Notes on Joseph Smith-Matthew 1; Matthew 25; Mark 12-13; Luke 21, "The Son of Man Shall Come," CFM lesson for May 27 - June 2
In this week's reading, there are chapters covering the end of Jerusalem and the Second coming as well as the story of the widow's mite, and three parables. I've decided to start with the widow's mite story and the parables and then skip back to the chapters about the Second Coming.
The Widow's Mite, Mark 12:41-44
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| by James Christensen |
- Once again, Christ takes the world's way of reckoning and turns it upside down. The poor widow, who gives two mites, he says, "hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury." He explains, "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"
- God doesn't judge us based on what we do compared to what others do, but instead on what we do with what we have given. Do we "give all that [we] have," though it might only amount to two mites?
- This reminds me of another widow who made great sacrifices to feed the prophet Elijah. 1 Kings 17:10-15 says, "So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. - Both widows made great sacrifices and gave so much to the gospel. Though a handful of meal and a little oil or two mites might not seem like much, it was enough.
- As I pondered about this story, it struck me that God isn't just talking about money here. Some of us live with lack of time, health, and energy, too. At such times, it is easy to feel like we are not doing enough. But if we are giving what we have to God and His kingdom, it is enough. In God's eyes, it might even be judged as more than one who gives from abundant wealth, health, time or energy.
- If we don't hold back because of our fears of inadequacy, God can take our few loaves and fishes and make them enough to feed a whole multitude. We are blessed for doing what we can with what we have, and we need to stop the constant comparisons that leave us feeling inadequate.
- President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Many of you think you are failures. You feel you cannot do well, that with all of your effort it is not sufficient.
We all feel that way. I feel that way as I speak to you tonight. I long for, I pray for the power and the capacity to lift you, to inspire you, to thank you, to praise you, and to bring a measure of gladness into your hearts.
We all worry about our performance. We all wish we could do better. But unfortunately we do not realize, we do not often see the results that come of what we do. . .
Now, my dear sisters, that is the way with you. You are doing the best you can, and that best results in good to yourself and to others. Do not nag yourself with a sense of failure. Get on your knees and ask for the blessings of the Lord; then stand on your feet and do what you are asked to do. Then leave the matter in the hands of the Lord. You will discover that you have accomplished something beyond price." - It is easy for us to notice those who the world tells us are important and successful, but the Savior noticed a poor widow with her two tiny coins. Are we tempted to give more value to people of prominence than people of quiet goodness?
- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a great talk where he, too, recognized all the good each of us does. " I have struggled to find an adequate way to tell you how loved of God you are and how grateful we on this stand are for you. I am trying to be voice for the very angels of heaven in thanking you for every good thing you have ever done, for every kind word you have ever said, for every sacrifice you have ever made in extending to someone—to anyone—the beauty and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am grateful for Young Women leaders who go to girls camp and, without shampoo, showers, or mascara, turn smoky, campfire testimony meetings into some of the most riveting spiritual experiences those girls—or those leaders—will experience in their lifetime. I am grateful for all the women of the Church who in my life have been as strong as Mount Sinai and as compassionate as the Mount of Beatitudes. We smile sometimes about our sisters’ stories—you know, green Jell-O, quilts, and funeral potatoes. But my family has been the grateful recipient of each of those items at one time or another—and in one case, the quilt and the funeral potatoes on the same day. It was just a small quilt—tiny, really—to make my deceased baby brother’s journey back to his heavenly home as warm and comfortable as our Relief Society sisters wanted him to be. The food provided for our family after the service, voluntarily given without a single word from us, was gratefully received. Smile, if you will, about our traditions, but somehow the too-often unheralded women in this church are always there when hands hang down and knees are feeble.1 They seem to grasp instinctively the divinity in Christ’s declaration: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these …, ye have done it unto me.”2
And no less the brethren of the priesthood. I think, for example, of the leaders of our young men who, depending on the climate and continent, either take bone-rattling 50-mile (80 km) hikes or dig—and actually try to sleep in—ice caves for what have to be the longest nights of human experience. I am grateful for memories of my own high priests group, which a few years ago took turns for weeks sleeping on a small recliner in the bedroom of a dying quorum member so that his aged and equally fragile wife could get some sleep through those final weeks of her sweetheart’s life. I am grateful for the Church’s army of teachers, officers, advisers, and clerks, to say nothing of people who are forever setting up tables and taking down chairs. I am grateful for ordained patriarchs, musicians, family historians, and osteoporotic couples who trundle off to the temple at 5:00 in the morning with little suitcases now almost bigger than they are. I am grateful for selfless parents who—perhaps for a lifetime—care for a challenged child, sometimes with more than one challenge and sometimes with more than one child. I am grateful for children who close ranks later in life to give back to ill or aging parents.
And to the near-perfect elderly sister who almost apologetically whispered recently, “I have never been a leader of anything in the Church. I guess I’ve only been a helper,” I say, “Dear sister, God bless you and all the ‘helpers’ in the kingdom.” Some of us who are leaders hope someday to have the standing before God that you have already attained.
- Widows in our day tend to be elderly, but younger widows were much more common in those days. I love how some of the art depicts this widow as a young woman with children.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13
by James Christensen
- The word translated as "virgins" here also means young, unmarried women. Some translations use the word "maidens," which is probably closer to the original meaning. Who do the ten young women represent? Elder Marvin J. Ashton said, "It can be properly and appropriately concluded that the ten virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ, and not alone the rank and file of the world. The wise and foolish virgins, all of them, had been invited to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the importance of the occasion. They were not pagans, heathens, or gentiles, nor were they known as corrupt or lost, but rather they were informed people who had the saving, exalting gospel in their possession, but had not made it the center of their lives. They knew the way, but were foolishly unprepared for the coming of the bridegroom. All, even the foolish ones, trimmed their lamps at his coming, but their oil was used up. In the most needed moment there was none available to refill their lamps. All had been warned their entire lives."
- Wayment points out, "a midnight wedding is unusual, and more importantly, it is unexpected, which is one of the dominant themes of the parable." How many times has Christ now taught that the hour of His coming will be unexpected and that we need to be ready and watching?
- Why is it the foolish didn't take oil with them? Did they think the bridegroom would come quickly so there was no need for extended preparation? Did they figure they could "always repent" and go buy more if they run out? Did they think they would just borrow some if need be? Or were they simply not thinking very much at all about their personal preparation?
- Though some were wise and some were foolish, they all fell asleep because of the lateness of the hour. They don't seem to be condemned for the sleeping, just for not having oil in their lamps at the proper time. Perhaps God sees them the way Christ saw his disciples when they slept in Gethsemane, "the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." As mortals, we aren't capable always of staying awake.
- The oil couldn't be shared, according to the parable, because if so, all of the lamps would go out. There are a lot of quotes about what the oil represents and why it can't be shared. Elder Ashton, in the talk referenced above, says, "The responsibility for having oil in our personal lamps is an individual requirement and opportunity. The oil of spiritual preparedness cannot be shared. The wise were not unkind or selfish when they refused oil to the foolish in the moment of truth. The kind of oil needed by all of us to light up the darkness and illuminate the way is not shareable. The oil could have been purchased at the market in the parable, but in our lives it is accumulated by righteous living, a drop at a time."
How can one share the blessings that come through visiting the sick? How can one share in the blessings that come from assisting the widow or the fatherless? How can one share a personal testimony? How can one share the blessings of conference attendance? How can one share the lesson of obedience learned in living the principle of tithing? Certainly each must accumulate this kind of oil for himself. Let us not procrastinate. Midnight is so far and yet so close to those who have procrastinated.
- The oil represents the personal righteousness and spiritual qualities that a person has developed over time. Qualities like knowing how to recognize the voice of the Spirit or knowing how to receive answers to prayer aren't something that can be gained at the last minute.
- When your "midnight" arrives, be it your death, the Second Coming, or an unexpected trial, will you be ready? As I was reading, I thought of the viral video of a Latter-day Saint woman escaping the wildfires in Paradise, California last year. The calm she exhibits as she prays for safety is remarkable. The many, many prayers she said in the past and the relationship she had gained with God were there for her when she really needed it.
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| by James Christensen |
- The word translated as "virgins" here also means young, unmarried women. Some translations use the word "maidens," which is probably closer to the original meaning. Who do the ten young women represent? Elder Marvin J. Ashton said, "It can be properly and appropriately concluded that the ten virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ, and not alone the rank and file of the world. The wise and foolish virgins, all of them, had been invited to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the importance of the occasion. They were not pagans, heathens, or gentiles, nor were they known as corrupt or lost, but rather they were informed people who had the saving, exalting gospel in their possession, but had not made it the center of their lives. They knew the way, but were foolishly unprepared for the coming of the bridegroom. All, even the foolish ones, trimmed their lamps at his coming, but their oil was used up. In the most needed moment there was none available to refill their lamps. All had been warned their entire lives."
- Wayment points out, "a midnight wedding is unusual, and more importantly, it is unexpected, which is one of the dominant themes of the parable." How many times has Christ now taught that the hour of His coming will be unexpected and that we need to be ready and watching?
- Why is it the foolish didn't take oil with them? Did they think the bridegroom would come quickly so there was no need for extended preparation? Did they figure they could "always repent" and go buy more if they run out? Did they think they would just borrow some if need be? Or were they simply not thinking very much at all about their personal preparation?
- Though some were wise and some were foolish, they all fell asleep because of the lateness of the hour. They don't seem to be condemned for the sleeping, just for not having oil in their lamps at the proper time. Perhaps God sees them the way Christ saw his disciples when they slept in Gethsemane, "the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." As mortals, we aren't capable always of staying awake.
- The oil couldn't be shared, according to the parable, because if so, all of the lamps would go out. There are a lot of quotes about what the oil represents and why it can't be shared. Elder Ashton, in the talk referenced above, says, "The responsibility for having oil in our personal lamps is an individual requirement and opportunity. The oil of spiritual preparedness cannot be shared. The wise were not unkind or selfish when they refused oil to the foolish in the moment of truth. The kind of oil needed by all of us to light up the darkness and illuminate the way is not shareable. The oil could have been purchased at the market in the parable, but in our lives it is accumulated by righteous living, a drop at a time."
- How can one share the blessings that come through visiting the sick? How can one share in the blessings that come from assisting the widow or the fatherless? How can one share a personal testimony? How can one share the blessings of conference attendance? How can one share the lesson of obedience learned in living the principle of tithing? Certainly each must accumulate this kind of oil for himself. Let us not procrastinate. Midnight is so far and yet so close to those who have procrastinated.
- The oil represents the personal righteousness and spiritual qualities that a person has developed over time. Qualities like knowing how to recognize the voice of the Spirit or knowing how to receive answers to prayer aren't something that can be gained at the last minute.
- When your "midnight" arrives, be it your death, the Second Coming, or an unexpected trial, will you be ready? As I was reading, I thought of the viral video of a Latter-day Saint woman escaping the wildfires in Paradise, California last year. The calm she exhibits as she prays for safety is remarkable. The many, many prayers she said in the past and the relationship she had gained with God were there for her when she really needed it.
The Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Pounds, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27
- The two parables contain some similarities but also many differences. In the Luke account, the purpose of telling it was "because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." Christ is telling them through this parable that it will be a long time that they will need to be accountable for the Lord's goods before he returns. In Luke, it is a nobleman who leaves, specifically to "receive for himself a kingdom, and to return," and he calls ten servants and gives them a pound each. Then when he comes again, he speaks to three of the servants. The first has grown one pound into ten, the second has grown one pound into five, and the last has hidden up his pound in a napkin and blames the Lord for his own inaction. The traits the man accuses the Lord of are similar in both passages. In Luke, the man is "austere," which means severe, harsh, or rigid, while Matthew says he is a hard, or harsh man.
- In Matthew, it is not a nobleman, but a man travelling into a far country. Instead of giving each servant the same amount, he gives one five talents, another two, and a third one, "to every man according to his several ability." The accounting is similar in Matthew, with the first having gained five more talents, the second two more, and the third having hidden up his one talent in the earth.
- The student manual notes, "In the Savior’s time, a “talent” was a unit of weight and also a large sum of money. In modern usage, the word “talent,” as used in this parable, has come to represent any spiritual gift or any skill or ability given to us by God, and the parable teaches that we are responsible to use these gifts wisely and profitably. The Second Coming is represented by the arrival, “after a long time,” of a master who had entrusted his servants with talents (Matthew 25:19). The servant who doubled his two talents received the same commendation as the one who doubled his five talents (see Matthew 25:21, 23); each was expected to try to improve on what he had been given. Thus, in the end, only the servant who did nothing with his talent was rejected by his master."
- The ultimate source, wikipedia, points out that "During the Peloponnesian war in Ancient Greece, a talent was the amount of silver needed to pay the crew of a trireme for one month. Hellenistic mercenaries were commonly paid one drachma for every day of service, which was a good salary in the post-Alexander (III) days. 6,000 drachma made a talent." So a talent was equal to 6,000 days of work, or over 16 years!
- Thinking of how much a talent represents reminds me that God has given all of us great gifts and abilities. Even if it might seem at times that our talents are meager compared to someone else, we are powerful children of God with great inheritance. We need to take whatever he has given us and use it for good.
- I can think of many reasons why the last servant would hide his talent. He might be embarrassed or angry that the didn't get the same amount as the other two servants, even though he'd been entrusted with a fortune.. He might have hated his master and not wanted to do anything that would help his master, even if it hurt himself as well. Or he might have been afraid of failure. I like how Tyler Halvis puts it in this devotional: "Now think a moment about that servant with one talent. This is a very severe punishment. After all, he took good care of that money. Not one cent was lost. Yet the master not only chastised him and took his talent, he cast him into outer darkness.The Lord doesn’t care about not messing up—not losing what we have. It isn’t enough to preserve what He has given us. He wants us to get up and do something with it."
- Are we ever guilty of holding back because we don't have as much as another? Do we fall into the trap of constantly comparing and worrying about our own perceived shortcomings? Or do we go to work and do what we can with what we have?
- Verse 29 says, "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." If someone hasn't developed the skill to manage a few things, he cannot be trusted with more. This can seem pretty harsh, but it is consistent with natural laws. Those who want to run a marathon, for example, have to work to have the fitness to do it. If one keeps on a training schedule and works hard, over time, he has created enough fitness in his body to achieve the goal. On the other hand, someone with a similar goal will lose fitness the more he doesn't exercise. I wrote a bit about these principles in this post about Life Lessons I've Learned from Running.
- The two parables contain some similarities but also many differences. In the Luke account, the purpose of telling it was "because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." Christ is telling them through this parable that it will be a long time that they will need to be accountable for the Lord's goods before he returns. In Luke, it is a nobleman who leaves, specifically to "receive for himself a kingdom, and to return," and he calls ten servants and gives them a pound each. Then when he comes again, he speaks to three of the servants. The first has grown one pound into ten, the second has grown one pound into five, and the last has hidden up his pound in a napkin and blames the Lord for his own inaction. The traits the man accuses the Lord of are similar in both passages. In Luke, the man is "austere," which means severe, harsh, or rigid, while Matthew says he is a hard, or harsh man.
- In Matthew, it is not a nobleman, but a man travelling into a far country. Instead of giving each servant the same amount, he gives one five talents, another two, and a third one, "to every man according to his several ability." The accounting is similar in Matthew, with the first having gained five more talents, the second two more, and the third having hidden up his one talent in the earth.
- The student manual notes, "In the Savior’s time, a “talent” was a unit of weight and also a large sum of money. In modern usage, the word “talent,” as used in this parable, has come to represent any spiritual gift or any skill or ability given to us by God, and the parable teaches that we are responsible to use these gifts wisely and profitably. The Second Coming is represented by the arrival, “after a long time,” of a master who had entrusted his servants with talents (Matthew 25:19). The servant who doubled his two talents received the same commendation as the one who doubled his five talents (see Matthew 25:21, 23); each was expected to try to improve on what he had been given. Thus, in the end, only the servant who did nothing with his talent was rejected by his master."
- The ultimate source, wikipedia, points out that "During the Peloponnesian war in Ancient Greece, a talent was the amount of silver needed to pay the crew of a trireme for one month. Hellenistic mercenaries were commonly paid one drachma for every day of service, which was a good salary in the post-Alexander (III) days. 6,000 drachma made a talent." So a talent was equal to 6,000 days of work, or over 16 years!
- Thinking of how much a talent represents reminds me that God has given all of us great gifts and abilities. Even if it might seem at times that our talents are meager compared to someone else, we are powerful children of God with great inheritance. We need to take whatever he has given us and use it for good.
- I can think of many reasons why the last servant would hide his talent. He might be embarrassed or angry that the didn't get the same amount as the other two servants, even though he'd been entrusted with a fortune.. He might have hated his master and not wanted to do anything that would help his master, even if it hurt himself as well. Or he might have been afraid of failure. I like how Tyler Halvis puts it in this devotional: "Now think a moment about that servant with one talent. This is a very severe punishment. After all, he took good care of that money. Not one cent was lost. Yet the master not only chastised him and took his talent, he cast him into outer darkness.The Lord doesn’t care about not messing up—not losing what we have. It isn’t enough to preserve what He has given us. He wants us to get up and do something with it."
- Are we ever guilty of holding back because we don't have as much as another? Do we fall into the trap of constantly comparing and worrying about our own perceived shortcomings? Or do we go to work and do what we can with what we have?
- Verse 29 says, "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." If someone hasn't developed the skill to manage a few things, he cannot be trusted with more. This can seem pretty harsh, but it is consistent with natural laws. Those who want to run a marathon, for example, have to work to have the fitness to do it. If one keeps on a training schedule and works hard, over time, he has created enough fitness in his body to achieve the goal. On the other hand, someone with a similar goal will lose fitness the more he doesn't exercise. I wrote a bit about these principles in this post about Life Lessons I've Learned from Running.
The Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Matthew 25:31-46
- The final judgment will be like a shepherd gathering his flocks for the night. The sheep will go on his right hand and the goats on his left.
- This parable is so beautiful and as a mother who spends a lot of her time clothing naked people and feeding hungry minions, I love how Christ teaches we will all ultimately be judged. I do hope that motherhood never requires me to visit any of my kids in prison, though!
- I also know the parable applies to more than just how I treat my children. Can I look into the face of the harried and rude woman at the DMV and treat her the way I would if she were Christ? Can I assume the best of the driver of the car that just cut me off in traffic? Am I doing enough with the time, energy, and means the Lord has blessed me with to relieve hunger, thirst, and loneliness?
- I can't think of a better example of this parable in action than this story called "No Act of Love is Ever Wasted." Within the story of a life-changing service performed by the author's fourteen-year-old son, it tells a story of Mother Theresa: "The story was about a woman in London who was a great fan of Mother Teresa’s. I’ll call her Ann. Ann had saved her money so that she could go to India and work with Mother Teresa but when she got to the Home for The Dying in Calcutta, Mother Teresa wasn’t there. ‘Where is she?” Ann asked the nuns. The nuns told Ann that Mother Teresa was over at the infant center. They gave Ann directions in how to get there, and Ann scurried over there. She had waited so long to meet this woman!
Spotting the home, Ann stepped quickly inside and scanned the room for Mother Teresa. She was stunned at the sight that greeted her. There were hundreds of babies on the floor, many of them crying. There were six Missionaries of Mercy in the room, doing what they could to meet the needs of all these babies.
Mother Teresa was at the back of the room. As she came towards the door, she would stop and point to a baby and say to the missionaries, “This baby right here,” or pointing to another baby, “this little baby right here.” As she did that, one of the missionaries would quickly come up, pick up the baby and take it to a rocking chair. There were half a dozen rocking chairs against the wall. The missionary would then begin to rock the baby and sing to it.
As Mother Teresa came to Ann, she herself, picked up a baby and handing it gently to Ann, said in almost a whisper “And this baby is for you.” Surprised, Ann accepted the baby as it was offered to her. It was a frail little baby boy. By the time she looked up, Mother Teresa was gone.
A bit disconcerted, Ann asked the workers what she was supposed to do with this baby? One motioned for her to come and sit in a rocking chair. When Ann sat down, in broken English the worker said, “Mother Teresa has a very strong belief that no child should ever leave this earth without having felt the warmth of an embrace and human love. As you can see, there are more than 200 babies here. There are only six of us. There’s no way we can love on each child. It’s physically impossible”.
Reverently, she continued, “But Mother Teresa has a gift. She comes every morning. She somehow knows which babies will die today. She points them out to us. Our job is to love on these babies until they die, so that they can leave this world in love. You need to rock that little boy, embrace him and share your love with him.”
A bit bewildered, Ann began to rock the baby. She hummed the Brahms lullaby. She said she could never forget, how as weak as the child was, how he still pressed his little face into her neck in response to her touch. She rocked the baby until he died that afternoon in her arms. Her life was transformed by this experience.
She wrote, “I have friends who would tell me that I wasted that day because the baby died anyway. But I would tell you that this was the holiest day of my life. I learned this day that no act of love is ever wasted.” Ann said that this was a turning point in her life."
Temple Destruction and Persecutions Foretold, Mark 13:1-13, Matthew 24:1-14, Luke 21:5-19,
- The prophecies that Christ says in these chapters are given to four of his disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in response to their sincere questions. Christ teaches boldly.
- These aren't easy prophecies to hear, and you can imagine that when Christ tells his disciples that they will be delivered to the councils, beaten, and brought before kings and rulers, it might have been frightening to hear.
- But he also gives them promises that God will be with them in their afflictions and that the words to say in those places will be given them "in that hour." It reminds me that our God is a God who blesses us daily with what we need. We can't constantly borrow trouble from the future when the needs of today are before us. We need to be praying for our daily bread.
- Wayment translates verse 11 to say, "for it will not be you speaking but the Holy Spirit." Are we living so that the Holy Ghost can speak through us? Have you had experiences where the words to say are given you?
- In Luke, the Apostles are told they will be betrayed and hated, but that not a hair of their heads will be lost and that "by endurance you will gain your lives [souls]." Of course, we know that many of them eventually did lose their lives in martyrdom, but the promise of their souls being saved is more important. We don't know how things will work out for us in this life, but we can be assured that faithfulness to the end will allow us salvation in the world to come.
- I love that Christ says in Mark 13:13, that "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Enduring to the end will look differently in some lives than in others. To some, it might mean staying faithful through many health challenges. To others, it might mean caring for a disabled spouse for decades. Others might need to find the courage to forgive and bear with people the Lord needs them to serve.
- Joseph Smith-Matthew is an inspired translation of Matthew 24, which discusses the signs of the times as well as the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in the first century. It makes some of the more confusing passages more clear.
- The prophecies that Christ says in these chapters are given to four of his disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, in response to their sincere questions. Christ teaches boldly.
- These aren't easy prophecies to hear, and you can imagine that when Christ tells his disciples that they will be delivered to the councils, beaten, and brought before kings and rulers, it might have been frightening to hear.
- But he also gives them promises that God will be with them in their afflictions and that the words to say in those places will be given them "in that hour." It reminds me that our God is a God who blesses us daily with what we need. We can't constantly borrow trouble from the future when the needs of today are before us. We need to be praying for our daily bread.
- Wayment translates verse 11 to say, "for it will not be you speaking but the Holy Spirit." Are we living so that the Holy Ghost can speak through us? Have you had experiences where the words to say are given you?
- In Luke, the Apostles are told they will be betrayed and hated, but that not a hair of their heads will be lost and that "by endurance you will gain your lives [souls]." Of course, we know that many of them eventually did lose their lives in martyrdom, but the promise of their souls being saved is more important. We don't know how things will work out for us in this life, but we can be assured that faithfulness to the end will allow us salvation in the world to come.
- I love that Christ says in Mark 13:13, that "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Enduring to the end will look differently in some lives than in others. To some, it might mean staying faithful through many health challenges. To others, it might mean caring for a disabled spouse for decades. Others might need to find the courage to forgive and bear with people the Lord needs them to serve.
- Joseph Smith-Matthew is an inspired translation of Matthew 24, which discusses the signs of the times as well as the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in the first century. It makes some of the more confusing passages more clear.
The Desolating Sacrilege/Abomination of Desolation, Mark 13:14-23, Matthew 24:15-28, Luke 21:20-24, JS-Matthew 1:1-26
- The rest of the chapter deals with Christ's prophecies of two different time periods; the first is the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which appears to be a type and shadow of the second, which is the last days, the destruction of the wicked and the Second Coming. The Bible Dictionary explains,
"Daniel spoke prophetically of a day when there would be “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 11:31; 12:11), and the phrase was recoined in New Testament times to say “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Matt. 24:15).
Conditions of desolation, born of abomination and wickedness, were to occur twice in fulfillment of Daniel’s words. The first was to be when the Roman legions under Titus, in A.D. 70, laid siege to Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15; JS—M 1:12).
Speaking of the last days, of the days following the Restoration of the gospel and its declaration “for a witness unto all nations,” our Lord said: “And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled” (JS—M 1:31–32). That is, Jerusalem again will be under siege.
In a general sense, abomination of desolation also describes the latter-day judgments to be poured out upon the wicked wherever they may be. And so that the honest in heart may escape these things, the Lord sends His servants forth to raise the warning voice, to declare the glad tidings of the Restoration, lest “desolation and utter abolishment” come upon them. The elders are commanded to reprove “the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days” (D&C 84:114, 117; 88:84–85).
- Christ warns that the deception of false Christs and false prophets and says that even the elect might be deceived. How do we avoid being among those deceived?
- I confess I didn't know a lot about the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century. Christ prophecies that it will be so bad that if one sees it coming, they should flee right away and not take time to get dressed or go back to the house for anything. I found the descriptions in this article fascinating:
The early historian Eusebius wrote:
"The whole body, however, of the Church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation, given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella.[2] Here those that believed in Christ, having removed from Jerusalem, as if holy men had entirely abandoned the royal city itself, and the whole land of Judea; the divine justice, for their crimes against Christ and his apostles, finally overtook them, totally destroying the whole generation of those evildoers from the earth"(3:5:3; p. 201).
Because of its emphasis on “divine justice,” the credibility of the foregoing statement is questionable; however, Epiphanius also addresses it thus:
"It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape. . . . and [as] Vespasian was approaching with his army, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem and fled to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan; and so they all marvellously escaped the general shipwreck of their country: not one of them perished (Clarke 5:228–29)."Believed to have taken place in A.D. 66, the move to Pella occurred almost four years before the fall of Jerusalem. Jesus had given adequate warning permitting believers to flee. Pella serves as a symbol for those who hear and heed prophetic warnings. The message is plain—every believer today who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has been warned. The prophecies are clear. We have heard the warnings. The real issue is whether we will heed the warnings given by Jesus over 1900 years ago, which also apply to us."
- For more on just how horrifying the seige of Jerusalem was, Gerald Smith does a good job quoting the various sources about the starvation, mobs, cannibalism, and death it wrought.
- The sheer size of Herod's temple made the people scoff at Christ saying the temple would be destroyed, with one stone not laid upon another. It was enormous.
- Kelly Ogden says, "It was said that whoever had not seen the Temple of Herod had never seen a beautiful building. No other temple complex in the Greco-Roman world compared with its expansiveness and magnificence. One thousand priests trained as masons helped to build the holiest parts of the Temple. Ten thousand workmen, using a thousand wagons to transport materials, constructed the rest of the building. The Temple proper took a year and a half to build; the courtyards and porticoes were under construction for eight years. Additional work and refinements on the Temple continued until A.D. 64, only six years before the Temple was destroyed by the army of Titus. Herod nearly doubled the size of the Temple Mount from what it was during the period of Solomon, making it in Jesus’ day nearly forty acres. In comparison, Temple Square in Salt Lake City covers ten acres; the famous Forum in Rome was only twenty acres; and the largest temple complex in the world—Karnak, in Upper Egypt, which was two thousand years in the building—is sixty acres, only a third larger than Herod’s Temple Mount. (Thirty-two American football fields would fit on the Temple Mount!)"
Signs of the Second Coming, Mark 24:24-37, Matthew 24:29-44, Luke 21:25-38, JS-Matthew 1:27-55
- The rest of the chapter deals with Christ's prophecies of two different time periods; the first is the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which appears to be a type and shadow of the second, which is the last days, the destruction of the wicked and the Second Coming. The Bible Dictionary explains,
"Daniel spoke prophetically of a day when there would be “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 11:31; 12:11), and the phrase was recoined in New Testament times to say “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Matt. 24:15).
Conditions of desolation, born of abomination and wickedness, were to occur twice in fulfillment of Daniel’s words. The first was to be when the Roman legions under Titus, in A.D. 70, laid siege to Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15; JS—M 1:12).
Speaking of the last days, of the days following the Restoration of the gospel and its declaration “for a witness unto all nations,” our Lord said: “And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled” (JS—M 1:31–32). That is, Jerusalem again will be under siege.
In a general sense, abomination of desolation also describes the latter-day judgments to be poured out upon the wicked wherever they may be. And so that the honest in heart may escape these things, the Lord sends His servants forth to raise the warning voice, to declare the glad tidings of the Restoration, lest “desolation and utter abolishment” come upon them. The elders are commanded to reprove “the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days” (D&C 84:114, 117; 88:84–85).
- Christ warns that the deception of false Christs and false prophets and says that even the elect might be deceived. How do we avoid being among those deceived?
- I confess I didn't know a lot about the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century. Christ prophecies that it will be so bad that if one sees it coming, they should flee right away and not take time to get dressed or go back to the house for anything. I found the descriptions in this article fascinating: The early historian Eusebius wrote:
- For more on just how horrifying the seige of Jerusalem was, Gerald Smith does a good job quoting the various sources about the starvation, mobs, cannibalism, and death it wrought.
- The sheer size of Herod's temple made the people scoff at Christ saying the temple would be destroyed, with one stone not laid upon another. It was enormous.
- Kelly Ogden says, "It was said that whoever had not seen the Temple of Herod had never seen a beautiful building. No other temple complex in the Greco-Roman world compared with its expansiveness and magnificence. One thousand priests trained as masons helped to build the holiest parts of the Temple. Ten thousand workmen, using a thousand wagons to transport materials, constructed the rest of the building. The Temple proper took a year and a half to build; the courtyards and porticoes were under construction for eight years. Additional work and refinements on the Temple continued until A.D. 64, only six years before the Temple was destroyed by the army of Titus. Herod nearly doubled the size of the Temple Mount from what it was during the period of Solomon, making it in Jesus’ day nearly forty acres. In comparison, Temple Square in Salt Lake City covers ten acres; the famous Forum in Rome was only twenty acres; and the largest temple complex in the world—Karnak, in Upper Egypt, which was two thousand years in the building—is sixty acres, only a third larger than Herod’s Temple Mount. (Thirty-two American football fields would fit on the Temple Mount!)"
"The whole body, however, of the Church at Jerusalem, having been commanded by a divine revelation, given to men of approved piety there before the war, removed from the city, and dwelt at a certain town beyond the Jordan, called Pella.[2] Here those that believed in Christ, having removed from Jerusalem, as if holy men had entirely abandoned the royal city itself, and the whole land of Judea; the divine justice, for their crimes against Christ and his apostles, finally overtook them, totally destroying the whole generation of those evildoers from the earth"(3:5:3; p. 201).
Because of its emphasis on “divine justice,” the credibility of the foregoing statement is questionable; however, Epiphanius also addresses it thus:
"It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestius Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape. . . . and [as] Vespasian was approaching with his army, all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem and fled to Pella, and other places beyond the river Jordan; and so they all marvellously escaped the general shipwreck of their country: not one of them perished (Clarke 5:228–29)."Believed to have taken place in A.D. 66, the move to Pella occurred almost four years before the fall of Jerusalem. Jesus had given adequate warning permitting believers to flee. Pella serves as a symbol for those who hear and heed prophetic warnings. The message is plain—every believer today who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has been warned. The prophecies are clear. We have heard the warnings. The real issue is whether we will heed the warnings given by Jesus over 1900 years ago, which also apply to us."
Signs of the Second Coming, Mark 24:24-37, Matthew 24:29-44, Luke 21:25-38, JS-Matthew 1:27-55
- After describing the first desolation, Christ moves into discussing the signs of the second coming.
- The sun and the moon will be darkened and the stars of heaven shall fall, and then the Son of man will be seen coming in the clouds "with great power and glory." There will be distress and disarray and people fainting because of fear, but the righteous are told to "rise up and lift up your heads because your deliverance draws near."
- I took a semester-long class about the Book of Revelation a few years ago. It seemed like every class period, we talked about some dire, scary prophecy about the last days, but then the instructor would point out that with every calamity, there were also great promises given to the righteous. They would be standing in holy places, being clothed in robes of righteousness, and being given a new name, among other things. The Church of Jesus Christ is a holy place and a place of refuge from the tribulations and difficulties that will be poured out. The temple is a holy place. Our homes can also be holy places.
- I love what Elder Gary Stevenson says about these times, "Our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jehovah, with a knowledge of the end from the beginning,3 opened the heavens and a new dispensation to offset the calamities that They knew would come. The Apostle Paul described the forthcoming calamities as “perilous times.”4 For me, this suggests that Heavenly Father’s generous compensation for living in perilous times is that we also live in the fulness of times."
- Elder Neil L. Andersen said, "The Lord has long anticipated this most important period of human history. He knows the end from the beginning. The Savior has assured us in our day, “Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”13
As we find our way in a world less attentive to the commandments of God, we will certainly be prayerful, but we need not be overly alarmed. The Lord will bless His Saints with the added spiritual power necessary to meet the challenges of our day.
Here is my major theme this morning: As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight.
To understand better, think of these comparisons: If the world were growing more physically dark, He could give us enhanced night vision. If loud noises were constantly in our ears, He could give us a filtering mechanism to block the unwanted sound. If the race we were running was extended, He could give us increased lung and muscle capacity. If the exam we were taking was more difficult, He could quicken our minds.
My brothers and sisters, as evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory power, an additional spiritual endowment, a revelatory gift for the righteous. - The angels will gather up Christ's elect "from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." This will be the morning of the first resurrection when those who died faithful will join those who are alive and faithful. Elder Shayne Bowen, after talking about the loss of his infant son, promises, "I testify that on that bright, glorious morning of the First Resurrection, your loved ones and mine will come forth from the grave as promised by the Lord Himself and we will have a fulness of joy. Because He lives, they and we shall live also.
- The sign of the fig tree covered with leaves is compared to the signs of the times. When you see these things happening, you'll know it's the last days, even though Christ Himself doesn't know the hour or the day of His Coming.
- In Mark, this passage concludes with a short parable of a man who takes his journey and leaves his servants in charge, commanding them to watch for him. Christ says to watch, "lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping." Am I asleep? Are you? Or are we actively, consistently engaged in the gospel?
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