NEW TESTAMENT 2023 - WEEK 12 [MATTHEW 13; LUKE 8; 13] - Creative Come Follow Me with Maria Eckersley

Episode 13 • 18th March 2023 • Our Mothers Knew It • Maria Eckersley

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Welcome back to you guys. This is week 12 of Creative. Come Follow me for the New Testament. This week we're in the books of Matthew and Luke and we're pretty heavily in parables. Lemme tell you what I love about parables. I just think there is something so comforting about the understanding that you can take this perfectly beautiful divine truth and tuck it in, like almost fold it up in a blanket.

Everyday life. I love that he can take these beautiful nuggets of wisdom and fold them up into things like Levin and fig trees and mustard seeds. I just think it, it opens up my eyes to look at the world around me with a fresh perspective. I even think to some degree, parables are a type and a shadow of the savior himself.

He is this. , perfect, divine, bright being who in his earthly ministry is almost folded up into this mortal shell. Uh, you're gonna see later in this week's study that some people see him as the son of God, and some see him simply as the carpenter's son. And I think that's kind of how we should approach parables as well.

You can see them as just mustard seeds and fig trees, or you can see them as an invitation to dig deeper. To me, I think the invitation is to go from know, To wisdom and parables help you bridge the gap. In fact, what Elder Brard taught is the bridge is understanding, and that understanding piece only really comes when we have the help of the Holy Ghost.

So I think that's what the parables invite me to do. They invite me to look with fresh eyes, to expect that there are divine truths that he wants to teach me with my everyday surroundings, and to utilize the holy. So that I know how to accomplish that. It's just this invitation to be a seeker, and I think you're gonna love it.

You're also gonna see at the tail end of this week's study more about miracles. Some we've studied before and some are new, but to me, at one of the themes, at least on the MI Miracle front, is this idea of exchanging worldly fear for godly fear. This reverence and off, or the things that the savior can and does do among men, and there's something about that that inspired me.

So I'm gonna try and draw attention to those areas as well. So trust me, there's a lot of good coming your way. So grab your scriptures, grab your notes. Let's get started. You guys.

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Do you guys remember in the Old Testament when we talked about being a ready receiver, that idea that the savior is always ready to like throw in an inbound bound pass, but we have to have the posture of a receiver. We have to have our eyes on him and our hands ready and our knees bent. There's something about being ready and I feel like that's what he's trying to teach the disciples and the apostles.

Anyone else who will come and listen to him as he talks on the sea. So in the first part of chapter 13, he's a sea and he's teaching the people on the land. There's some amazing acoustics on the Sea of Galilee, and he's able to get things out to the people. And his invitation is to be one who has ears to hear.

And what he's gonna teach them is parables. Because parables have this beautiful ability to. Apply now and apply later. Let me explain. So if you look in the verses, you can see in verse nine it says, he let ears to hear, let him hear. And then I drew a line to 15 where it says, for this, people's heart is waxed gross.

And their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have closed. Let it anytime. They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand what their heart and should be converted and I should heal. , he's almost describing two different groups. He's saying, I know some of you are ready receivers.

I can see that you're looking at me. I can see you're prepared for the past. I'm gonna speak to you. And then he can see that there are some whose eyes are elsewhere. What I love is he doesn't discount that group. He doesn't say, well, you guys aren't ready, so I'm only gonna teach here. What he does instead is he teache.

In a powerful way with parables because parables similar to what we see in the temple with symbols are they're tools that can be understood in the moment and understood down the road. In fact, I love, if you look in the footnotes, you can go to, it's in 35, 18, 32. This is where he's warning people not to cast anyone out of their synagogues, cuz you never know when they might come back.

I feel like that's what the savior. Hoping here he's gonna teach things like the parable of the sower, which we've studi it a little bit already, but he's gonna teach that parable knowing that some there will be eyes open, ready to receive, and some will be looking elsewhere and be a little bit numb at this moment.

But later something can happen and he never gives up hope that something can happen. And I think there is a sweet promise in it. There's hope in it. I also think there's something to this understanding. That the apostles have ears to hear. So if you look in verse 11, it says, he answered and said unto, unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

But them, it is not given. , it can seem almost unfair, especially if you tie it in with 12 where it says For who's whoever. Half to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance, but whosoever has not from him shall be taken. Even all that he has, it can seem a unfair, to be honest, that, that the apostles get a front row seat with the savior and he'll walk through, for example, the parable of the so, or in this chapter and tell them exactly what each part means.

But I think. There's a powerful message behind it. First off, I think anytime we choose to come and seek out the savior and live a life of discipleship, we have access to those mysteries. It's gonna take time and it's a steady progress, but we have access to understand what he means for us, what these scriptures mean to me.

Another piece of this promise is that I think there's something about steward. So let me backtrack and tell you a story. So when couple years ago, Jason was serving as bishop and there was a woman named Sarah who was our awesome Relief Society president. And I can't remember if she was in Relief Society lesson, but she talked about an experience she had where she walked past the door and felt this pull or prompting to go and knock on it.

And then she did. And then she talked about the fruits that came from that. And I remember. Really impressed and even touched in her testimony and then came home and felt immediately deflated because guys, that doesn't happen to me. Like I've never, one time I don't think, walked past a door in my neighborhood and thought I should not

And I remember saying to Jason when he came home, I was like, I think I'm missing something. Like I hear spiritual experiences of other people and. Feel like I'm missing something. Why isn't God speaking to me and why I love, he taught me something that has stuck with me ever since where he basically said, Maria, that's not your stewardship it.

She is the real study president and all those women behind every one of those doors. They are her stewardship, and so she's gonna get promptings that you might not get. You also have a stewardship, so you're gonna get promptings about your kids and your calling and your live circumstances. That you are privy to, and that's okay.

Like we don't all have to have the same. And I think that's what I read when I read about the Apostles. They are someone who, because of the work they are going to be doing and the difficulty that is ahead of them and the way they're gonna need to teach these same parables to others, they need to know it.

Perfectly clearly. They need to know it with certainty. And so the savior teaches them differently. And I just think there was peace in that for me. I like that there is precedent in the scriptures to understand that it's gonna take time. And where you might see other people getting a headstart, it's really because they have a different stewardship and they're gonna need it.

So I think, although I think there is an invitation for us to. be proactive and constantly be seeking to know the mysteries of God. I think there also is a promise that when you need to know it, if you live worthy, he will make sure you know it. He will pull you aside and he will teach you one line at a time what these things mean and why they can help.

So I, I kind of loved that promise. . When you go a little bit further, you'll see that there's a blessing for those who choose to have ears to hear. All of these things are agency related choices. In fact, I love when you go back to that verse in third Nephi. Basically he says, don't give up on anybody. You never know when they're gonna turn.

And then he says this phrase that says, you shall be a means of bringing about salvation. It's this. Promise that if you don't give up on anyone, you might be, you get to play a key role. And the visual that came into my head, maybe it's cuz I was at time out for women last week, but I talk about missionary mom hugs, you know, in the airport and this idea of.

You get to create a reunion, like a missionary mom hug for your heavenly parents. When you bring people back to him, when you bring people to this gospel and to a chance where they can make covenants, you allow those missionary mom hugs to happen next. You know, on the other side of the veil, what I loved about is when I was thinking about when my daughter was coming home, there was.

she wasn't the first one to come out. You know, like I remember even when I got the phone call about which flight she was gonna be on, I could have hugged that lady. You know, the one that told me when she was gonna come home, if I had seen the pilot. I mean, Hannah came home in Covid, so we didn't get to see the same traditional view on an airport that you would normally see.

But if I had seen the pilot or the stewardess walk out, I would've hugged her. Like I, I just think there is this, if you are someone who is a tool that helps bring someone home to him, there, there are rewards waiting for you. And I don't mean. Piles of good gold and other things. I mean gratitude that the savior will rejoice with you because you brought someone home.

I, I just think there's promise in those verses and that's what I think he wants the apostles to understand as they go out and teach this gospel as they take it to all these places where many will not have ears to hear. They have to keep pushing and keep trying simply because there might be one. You never know when you're gonna find good ground, and that's his invitation.

I also think there's something powerful about understanding that to be divine means you're gonna have feelings. So when you look in fif verse 15, it says that they choose to shut their eyes and shut their ears. This happens to me sometimes with certain parts of my testimony where I just am like, Disengaged on purpose because I don't wanna feel committed and I don't wanna feel guilty.

And so I disengage. I mean, I felt like this with family history for a long time where I just, you know, I felt numb to it on purpose. And I think that's what he's saying here is. If you're gonna be like me, you can't be numb. You can't shut your eyes to things that are hard. You can't close your ears to things that are uncomfortable.

You've gotta be all in. And when you look at precedent in the scriptures, like in the pro great price, you see that. Remember when Enoch sees God and he's weeping for his children, and he gets an understanding of. How all in God really is. I think to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ means you're willing to take the good and the bad, the heartbreak, and you know, those moments of rejoicing, that's that's what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

And so you can never deliberately shut yourself off from feeling something powerful. So I think that's his warning. When you go a little bit further, you're gonna see that he helps break down this parable so they can know exactly how to teach it and what it means. And I'm not gonna go into all of it here, but there are a few things here in Matthew that I like.

For example, in 21 when he is talking about stony places, so he says, yet Hathi, no root in himself, but dearth for a while. And when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by, he is offended. , something about, um, having it in himself jumped out at me this time. It is, I think it's the same invitation we saw last week where you can't rest on the testimonies of others.

You have to take hold of your own. You have to have roots that go deep within you. You can't be feeding off of others. And so it's this warning to. Take things a little bit deeper, and I think it's powerful to me because of what I read with Elder Anderson. So this is in the notes if you wanna go and read it, but he has this great quote where he talks about how this idea of offense, even if I'm only offended with a small portion of the gospel, you know, maybe I'm offended by something a prophet said, or maybe I'm offended by something I read or something in the temple, or even if it's just a portion.

He says, if you let that offense simmer, what it will soon become is. And ashamed is a whole nother level. This is when you turn away from the tree of life and you turn towards the great and spacious building. That's why he starts to warn in those verse 22 about the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches.

It's this, choose not to be offended. Choose to show grace and forgiveness. Choose to appreciate the mortality of everybody here that's trying to do good and, and let that just kind of beam into your. I also love at the very end, at the end of 23, where he talks about the good ground and he says the yield will either be 30 or 60 or a hundred fold.

What I kind of love about the way this is stated here, and it's similar to what we read last time, but it's this almost a. As if he doesn't care. You know, I, I don't think the Lord cares too much if when we plant our seeds in our stewardship and do the best we can, if we get 30, if we get 60, or if we get a hundred fold, I don't think he cares.

If I serve mission, if I get one convert or five or a hundred, it doesn't matter. All he's asking is that there is increase and not necessarily increase in measurable, you know, people who convert to the gospel but increase in me. Did I take my stewardship and did? Increase because then I don't think it matters if it's 30 or 60 or a hundred.

The promise is all of the, all of the yields are good because you put a good seed in good ground, it will always yield a bumper crop, and there's some kind of deep promise about that. In addition to that, I really love that the idea that as I bring in that. I now have an abundance and I can share it with others.

It's almost like what you see in the doctrine covenants with stewardships where they were supposed to just increase, do the best they can and increase, and then take of whatever they didn't need and share it with others. I think the same thing applies to our testimony as we increase and as we have an abundance, we get to then cast that out and share it with others and let them kind of feed on that as they fuel their own efforts.

So I love the way it's written in Matthew for that. . There's a great quote from Joseph Smith. It's in the notes somewhere, but it talks about how he saw language as this narrow prison . You know, trying to put divine things into mortal words I imagine was incredibly hard, especially for someone like Joseph Smith.

And sometimes I wonder if the parables. Are a bit of that as well, that the savior, who knows what the kingdom of Heaven is like and knows what the Kingdom of God will look like and feel like and why it's worth it to get there, is struggling to find the words that can be easily understood by others. And so instead of coming at it directly, he teaches from a whole bunch of different.

He gives you a whole bunch of different facets. The same way, if I had a really delicious meal somewhere, I might come home and tell my family, like it was kind of like, you know, the non that we had at this restaurant, it's kind of taste like the spice that you might find here. Like there's, you would continually compare things so that over the course of hearing all those stories, the person who's listening can hedge in and get some idea.

even though they wanna have a full understanding, unless they try it for themselves, they will want to try it for themselves. And that's what I think the Savior's trying to do with his parables. He's trying to help people see so many good facets about the kingdom of God that they will. Ache to be there.

They'll want to be a part of it and they'll, you know, be eager to be better disciples so that they can obtain those blessings. So you're gonna see him give a lot of comparisons. The first one is about the wheat and the tears. So this, we studied it in the doctrine covenants as well. This is where he talks about how there's a field and.

They plant good seeds, good wheat seeds in the field, and then overnight an adversary comes in and plants tears. These, you know weeds that will choke out other things. And the people who come in the next day and see those wheat and tears growing together are worried. So they turn to the master and say like, should we go pull out all those tears?

And his response is, no, you can let them grow together. Over time, it'll be very obvious which one is which. Wheat and tears in their early stages look fairly similar. They're both green, they're both tall, kind of skinny, but over time it's really obvious which one is which. And so that's what he says to them is, let's not gamble with the wheat.

We don't wanna risk it. So we'll let them grow up together and we'll sort it out later. What I love about this from a parenting perspective is I think we have to make this call all the time. , there are lots of times when. You worry about the many tears that are in your kids' environment or in the people that you teach.

Like we worry about the tears. And what I love about this promise is I think what he's teaching is these are good, resilient seeds. The seeds of truth that you are planting in your kids are good, resilient seeds. And even if there is a time that they look like they are gonna get overwhelmed by the tears we're supposed, Trust continue to teach and trust that those sweet seeds will be distinguishable.

There will be a time when it will all be clear, and I just really love that promise. As a parent, I also love what he teaches us about how things can spring up that he's this patient, God. It's similar to what we see with Jacob Five, you know, in the Book of Mormon, where he continually is patiently waiting.

I think it's an invitation for me as a parent to be patient. It's easy for me when I see a problem to immediately wanna. What I think the cause is, and I think what he teaches in this parable is be patient and wait and see trust in the Lord and in his guidance over this whole field. And there will be a way you'll be, you'll have ways to sort it out.

Then he talks about a few different parables back to back. You'll learn about the mustard seed, kinda like we talked about last time, where it, the kingdom of God is something that ex stirs out small and insignificant to many people and grows rapidly. . One of the things I love this time that I didn't catch last time is it talks about how this bush will grow so big that birds can nest under it.

I think given the fact that our church is doing so much compassionate service, so many welfare organizations going, and so much funding to other welfare organizations, I almost see those as like this. The birds that are taking shelter under. Canopy that there is goodness available for all as we continue to grow the kingdom of God.

When you look a little bit further, you'll see him talk, uh, talk about how there is Levin. One things I love about talking about yeast is I feel like he has many people in his audience and he continually finds ways to reach all of them. You know, if I'm someone who's, you know, if I'm a mother in Israel at this time, I might never really deal with things like wheat and tears to the degree that somebody else might.

But I definitely deal with Levin and you can almost see where he's trying. Create opportunities for people. Bring things back to their remembrance so that the next time I'm needing bread, I can stew on this parable and wonder and let the spirit teach me what it might mean. He's deliberately, I think, choosing a wide variety the same way with our object lessons and our ideas.

We're trying to cast a wide net to see. What might click for your family, what might work, um, for this particular lesson? So I, I think his teaching style is just as important as the lesson he's actually teaching. That we should, we should be creative and diverse in how we teach because the people we teach, those hearts are diverse themselves.

You know, a little bit further, and he talks about the mysteries. Oftentimes we talk about how parables are used. Mask important doctrine for those who are not spiritually ready to receive it. But I think the other important thing is to realize that he's hoping to provide those mysteries. He, he's also providing parables so that those who have ears to hear and eyes to see can access those good things.

It reminds me of the Halloween parties we've planned where we make these weirdly elaborate clues. The. of my clue is always that the people will actually figure out the information and be able to go and get the prize. That is always my goal. I just mask it so that it's, it takes some time and it shows their devotion and , you know, they can compete.

But I think there's something to be said about this idea of, look again. In fact, one of the things I love about parables, because they're in the scripture so often, especially these back to back gospels, is that I think it's this invitation. Not necessarily seek for new scripture, but to cast your mind back.

So just like we saw in Doctrine Covenant six, where Oliver Cadre is invited to cast his mind back on Revelation he already received and let that be a witness to him. I think sometimes when he repeats things in scripture, it's a way for us to cast our mind back where he's saying like, , there's something in that clue.

You know? The same way when somebody at a Halloween party calls me and says like, we're just not getting it, Maria. Something is not clicking. I'll be like, but did you look at line three? It's not that I'm giving them a new clue or a new riddle. I'm helping them cast their mind back and say, what did you maybe miss?

And there's power in seeing that the, what God was trying to tell you was there all the time. It makes it seem less cryptic and more deliberate. There's something connecting about it that. . When you go a little bit further, he warns about offense. He talks about I 41. The son of men shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom, all things that offend, and then which do iniquity, and then in 42 and shall cast him into a furnace, a fire, and there shall be a wailing and a gnashing of teeth.

And then this is 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the son in the kingdom of their father who has ears to hear. Let him hear. I think that's one of those. Statements of it is so worth it when the, when all the wickedness and the evil in the world is pulled out and you have full access to the sun, you will shine forth.

That's the promise. It's like what I talk about a timeout for women about sequin covered souls. I just think there's something about our inherent divine nature that will beam out when we get full sun like this. I think that's what he's promising. , when you a little bit further, you see some invitations to like, uh, more parables about finding treasure in a field, and then he gives up everything he can to.

To have access to that treasure. Same, same sort of parable in the pearl of great price. This, I'm gonna give up everything I have to have it. What I love about this is what we've read in the Book of Mormon about Amon when he first encounters King Lam's Father King Lam's father promises that he'll give up half his kingdom if Amon just won't kill it.

Remember that, that interchange, and then after Aaron teaches King Lam's father and teaches him about the gospel, then King Lam's father is willing to give up all of his kingdom and all of his sins to know God. That's when there's a conversion shift that has happened, and I think that's what he's inviting us to do.

When we see these pearls of great price or these great treasures, we have to be willing to be all in to give up all we have to come to know him. And that's his invitation in 51. You see this beautiful teaching tip, I love the in the middle of helping them understand all these parables. He stops and he says, Jesus, say it unto to them.

Have you understood all these things? And they say unto him, yay Lord. There's so. cool to me about that teaching style. That even in, even though these are his apostles, and even though he can probably, he knows exactly what they understand, he invites them to say it back to them. I've watched Elder Bradner a lot, especially when he does Q and As, and he does this exact thing where he'll stop in the middle, almost mid-thought and be like, are we, am I tracking?

Do you understand? And sometimes people don't, and then he stops and pivots and he helps. And I think there's power in that teaching tip that's tucked in the middle of all these par. , the last part of this parable in 52 talks about old things and new things, and that as a teacher, these apostles, when they go out, are gonna need to do both.

They're gonna teach the new covenant and they're gonna teach how to honor the old. And both of those are important, and I think that applies to us as well, that as we go and teach our families or our classes, We have to be willing to teach both. We need to stand on the shoulders of all those prophets that we study in the scriptures and also absorb all the goodness and understanding that comes from our living prophets and apostles.

And when we can do both of those things, then there's power in our teaching. , the very end of Matthew 13, you see that the savior goes back to a synagogue and he starts to teach. And whatever he teaches is so powerful that the people are astonished. So you can see it in 54. They were astonished and said, once has this man, this wisdom, and these mighty works.

And then 55, is this not the carpenter's son, is this not is his? Is not his mother called Mary. There is. Immediate closure to me, this is almost like seeing the parable of the sower play out because seeds have been planted, seeds have been cast out, and people have to decide if they're gonna let those seeds sink deep into their rich soil, or if those seeds are gonna sit right at the surface and the birds are gonna swoop in.

Because basically what happens here when they say, yeah, but isn't this just the carpenter sun? I think it's, that's where they let the birds pick up the seeds. They had a chance to. to take their astonishment, their knowledge and deepen it to understanding with the Holy Ghost, and instead they just let, let reality swoop in.

What I thought was really interesting about this is they're not wrong, like he is the carpenter son. He is Mary's son. He is the sibling of all these others that are listed in the verse. He is those things. He's just not only those things I heard at BYU devotional this week that talked about that sometimes.

Picture the world and we see it through a straw. You know, like if you picture looking through a straw to see your environment, that what you see is real. I can see what is in front of me and it is real, but it is by no means all there is to see . And so I think we have to continually push those boundaries.

I think we have to do it oftentimes in our own. understanding of following the prophet and following our local leaders in priesthood callings. I think oftentimes it's easy to say, but yeah, but isn't that the guy that just lives down the street from me? Or, oh, I went to high school with him or her. Or like, we immediately say things like, yeah, but isn't this just the carpenter's son?

And I think when we open that gateway to, to doubt the capabilities of God, to magnify someone, we immediately allow birds to swoop. What I think is really powerful about the way it's listed in Matthew 13 is that last verse, so it says in 58, and he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

I think when we choose to, See immortal things with immortal lens and refuse to see anything else. What we really are doing is cutting ourselves off from the view of miracles. Uh, we are putting blinders so that we only see what we can understand. And the beauty of the gospel is it is so much bigger. In fact, one of my favorite quotes from Elder UD Dff, I don't have it in front of me, but he basically said, isn't it a wonder that we can't explain away all the parts of the gospel?

I. Fully understand it all. And isn't that a beautiful thing? It's almost a testimony in and of itself that there is divinity in it because my mortal mind can't fully explain it or wrap my head around it. And I, I think there's power in that. And so I think this is a warning. The people who choose to see miracles get more miracles in abundance, like we saw on the first verses.

And those who choose to have their ears dull of hearing and their eyes closed, have less. And frankly, it's up to us to decide which we're gonna be.

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When you start off in Luke eight, you're gonna see that there are certain women who are supporting the ministry. And verse one, you learn that they, he's going out city to city teaching and offering good tidings. And in order for that to happen, he needs help. So he'll need the help of the apostles and he'll need the help of these certain women.

And they do very different things, but they do them in tandem in order to allow for the goodness of the gospel. Roll forth, and I just think there's a lovely parallel to that in our time. Sometimes it can be tempting, I think to fixate on verses that mention women and to put too much of a spotlight. , this might come off wrong, but I just think what we really should highlight is when men and women work together to accomplish something good and you see that.

In these roles that these women aren't envious of the apostles and the apostles aren't envious of the women. They just work in tandem and they help each other as best they can in their whatever their stewardship is. And I think there's power in that reminder. When you go a little bit further, you can see that he's gonna teach these same parables that we've read before.

So I'm not gonna go through them all again. But there are a couple little differences that I think are worth your catching your eye. For example, I love that in six, when he talks about the seed that falls on stony ground, that one of the reasons it doesn't grow is because it lacked moisture. It's interesting to me, cuz it's not just about the ground, it's about what we do after it goes into the ground.

How do we cultivate the seed? The same way you read about an ALMA 32. There is something that we. The effort that needs to go in in order for us to continue to grow the goodness of the seed and the goodness of the ground are not enough. We also need to cultivate. When you go a little bit further, you can see that he lays out that what parables means, and one of the things he explains in 14 is that those who get choked out by the thorns.

So it says when they have heard go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfect. . The reason I liked the way it was phrased here in Luke, so I think it's that idea of they, they might actually bring forth fruit. It's just not the right fruit.

sometimes when we put our focus on the things of this world, we still produce goodness. It's just not the goodness he needed us to create. I think it's the same way we've talked in the past couple weeks about walking parallel to the covenant path. It's, it's not enough to. Fruit. It needs to be good fruit.

It needs to be the fruit that was intended to come from our work here on earth. And so there's, there's an understanding there that has to happen. I also really love how it's phrased in 15, but that on good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.

This instead of just, Hey, I happen to hit good ground and now I have a bumper crop. This one implies a lot of love and care and endurance in the process of. Getting this hearty crop that you need to have a good heart, that you hear the word and you keep it, and that you have patience. That over time, just like what we see in Alma 32, that seed will indeed grow.

Another phrase that I love that you see in this Luke eight account that you don't see elsewhere is in 16 says, no man. Juan lighted a candle. Cover it with a vessel, or put at that under a bed, but set at that on a candlestick that they, which enter in might see the light. So we talked about this last.

With a different, similar verse, what jumped at me this week when I was studying? I love this understanding that what the Savior's doing is he's trying to give everybody who has has ears to hear light. He wants them to get more understanding, more wisdom of about his gospel. When he gives us wisdom, when we get understanding, we are like this light.

We're supposed to beam it out. What I love about this particular verse is I think what he's saying is if you feel like there is a bushel on you, I don't think God put it there. . That was, that was the impression I got. Cuz there were times some where, Struggle. You know, like you'll see advantages in other people, or you'll see life seem breezy for someone else, or they get a headstart somewhere and you start to feel like you are this light that's under a bushel.

And I, what I love is the understanding that. He never puts you under a bushel. He only puts lights on a candlestick. So if you feel that you are under a bushel, it's probably not God that created it. It might be something in your mortal circumstances or maybe it's a time when he needs you to grow in strength until you're ready to beam out.

I, it just, there was something about that phrase that, that hit my heart this week. I also love the invitation 21, where this is where the people see the mother and the brothern outside and they say to the savior, your family's outside, and this is when he teaches them about who his family is, that they are those who hear and do the word.

Since he's been teaching in parables and he's been helping them to try and unravel and unfold all this goodness that he's tucked into these mortal stories. I think that's the invitation. It's not enough just to understand what the parable means. Even the apostles themselves, even though they get a word for word understanding from the savior about what the parable meant, they still have to do it.

They have to go and live that way. They have to go and plant. And put seeds of truth in good soil and be patient and endure until the crop grows. There's something powerful about this understanding of to be in the Savior's household and in his family, you have to be someone who will hear the word, understand the word, and do the word.

So you see that in those verses. You also will see a little snippet of the storm on the sea. So you go in 23, it says that there is winds and they were, the boat was filled with water. Although J S T says that they were, that they were filled with fear, not with water. . This is interesting to me. The more I studied this, these are two different kinds of fears.

So the fear that they list in this one when they're afraid of the actual storm is a different root word than it is the fear that they feel when they see the savior. Still the storm, which I thought was really interesting, that second fear that they feel. awe and reverence. In fact, what, what it's called oftentimes is like a holy fear or a godly fear.

That's what they feel when they see it. He's basically, you know, my kids love avatar. He, he kind of is like a water bender and an airbender, but I actually think there is something really powerful about the visual because they, he takes this storm that was. Tempestuous and he first calms the wind and then calms the sea cuz we know there's this great calm and water takes a while to settle.

So it it, he accomplishes a great calm. The biggest piece of calm that I think happens is what happens to the hearts of the men in that boat. That they, in those moments of seeing him control the air and control the water, something must have settled in their hearts and there is a great calm. The thing I think is really powerful about that is they got to experience it together.

I think this is why the savior often gives us group projects because they're now creating this common memory between them, and they're gonna have to experience a lot of stretches of solitude where they're afraid for their circumstances, where the savior isn't nearby, where you know when they're out preaching and after the savior has arisen that they are feeling like they're on their own so that they have this common memory.

where they had to rally together and then turn to the Lord, I think must have been a powerful one. I think it's why he has us work in teams so often. So you're gonna see that in those three storms get settled in just a few verses. You're also gonna see at the end of this chapter where the man who had a legion of devils is cured.

And we've been through it before, so I'm not gonna go into it too deeply, but I do some love some of the things you see. First off that Jesus asked his name, I think this is interesting. So it's in verse 30, and Jesus asked him saying, what is thy name? And he said, Legion, because many devils were entered into him.

I don't have any doubt that the Savior knows exactly what his name. But I think there is something powerful about the savior asking him to say it. He's, I think, inviting him to remember who he is, that he is not this infirmity that is on him. He is not the struggle that he's facing. He is something so much more.

And I think that applies to us in a lot of ways. I think anytime Savior, in any kind of situation invites us to hear our name. You know, like when you're set apart for a calling and you hear someone call your name, or when you read your patriarchal blessing and it begins with your name. I think there's something really powerful.

that connection point. I think he's trying to remind this man and all of us that he knows you by your name and he will always see you as that person and not all the trouble that has happened to you. In fact, speaking of trouble that happens to him, once he's healed, he asks to be with the Savior. He has to go along with the savior, and what he does instead is he the savior invites him to go and publish this piece out to everyone else.

There are lots of people that the savior asks not to talk about his miracles, but this man who had all these unclean spirits and who used to be, you know, somebody who had to be chained up because he was that dangerous to the public, I think. To have him go out and publish peace is a powerful witness. I think it's the same kind of witness we saw with the woman at the well that all of a sudden in this moment, she was different.

And I think that's what happens with this man with Legion of Devils, that seeing a person who in such a short amount of time can become so very different. A new creature, uh, is a powerful kind of mission. Even though you learn in 37 that the whole area of the gatherings is uncomfortable around the savior and they kind of kick him out, there are places that still are anxious to hear his words.

So if you look in 40, you're gonna see that those who gladly receive him miracles pour out. I, I think there's a really interesting contrast between those two, that those who push him out, he will not stay. He will. Plead with you to let him in. He just simply says, you know, come to the door and knock and I will open it.

And that's kinda what you see happen in those last 10 or 15 verses. This is where we're gonna see the daughter of Gyrus story and the woman of the, with the issue of blood story woven into each other just like we've seen before. And since we've studied it in the past, I'm not gonna go too far in this time, but there are a few key differences in Luke that I think are worth paying attention to.

So for example, in 44 that you see in this version of the account, the woman with the issue of blood comes up behind him and touches his garment, the border of his garment. This is a different posture than we picture her sometimes on the side of the road. Just stretching and reaching the very bottom.

It's, it's very possible that she came determin to see him. I actually see her so. Similar to how I see the brother of Jared that when he was seeking for the Lord to touch something, in order to bring it light and wholeness and illumination, he sought it out nervously. You know, I don't think the brother of Jared was bold or expectant even.

I think he was just hopeful, and that's how I read this woman as well. You can go back in older episodes to study that, but I really love her approach that she is determined to find this healing that she so desperately needs. Interestingly, in this account, in the Luke account, she. More hesitant. So if you look in 47 and when the woman saw that she was not hid, so after the savior asked, who touched me?

I know virtue went out of me, who touched me. When she saw she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before him and she declared unto him before all the people for what caused she had touched him and how she was healed immediately. A lot of people read this Luke account and assume that means that she must feel ashamed or embarrassed or feel badly that she saw this healing.

But kinda like I talked to you guys about last time, I. I just don't read her that way. I think she is trembling because of what she has experienced. She is fearful in the same way that I think the apostles were fearful when they saw those storms settle immediately on the water. She is in awe and in wonder, but I don't think she is.

Afraid. I think she knows to some degree the compassionate heart of the savior and she's not afraid of him the same way. You know, I read, I think it was President Nelson who talked about none of us will be fearful when we see the savior again. There will not be fear that comes when you encounter his face.

You might worry about your situation and what you have done, but it will not be his face that creates that. It will be your own situation. So I think there's something really lovely about this, the way this story plays. . And so the way he responds back to her is just kind and full of compassion. Once she's made this confession that in fact it was her, and she's declared to everyone, the miracle that has happened, he says unto her daughter, be of good comfort.

Thy faith hath made the whole go in peace, a similar kind of assurance seems to settle on gyrus. Even when his daughter is reported to be dead. So just like we studied in the past, if you go in verse 50, but when Jesus heard it and answered him and said, fear not believe only, and she shall be made whole again.

I think the woman with the issue of blood story lends to Jar's story. I think he's able to feast on her faith a little bit. So remember when we were talking about the parable of the so and that. , you have this abundance of crops and then people can feast on that and build up their own faith that maybe they can sow some good seeds and have a similar result.

I think that's what you see play out here. I think Gyrus is seeing her abundance of wholeness and he has just enough hope to push him forward in this miracle, and he trusts that. When the savior says in 52, we've not, she's dead. She's not dead, but sleepeth that he has just. Hope that he can go forward and so he does.

And his daughter arises and the miracle plays out cuz he chooses to have eyes to see. And just enough hope to carry it forward.

[: 00:39:26

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In Luke 13, you're gonna see a smattering. Oh, we have miracles and parables and even a close look into the heart of the savior who is mourning. , the fact that Israel won't hear him, that so many have stopped up their ears and closed their eyes at the very beginning. You're gonna hear him get, some people are gonna approach him and basically say There are some who died recently in these tragedies around the area, and they wonder if they must have been sinners.

And the savior slices through that misunderstanding. I mean, that's a long held. Misunderstanding that if I am have any kind of ailment, there must be something wrong with me on a spiritual level. So he slices through that and teaches them that. No, the tragedy is those who die without repentance. Like if you choose to go without repentance, you perish.

And so he tries to teach that doctrine to them and then he demonstrates it. So first he'll teach it with a parable, and then he'll show it with a miracle. So at first he talks about a fig. This fig tree represents the children of Israel at this time and that he has come to teach them and to cultivate them.

So if you look in the verses, it says he baked also this parable, A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit there on and found none. And then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard. Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.

Cut it down, why come worth it, the ground. And then an eight. And he answering, said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it and dunk. and if it bear fruit, well, and if not, then after that shall cut it down. It's this same feel you get in Jacob. Five. It's this. The Savior's hope constantly is to pull the children of Israel back.

These are his covenant children and he wants to give them time. What I love is that this parable reminds us that God does give time, that our Savior is our advocate with the Father, and when the Savior asks for us to have an extension of time, God grants it even though he has no reason to. that the people's hearts will turn.

His compassionate side can't hold back, and he doesn't want that tree chopped down just yet. And then he demonstrates it when he goes into the synagogue. So different than the man with a withered hand. Now you have a woman who's been bent for 18 years. I don't exactly know what that means. Her ailment is, but she can't walk.

In fact, I think it's really interesting what you see in 11. So in 11 it said, and behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity 18 years and was bowed together and could in no wise lift up herself. So somehow she's like voted on herself or her, her body isn't functioning anymore and she can't lift herself up.

And then this is what happens in 12. and when Jesus saw her, he called her to him. That piece caught my eye. It almost sounds like what happens with Peter on the water when the Savior invites him to get out of the boat and walk to him, knowing that physically that's impossible for Peter to do on his own.

The Savior invites this woman to come to him. I don't know how this plays out you guys. We don't have any details in the verses, so I don't know. , if she actually does like rise up and walk to him and then he puts his hands on her. Or if in this moment, hope, but fear sh. He comes to her the same way he came to Peter and put his hand down and lifted him outta his water.

I don't know, but I feel like there's much more to this story, so go slow in those verses. But I love what happens. The woman is loosed in 12 and then in 13, and he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified. God, there's some great parallels to this with the sacrament and this understanding that each of us on the Sabbath needs to come to the Savior where we.

Hopelessly bent, and we are, we are broken in some way when we come to him on the Sabbath and we can seek a chance to be made straight. And that when we get that chance, when we feel it and we know we've received that forgiveness, we should declare it out just like this woman did. And of course, he gets the same pushback that he does in the other places where people question whether he should do this on the Sabbath day.

And he agains, he again, like approaches their compassion that's in them for their animals. Couldn't you extend that same compassion to your fellow men? In fact, I love the way he gives her dignity in 16. So remember we talked about a few times that the savior never just gives a miracle, he also gives dignity.

And in 16 you see that. And aunt, not this woman being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath found though these 18 years be loose from this bond on the Sabbath day. And then in 17 you learn that they're ashamed because of their responses. I. , there's something powerful about that, that he elevates her. In fact, sometimes I wonder if the rest of the parables that he teaches in this chapter are just for her.

So where she's felt sidelined and marginalized and bent her whole life, now he's speaking in a way that teaches how valuable she is to the Kingdom of God. So when I put that lens on and read these same parables that we've read in other places and love them even more, so go, go deeper in Luke 13 and see what.

But he's gonna teach them about it. He's gonna talk about what does the Kingdom of God resemble? I think the same way he talks about the kingdom of God resembling children. He's saying the kingdom of God includes. People like this daughter of Abraham, someone who is made whole through my efforts, through what I can bring to the table.

She's made whole. And so he talks about those same things, mustard seeds, Levin, and then he talks about fixing his focus on Jerusalem. So in 22, and he went through the cities and villages teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. And then in 23, and then one said, and Tim Lord, are there few that be. and then he responds back.

What I think is interesting is the question is, can you tell me like, what are my chances ? At least that's what it sounds like to me. Like how many are there gonna, that are gonna make it? And the Savior's response is not to give him a tally or give him any of those kinds of details, cuz they don't matter.

Instead, what he says is, you're worried about the wrong things. What can you do? To become a part of the kingdom of God. And what we can do is in 24, strive to enter at the straight gate. For many, I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. So this is that same invitation we saw a few weeks ago where people are wondering if their good lives have earned them a chance to be part of the kingdom of God.

And what he's saying is, It's so great that you've had a good life, but I don't know you, and that's where covenants come into play. We talked about this before, but this is President Nelson's big push lately that as we make covenants with God and keep them, we solidify our relationship with him so that he would never open the door and not know us.

Because we are in a relationship, you know, the same way you're in a, a relationship with your spouse or with your children. There is a, a permanence to it that, that creates a bond. And that's what he's trying to help them understand is your good life didn't have anything to do with me. It didn't, I wasn't able to count on you.

I wasn't able to use you at, you know, assign you in different spots in the kingdom. I wasn't able to give you a stewardship and ask you to increase it because you, you didn't seek a relationship with me. And so he warns about, and he talk about how they won't be able to sit down in the kingdom of God.

And then it's just this invitation. So starting around verse 30, this is when he shifts the focus and he talks about, What they need to do to belong. So it's interesting cuz he talks about the old prophets. So he says in 29, 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.

Em there, there are last, which shall be first and there are first, which shall be last. These are the kind of verses that I wonder if meant a lot to that woman who'd been dealing with this ailment for 18 years. That somebody who had been cast aside now is seen. , you know, a meek person who can inherit the earth, and I think he's trying to remind them of that, and that if the people who are gonna be in the kingdom of God are gonna come from all the directions, they're not just gonna come from the children of Israel, they're gonna.

Come from all over the place cuz it's those who choose to enter in at that straight gate. Then at the very end they warn him about Herod. There's some question if maybe the warning about Herod is actually a trick. You know? Cause this is from the Pharisees and they're saying that Herod wants to kill you.

And some people think this is just a way for them to get Jesus to get to Jerusalem so that they have more political control. I don't, I don't know background to know that for certain, but that's kind of the implication. What I think is really impressive is the way the savior responds back. So in 33, he essentially tells them, I'm not in Jerusalem right now, and so I don't need to be afraid, says nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following for It cannot be that a prophet perished out of Jerusalem.

He knows the prophecies and he knows exactly what's gonna happen and where it's gonna happen, and so he's not afraid. What's really powerful to me about that statement is then he sets his face towards Jerusalem. He knows exactly what's there and he knows exactly what will happen there. But because. who he is, he sets his face towards Jerusalem.

In fact, I really love when you look at the Joseph Smith translation of these verses. It says in this very began, this very hour, he began to weep over Jerusalem. When he faces what is inevitably coming, he weeps and it's not for himself or the difficulty he's going to face, it's that he's out of time. I think every one of us have felt this in one degree or another where you have tried.

so hard and you are out of time and you just wish they had heard and you wish they had listened and you wish they would come. And that's what he talks about. He talks about, oh, how often would I have gathered you? So this is O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which kills the prophets and stone is them, which are sent to the, how often would I have gathered th children together as a hand that gather who brood under wings?

And he would not. He uses this comforting, Gentle figure to say like, I, even though you despise me, even though you reject me, even though you have turned against me, I would have gathered you. What's so powerful about that to me is it's like he's living the doctrines. He's taught me in other verses where he says, we need to pray for those who despitefully use us, and we need to honor all and forgive all.

That's what you see in his. It's 1 35. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate and barely. I say unto you, you shall not see me until the time come when you shall say blesses. He let come in the name of the Lord. They're gonna miss this window. He knows that window is closing fast and they're gonna miss it and it he aches.

In fact, according to Joseph Smith, he weeps and I just think that reminds us about the heart of the Savior, that he is compassionate, not just for the woman who is bent and sick for 18 years, but also to those who are vile. Turn against him. He has a compassionate heart and he weeps for their loss.

[: 00:49:40

---

Man, you guys, there was ever a week where it seems appropriate to come up with object lessons to teach key doctrinal principles. It's Parable week. Welcome back guys. This is the creative side of week 12, where I'm gonna take three of the parables of the savior and find ways to enact them in some way in your physical space.

Hopefully that your kids will experience the parables in a little more detail and then remember them for a lot longer. So let me give you a quick preview for those of you who are listening in the podcast or maybe watching on YouTube. And then if you're in the full course, keep watching and I'll walk you through each one and give you the notes and the printables so that you can pull them off.

Okay, here we go. The first one is all about the parable of the sewer. So this one has so many applications. Building testimony about being bold, about expecting blessings. When you've done what the Lord asked. I think there's a lot of different ways you can teach this parable. So I wanted some way to slow down the story and I created a fortune teller

So if you remember these from elementary school, this is a way to tell the story of the parable of the sower. Slower because you're going to actually play it out in the fortune teller. And as they open up their fortune, they will find the results of where they planted their seeds. So I'll walk you through all the details in just a minute, but you'll find this one in the principles.

The second one we're talking about is the parable of the Levin, this understanding that. Something very small can have a big impact and provide lift and airiness and goodness to the kingdom of God. So for this one, you need a few supplies. You need a water bottle, ideally a taller one, and then some kind of big party balloon and then some yeast.

And I'll tell you why the third one is, uh, talking about the wheat and the tears. So we're gonna focus on a story that we told in the doctrine covenants. In fact, one of the things I love about. This parable is that in the doctrine covenants, you actually get a fuller version of what each of those things means.

So we're gonna kind of blend the doctrine covenants and the New Testament together today to teach you about the wheat and the tears supplies wise. For this one, you're just gonna demonstrate wheat and tears with two different kinds of markers. . So you need one that is permanent and one that is water-based or washable, and then something to draw on them.

So for this, we use coffee filters, like you just want something thin and vey. You could maybe even use a paper towel or a thin napkin and you're gonna cut it into strips so that you can draw on it, and I'll explain why in just a minute.

[: 00:51:52

---

That's it for week 12, you guys. Hey, remember, none of these object lessons are designed to.

A course that you go through each and every one. I'm just trying to load you up with ideas. My hope is that I can help you bridge that creative gap and give you some ideas to get your head spinning. So whether you do these object lessons or you come up with some alternative of your own, trust me, there is ample teaching material in this parables of the savior.

orget, there is an Instagram.: 10:00

Um, if you have any other questions, you wanna reach out to me and you're in the course, feel free to post something on the discussion boards. That's at the top right of every video. You'll see a little chat icon. You can click on it and then leave me a question and it goes straight to my inbox. So I see those pretty fast.

So if you have a trouble with a printable or you have a question about doctrine, , that's a good space to put it. Um, otherwise, I hope you enjoy your week. You guys, whether you're joining me via YouTube or podcast or in the course, I, I hope this motivates you to just get into your scriptures and see what is in store.

I promise this week's reading is quick, it's familiar, and it is rich with things and ideas you may have never had before. So get into your scriptures study and then hopefully I'll see you soon. All right, you guys enjoy week 12 and I'll see you on.

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