Notes on CFM March 11-17, Matthew 10-12, Mark 2, Luke 7 and 11

The Calling and Commissioning of the Twelve. (Matthew 9:36-38 and Matthew 10)

  • At the end of chapter 9, Christ laments the scattered, lost state of the multitudes."But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."  In chapter 10, He commissions his Twelve to go out in his place representing Him.  What a responsibility!
  • Christ gives the twelve "power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." and then he sends him out to lost sheep of the house of Israel.  "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."  I love thinking about those words.  I have been given so much in my life.  Am I taking of my abundance of spiritual and temporal blessings and giving that just as freely to those around me?  
  • In verses 9-11, the Twelve are told to go without purse or even extra coats or staves.  This is a big leap of faith, to go and rely on the Lord to provide everything they needed.  I wonder which was bigger leap of faith, to have the faith to heal and raise the dead or to depend on God each day for whatever the moment required?
  • In Luke 22:35-36 it says, " And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."  It is interesting that the requirement to go without their own provision is changed at this time.  This reminds me that what is right in one situation at one time may be different for that same person at another time.  Or what is right for one person in a situation may not be right for another person in a similar situation.  Coming to know Christ and following the feelings and promptings we have through the Holy Ghost is so important in discerning what we need to be doing with our lives and in our decisions right now.  Principles of the gospel don't change, but how we apply them at different stages of our lives will.
  • Christ then warns the Twelve of the persecution they will face.  I love the counsel he gives in verses 16-20:  "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."  It seems that Christ is teaching the Apostles to rely on him not just for their daily needs of food, shelter, and clothing, but also to depend on Him for the very words they say.  I have had so many experiences in my life where I have been given "in the very hour" the words I need to say to someone.  It is a powerful experience that always increases my testimony.  We can rely on Christ to be with us as we do His work.
  • I love how he tell his disciples that they are loved even more than the sparrows that God knows and that God knows even the very hairs of their head.  "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."  God knows and loves us too, and is intimately involved in the details of our lives.  He is not the "unmoved mover" who set the clock in motion and then lets it all play out, indifferent to His creations.  Instead, He is a loving Father who carries us in the palm of his hands and leads us as we seek His guidance.  In a beautiful talk, Elder David A. Bednar testifies, "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them."
  • I had one of those tender mercies just last Friday, the morning after my son read out his mission call.  While a friend watched my youngest boys, I went to the temple pondering about the place where Joey was called and how it would affect his life.  I had faith that he was called by revelation, but I was trying to understand God's plan and purpose for it better. As I was walking into the temple, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I will have one of those experiences where I run into someone who knows about Joey's mission."  Then I laughed at myself and thought it unlikely.  Then I walked into the dressing room and saw the receptionist at our dentist's office, serving as a temple worker.  She knows all of us pretty well and so after I changed, I told her about Joey's call.  "That was my mission!"  she exclaimed.  It was so neat to hear her experiences of serving there, and I took it as a further witness that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing.  
  • I love verse 39, where it talks about seeking or losing our lives and finding them.  Those who are selfishly holding onto their own wills and their own lusts will lose it all in the next life, while those who lose their life following Christ will be compensated for every sacrifice they make.  Elder Kevin Duncan said, "we can take great comfort in knowing that God will compensate us for every injustice we experience. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin stated: “The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. … Every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.”1"

Response to Opposition (Matthew 11:16-19, 12:22-32, Luke 7:31-35, Luke 11:14-26, and Luke 11:37-54)

  • In Matthew 11:16-19 and Luke 7:31-35, Christ speaks about the different reactions the naysayers have towards Him and John, "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners."  This reminds me that to those who fight against the gospel, it doesn't matter how the word is presented.  I know some think that if the Church would just change on this subject or that, then we'd be accepted in the world.  But these scriptures point out that no matter what, there will be opposition.  Christ compares the generation to children who sit in the marketplace and whine that the others aren't doing their bidding. A more modern analogy would be people who are trying to control the puppet strings of others or saying they will take take their ball and go home if the others don't play by their rules.  Christ is pretty hard on those who are not willing to take counsel from God but instead seek to lecture God on who and how He should be.  
  • Along those lines, it is interesting to me to think about how some people want only a God who fits into their view of what God should be.  They aren't willing to expand their mind or change their understanding when they encounter something that doesn't fit with their pre-conceived notions.  They want to form their God after their own image, not come to God and learn of Him.  (see this talk about the costs and blessings of discipleship)
  • In Matthew 12:22-32 and Luke 11:14-26, the Pharisees explain away Christ’s miracles of casting out devils by saying that it is only the by the power of the devil that Christ casts out devils.  Christ then teaches that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, using great logic to show how ridiculous it is to think that Satan would work against himself.  
  • In Luke 11:37-54, Christ is criticized for not washing his hands before eating.  In response, Christ criticizes the Pharisees for worrying more about the outer parts of a vessel and ignoring the "ravening and wickedness" on the inside.  He tells them that they love to sit in the best seats in the synogoge and to tithe the smallest herb, but "pass over judgment and the love of God."  
  • The Pharisees keep some of the commandments while neglecting others. If Christ were to come today and give similar words to our culture, what do you think he would say? Would he point out the hypocrisy of our society's hyper-focus on tolerance as the highest virtue while our society is destroying itself with debasing pornography and neglecting to keep the basic laws of chastity?  Or warn us that working so hard never give offense is not as important as the call to teach truth, real truth?  

Sabbath Day (Matthew 12:1-14)

  • As if to illustrate the point above, we now examine teh Pharisees criticism of Christ and the Sabbath.  First, they complain that Christ's disciples were gleaning on the sabbath day.  Then they complain when he heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.  It's so jarring to us today -- how in the world could they sit there and watch a man go from crippled to whole and not rejoice and seek to be healed themselves?  Instead, they seek to fault-find and criticize.  I wonder how many times we miss the miracles around us because we are seeking to criticize?

Beautiful Words of Wisdom (Mathew 11:28-30, 12:33-37). 

  • I love the imagery of taking Christ's yoke.  While many think of it as taking a yoke that binds us to Christ who will help us carry our burdens, it is also appropriate to consider this as a willingness to submit to God as our loving master and trust in how He leads and that the burdens He gives us He will make light.  
  • I love these words from Matthew 12:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things."  I have seen how people who continually seek to do good just become more and more filled with good that they then share with others.  As I seek to do what is good, kind, and Christ-like, I build my own store of good treasures to draw from for those around me.

Fasting (Mark 2:18-22) 

  • Yet again, Christ is criticized, this time for not fasting like John's disciples did.  Christ uses the imagery of a bridegroom to say something to the effect of, "If you are at a wedding party, is that the time to fast?"  Christ is the bridegroom and is with His people.  There will be other times of deep sorrow and times to fast, but it is not this day.  This reminds me, again, that we need to be aware of the times and seasons in our lives and that what we engage in at various times will change.

Raising of the Widow's Son (Luke 7:11-17, 1 Kings 17)

  • Christ is going to Nain when he finds a widow following the funeral procession of her only son.  Compassionately, lovingly, he restores to life the widow's son.  In contrast to some miracles, where people seek Christ out, this story shows Christ acting when He sees a need.
  • Widows depended on their sons for their support.  There was no social security and very little paid work for women.  Without her son, she would have been destitute.  Christ restored more than just a beloved child to her, he restored to her security and care.
  • Several commentators I read pointed out parallels between this story and the story of Elijah and the widow's son in 1 Kings 17.  This story of their great prophet Elijah would have been very familiar to the audience, so when they saw Christ raise a widow's son, they marvelled.  "And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people."  They saw in this act that Christ was as powerful as their great prophet Elijah.

A Woman with a Jar of Ointment and the Parable of the Grateful Debtors (Luke 7:36-50)

  • I love the contrasts in this story -- the proud Pharisee who neglected to give the best to his guest Jesus versus the humble sinner woman who anointed his feet with precious oil and bathed his feet with her tears.  But I'm also convicted by the story -- am I more like the proud Pharisee, sure that my righteousness and generosity is enough?  Or like the woman who recognized her own great sin and need for the Savior?  
  • Christ gives here the parable of the creditor who forgave two debtors, one who owed him a little and one who owed him an enormous sum.  The one forgiven of the greater sin is the one who is more committed to the Savior.  This reminds me that no one is beyond the reach of the Atonement of Christ.  Some that we may be inclined to reject as too involved in sin to be interested in the gospel may be the very ones who later repent and hold fast and strong to the gospel ever after.  Like Paul, who I'm sure no one ever expected to join Christ, yet who later became an apostle.  Christ didn't come to condemn the world, but to invite us to repent and change and come to Him.

The Parable of the man responding to his friend's request (Luke 11:5-13)

  • Christ teaches about the prayer, gives the Lord's prayer, and then gives a parable unique to Luke.  He talks about a man who has unexpected guests but nothing to feed them.  He goes to his friend's house at midnight and knocks on the door and the friend is annoyed.  It's late at night and his children are already in bed with him and why should he have to get up?  Yet because the man at the door continues to knock, he gets up and gives him the loaves that he needs.
  • Christ then teaches that if we humans, being so evil, are willing to get up from bed and share with a friend just because he asked, so God, being better than all of us, will give us good gifts if we continue to seek Him in prayer continually.  It seems that it is not enough to say a prayer once in a while asking for something.  It is important to keep seeking, asking, and knocking, trusting that God will open to us the doors we need.

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