Spring Break this Week

We will see you Thursday, March 23rd. 

Matthew 9-10, Mark 5, Luke 9

SOURCES

Daniel L. Belnap, “'Those Who Receive You Not': The Rite of Wiping Dust off the Feet,” in By Our Rites of Worship: Latter-day Saint Views on Ritual in Scripture, History, and Practice, ed. Daniel L. Belnap (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 209–260.

Richard E. Bennett, “‘It Is Finished’: The Divine Accomplishment of the Crucifixion,” in Celebrating Easter: The 2006 BYU Easter Conference, ed. Thomas A. Wayment and Keith J. Wilson (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, Religious Studies Center, 2006), 177–99.

Richard Neitzel Holzapfel. “The Transfiguration.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From the Transfiguration Through the Triumphal Entry. Edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

James E. Talmage. Jesus the Christ. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-23?lang=eng

Thomas A. Wayment. The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints 

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Painting: St. Paul Lutheran Community of Faith

DESCRIPTION OF JESUS

“The main point for preserving this (Transfiguration) story, which is sometimes lost in commentaries on this pericope, is to demonstrate that Jesus, from a human point of view, was very ordinary, but was, in fact, extraordinary, even divine. Those who met Jesus knew He spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic, the common language of His world. He ate the common food of His day and dressed in the common fashion. He was probably not any taller or shorter than the average man of the period, nor was He handsome (see Isaiah 53:2). The length of His hair and beard (if He had one) would not have set him apart. He was susceptible to cuts and scrapes.

Chiseled into Jesus’ maturing face and imprinted into His hands and feet were the effects of a village life of hard work, including extensive walking and manual labor. His features and stature were affected by a limited diet, both in terms of variety and quantity (fresh meat was a treat), and a lack of dental care and minimal medical attention. Most likely Jesus had an olive complexion, angular features, prominent brows, brown eyes, black hair, and a black beard (there were, however, some recessive blue-eye, red-hair genes among ancient Jews). In other words, Jesus probably looked like many other Mediterranean first-century Jews.

No one would have particularly noticed Jesus, without being prompted by the Spirit (see Luke 2:26-30), until His ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing gave Him notoriety, but this recognition was not based on any special physical features; it was based on His words and deeds (see Acts 10:38).”

“The Transfiguration” Richard Neitzel Holzapfel. Pg. 48-49

Note: Pericope—an independent literary unit with a distinct beginning and end.

APOSTLES

Wayment: The Gospels rarely refer to the twelve disciples as apostles. This is the only instance where Matthew does. The term occurs once in Mark and six times in Luke. The Gospel of John does not use the term apostle. 

Apostles: one who shares in the authority of the commissioning agent.

The length of the Apostles’ first mission is unknown—most likely weeks rather than months. Their return is possibly about the time of Herod Antipas’ infamous execution of John the Baptist. News of their work draws the attention of Herod.

"WIPE THE DUST OFF YOUR FEET"

“In summary, shaking or wiping dust off the feet, as recorded in the New Testament, appears to be a rite that fits within a cultural continuum of hospitality and its attendant rites, particularly the washing of feet. It was performed in response to inhospitable behavior exhibited by the inhabitants of a city or household, described as those who do not “receive” the missionary disciple, which reception may have included at least listening to the message proffered. Because they have not been offered the opportunity to wash their feet as expected, the offended disciples were to respond to this inhospitality by wiping off their own feet without water. The consequences of this act were left unsaid, though three of the four texts warn those who had the rite performed against them that they are to experience a worse judgment than even Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities recognized for their inhospitality, in the Day of Judgment.” 

Daniel L. Belnap

https://rsc.byu.edu/our-rites-worship/those-who-receive-you-not-rite-wiping-dust-off-feet

MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION - James Talmage

Of the week following the events last considered, no record is found in the Gospels. We may safely assume that the time was devoted, in part at least, to the further instruction of the Twelve respecting the rapidly approaching consummation of the Savior’s mission on earth, the awful circumstances of which the apostles were loath to believe possible. When the week had passed Jesus took Peter, James, and John and with them ascended a high mountain, where they would be reasonably safe from human intrusion. There the three apostles witnessed a heavenly manifestation, which stands without parallel in history; in our Bible captions it is known as the Transfiguration of Christ.

One purpose of the Lord’s retirement was that of prayer, and a transcendent investiture of glory came upon Him as He prayed. The apostles had fallen asleep, but were awakened by the surpassing splendor of the scene, and gazed with reverent awe upon their glorified Lord. “The fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” His garments, though made of earth-woven fabric, “became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them”; “and his face did shine as the sun.” Thus was Jesus transfigured before the three privileged witnesses.

The fulfillment of the law and the superseding of the prophets by the Messiah was attested in the command—Hear ye Him. A new dispensation had been established, that of the gospel, for which the law and the prophets had been but preparatory. The apostles were to be guided neither by Moses nor Elijah, but by Him, their Lord, Jesus the Christ.

Transfiguration

“Among the many other important things said and done on this majestic occasion, Moses and Elijah also “spake of his [Christ’s] decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem”. A moment of glorification, the Transfiguration was also a time of preparation and review of what the prophets of old had long said concerning Christ’s death and of what must inevitably transpire on Christ’s final walk to Calvary. . . . as Elder David B. Haight has more recently said, “He went up to prepare for His coming death. He took His three apostles with Him in the belief that they, after having seen His glory—the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father—might be fortified, that their faith might be strengthened to prepare them for the insults and humiliating events which were to follow.” 

And all along the way, He taught His disciples in all of the particulars pertaining to His pending demise, though He was careful not to agitate them to the point of interfering with His mission. The very next day after the Transfiguration, “when they were come down from the hill,” He said to His disciples, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not.”

Richard E. Bennett, “‘It Is Finished’: The Divine Accomplishment of the Crucifixion,” in Celebrating Easter: The 2006 BYU Easter Conference, ed. Thomas A. Wayment and Keith J. Wilson (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, Religious Studies Center, 2006), 177–99.

https://rsc.byu.edu/celebrating-easter/it-finished-divine-accomplishment-crucifixion

Other Writings Mentioned:

Francine R. Bennion. "A Latter-day Saint Theology of Suffering." https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/at-the-pulpit/part-4/chapter-43?lang=eng

Rosalynde Frandsen Welch. Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction.

Matthew 8, Mark 2-4, Luke 7

MIRACLES

I DID NOT GET THE MIRACLE I WAS SEEKING SO . . .

I must not have enough faith

I must not be worthy

God must not love me or care about my suffering

The priesthood blessing was not done properly or with faith

OR . . .

Everything is just as it should be.

God has another plan for me

I don’t understand what God is doing in my life, so I must trust in the knowledge that He loves me and he is working with me.

"Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in healing the sick, deaf, and lame if such healing accomplishes God's purposes and is in accordance with his will. Thus, even if we have strong faith, many mountains will not be moved and not all the sick and infirm will be healed. If all opposition were curtailed, if all maladies were removed, then the primary purposes of the father's plan would be frustrated. Many of the lessons we are to learn in mortality can be received only through the things we experience and sometimes suffer, and God expects and trusts us in the face of temporary mortal adversity with his help, so we can learn what we need to learn and ultimately become what we are to become in eternity."

David A. Bednar, “Accepting the Lord's Will and Timing” Ensign, August 2016

"Cures don’t always heal and healings don’t aways require a cure."

RELIGIOUS STRANGERS

“God works through religious strangers. For reasons that will never be entirely clear, God sometimes sends people from outside a faith community to bless those inside of it. It does not seem to matter if the main character understands God in the same way or call God by the same name. The divine blessing is effective and the story goes on.”

Barbara Taylor Brown, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others

MIRACLES

•  “Jesus worked within His circle of influence.”
• “He customized the healing to what the receiver needed to feel whole.”
• “He never asked who they were, their race, status, worthiness, only that they wanted to be healed.  His   healings had no boundaries.”
• “His miracles are often directed to those who had been outcast from society and viewed as being cast out of God’s presence.”

Annika Rau, Latter-day Faith Podcast, #150

Matthew 6 and 7

 SOURCES

“The Setting of the Sermon on the Mount.” Frank F. Judd, Jr. The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

“A Reading of the Sermon the Mount: A Restorative Perspective.” Andrew C. Skinner.  The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount. 

Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

“On Earth as in Heaven: Turning the Other Cheek, Going the Second Mile, and the Purpose of Prayer.” Kimberly Matheson. Sperry Symposium 2022.

The New Testament Made Harder by James E. Faulconer pg. 118

The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints - Thomas A. Wayment

BACKGROUND

Intended as preparation for all disciples - ‘The unity of the Sermon on the Mount is further reinforced if we remember that the Lord was addressing his followers and not a thorn of hecklers, unbelievers, and idly curious folk.” Judd. Footnote 13, pg. 309

Debate over whether the Sermon on the Plain is Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount or whether it is a different sermon on a different occasion in which the Savior repeated similar teachings to those in the Sermon on the Mount. Footnote 31 pg. 313

COMPARISONS OF TWO TRANSLATIONS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER

Matthew 6:9-13

The Lord’s Prayer: 

King James Version (KJV)

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation (JST: And suffer us not to be led into temptation) but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Wayment translation:

“Therefore, pray in this manner:

Our Father in heaven, 

let your name be holy,

may your kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth even as

  it is in heaven.

Give us enough bread for today,

and take away our debts, to the extent

  we have forgiven our debtors,

and do not lead us toward temptation, 

  but save us from evil.

Footnote: Matthew 6:13 - Later manuscripts add the final sentence of the Lord’s Prayer, known as the doxology, that is familiar from other translations: “For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” The manuscripts are not very reliable that support this reading, but a version of it is recorded in the Deidache and 3 Nephi 13:13. 

SLIDE

“. . .  the very first request of the Lord’s Prayer is a plea that God’s name be spoken rightly (Hallowed be thy name,” Matt 6:9). Glory, it seems, can and should flow in prayer, but it should flow in a single direction—Godward. The danger with the “hypocrites” is that they intervene in that linear flow of praise and try to create a feedback loop, to siphon off some of that glorification to their own benefit. For these public worshippers, glory transits reciprocally whereas, for the disciples, glory transits in a single direction (heavenward) and properly extends to only one person (God).” 

Kimberly Matheson. “On Earth as in Heaven: Turning the Other Cheek, Going the Second Mile, and the Purpose of Prayer.” Sperry Symposium 2022.

SLIDE

“Prayer is a slice of time that suspends the typical run of the world and, by praying regularly, disciples thereby habituate themselves in an ability to suspend the world whenever necessary. Trained in hitting “pause” before sleeping and after rising and every time food is set before them, disciples then grow capable of hitting “pause” when a conversation comes to blows or their mile-worn legs grow fatigued.”

Kimberly Matheson. “On Earth as in Heaven: Turning the Other Cheek, Going the Second Mile, and the Purpose of Prayer.” Sperry Symposium 2022.

SLIDE

“Instead of praying for debtors to get their payments in on time, we practice viewing every economy in light of heaven’s grace.” 

Kimberly Matheson. “On Earth as in Heaven: Turning the Other Cheek, Going the Second Mile, and the Purpose of Prayer.” Sperry Symposium 2022.

SLIDE

Mathew 7:1  “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (the Greek word translated judge is a very strong word—means “condemn or cut off.”)

JST Matt. 7:1–2 “Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people. Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment.” 

SLIDE

Sermon on the Mount turned into the Dialogue on the Mount - 

JST Matthew 7:14-17

14 And then said his disciples unto him, They will say unto us, We ourselves are righteous, and need not that any man should teach us. God, we know, heard Moses and some of the prophets; but us he will not hear.

15 And they will say, We have the law for our salvation, and that is sufficient for us.

16 Then Jesus answered, and said unto his disciples, Thus shall ye say unto them,

17 What man among you, having a son, and he shall be standing out, and shall say, Father, open thy house that I may come in and sup with thee, will not say, Come in, my son; for mine is thine, and thine is mine?

SLIDE

“This is extremely insightful. Nowhere else except in the Joseph Smith Translation do we get the information that Jesus was so careful in helping His apostolic ministers craft their teaching points. And nowhere else do we receive such insightful but disheartening data about the social and religious atmosphere in which the Apostles had to carry out their ministry. The attitudes held in certain quarters of Judaism toward the doctrines of continuing revelation, salvation, and Jesus as Messiah indicate that Judaism was in much sadder condition than might be supposed from evidence in the other versions of the text of the Sermon on the Mount.”

Skinner pg. 352

SLIDE

James E. Talmage: “Our Lord was qualified to teach as He did, not only by reason of the sufficing fact that He bore the Father’s commission, but because He had done and was doing just what He required of others. The authority of Divine precept was united in Him with that of unimpeachable example. The burden of all scriptural direction relation to the attainment of a place in the Kingdom of God is: Do the works that are prescribed.” Judd. Footnote 46, pg. 318

SLIDE

“The Sermon is filled with doctrine that leads to, and speaks of, exaltation. It both alludes to and speaks explicitly of restoration. It provides a window into the challenges faced by the primitive Church in the context of first-century Judea. It is filled with allusions to the culture and language of its time, but it also shows that that time was not completely different from our own. . . . it is the outward expression of an inner emotion that Jesus is seeking to change.” Skinner pg. 353

SLIDE

“For much of what Jesus preached, we can find parallels in rabbinic teaching or intertestamental literature. But Jesus always gave fresh insight or provided new perspective. And, of course, some things were simply unique to Him. There was not then, nor is there now, any question about the significance of all that He proclaimed. He could speak with such power because He lived what He taught, every syllable. The day the Sermon the Mount was preached was the day God Himself gave a discourse.”

Skinner pg. 354

SLIDE

Q: How does the Sermon on the Mount shift the emphasis from what we do to what we are?

Q: What was important to you about this week’s readings?

Q: What more do we learn about Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5; Luke 6

SON OF GOD

“It does not appear from the Gospels that our Lord frequently applied this title to Himself though we often find it used by others in speaking to Him. But there is ample proof that He claimed to be the Son of God in a sense that was true of Him and of no one else. He speaks of Himself as Son of God, and of others as sons of God, but there is not a single passage in which the sonship of others is spoken of as being the same thing as His own. So, too, He speaks of ‘my Father’ and ‘your Father,’ but never of ‘our Father.’ (The Lord’s Prayer is no exception, as it was intended for the disciples’ use.) There is a consistency in scripture, ancient and modern, that Jesus Christ is literally the Son of God the Father, being the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. (See Jacob 4:5; D&C 20:21; Moses 6:52, 54, 57.)”

Bible Dictionary, Son of God

SON OF MAN

“A title of our Lord, found in the Gospels about 80 times, used by Him in speaking of Himself but never used by anyone else in speaking of Him, though we see from Acts 7:56 that Christians did apply it to Him soon after His Ascension. In the Old Testament the expression ‘son of man’ is frequently used to denote simply ‘a man.’ The expression is found 90 times in the book of Ezekiel, where the Lord uses the term for the prophet.

The main ideas that probably underlie the title as applied to our Lord are (1) lowliness, humility, and suffering; (2) honor and dignity, as head and founder of the kingdom of God, and judge of all men; (3) the thought of Him as the representative or ideal Man, chosen by our Lord as expressive of His headship over the whole human family.

Latter-day revelation confirms the special meaning and sacredness of this phrase when used as a name of the Savior.”

Bible Dictionary, Son of Man

SON OF GOD

“Old Testament scripture teaches that the Son of God is a kingly figure who has been chosen, established, ordained, and begotten of God, as seen in Psalm 2:6-7: “I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” Since God is the true King of heaven and earth, then the Son of God is the prince regent, or the King acting in His stead.”

Taylor Halverson, https://www.ldsliving.com/son-of-man-or-son-of-god-two-crucial-names-for-christ-we-keep- misunderstanding/s/86748

SON OF MAN

“A cursory reading of the phrase ‘Son of man’ would lead us to think that this phrase refers to any regular human being. The lower-case version of this phrase 'son of man’ does mean a human (see for example Psalm 8:4; 144:3).

However, the real meaning of ‘Son of man’ (with ‘Son' capitalized and ‘man' lowercase) is a heavenly character that comes down from on high to rid the world of wickedness, bringing peace and justice.

The first time ‘Son of man’ appears in scriptures is when the wise Daniel saw ‘in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed’ (Daniel 7:13-14). We learn from this scripture that the Son of man comes down from the heavens and brings with Him the power of everlasting dominion.

Many Jews understood that the Son of man would be a conquering hero from heaven. However, the Jews, including some of Jesus’s disciples, couldn’t comprehend how such an unassailable hero could simultaneously be so humble and meek. Wasn’t the Son of man come to destroy the sinners?

Yes, the Son of man is a heavenly figure who comes to earth to bring peace by ridding the world of wickedness. However, the Son of man is not simply a violent, conquering hero. He is also the humble Son of God who can heal.”

T Taylor Halverson, https://www.ldsliving.com/son-of-man-or-son-of-god-two-crucial-names-for-christ-we-keep- misunderstanding/s/86748

JESUS

“When Jesus speaks of Himself as ‘Son of man,’ He is referring to His heavenly and divine attributes and that He has come to earth to establish justice and peace by abolishing wickedness. When Jesus is called the 'Son of God,’ He is referring to His earthly human attributes as a King who has been empowered by the Heavenly King (God Himself) to demonstrate the realities of God’s kingdom through power, healing, miracles, and glory”

Taylor Halverson, https://www.ldsliving.com/son-of-man-or-son-of-god-two-crucial-names-for-christ-we-keep- misunderstanding/s/86748

MATTHEW 5:2

“And he opened his mouth, and taught them saying, Blessed are they who shall believe on me; and again, more blessed are they who shall believe on your words when ye shall testify that ye have seen me and that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe on your words and come down into the depth of humility and be baptized in my name; for they shall be visited with fire and the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.”

Joseph Smith Translation

THE BEATITUDES

“The Beatitudes embody ‘the constitution of a perfect life.’ This view of the Beatitudes makes it impossible to regard the attributes described therein as anything but the most profound expression of discipleship, ones that cannot be arrived at in a moment. Rather, these characteristics are developed after a person is baptized and receives gift of the Holy Ghost, after a significant price has been paid, and after a period of loyalty to the Lord and service to his Church have been offered.”

Andrew Skinner, The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, pg. 338