reading chapter 9 makes me ask myself a few questions. What am I blind to? What miracles is God performing in my life that I don't see? What doubts/ fears do I have that are causing me to be blind? How can I be more like the blind man and believe and see Christ and his works?
Also Christ tells the Pharisees that they are not blind. Is that because they should know better? I must be like them, I should know better. Once we know truth, we are accountable.
I think I wish I could compare myself to the blind man, but really I probably need to think more about the pharisees, and how and why they are sinners. Because they should know better and they doubt what is right before them.
A response to Sven's comment about the exclusionary nature of the parable of the good shepherd when he says "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you."
I find it interesting that in the scriptures we find several parables involving sheep, and they are all different and teach different principles. In another scripture, a non-believer is compared to a wondering sheep that the shepherd tries to rescue. In the Book of Mormon there is the story of Ammon gathering King Lamoni's sheep, who were scattered by the wicked.
It seems to me like there is no permanent definition of who is in the fold and who is out, and that we should learn what we can about ourselves from these parables.
This is an older lesson but I just read 3Ne 18 which caused me to think about Sven's question again and I'd like to retract my earlier comment. Christ says to the Nephites:
"31 But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered.
32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them."
No one is excluded, but those who don't repent are not following the shepherd to safety. - Jim H.
reading chapter 9 makes me ask myself a few questions. What am I blind to? What miracles is God performing in my life that I don't see? What doubts/ fears do I have that are causing me to be blind? How can I be more like the blind man and believe and see Christ and his works?
ReplyDeleteAlso Christ tells the Pharisees that they are not blind. Is that because they should know better? I must be like them, I should know better. Once we know truth, we are accountable.
I think I wish I could compare myself to the blind man, but really I probably need to think more about the pharisees, and how and why they are sinners. Because they should know better and they doubt what is right before them.
Thanks for these great insights!
ReplyDeleteA response to Sven's comment about the exclusionary nature of the parable of the good shepherd when he says "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you."
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that in the scriptures we find several parables involving sheep, and they are all different and teach different principles. In another scripture, a non-believer is compared to a wondering sheep that the shepherd tries to rescue. In the Book of Mormon there is the story of Ammon gathering King Lamoni's sheep, who were scattered by the wicked.
It seems to me like there is no permanent definition of who is in the fold and who is out, and that we should learn what we can about ourselves from these parables.
- Jim H.
This is an older lesson but I just read 3Ne 18 which caused me to think about Sven's question again and I'd like to retract my earlier comment. Christ says to the Nephites:
ReplyDelete"31 But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered.
32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them."
No one is excluded, but those who don't repent are not following the shepherd to safety. - Jim H.