Day 3 August 12 - Matthew 13-18

[pam]

Discussion

[KeithLBrown]

Forgive and You Will Be Forgiven

Scripture Reference: Matthew 18:23-35

23 ¶ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses

President James E. Faust, "The Healing Power of Forgiveness," Ensign, May 2007, 67–69

If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being.

My dear brothers and sisters and friends, I come before you humbly and prayerfully. I wish to speak on the healing power of forgiveness.

In the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania, a devout group of Christian people live a simple life without automobiles, electricity, or modern machinery. They work hard and live quiet, peaceful lives separate from the world. Most of their food comes from their own farms. The women sew and knit and weave their clothing, which is modest and plain. They are known as the Amish people.

A 32-year-old milk truck driver lived with his family in their Nickel Mines community. He was not Amish, but his pickup route took him to many Amish dairy farms, where he became known as the quiet milkman. Last October he suddenly lost all reason and control. In his tormented mind he blamed God for the death of his first child and some unsubstantiated memories. He stormed into the Amish school without any provocation, released the boys and adults, and tied up the 10 girls. He shot the girls, killing five and wounding five. Then he took his own life.

This shocking violence caused great anguish among the Amish but no anger. There was hurt but no hate. Their forgiveness was immediate. Collectively they began to reach out to the milkman’s suffering family. As the milkman’s family gathered in his home the day after the shootings, an Amish neighbor came over, wrapped his arms around the father of the dead gunman, and said, "We will forgive you." Amish leaders visited the milkman’s wife and children to extend their sympathy, their forgiveness, their help, and their love. About half of the mourners at the milkman’s funeral were Amish. In turn, the Amish invited the milkman’s family to attend the funeral services of the girls who had been killed. A remarkable peace settled on the Amish as their faith sustained them during this crisis.

One local resident very eloquently summed up the aftermath of this tragedy when he said, "We were all speaking the same language, and not just English, but a language of caring, a language of community, [and] a language of service. And, yes, a language of forgiveness." It was an amazing outpouring of their complete faith in the Lord’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount: "Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."

The family of the milkman who killed the five girls released the following statement to the public:

"To our Amish friends, neighbors, and local community:

"Our family wants each of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you’ve extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you’ve given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.

"Please know that our hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lost loved ones, and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to rebuild our lives."

How could the whole Amish group manifest such an expression of forgiveness? It was because of their faith in God and trust in His word, which is part of their inner beings. They see themselves as disciples of Christ and want to follow His example.

President James E. Faust: The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Part 1

Part 2

[pam]

Thanks Keith. That is one of my favorite all time talks.

[pam]

Chapter 13 is full of the parables of Christ. There is so much that could be talked about here that it could be it's own thread. One of my personal favorites is:

Matt 13:47-48 the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind

Bruce R. McConkie

“When those whom God hath chosen to be ‘fishers of men’ ("#matt. 4:19Matt. 4:19; "#jer. 16:16Jer. 16:16) go forth preaching the gospel, they catch men of all sorts in the gospel net. Rich and poor, bond and free, Jew and Gentile, learned and ignorant, sincere and hypocritical, stable and wavering—men of all races, cultures, and backgrounds accept the gospel and seek its blessings. But all who are caught in the gospel net are not saved in the celestial kingdom; church membership alone gives no unconditional assurance of eternal life. ("#2 ne. 31:16"#2 ne. 31:17"#2 ne. 31:18"#2 ne. 31:19"#2 ne. 31:20"#2 ne. 31:212 Ne. 31:16-21.) Rather, there will be a day of judgment, a day of sorting and dividing, a day when the wicked shall be cast out of the Church, ‘out into the world to be burned.’ For those then living the Second Coming will be an initial day of burning, sorting, and judgment ("#matt. 25:31"#matt. 25:32"#matt. 25:33"#matt. 25:34"#matt. 25:35"#matt. 25:36"#matt. 25:37"#matt. 25:38"#matt. 25:39"#matt. 25:40"#matt. 25:41"#matt. 25:42"#matt. 25:43"#matt. 25:44"#matt. 25:45"#matt. 25:46Matt. 25:31-46; "#D&C 63:54D. & C. 63:54); for all men of all ages the ultimate day of sorting and dividing will occur, after all men have been raised from the dead, at the final great day of judgment. ("#2 ne. 9:15"#2 ne. 9:162 Ne. 9:15-16.)

“Joseph Smith, in applying this parable to latter-day conditions, wrote: ‘Behold the seed of Joseph, spreading forth the gospel net upon the face of the earth, gathering of every kind, that the good may be saved in vessels prepared for that purpose, and the angels will take care of the bad. So shall it be at the end of the world—the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ (Teachings, p. 102.)” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1: 302.)

Joseph Fielding Smith

“Those who receive the fulness will be privileged to view the face of our Father. There will not be such an overwhelming number of the Latter-day Saints who will get there. President Francis M. Lyman many times has declared, and he had reason to declare, I believe, that if we save one-half of the Latter-day Saints, that is, with an exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God, we will be doing well. Not that the Lord is partial, not that he will draw the line as some will say, to keep people out. He would have every one of us go in if we would; but there are laws and ordinances that we must keep; if we do not observe the law we cannot enter.

“Many come into the Church, like fish that are gathered into the net, that have to be sorted and thrown out again or put into piles where they belong. And so it will be with us.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2: 15.)

Neal A. Maxwell
“Since life in the Church presents to us, painfully at times, our own defects as well as the defects of others, we are bound to be disappointed in ourselves and in others. We cannot expect it to be otherwise in a kingdom where not only does the ‘net gather of every kind,’ but those of ‘every kind’ are at every stage of spiritual development. ("Matt. 13:47Matthew 13:47.) When people ‘leave their nets straightway,’ they come as they are. (See "Matt. 4:20Matthew 4:20.) Though they are already in the initial process of changing, the luggage reflects their past. Hence, this is a developmental journey that requires patience, understanding, and meekness toward others who join the caravan, as, together, we disengage from one world and prepare ourselves for another.” (Meek and Lowly, 88.)


Is this not so true? To learn to be accepting of ALL? To have an understanding that each of us is at a different place in our lives. And because of that we need to be tolerant of others around us.

[pam]

In Matthew Chapter 14, John the Baptist is beheaded.

Matt 14:12 his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it


Thomas S. Monson
“The tomb in which his body was placed could not contain that body. Nor could the act of murder still that voice. To the world we declare that at Harmony, Pennsylvania, on 15 May 1829, an angel, 'who announced himself as John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament' (D&C 13:1D&C 13, section heading), came as a resurrected personage to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. . . . The Aaronic Priesthood was restored to the earth.

“Thanks to that memorable event, I was given the privilege to bear the Aaronic Priesthood, as have millions of young men in these latter days.” (LDS Church News, 1991, 01/19/91)

[pam]

Matt 15:9 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men


Gordon B. Hinckley
“It was said of old that ‘where there is no vision, the people perish: . . .’ (Prov. 29:18.) Vision of what? Vision concerning the things of God, and a stem and unbending adherence to divinely pronounced standards. There is evidence aplenty that young people will respond to the clear call of divine truth, but they are quick to detect and abandon that which has only a form of godliness but denies the power thereof, ‘teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:9; see Joseph Smith 2:19.)

“10858I have sincere respect for my brethren of other faiths, and I know that they are aware of the great problem they face in a dilution of their teachings as some try to make their doctrine more generally acceptable. Dr. Robert McAffee Brown, professor of religion at Stanford, was recently quoted as saying:

‘10858Much of what is going on at present on the Protestant scene gives the oppression of being willing to jettison whatever is necessary in order to appeal to the modern mentality…10858It is not the task of Christians to whittle away their heritage until it is finally palatable to all.’ (The Daily Herald, [Provo, Utah], August 12, 1965, p. 13-A.)

“10858To this we might add that what is palatable to all is not likely to be satisfying to any, and particularly to a generation of searching, questioning, seeking, probing young men and women.”(Conference Report, October 1965, Second Day—Morning Meeting 53.)

[pam]

Matt 16:3 O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

LeGrand Richards

“If the world could discern the signs of the times, it would not be difficult for them to understand that the God of Israel has set his hand to do a marvelous work and a wonder among his people in the earth and that there is a kingdom established that is ultimately destined to fill the whole earth. And it will do it because it is God's work and not the work of man.

“8180While I was president of the Southern States Mission, one of our missionaries wrote in from Florida and said, ‘President Richards, I have been reading about the signs of the coming of the Lord.’ He said, ‘When the sun darkens and the moon ceases to give its light and the stars fall from heaven, everybody will know that he is coming.’

“8180And I wrote back and said, ‘Probably they will know. The newspapers might announce some great phenomenon in the heavens, misplacement of planets, that have caused this consternation, and scientists will have their explanation to make of it, and unless they have faith in the Living God, unless as Jesus said, they can read the signs of the times, they may not know anything about what is going on in the world.’

“’8180’Why,’ I said, ‘if the inhabitants of this earth had the ability and the power to read the signs of the times, they would know that already the Lord has given far more than the darkening of the sun or obscuring the light of the moon or causing the stars to fall from heaven, for what he has accomplished in the establishment of his kingdom in the earth in these latter days, and the unseen power operating in the world for the accomplishment of his purposes, are greater signs than any of these phenomena that we read about—the signs of his coming.’” (Conference Report, April 1951, Afternoon Meeting 40-41.)

[pam]

Matt 16:13 Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

Robert D. Hales

“Every person in the world at some point in his eternal progression is one day going to have to come to the moment of truth when he must answer the question, ‘What think ye of Christ?’ (Matt 22:42)

“Think of that. At one point in our eternal progression, each one of us is going to have to answer the question, Who is Jesus Christ? We are told that every eye shall see, every ear shall hear, and every knee shall bow, every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (see Philip. 2:10-11); ‘When all men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is God’ (Mosiah 27:31)

“…What think ye of Christ and whom say ye that he is? Many Christians profess to follow Jesus Christ but do not know him: ‘And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent’ (John 17:3).

“Many profess to be Christians and yet do not believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God, indeed, the eldest son of God the Father. Men are willing to follow some of his teachings but do not recognize the divine, eternal purpose and the significance of his life to all mankind. ‘What think ye of Christ?’ and ‘Whom say ye that I am?’ These were questions asked by Jesus to make men think, so that he might teach them who he was, that they might use their own free agency, come to their own conclusions and commitments, follow him, and gain a testimony that he is the Son of God, our Redeemer.

“Using the sacred scriptures we can know Jesus Christ. He is more than a great teacher; he is the Messiah. He was willing to lay down his life for us; he is the only one who could, as these scriptures testify.”(Ensign, May 1979, 77)

Howard W. Hunter
“The Lord’s invitation to follow him is extended to more persons than those who are ordained as special witnesses. The call is individual and personal, and it is compelling. We cannot stand forever between two opinions. Each of us must at some time face the crucial question: ‘Whom say ye that I am?’ (Matt. 16:15.) Our personal salvation depends on our answer to that question and our commitment to that answer. Peter’s revealed answer was ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ (Matt. 16:16.) Many, many witnesses can give the identical answer by the same power, and I join with them in humble gratitude. But we must each answer the question for ourselves—if not now, then later; for at the last day, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Christ. Our challenge is to answer correctly and live accordingly before it is everlastingly too late.” (“An Apostle’s Witness of Christ,” Ensign, Jan. 1984, 69)

[pam]

Matt 18:3 Except ye be converted…ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven

Henry B. Eyring
“Peter had a testimony of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, and he declared it. To testify is to know and to declare.

“A short time after Peter was declared blessed for his testimony, Jesus taught His Apostles about conversion. Conversion is quite different from testimony. I read from the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. ‘At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 18:1Matt. 18:2Matt. 18:3Matt. 18:4Matt. 18:1-4.)

“Later, in an experience recorded in the twenty-second chapter of the book of Luke, the Savior confirmed this lesson on the importance of being converted. This occurred at the conclusion of the Savior's mortal ministry in the sublime instructions given at the Last Supper. ‘And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired you, that he may sift the children of the kingdom as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not; and when you are converted strengthen your brethren.’ (JST Luke 22:31Luke 22:32Luke 22:31-32.)

“In order to strengthen his brethren-to nourish and lead the flock of God-this man who had been with Jesus for over three years, who had been given the authority of the holy apostleship, who had been a valiant preacher of righteousness, and who had been declared blessed by the Master for his faith and testimony, still had to be "converted."

“Conversion is obviously a great deal more than testimony.

“Elder Marion G. Romney characterized conversion as ‘the fruit of, or the reward for, repentance and obedience.’ He described conversion as ‘an actual change in one's understanding of life's meaning and in his allegiance to God-in interest, in thought, and in conduct.’ (Conference Report, October 1963, pp. 23, 24.)

“Elder Bruce R. McConkie contrasted testimony, which he called a personal revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, with conversion, which he said represented a change from one state to another state, as in a laboratory process that changes sugar to starch. ‘The same elements are present, but there is some rearrangement so that the substance seems to be different than it previously was’ ("Be Ye Converted," BYU Speeches of the Year, 11 February 1968, p. 10).” (On Becoming a Disciple Scholar, 93-94)