Institute is Back!

 

We can’t wait to discuss Paul’s writings with you! See you in two weeks. Same time, same location.

Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18

SOURCES:

Brown, S. Kent. “The Rich Young Ruler and the Parable of the Unjust Steward.” The Testimony of Luke. https://www.byunewtestamentcommentary.com/the-rich-young-ruler-and-the-parable-of-the-unjust-steward/#more-1336

Brown, S. Kent. “The Twelve.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

Chadwick, Jeffrey R. “What Jesus Taught the Jews about the Law of Moses.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

“Disagreements for the Sake of Heaven.” Video. The Padres Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution. January 7, 2015.

Eubank, Sharon. “A Letter to a Single Sister (and anyone else who is longing to belong).” Ensign Magazine. October 2019. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/10/a-letter-to-a-single-sister?lang=eng

Faulconer, James. The New Testament Made Harder. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1085&context=mi

Smith, Julie M. The Gospel According to Mark. https://www.byunewtestamentcommentary.com/jesus-teaches-about-wealth-mark-1017-31/

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

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Jesus Teaches about Marriage and Divorce 

Matthew 19:3-12

Mark 10:2-12

Footnote, pg. 204: “The KJV use of the word “tempting” in Matthew 19:3 fails to accurately represent the event. The Greek verb in this passage (pierazo) is more properly rendered as “test, try, or prove.” The Pharisees in Matthew 19 had not come to tempt or entrap Jesus. They had come with a legitimate question and wished to assess His position. His immediate, respectful, and detailed response indicates that He took their inquiry seriously.”

Kent Brown.

"Fitting into a Church focused on family can also be challenging. But the reality is that a majority of Church members do not live in perfect family situations. I’m not sure anyone lives in that perfect, ideal family. So why keep the emphasis? Because family is our destiny, and we are on this earth to learn the skills of strong family relationships, no matter what our own situation is.” 

Sharon Eubank.

Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai were two early Jewish schools of thought, or "houses" (beit, from Hebrew bayit, means "house of"), named after Hillel and Shammai, leading sages of Jerusalem in the latter half of the first century bce and in the early first-century ce.

“On this issue, too, Jewish opinion was divided. Among the Pharisees, according to the Mishnah (record of the oral tradition), the strict academy of Shammai felt that marriage was so important that a man could utilize the law’s divorce passage only if his wife was guilty of “a matter of sexual impurity”—meaning adultery or other unfaithful acts of physical sexuality. But the more pragmatic academy of Hillel took the usually loose view that a man might divorce his wife for any cause at all, even if she ruined food in cooking it.”

“On this occasion, to the astonishment of His own disciples (since His positions more often paralleled those of Hillel), Jesus’ ruling was nearly identical to the earlier position of Shammai: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall

marry another, committeth adultery” (19:9). In His interpretation of the law of Moses on this matter, the Master deliberately emphasized the primary importance of marriage over any pragmatic benefits of a divorce obtained too easily.” 

Jeffery R. Chadwick

Wayment footnote: Matthew 19:10-12 Jesus may have been referring to the Essenes when he said that some have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom.

Essenes (Escenes) is a member of an ancient Jewish ascetic sect of the 2nd century BC–2nd century AD in Palestine, who lived in highly organized groups and held property in common. The Essenes are widely regarded as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Ascetic - practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

The Rich Young Ruler 

Matthew 19:16-22 - 

Mark 10:17-31 - 10:21 Mark alone adds that Jesus loved him.

Luke 18:18-30 - Different points of emphasis, such as the connection between perfection and obedience and the departure of the man. Luke records only that the man became sad, but he does not depart from Jesus.

In the economic reality of Jesus’ time, there was no path to wealth except to defraud others: “In the localized zero-sum economy of agrarian Palestine, there was little chance one could become rich without having defrauded people along the way.” It would have been nearly impossible to become wealthy without collaborating with Rome, so Jesus is inviting this man to focus on a different kingdom. Without saying a word, the man’s face falls, and he walks away. His reaction contrasts with Jesus, who looked at him and loved him; he shows his lack of love for Jesus by being unwilling to follow him. He is . . . a wealthy man who attempts to engage in mutual flattery. 

Julie M. Smith

Footnote: John A. Tvedtnes debunked the explanation that the “eye of the needle” was a gate to Jerusalem through which a camel could enter, but only on its knees, by explaining that a camel’s anatomy would not permit this. He suggested one of two possibilities for understanding this verse: either that the word originally used was “rope” or that this was “deliberate hyperbole,” which, he notes, was characteristic of Jesus’ speaking style specifically and of his environment in general. He concludes that “all three possible explanations of Matthew 19:24—the gate, the rope, and the Jewish figure of speech—have been mentioned by prominent Latter-day Saint leaders. In any event, the idea is clear—riches can become a serious stumbling block to a person seeking eternal life.” John A. Tvedtnes, “I Have a Question,” Ensign 15 (March 1985): 29.

Julie M. Smith

Matthew 19:24 - “Many stories have been told to indicate that the “eye of the needle” is a small postern gate that was opened at night when the city gate had been shut and that a camel could get through it provided it had been fully unloaded. It is a nice story but not true in biblical terms. The eye of a needle refers to a surgeon’s needle. In both Matthew 19 and Matthew 23, the point was that the camel was the largest animal with which people of the day were familiar. Jesus was using the term much as we would use the word elephant as the largest creature in our experience. Jesus may also have used the camel as an illustration because it was ritually unclean.” 

James Faulconer

The Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1–8 - This parable is unique to Luke

Wayment: Footnote - The parable and comments on it treat the topic of endurance in prayer. Jesus indirectly confronts the issue of praying without receiving an answer. This parable is unique to Luke. Compare the interpretation of this parable in Doctrine and Covenants 101:81-92.

“Persistence stood as a chief attribute in Jesus’ teachings on prayer. For example, in a series of lessons on praying, Luke drew the obvious conclusion when he wrote that Jesus “spake a parable unto them . . . that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18:1 In the parable that followed, a widow persistently, relentlessly sought proper redress from a judge. She so wearied him with her endless pleadings that he finally took action on her behalf, an illustration of the virtue of persistence (Luke 18:2-7). In addition, in Jesus’ eyes, humility joined persistence as an attribute that moves heaven. 

Kent Brown

Luke 12-17; John 11

 OUR PRESENT TIME

“What a time we live in and yet the Savior's saying, Yeah, you know a lot. But do you discern the times that are going on? Do you understand what is right and wrong anymore? When I look at our times, I say, well, what is the times? We are confrontational. We are judgmental, we are canceling.

Am I discerning my time, the spirit of my time, the problems of the time? Am I losing the anchor that is, what is right, what is wrong? What is moral? What is ethical? What isn't? What is the meaning of life? What is the right way to live? How do we interact with people in our relationships?”

Dr. Michael Wilcox, Follow Him Podcast

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

“Change can be painful. It’s more pleasant to remain in homeostasis–not too hot, not too cold. We’re often tempted to freeze an ideal image of ourselves in our mind and suppose that the only work left for us to do is stick to what we know. But we can’t grow this way.

As children, we were raised knowing who we were and where we came from. And that learning continues to serve us in good stead. But we now realize the story is continually unfolding. Revelation is still ongoing. The depths of God’s mysteries are unsearchable.

Our static self-image is too small a place to live in now–a playhouse we’ve outgrown where we’re hunched over and constantly banging our head on the low ceiling. We can enter the Father’s mansion, where there are countless rooms to unlock; new aspects of our self to discover.”

Thomas McConkie, "A Subtle Pilgrimage”

 JEWISH POWER

“The Sanhedrin was the high court of the Jews. In New Testament times it was made up of three kinds of members: chief priest, elders and teachers of the law. Its total membership numbered 71, including the high priest, who was the presiding officer. Under Roman jurisdiction the Sanhedrin was given a great deal of authority, but it could not impose capital punishment.

In all four Gospels the Pharisees appear as Jesus’ principal opponents throughout his public ministry. But they lacked political power, and it is the chief priests who were prominent in the events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Here both groups are associated in a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They did not deny the reality of the miraculous signs, but they did not understand their meaning, for they failed to believe.

Caiaphas, a Sadducee was concerned with political expediency, not with guilt and innocence. He believed that it was better for one man, no matter how innocent, to perish than the whole nation to be put in jeopardy.”

New International Version Study Bible

PARABLES

“Parables are designed to teach us that we're maybe not doing everything that we should be doing. Maybe we're not thinking the way we should be thinking. They're not aimed at the intellect, they're aimed at the conscience. And it's important to realize that because sometimes, we doctrinalize some of the parables, and I don't think that's what the Savior meant. They're aimed at not the intellect, but the conscience, to help us live better.”

Dr. Michael Wilcox, Follow Him Podcast

PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

The size, height and bushiness of the mustard tree provided a place of refuge, protection, shelter and habitation for the birds of heaven. In each case, the New Testament texts use some form of the Greek verb kataskenao to describe the birds of heaven making their home in the branches of this tree. Metaphorically, this word can describe birds building nests, but the word signals much more than that. With the word skene—meaning tent, booth, tabernacle, shelter, or lodging— kataskenao literally means putting up a tent, especially in the sense of an army making a camp. So Jesus’s text could read that the birds of the heavens ‘tabernacle there.’ They made camp there, as Israel had made camp with the tabernacle of the Lord as they sought refuge and shelter in the wilderness.”

John and Jeannie Welch, “The Parables of Jesus,” pg. 71-72

John 7 - 10

Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery, drawing by Rembrandt 

SOURCES

Faulconer, James. The New Testament Made Harder. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1085&context=mi

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

Huntsman, Eric D. ”The Gospel of John," in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), 204-321.

https://rsc.byu.edu/new-testament-history-culture-society/gospel-john

Lane, Jennifer C. “From Opposition to Hostility.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From the Transfiguration Through the Triumphal Entry. Edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment.

Olson, Camille Fronk. Women of the New Testament. pg. 167.

Strathearn, Gaye. "Johannine Christology through the Lens of Three of Its Dialogues" in Thou Art the Christ: The Son of the Living God, The Person and Work of Jesus in the New Testament, ed. Eric D. Huntsman, Lincoln H. Blumell, and Tyler J. Griffin (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018), 153–174.

https://rsc.byu.edu/thou-art-christ-son-living-god/johannine-christology-through-lens-three-its-dialogues

Van Dyke, Blair G. ”Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John" Religious Educator 9, no. 3 (2008): 15–30  https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-9-no-3-2008/miracles-jesus-gospel-john

Wayment, Thomas A. “The Woman Taken in Adultery and the History of the New Testament Canon.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: : From the Transfiguration Through the Triumphal Entry. Edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment.

Welch, Rosalynde Fransden. Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction.

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“. . . we should view as a gift, not a liability, scripture’s high-maintenance demand that we grapple for its meaning over and over. There is paradoxical value in scripture aging out of its original language and context. It is only in the wrestle to clothe an ancient text in a different language, to reframe its potential meanings for a new time or place, that the book grabs hold of the reader and gets under the skin. That our religious community’s interpretation of scripture changes over time is a sign of spiritual vitality, not decline. That we trudge through the same books of scripture on a never-ending four-year curriculum cycle should be, paradoxically, an opportunity for new vision, not tedium. Among the several channels of continuing revelation streaming between God and his people, we should include scripture itself—not as a glassed-in repository of original truth, but as a hands-on site of emergent intention. Our interpretive practice should attend to “translations” both conceptual and linguistic, as well as to originals. Scripture’s center of gravity lies in the present, not in the past.” Rosalynde Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction, pg. 67.

Gospel of John

Wayment - Structure/organization - suggested “that it is a two-part work divided nearly equally into a “book of signs” (1:1-12:50) and a “book of glory” (13:1-20:31)

John 7:1-5

Q: In verse 1, what is John referring to with the phrase “these things”? 

John 7 "Joseph Smith Translation does not provide any additional insights about Jesus’ family.” Holzapfel pg. 368

Q: Why do they want him to go to Judea? What are the brothers asking Jesus to do? Does verse 5 shed any light on their advice? How do the brothers understand Jesus’s work? 

One of the brothers, James, will later not only become a Christian but will be the head of the Church in Jerusalem and is the James of James 1:5. 

John 8:1-11

“ . . . the story was not originally part of the Gospel of John and was likely not written by the author of the Gospel of John.” Wayment. pg. 374

“ . . the story was introduced into the canon because it had always been part of the oral traditions about Jesus’ life but had never been recorded by any of the evangelists.” Wayment pg. 383

Q: What are your thoughts about the story of the woman taken in adultery? 

“When Jewish leaders brought to stand before Jesus a woman won they had found in the very act of adultery, their plan was to test Jesus with the hope of framing a charge against him. That they used the woman merely as a prop by which to advance their scheme highlights the second-class status of women and, in particular, of women accused of breaking the law of Moses in their society. No one even spoke to the woman, let alone asked her for an explanation. In fact, she appears in the story as a silent, helpless victim of whatever ruling men chose to inflict on her. The story is told to showcase the wisdom and mercy of Jesus in contrast to the vindictive and hypocritical attitudes of the men who concocted the trap. Considered an example of the application of Christ’s teachings for sinners generally, further analysis renders unforgettable the story of this unnamed woman and its message of hope for all.”Dr. Camille Fronk Olson

Q: What is the trap? 

“The members of the Sanhedrin were the only Jews who held the legal right to make decisions regarding the law; and in many instances, their powers to make decisions and carry out sentences were limited because they were subject to Roman rule. In this instance, Jesus’ opponents asked Him to make a decision that He could not legally make according to Jewish law. Moreover, the tension of the situation was compounded because it took place within the walls of the temple—where a directive to stone someone by one who has no authority to make such a decision could be viewed as treasonous.” 

Thomas Wayment

pg. 386

“This is not in any sense a pardon, nor is our Lord condoning an adulterous act. He does not say, ‘Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee.’ He merely declines to act as a magistrate, judge, witness, or participant of any kind in a case that legally and properly should come before an official tribunal of which he is not a member.” Elder Bruce R. McConkie.

Q: What purpose did it serve for Jesus to stoop down in the exchange with the Pharisees and scribes?

Q: What may be a similar posture today and when might taking such a stance prove wise?

 Verse 10 - “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” 

He stands up - a sign of respect - Woman with a capital W is a term of endearment. 

Q: What would these two actions mean to her? (Standing up and calling her Woman)

JST: John 8:11 “And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name.”

Q: What is important about this dialogue between this woman and Jesus Christ?

John 9:1-7; 8-12; 13-17; 18-23; 24-27, 39-41 

“The emphasis in the story might be on the necessity of anointing rather than on the making of clay from spittle. Compare Moses 6:35-36, where Enoch anoints his own eyes with clay, washes them, and subsequently sees spiritual things.” Wayment footnote pg. 184

Moses 6:35-36, footnote in 35 “clay” to look at reference back to John 9.

Q: What do you think about the emphasis on anointing rather than on the making of clay? Why might it be a necessity?

Neighbors: John 9: 8-12

Pharisees: John 9:13-17

Parents: John 9:18-23 - missed opportunity to testify 

“I do not typically engage in conversations about sensitive topics like politics and religion.  I listened as some of the moms shared that they went to church as children, but did not really believe in organized religion, and did not plan to raise their children with any specific beliefs. They didn't know if anyone still deeply believed in God or Jesus once they became an adult, beyond perhaps what they were taught as a child. I did not interject, but listened intently, wondering if I had the courage to speak up about my beliefs. After all, I had another two days to spend with the group, and it would have been easier to let it lie. 

As I sensed the conversation was about to go in a different direction, my heart began to race and I felt an overwhelming urge to say something about my faith. Even though I was not sure how my comments would be received, I blurted out, "I believe in Jesus Christ." I went on to describe how I was raising my children in the Catholic Church, as I had been, that I regularly attended Mass and my faith was important to me. As I waited for a response, I tried to evaluate their expressions to get some sense as to what they might say. Fortunately, the women kindly said they respected my opinion and perspective, and we continued on to the next topic. Nothing more was said that weekend about the subject, but I felt relieved that I had made this integral part of my identity known to the group. 

 

I will never forget the feeling that overcame me at that moment when I could have easily let the opportunity pass to share my faith in Jesus Christ with others. Though small, this experience gave me the courage to speak up more about my faith, despite the fear of rejection or confrontation. My faith has only grown deeper since then, and I have become more confident and comfortable in discussing the "taboo" topic of religion. I hope and pray that speaking up, even among a small group of new friends, had a positive impact and shared the message of Jesus Christ.”

Kathleen Lochridge 

Questioning: John 9:24-27

“As annoying as all these questions must have been, they served a purpose because they apparently caused the man to move beyond the sensory overload that the miracle must have stimulated and forced him to reflect more deeply on what had happened to him. Their unrelenting questioning had, I think, triggered an unintended consequence. Not only had the man now acknowledged that Jesus was a prophet, their questioning had enabled him to recognize that Jesus could not be the sinner that the Pharisees had categorized him as. He was beginning to raise his sights and see differently from the other “earthly” people who peppered him with questions. He was now using the light that only Jesus could provide to illuminate his path, and so he said, “Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” This increasing spiritual sight that he was gaining resulted in the Pharisees casting him out, but it also opened a door.” 

Gaye Strathearn

Q: What door do you think it opened?

The blind man was cast out - who else was cast out?

Jesus and the healed man: John 9:35-38

Q: How can being cast out ever be a good thing?

Jesus and the Pharisees: John 9:39-41

“The miracle that John wants his readers to understand in this story is not limited to the man receiving his physical sight, as impressive as that miracle was. The Pharisees had always had their physical sight, yet they could not “see” who Jesus was. The real miracle was that the man received his spiritual sight, which enabled him to break free from his earthly shackles and “see” who Jesus really was: not just a man, or even a prophet, but his God.”

Gaye Strathearn

Q: What door do you think it opened?

The blind man was cast out - who else was cast out?

Jesus and the healed man: John 9:35-38

Q: How can being cast out ever be a good thing?

Jesus and the Pharisees: John 9:39-41

“The miracle that John wants his readers to understand in this story is not limited to the man receiving his physical sight, as impressive as that miracle was. The Pharisees had always had their physical sight, yet they could not “see” who Jesus was. The real miracle was that the man received his spiritual sight, which enabled him to break free from his earthly shackles and “see” who Jesus really was: not just a man, or even a prophet, but his God.”

Gaye Strathearn

Q: What are some truths we learn from his story? 

“In the case of the man born blind, it seems reasonable to conclude that a new creation was essential. The miracle likely necessitated the creation of cells, tissues, and nerves that were either present but had never functioned or were altogether absent due to birth defects.

It is also significant that Jesus commanded the man to go to the pool of Siloam to wash the clay from his eyes. The word Siloam in Hebrew is rendered Shiloh and is one of the ancient titles of Jehovah. The word means “a messenger sent forth with authority.” In the end, the blind man was able to see only after he submitted his will to Christ, the authorized messenger sent from the presence of God.” 

Blair Van Dyke

John 10 - Jesus is the Good Shepherd 

John 10:10

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” 

“In his Discourse on the Good Shepherd, Jesus had testified, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (10:10). Meaning “to an extent remarkable or extraordinary,” abundantly refers to a richer, deeper life such as that suggested by the good wine of Cana, the living water of Samaria, or the flowing rivers promised by Jesus. It suggests a spiritual quality of life here on the earth that anticipates the everlasting life promised by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In John, Jesus stresses that such life is available here and now, a concept called realized eschatology. Eschatology is literally the “study of the end,” and usually eschatology is future, referring to the blessed state that will accompany the end of the world and the advent of God’s kingdom. Yet Jesus at times speaks of our future state as if it can be realized now.”

Eric Huntsman

Q: In what ways do these stories teach us about living abundantly?

Q: How will we respond to the dialogue that Jesus seeks to have with us? 

Q: How will we allow Jesus to stretch our minds, and take us out of our comfort zones so that we can at least begin to see and understand heavenly things?

Matthew 18; Luke 10

INTRODUCTION TO MATTHEW 18

“Just prior to this, we had the Transfiguration. We also had Peter's confession that he believed Jesus was the Christ, he was the Messiah, and so His messiahship has been acknowledged. He has told them that they are on their way to Jerusalem and what's going to happen there, that He is going to suffer and be killed and be resurrected, which they sort of struggled with.

A lot of what Jesus is going to say in this chapter and in Luke 10 is to really show the people that the Messiah that they thought He was going to be based on the Old Testament and the law of Moses is a little bit different. He's told them He's not going to be there much longer. Matthew 18 is really His trying to set up the church or what He calls the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven so that it can continue on after He's gone, after He leaves the people. He talks a lot about this is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the Kingdom of God, the king is here and this is how we're going to organize the church, this is how we're going to treat each other in the church, this is expected behavior.”

Dr. Krystal V.L. Pierce, Follow Him Podcast

THE SAVING GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

“In this series of leadership instructions, the heart is turned to the one; receiving the one in the name of and on behalf of Jesus Christ; not offending or damaging the faith of any one; not thinking poorly of any one. But even more than this is required. More than welcoming, strengthening, and admiring, one must also be prepared to leave home, go out into the wilds, to search high and low, to find, and to rescue.”

John and Jeannie Welch, “The Parables of Jesus,” pg. 97

GOING AFTER THE LOST SHEEP

“Going into the treacherous mountain in the dark presents serious risk for the shepherd, yet he willingly incurs that risk, having shouldered the responsibility that ‘not one should perish.’ It is a sobering thought that the Savior has already numbered us His, accepted our burdens as His own, and agreed to be with us wherever the journey leads.

These gentle words of Jesus also reveal how He feels about the daunting challenge: He takes joy, even greater joy at the rescue of that which was lost, seeing it as a triumph. As he returns the lost sheep to the fold, His gracious acts of amazing grace reestablishes the relationship between Him and His sheep. It also reassures and reconnects all of the bonds of love among all the shepherd’s fold.”

John and Jeannie Welch, “The Parables of Jesus,” pg. 98

FORGIVENSS

“The principle of forgiveness is vital to our eternal well-being. Eternal lives are at stake, and without forgiveness and tolerance, no celestial sociality is even imaginable. Nothing less than the second great commandment is involved here. How can we love our neighbors as ourselves if we do not forgive one another? Are we not commanded to love one another, not just as we love ourselves, but as Jesus loves us? As we would desperately want to be forgiven in our hour of existential debt crisis, so we also should reciprocally forgive in meaningful amounts and at crucially needed times.”

John and Jeannie Welch, “The Parables of Jesus,” pg. 115

MARY AND MARTHA

Footnote in NIV of 10:42—Jesus prioritizes the spiritual over the domestic responsibility. Too often in church history, God’s people have inverted this priority for women.

Footnote in Wayment 10:40—Martha was busy serving, an action described as diakonia, or in the capacity of a deacon or deaconess. Such a description indicated that she was likely preparing or serving food. The actions of a deacon or deaconess became the model for service among Christians.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

How is the plan of salvation portrayed in this story?

What observations can we make about the characters in this story and why they acted as they did?

What questions does the story answer?

What does the Savior expect of His followers? What are the risks associated with doing as he asks? Did the characters in the story take any risks? Who and how?

What injuries does the man suffer? Are there others besides the obvious physical ones? How do you see yourself in this story?

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

“Because of our mortal limitations, God speaks to us in similitudes. Symbols draw our finite minds to the sacred truths embedded in the incomparable gospel. As a type and shadow of the plan of salvation, the parable of the good Samaritan places deeds of neighborly kindness within the eternal context of where we have come from, how we have fallen info our present plight, and how the binding ordinances and healing love of the promised Redeemer and the nurture of His Church can rescue us from our present situation.

Seeing the parable in this light invites readers to identify with virtually every character in the story. At one level, people can and should see themselves as good Samaritans, acting as physical rescuers and as saviors on Mount Zion, personally and directly aiding in the rescue of lost souls and all people in need. By doing as the Samaritan, we join with the Savior in helping bring to pass the salvation and eternal life of man.

We all need to receive help even from people we might otherwise think of as being outside our social circles. And we all need to be saved by the merciful Christ, the most exemplary Neighbor.”

John and Jeannie Welch, “The Parables of Jesus,” pg. 39-40