearts.

Swearing oaths and keeping them is important in the Mosaic Law. Even more important is to always speak the truth, so one does not have to make oaths in the first place.

“An eye for an eye, tooth for tooth” is important for Israelites who were used to killing the person who harmed them. Forgiving is a very difficult thing to do, but is the higher order of things. Imagine the end of violence, because people and nations forgave, rather than seeking vengeance.

And, instead of loving only your neighbors (dear friends), you must even love your enemies. How often have we actually prayed for those who seek us harm? How often have we sought to forgive them with all our heart? For Jesus, this higher way of doing things, tied to the higher priesthood, was the way for one to become perfect, even as God is perfect. The term used here actually means “completed” or “finished.” We are pottery in God’s hands. We will either end up a completed and finished pot that can be used, or tossed. We get to choose how well we work under His guiding fingers. We can form smoothly into a masterpiece, or resist Him and become dross.

As we’ve seen so far, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus focused on key doctrines and principles, and the correct way to implement them. There is the terrestrial/Mosaic Law method, and then the higher method of the celestial/Law of Christ.

The Beatitudes

In the Book of Matthew, there are 8 Beatitudes. The term in Latin means, “Blessed.” It can be compared to Luke’s version at the Sermon on the Plain, where Luke has 4 Blessed, contrasted with 4 Woes (Luke 6). According to some scholars, the Beatitudes are part of the early sayings of Jesus found in an original source (called “Q” or Quelle, source) used by both Matthew and Luke to write their gospels. Many believe that Luke used a literal translation from the source, so that “the poor” were those who were physically hungry and homeless. Matthew, then, used the spiritual reading of “Q” and so we read, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

In the Sermon at the Temple in Bountiful, the Book of Mormon actually adds a few Beatitudes to the beginning of the list. Jesus proclaimed:

“...Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
“2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins. (3 Nephi 12)”

Jesus taught in the previous chapter that the Doctrine of Christ consists in a few key things. First, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost “are one.” Then Jesus explained that his doctrine also consisted in Faith in Christ, Repentance, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins (and we could add other ordinances to this), and receiving the baptism of fire, the Gift of the Holy Ghost (3 Nephi 11:31-40). In Jesus’ continued teachings to the Nephites, he will frequently refer back to these two concepts: unity, and the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. He will tell the Nephites they must be one, even as the Godhead is one, and that the principles and ordinances are the stepping stones to achieving this.

In studying the Beatitudes, we find they are a step-by-step approach to becoming perfected (e.g., completed), or prepared to be one with the Godhead, ready to enter into the presence of God, as Christ restored the key of the higher priesthood: the mystery of godliness, or seeing God’s face. And in this, the culminating concept given us in Matthew chapter 5 is:

“48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Or, as the resurrected and perfected/completed/glorified Christ commanded the Nephites:

“48 Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. (3 Ne 11)”

Bibliography

Beatitudes in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes

Beatitudes in Catholic Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02371a.htm

Jim F’s Notes on Lesson 8: http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2011/02/06/nt-sunday-school-lesson-8-jf-matthew-5/

Feasting on the Word: Great site on the Scriptures: http://feastupontheword.org/Site:SS_lessons

Boyd K. Packer, "Do Not Fear", May 2004 Ensign: http://lds.org/liahona/2004/05/do-not-fear?lang=eng

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 7: “[He] Took Our Infirmities, and Bare Our Sicknesses” Mark 1-5, Luke 7

New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson 7: “[He] Took Our Infirmities, and Bare Our Sicknesses”
Mark 1-5, Luke 7

The Bible begins with the 4 gospels. Gospel literally means “good news”, and so these 4 books talk of the good news of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just how old the earliest writings for the gospels are is questionable, because the earliest fragments are much later than the time of Christ. The earliest Matthew fragment is from 150-200 AD. Luke’s earliest known writing is from 175-250 AD. John’s earliest copy is from 125-160 AD. And the earliest Mark fragment available comes from about 350 AD!

Strangely enough, according to many Bible scholars, Matthew and Luke are based upon the gospel of Mark, even though we do not have earlier copies of the text. It is believed that Mark was originally written around 70 AD, and that Matthew and Luke were written later, using Mark as one of two main sources for their versions of the gospel. This belief is based upon a few concepts. First, Mark tends to be a simpler written book than the others. Second, Matthew and Luke both share common stories from Mark, often elaborating on such stories.

The other source believed to be used for Matthew and Luke is called “Q” for “Quelle” (German for “source”). This contains many of the sayings of Jesus.

One LDS view is that Matthew, or portions of Matthew may be older than Mark, because it is quoted in the Book of Mormon. Yet, we must note that the main portion quoted by Jesus is the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which does not have any similar story or discourse in the book of Mark. Basically, Matthew may have used Mark for a source for the miracles and some teachings, while using a separate source for the greatest Sermon of Jesus’ teachings.

John the Baptist’s role
Mark 1

Mark explains quickly the difference between what John and Jesus came to preach.

“4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

When John the Baptist returned to restore the Aaronic Priesthood, by ordaining Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, he told them that this lesser priesthood “holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins” (D&C 13).

With John, we see a direct connection between repentance, baptism, and remission of sins. This shows that baptism is a requirement for entrance into the Celestial Kingdom (see also John 3:5). Yet, John also foresaw the coming of Christ, the Messiah.

“14 Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
“15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

Not only would Jesus preach the gospel of repentance that John brought, but he would also bring forth the gospel, or good news, of the kingdom of God! He showed that repentance and belief went hand in hand as the first principles of the gospel.

Jesus teaches and performs miracles

There were many in Judea willing to preach to the people. Among the people were Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, scribes, priests, and laymen, ready to share their views on Judaism. But Jesus did not teach as they did:

“22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”

Mark wrote his gospel to the Romans. It is believed Mark was a close disciple and friend of Peter’s, and thus wrote down Peter’s teachings regarding the life of Christ. In his focus on Jesus, he sought to impress the Romans with Jesus’ miracles, so that they would also believe his words. Rome and Greece were filled with philosophers and teachers of great renown. Mark would need to distinguish Jesus from such studious scholars by focusing on how the Savior taught and performed differently than they all.

Jesus did not teach like the scribes, who spent their lives studying the texts of the prophets and Moses. He taught with power and authority, which was backed up by his miracles.

This power and authority is plainly shown by the story of the man sick with palsy. Jesus was in the house of Peter’s mother (where he stayed while in Capernaum), a house that was filled with listeners and the sick. Men broke the roof and lowered their palsied friend down to Jesus inside the home, in order to heal him.

“5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
“6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
“7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
“8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
“9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
“10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
“11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house” (Mark 2).

In this instance, the scribes questioned not only Jesus’ teachings, but his authority and power. Jesus showed through this miracle that he not only had the power to heal the man with palsy, but to forgive his sins. His logic was impeccable, for if he had the power to do the more difficult thing, heal the man, then he should also have the power to do the easier, forgive him.

Not only did Jesus have the power to forgive, he had the power to make that which was unclean, clean. In the Mosaic Law, much focus and effort is placed on establishing what is clean and unclean, from the food Jews ate, to the things they touched.

In the miracles noted in the lesson, Jesus raised two people from the dead: Jairus’ daughter and the widow’s son. Dead people were definitely considered unclean, and the individual that touched the dead was considered unclean for several days, after which the person went through a cleansing ceremony.

Lepers were considered very unclean, to the extent that a person declared a leper was normally sent out of the city and to locations established especially for lepers. Those who would see a leper would point a finger and accuse the person, “Unclean! Unclean!”

Yet Jesus did not treat lepers in this manner. Instead, he made them clean. And as he made physical lepers clean from disease, he can heal spiritual lepers of sin. As he raised the dead back to mortal life, he can raise us to immortality and eternal life.

The Secret Book of Mark

Since this lesson is primarily on the book of Mark, it seemed a great place to discuss the Secret Book of Mark.

In 1958, Bible scholar Morton Smith found a letter in the back of an old book that was from Clement of Alexandria (a disciple of Peter). In this letter, he discussed a second book of Mark, known as the Secret Book of Mark. Smith took years to painstakingly translate and explain the document. However, some critics claimed it was a forgery and attacked it. The discussion still is ongoing in the Biblical Archaeological Review magazine, however more and more scholars now see it as authentic.

In the letter, Clement commends Theodore for silencing the Carpocratians, a Gnostic Christian sect. The Carpocratians claimed to have secret knowledge of Christ, but Clement insists that the secret knowledge was passed from Peter to Mark, and that Mark made two gospels: a standard one for the average follower, and then a secret gospel for the more spiritual.

“Thus he composed a more spiritual Gospel for the use of those who were being perfected. Nevertheless, he yet did not divulge the things not to be uttered, nor did he write down the hierophantic teaching of the Lord, but to the stories already written he added yet others and, moreover, brought in certain sayings of which he knew the interpretation would, as a mystagogue, lead the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of that truth hidden by seven veils. Thus, in sum, he prepared matters, neither grudgingly nor incautiously, in my opinion, and, dying, he left his composition to the church in 1, verso Alexandria, where it even yet is most carefully guarded, being read only to those who are being initiated into the great mysteries.“

Quoting from the Secret Book of Mark, Clement tells us:

"And they come into Bethany. And a certain woman whose brother had died was there. And, coming, she prostrated herself before Jesus and says to him, 'Son of David, have mercy on me.' But the disciples rebuked her. And Jesus, being angered, went off with her into the garden where the tomb was, and straightway a great cry was heard from the tomb. And going near, Jesus rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb. And straightaway, going in where the youth was, he stretched forth his hand and raised him, seizing his hand. But the youth, looking upon him, loved him and began to beseech him that he might be with him. And going out of the tomb, they came into the house of the youth, for he was rich. And after six days Jesus told him what to do, and in the evening the youth comes to him, wearing a linen cloth over his naked body. And he remained with him that night, for Jesus taught him the mystery of the Kingdom of God. And thence, arising, he returned to the other side of the Jordan."

Here we see Jesus performed the miracle of raising the widow’s son. Afterward, the boy wanted to know the secrets of heaven. Part of the ritual required him to wear a linen cloth and nothing else. Clement later states that the boy and Jesus were never naked, as the Carpocratians attempted to teach, but were always clothed. For temple going Latter-day Saints, they will see this as the clothing worn by modern initiates in the temple for a short while until the person is ceremonially clothed in temple robes.

In the discussions on the Old Testament lessons on my blog regarding the temple and ascension rites, we see this as the beginning point to where the person or initiate learns the “mystery of the Kingdom of God”. For Isaiah (Ascension of Isaiah) or Enoch (as Metatron), it meant to be clothed in celestial clothing and being given the glory of God. Enoch was allowed to sit on God’s throne, and the angels worshiped him! This is possibly the secret that Jesus taught the youth in the Secret Book of Mark.


Bibliography

Jim F’s notes on Lesson 7: http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2011/02/nt-sunday-school-lesson-7-mark-1-2-435-41-5-luke-71-17/

Dating the Bible, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dating_the_Bible#The_New_Testament

The Gospel of Mark, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark

Secret Gospel of Mark: http://www.bib-arch.org/scholars-study/secret-mark-translation.asp

My Blog on Secret Mark: http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2009/10/clement-of-alexandria-and-secret-book.html

Biblical Archaeological Review magazine articles on Secret Mark:
http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=35&Issue=6&ArticleID=21

http://www.bib-arch.org/scholars-study/secret-mark-handwriting-analysis.asp

Enoch/Metatron: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metatron

Ascension of Isaiah: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html

Why the struggles in the MIddle East won't bring freedom - freedom of religion as a necessary to have freedom

History is a stubborn thing. While many try to make history, and occasionally some do, it tends to go back to the status quo. As in science we find that all things tend towards entropy, so it is in history.

Countries in the Middle East have sought freedom many times. However, democracy and real freedom has always struggled just to get a foothold.

The Shah of Iran ruled the country from 1941 until he was overthrown in 1979. The people wanted freedom from dictatorship. The problem was that the overthrow was caused by radical religionists, lead by the Ayatollah. Rather than setting up a free nation with full elections and a voice to the people, they replaced a secular dictatorship with a religious dictatorship. Thirty years after the Islamist radicals took control in Iran, many people marched in the streets for real freedoms. They were crushed by tanks, and the status quo of tyranny continues.

Beirut, Lebanon was considered the Paris of the Middle East. It encouraged most religions, including Christianity to prosper. However, as radical Palestinians, Hezbollah, and other religious factions took control, the booming economy collapsed into chaos, and then into dictatorship. Portions of Lebanon have been controlled by Syria, Israel,and Islamic radicals. But it has not been able to fully regain its freedom and ability toward self-determination, as radical Islamists have clashed with Christians within its borders and with Jews across national boundaries.

In the 1980s, the Afghans fought to kick Russia out of their country. The Soviet Union entered to establish a presence, but also to stabilize a rocky country on their border. Radical Islamic beliefs helped the Afghans succeed against the Russians, but did not deliver freedom. Instead, women were forced into their homes and out of society, where some had been teachers, doctors, and equals. They supported terrorist organizations, such as Al Qaeda, who believed in radical Islam as they did. Even today, the battle goes on between those desiring freedom and those who would re-establish tyranny. Because of the radical religious and political views, we even struggle with President Karzai, who allows his brother to be a drug kingpin, and is forced to deal with regional warlords. History goes against Afghanistan ever being a peaceful democracy.

The same goes with Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. If the moderate Saud family is ever overthrown, Saudi Arabia will be governed by religious fanatics, who will not support true democracy, but only a radical version of Islam.

In Egypt, many of the leaders of the current revolution are the Muslim Brotherhood. This is a trans-national organization that seeks an Islamist Middle East. They will not be interested in maintaining peace with Israel, and possibly not with the United States. Their radical version of Islam will possibly rob women of their rights as Sharia law replaces Mubarak's dictatorship. Tyranny will replace tyranny. There will not be any true freedom, because radical religion will get in the way.


This is no different than Christianity was a millennium ago. Kings and dictators used religion to promote their intolerances. Crusades, Indulgences, and Inquisitions were tools for dictators to maintain control of the peasantry. No one had a voice, except the few in power. Back then, one sought freedom by moving somewhere else. The discovery of the Americas to Europe opened the door for many to escape persecutions and establish freedom. It required the radical concepts of freedom of speech and religion being inculcated into the Constitution of the United States and other key documents in western nations that have opened the door for real and lasting freedom.

Unless moderate Muslims step up and take control of these new revolutions, they will just replace one form of dictatorship with another. And unless they allow for freedom of speech and religion, there can be no real freedom for anyone in the Middle East or elsewhere.

Book giveaway: the Only True God

Joel (no relation to this blog) gives away scholarly religious books on occasion on his blog. For February it is "the Only True God" by Dr James McGrath. It talks of the ancient view of God from the 2nd Temple, monotheism, etc.

Check out Joel's blog: http://thechurchofjesuschrist.us/2011/02/februarys-bloggership-giveaway-the-only-true-god/