Notes on Matthew 13, Luke 8, and Luke 13, CFM for March 18-24,

Why does Christ Teach in Parables?  Matthew 13:10-17


  • I wonder how many of the listeners to these parables wondered why people were so interested in this man who was just telling little stories about seeds and lost coins.  
  • It seems that parables are a way to teach people at many different levels of understanding and commitment.  I recently had an experience where I was troubled about something and praying for answers.  Instead of explaining the answer to my problem in depth, the Spirit directed me to an experience I had that to many might seem unrelated to my question and said, "the answer is like this experience you had."  That experience was the perfect way of understanding in a profound way the very thing I was struggling with.  
  • In a similar way, I can see how people can come to Christ with questions about "why are some people willing to follow you and others leave after just a short time?"  or "how in the world is this tiny little group here supposed to influence the whole world?" Instead of answering the question with a lot of details, Christ tells them about the sower who sowed in four different places and what happened to the seeds in each or he tells them about how the tiny mustard seed will grow into a mighty tree.  
  • With parables, Christ teaches us from what we know.  These people knew about soils and seeds, about lost coins and lost sheep, so that that is how Christ taught them of the gospel.  No matter your experiences in life, God can use them to teach you of His ways.  For example, I love hearing stories from President Nelson about what he learned as a heart surgeon that helped him understand divine law.  I love reading nonfiction and seeing gospel principles at work in the world.
  • Parables are also a merciful way of teaching so that those who are ready can absorb the message while those who are not ready are not held accountable for the knowledge.
  • The Master Teacher’s parables show both the justice and mercy of God at work among those who hear them. “Two men may hear the same words,” wrote Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933). “One of them listens in indolence and indifference, the other with active mind intent on learning all that the words can possibly convey; and, having heard, the diligent man goes straightway to do the things commended to him, while the careless one neglects and forgets. The one is wise, the other foolish; the one has heard to his eternal profit, the other to his everlasting condemnation.”6  (source)
Discovering how to interpret and apply the parables of Jesus is essential to getting the most from them. To interpret a parable, one must study what it meant to them, there, then. To apply a parable, one must ponder what it means to me, here, now. “The only true interpretation is the meaning the parable conveyed, or was meant to convey, when first spoken. The application of a parable may vary in every age and circumstance” (Bible Dictionary, “Parables,” 741). (source)

The Parable of the Sower, The Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:18-30, 13:36-43, Luke 8:5-15

  • Our first lesson of the year covered the parable of the sower and how to prepare ourselves to be good soil.  This parable points out that the gospel message, or the seed, is good, but the reception to it differs in significant ways.  Christ himself gives the interpretation.  
Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catchethaway that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty

  • I found this explanation of the farming methods involved interesting:  "Farmers in ancient Palestine (and much of the world) spread their seed first, and then plow the seed into the soil. Without pre-plowing the soil, some seeds fall on hard pack, thorny, and rocky soils. Scientific American published the benefits of this ancient farming technique, including a lack of erosion and less water use.7"  
  • Imagining a farmer sowing seeds and then plowing them into the soil makes a lot more sense as to where and how the seeds landed.
  • I love this quote by Elder James E. Faust:  "We also need to prepare our own seedbed of faith. To do this we need to plow the soil through daily humble prayer, asking for strength and forgiveness. We need to harrow the soil by overcoming our feelings of pride. We need to prepare the seedbed by keeping the commandments to the best of our ability. We need to be honest with the Lord in the payment of our tithing and our other offerings. We need to be worthy and able to call forth the great powers of the priesthood to bless ourselves, our families, and others for whom we have responsibility. There is no better place for the spiritual seeds of our faith to be nurtured than within the hallowed sanctuaries of our temples and in our homes."
  • How do I allow my own cares of the world or riches to choke out the gospel?  Do I spend more time on Facebook than I do with God's word?  Am I more concerned about the latest viral outrage than I am about the burdens my neighbor is carrying that I might lighten?  How do I keep nourishing the seed so that it gets deep roots?





  • The parable of the wheat and tares can answer questions like, Why aren't all Christians living their faith? or Why does God allow the wicked to prosper for a time?  
  • "Tares are a weed called “bearded darnel.” It looks the same as wheat until it comes to ear. The roots are often intertwined, so farmers do not want to pull them prematurely or they may lose the crop (Matthew 13:29). Tares are poisonous—they taste bitter and when eaten separately or in bread, can cause dizziness, vomiting, convulsions, or death."  (from Lynn Wilson)
  • The poisonous nature of the tares explains why they will eventually be burned, while the good grain is gathered into the barn.
  • Anyone who has planted a garden and watched over little seedlings understands why it is a bad idea to pull weeds during that tender time.  Not only can it be difficult to tell which tiny plant is a weed and which one is a good crop, it is also very easy to dislodge and crush the little seedlings by pulling nearby weeds.
  • Joseph Smith said this about this parable:  "The wheat and tares must grow together till the harvest; at the harvest the wheat is gathered together into the threshing floor, so with the Saints the stakes are the threshing floor. Here they will be threshed with all sorts of difficulties, trials, afflictions and everything to mar their peace, which they can imagine, and thousands which they cannot imagine, but he that endures the threshing till all the chaff, superstition, folly and unbelief are pounded out of him, and does not suffer himself to be blown away as chaff by the foul blast of slander, but endures faithfully to the end, shall be saved." (source)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed, The Parable of the Leaven, Matthew 13:31-35

  • I love this picture from the student manual that shows just how small those tiny mustard seeds are.  And yet, they can grow into something big enough for birds to nest in.


  • The parable of the leaven reminds me of the words from the Sermon on the Mount about being the salt of the earth.  It doesn't take a lot of leavening or salt to make a loaf, but it is essential.  The seed of Abraham has a responsibility to bless the whole world, but we are likely to always be small in number in comparison to the world's population.  

The Parable of the Treasure in the Field, The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, Matthew 13:44-46


  • These two parables teach great truths about how much we should be willing to give for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  My ancestors left behind family, friends, and their native lands of Europe because they felt a call to gather to Zion.  They sold all that they had to raise money and then undertook a journey to leave behind all that they knew to gather to Zion.  Do I have that same commitment?
  • I wonder how the audience reacted to these stories.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure in the world, but how many are willing to sell all they have to buy it?

The Parable of the Net, The Parable of the Householder, Matthew 13:47-52


  • The net gathers of every kind, but only the good fish are kept.  
  • The householder parable was a bit harder for me to understand.  Is he likening just scribes to a householder with a full treasury of good things?  Or all men like scribes and householders?  Lynn Wilson says this, "In the Jewish world, scribes were scholar teachers who interpreted the Torah. Jesus called for a new type of scribe, “which is instructed into the kingdom of heaven.” These new scribes, who have been taught by Jesus (which included Matthew himself), would need to go through the traditions, the learnings, the scriptures and separate out, or find new things in light of the Gospel. Everything takes on a new light through understanding Christ’s Plan of Salvation. “At its heart the gospel consists of ‘new things,’ and that newness must never be underestimated. But for Matthew, these ‘new things’ presuppose and are fundamentally loyal to the ‘old things.’” Matthew’s Gospel is an example of a new scribe who ties the OT and the NT together "  

Do Tragedies Happen Only Happen to Sinners?  The Parable of the Fig Tree, Luke 13:1-9


  • Though we don't know much about the two events spoken of -- the Galileans being persecuted by Pilate and a tower that fell in Siloam and killed 18 people -- Christ used the two tragedies to teach an important principle about righteousness.  While many at the time thought that bad things only happened to the wicked, Christ taught them not to believe that the victims were more unrighteous than anyone else.  
  • Christ follows up this teaching with the story of an unfruitful fig tree.  Instead of pulling it up right away when it fails to bear fruit, he seeks fruit three separate times and then gives it one more chance after that, digging about it and fertilizing it and giving it all that it could possibly need before finally casting it out.
  • I think through this parable, Christ is showing that God is not a God of wrath just waiting for his children to do wickedly so He can smite them.  Instead, He is a God of mercy, who hopes and waits for His children to repent and bring forth good works.  He gave the fig tree not just three chances, but a fourth.
  • I love that the parable doesn't tell us how the fig tree ended -- was that one last year successful?  Did the extra care given allow it to be fruitful?  Or was it once again barren and ready to be cut down?  So it is with our lives and those around us.  God didn't come into the world to condemn us, but to invite us to return.  Those who continually reject goodness will eventually find themselves outside God's kingdom, but not until they are given many chances to repent and change.
  • Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the Savior’s teachings: 
“To say that particular individuals slain in war, killed in accidents, smitten with disease, stricken by plagues, or shorn of their property by natural calamities, have been singled out from among their fellows as especially deserving of such supposed retribution is wholly unwarranted. It is not man’s prerogative to conclude in individual cases of suffering or accident that such has befallen a person as a just retribution for an ungodly course. … The Lord brings difficulties upon the most righteous of his saints to test and try them; persecution … is the heritage of the faithful. 
“The real lesson to be learned from Jesus’ conclusion, ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish,’ is that there was no difference in righteousness between the slain and the living, and that unless the living repent they would perish with the dead. … In a broader sense the thought is that as these have perished temporally so shall all perish spiritually unless they repent” (source)

How many will be Saved?  Luke 13:22-30

  • A man asks Christ, "Lord, are there few that be saved?"  Instead of answering the question outright, Christ uses the opportunity to describe the unexpected nature of His kingdom.  He reminds the man that there is a narrow gate and that some who think they are going to enter will be shut out.  This wording is similar to that used in the Sermon on the Mount and in the parable of the ten virgins.
  • But then He follows up by saying, "And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.  And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."  
  • It sounds like to me the answer to the question is, "Some who think they will be saved will not be and many who you think won't be saved will be."  
  • The quote about the last being first and the first last is a concept Christ uses a lot.  To me, it invokes images of the gospel being given first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles and then in the last days to the Gentiles and then to the Jews.  But it also means that some of those who have great prominence in this life will not be "first" in the next, while those who are the most humble will no longer be forgotten and overlooked.  
  • Elder Uchtdorf says this on that subject, "The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use—in His own way and for His holy purposes—those who incline their hearts to Him.  God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good."

Events from the Life of Christ:  Rejection in Nazareth, Followed and Served by Certain Women, Matthew 13:53-58, Luke 8:1-3


  • In Matthew 13:53-58, once again the people in Nazareth reject him, not believing that with his humble background he could be anything special.  "Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?"
  • They weren't willing to accept Christ because He was too familiar.  They were like Naaman refusing to wash seven times in the lowly Jordon River because how could such a simple thing like that save him?  
  • They seemed also to reject Christ because He didn't fit their preconceived notion of what the King of Kings should be.  Rather than abandon those expectations, they abandoned Christ.
  • How do we avoid it being said of us, "he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."?
  • In contrast to the rejection at Nazareth, in Luke 8, we learn that "certain women" traveled with him and "ministered unto him of their substance."
  • I love these quotes from the  Daughters in my Kingdom book:

While little is known about a formal organization of women in the New Testament, evidence suggests that women were vital participants in the Savior’s ministry. The New Testament includes accounts of women, named and unnamed, who exercised faith in Jesus Christ, learned and lived His teachings, and testified of His ministry, miracles, and majesty. These women became exemplary disciples and important witnesses in the work of salvation. 
Women journeyed with Jesus and His Twelve Apostles. They gave of their substance to assist in His ministry. After His death and Resurrection, women continued to be faithful disciples. They met and prayed together with the Apostles. They provided their homes as gathering places for Church members. They valiantly participated in the work of saving souls, temporally and spiritually. . .
It is likely that these women provided some economic support for Jesus and His Apostles, along with service such as cooking. In addition to receiving Jesus’s ministering—the glad tidings of His gospel and the blessings of His healing power—these women ministered to Him, imparting their substance and devotion.

  •  Women do the work that makes the world worth living in.  Many of the best of them are unknown except among their circle of influence, but their faith and goodness effects generations.  I wish we knew more about those great women of the New Testament, but I know enough great women of my own days to know what it looks like to be fully engaged and committed to the work, and it is enough.

Events from the Life of Christ: The Calming of the Storm, and the Woman Healed on the Sabbath, Luke 8:22-25, Luke 13:10-17


  • I wrote quite a bit about the calming of the storm a few weeks ago.  
  • In Luke 13:10-17, Christ heals a woman who had an infirmity for 18 years.  The ruler of the synagogue is aghast that Christ heals on the Sabbath Day.  There are six other days in the week, why not heal her on one of those days?  Which is interesting, because the woman was just as infirm the day before the Sabbath and if Christ had wanted, he could have avoided healing on the Sabbath.  But it seems that Christ is not going to bow down to the popular demand to keep the traditions about the Sabbath day.  In this instance, He talks first about how the men there feed and water their animals on the sabbath day.  If it's okay to do good to animals, how about to a "daughter of Abraham?"  In contrast to some of the other Sabbath day stories, in this case, his enemies were cowed.  "all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him."  
  • I love how the people rejoiced with the woman and other at the glorious things done by Christ.  When we put envy aside, we are happier because we can rejoice at all the good things that happen to those around us.  
  • I love this quote from Elder Jeffrey R. HollandBrothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those. 
Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath," as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live.

 

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