Lesson for May 3
I Am the Light of the World (Gospel Doctrine manual lesson 15)
Introduction
John 8.12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
While you study, consider listening to O Light of Life by Mack Wilberg, performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
In class this week we will look at two questions:
1) Who is Jesus?
2) How does Jesus relate to us?
First, Who is Jesus?
John 7
This chapter gives us a glimpse into how people perceive Jesus. Jesus was--and still is--troubling to anyone who encounters him, because he asks us to give up the way we see the world and to put him at the center of our lives. In this chapter we see methods people adopt to try to explain him away.
Identify the different ways people attempt to explain who Jesus is in this chapter. How might you respond to the various accusations leveled at Jesus?
John 8.12-30
What does Christ mean when he says he is the light of the world? How is this description related to Old Testament images of God's presence (it might help to notice where he is when he makes this declaration)? How does light help us? How can it be dangerous? What does thinking of Christ as "light" teach about overcoming sin and about the role he can play in our lives?
Consider the following scriptures to help understand Christ as the light of the world: Exodus 34.29-35, 2 Cor. 3.13-18, 3 Nephi 19.25.
John 8.31-59
Here, Christ explains again who he is to a group of believers. Yet when he is done speaking they pick up stones to kill him. What does he say that is so offensive? What are the consequences of that statement for us?
Second, how does Jesus relate to us?
John 8.1-11
As you read John, remember the purpose John gives for everything he included in the book: "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20.30-31).
How does the story of the woman taken in adultery encapsulate the core of the gospel? Why is the order of Christ's statements ("Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more.") significant? Who are your accusers? How does Christ show his meekness in this passage? How does he relate to the woman and to her accusers?
Final thoughts, post lesson...
What amazes me about these chapters is the contrast between Christ's grandeur on the one hand ("Before Abraham was, I am"), and his mercy and humility on the other. He insists that people see him as the Creator, as someone powerful enough to crush the entire earth with his little finger, then, in the beginning of chapter 8, he restrains all this power and focuses on saving a single, sinful person. This is a beautiful summary of the gospel.
If you have questions or thoughts as you read, feel free to comment below.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Matthew 18, Luke 10
Sunday April 26
Lesson 14
This lesson focuses on four primary sections: two in Matthew 18 and two in Luke 10.
1) Matthew 18.1-14 (Mark 9.33-37)
In this passage the Savior teaches the disciples who had been "disputing" who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Note that every kingdom and most organizations have some sort of hierarchy. What is the hierarchy in the kingdom of heaven? How does this passage point to Christ and his mission?
2) Matthew 18.21-35
The parable of the unmerciful servant
Among many other things, in this passage we learn:
-How to forgive
-Why to forgive
-How the Savior was willing to give up everything to forgive us
Questions to consider as you read this parable: What is the Savior teaching by using such an astronomical amount? What does the servant do to earn the master's forgiveness? How does the master decide to forgive and at what cost? How can the example of the Savior and his forgiveness change our hearts? In what circumstances can we, like the master, seek justice?
Verse 27 offers a pattern for how to forgive:
First, the master had compassion on the servant who owes him a phenomenal sum. Compassion comes from two old French words and means people (or groups) suffer together, one has pity for the other by putting himself or herself in the other person's shoes, by seeing things from the other's perspective. You may think, for example, that someone is a liar! But when you speak with her you have compassion on her you find that she knows she lied, feels bad about it, and lied because she was in a difficult position, or because she didn't know how else to respond, or to avoid hurting someone's feelings. She can't be reduced to "a liar." She made a mistake and wants to do better next time. She's a person! Sometimes she is a weak person to be sure, but when you consider her perspective she becomes much easier to forgive.
Next, the master forgave the debt. As you read this passage, keep in mind that 10,000 talents represents about 145 years of work (with no weekends or holidays), and that the other debt owed to the servant is about 100 days worth of work or about one-third of a year. (Here is a conversion calculator.) Some have suggested that in modern amounts, the servant lost a trillion dollars while being owed only about 10,000! How could he have lost so much? This servant was probably responsible for managing part of the master's estate. You can read about a modern day equivalent involving a French trader named Jérôme Kerviel here. Note that when the bank made Kerviel's losses public, it nearly ruined the bank. And we can imagine that, given the amount, this master put his kingdom and his reputation in jeopardy by forgiving such a colossal debt accrued by someone he clearly trusted to administer his kingdom and his wealth. When we forgive, it is also at great cost to us--perhaps financially, but more usually emotionally or psychologically. But this text suggests we can choose to forgive the debt, even when it costs us.
Finally, the master let the servant go. Letting go can be a significant challenge. It is so easy to harbor ill-will toward someone for days, even for years, to feel morally superior because they wronged us. Those who don't let go usually want to make things fair and harbor a grudge. But resentment can be a prison. People who think, "I'll never do X because my father made me do it," or, "Every time she does X it reminds me of the time she did Y and I'll never forgive her for that" are in fact still controlled by that person and in prison to their own anger. The master here "loosed" the servant (other translations read, "let him go"), meaning he let go of the resentment and the hurt associated with his offense.
This parable also provides a motivation to forgive. The story suggests that when we consider the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice for us, we realize that the offenses against us are small in comparison. This, in turn, can provide motivation to forgive and to help those who may have offended us or who we think owe us.
A quick story to illustrate this last point. When I first begin biking, a friend of mine let me use his bike. I didn't know much about road bikes and after a few miles noticed the brakes sounded a little strange, but I kept on riding. When the ride was over, my friend noticed that the brake pads had fallen off and my braking had completely ruined the wheel. Instead of being angry at me, he told me not to worry about it, he wanted to get new wheels anyway. Much later I learned that a nice set of bike wheels can be very expensive. The fact that he forgave and was generous to me has led me to do the same to beginners I ride with now. I share equipment and encouragement with them. I don't do this to pay back what my friend did to me, I do it because I remember how gracious he was, I am grateful for that, and that makes me perpetuate the kindness to those I have a chance to help. My friend absorbed the cost of the wheels, forgave me, and let it go. And that, in a small way, changed me and made me a more forgiving and a more giving person.
Here is a passage from Elder Renlund's April General Conference talk that relates to this parable:
Curtis, unlike the unwise steward, understood that harboring anger or resentment against his companion would only hold him hostage. He understood that compared to God, he and his companion were really very similar, that he, like his companion, needed the infinite forgiveness available through the sacrifice of the Savior. Forgiving his companion such a small debt became much easier when he considered the eternal perspective of his situation.
3) Luke 10.25-37
The Good Samaritan
Jack Welch published an interesting article about this parable in The Ensign. Adhering to a reading popular in the middle ages, Welch shows the parallels between the Samaritan's actions and Christ's sacrifice to overcome the fall. You can read the article here.
Welch draws inspiration for his reading from the stained glass window at Chartres Cathedral in France. You can see images and a description of the window at this site. Notice the juxtaposition of the good Samaritan with the fall of Adam and ultimate redemption through Christ. (Stained glass windows are read from the bottom to the top and from left to right.)
We will discuss this story extensively in class, but you may consider the following questions as you read: What does it mean to "justify" oneself? Why does Christ select a Samaritan as the "neighbor"? The Savior invites his listener to "do likewise"; How can I demonstrate a comparable level of compassion?
4) Luke 10.38-42
Mary, Martha, and the Savior
How is Martha like the lawyer who questions Jesus in the previous section? Can Martha be seen as attempting to manipulate Jesus? What does Christ's response suggest about what our priority should be and why?
Next week: Lesson 15 (John 7 & 8)
Lesson 14
This lesson focuses on four primary sections: two in Matthew 18 and two in Luke 10.
1) Matthew 18.1-14 (Mark 9.33-37)
In this passage the Savior teaches the disciples who had been "disputing" who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Note that every kingdom and most organizations have some sort of hierarchy. What is the hierarchy in the kingdom of heaven? How does this passage point to Christ and his mission?
2) Matthew 18.21-35
The parable of the unmerciful servant
Among many other things, in this passage we learn:
-How to forgive
-Why to forgive
-How the Savior was willing to give up everything to forgive us
Questions to consider as you read this parable: What is the Savior teaching by using such an astronomical amount? What does the servant do to earn the master's forgiveness? How does the master decide to forgive and at what cost? How can the example of the Savior and his forgiveness change our hearts? In what circumstances can we, like the master, seek justice?
Since we won't have much time (if any) to discuss this in class, here are my thoughts on this passage if you are interested:
Verse 27 offers a pattern for how to forgive:
First, the master had compassion on the servant who owes him a phenomenal sum. Compassion comes from two old French words and means people (or groups) suffer together, one has pity for the other by putting himself or herself in the other person's shoes, by seeing things from the other's perspective. You may think, for example, that someone is a liar! But when you speak with her you have compassion on her you find that she knows she lied, feels bad about it, and lied because she was in a difficult position, or because she didn't know how else to respond, or to avoid hurting someone's feelings. She can't be reduced to "a liar." She made a mistake and wants to do better next time. She's a person! Sometimes she is a weak person to be sure, but when you consider her perspective she becomes much easier to forgive.
Next, the master forgave the debt. As you read this passage, keep in mind that 10,000 talents represents about 145 years of work (with no weekends or holidays), and that the other debt owed to the servant is about 100 days worth of work or about one-third of a year. (Here is a conversion calculator.) Some have suggested that in modern amounts, the servant lost a trillion dollars while being owed only about 10,000! How could he have lost so much? This servant was probably responsible for managing part of the master's estate. You can read about a modern day equivalent involving a French trader named Jérôme Kerviel here. Note that when the bank made Kerviel's losses public, it nearly ruined the bank. And we can imagine that, given the amount, this master put his kingdom and his reputation in jeopardy by forgiving such a colossal debt accrued by someone he clearly trusted to administer his kingdom and his wealth. When we forgive, it is also at great cost to us--perhaps financially, but more usually emotionally or psychologically. But this text suggests we can choose to forgive the debt, even when it costs us.
Finally, the master let the servant go. Letting go can be a significant challenge. It is so easy to harbor ill-will toward someone for days, even for years, to feel morally superior because they wronged us. Those who don't let go usually want to make things fair and harbor a grudge. But resentment can be a prison. People who think, "I'll never do X because my father made me do it," or, "Every time she does X it reminds me of the time she did Y and I'll never forgive her for that" are in fact still controlled by that person and in prison to their own anger. The master here "loosed" the servant (other translations read, "let him go"), meaning he let go of the resentment and the hurt associated with his offense.
This parable also provides a motivation to forgive. The story suggests that when we consider the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice for us, we realize that the offenses against us are small in comparison. This, in turn, can provide motivation to forgive and to help those who may have offended us or who we think owe us.
A quick story to illustrate this last point. When I first begin biking, a friend of mine let me use his bike. I didn't know much about road bikes and after a few miles noticed the brakes sounded a little strange, but I kept on riding. When the ride was over, my friend noticed that the brake pads had fallen off and my braking had completely ruined the wheel. Instead of being angry at me, he told me not to worry about it, he wanted to get new wheels anyway. Much later I learned that a nice set of bike wheels can be very expensive. The fact that he forgave and was generous to me has led me to do the same to beginners I ride with now. I share equipment and encouragement with them. I don't do this to pay back what my friend did to me, I do it because I remember how gracious he was, I am grateful for that, and that makes me perpetuate the kindness to those I have a chance to help. My friend absorbed the cost of the wheels, forgave me, and let it go. And that, in a small way, changed me and made me a more forgiving and a more giving person.
Here is a passage from Elder Renlund's April General Conference talk that relates to this parable:
Some years ago a wonderful young man named Curtis was called to serve a mission. He was the kind of missionary every mission president prays for. He was focused and worked hard. At one point he was assigned a missionary companion who was immature, socially awkward, and not particularly enthusiastic about getting the work done.
One day, while they were riding their bicycles, Curtis looked back and saw that his companion had inexplicably gotten off his bike and was walking. Silently, Curtis expressed his frustration to God; what a chore it was to be saddled with a companion he had to drag around in order to accomplish anything. Moments later, Curtis had a profound impression, as if God were saying to him, “You know, Curtis, compared to me, the two of you aren’t all that different.” Curtis learned that he needed to be patient with an imperfect companion who nonetheless was trying in his own way. (Read the entire talk here)
Curtis, unlike the unwise steward, understood that harboring anger or resentment against his companion would only hold him hostage. He understood that compared to God, he and his companion were really very similar, that he, like his companion, needed the infinite forgiveness available through the sacrifice of the Savior. Forgiving his companion such a small debt became much easier when he considered the eternal perspective of his situation.
3) Luke 10.25-37
The Good Samaritan
Jack Welch published an interesting article about this parable in The Ensign. Adhering to a reading popular in the middle ages, Welch shows the parallels between the Samaritan's actions and Christ's sacrifice to overcome the fall. You can read the article here.
Welch draws inspiration for his reading from the stained glass window at Chartres Cathedral in France. You can see images and a description of the window at this site. Notice the juxtaposition of the good Samaritan with the fall of Adam and ultimate redemption through Christ. (Stained glass windows are read from the bottom to the top and from left to right.)
We will discuss this story extensively in class, but you may consider the following questions as you read: What does it mean to "justify" oneself? Why does Christ select a Samaritan as the "neighbor"? The Savior invites his listener to "do likewise"; How can I demonstrate a comparable level of compassion?
4) Luke 10.38-42
Mary, Martha, and the Savior
How is Martha like the lawyer who questions Jesus in the previous section? Can Martha be seen as attempting to manipulate Jesus? What does Christ's response suggest about what our priority should be and why?
Next week: Lesson 15 (John 7 & 8)
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