Day 6 August 15 - Mark 1-6

[pam]

There is a great talk on "how to read a parable" by Richard Lloyd Anderson

LDS.org - Ensign Article - How to Read a Parable

Edited August 20, 2009 by pam

[KeithLBrown]

The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit

Scripture Reference: Mark 1:9-11

9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

10 And straightway coming aup out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

All three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are members of the Sacred Godhead. They are three distinct and separate personages, yet not three Gods but one. They are ONE in purpose, manner, testimony, and mission.

Often times I will use the baptism of Jesus as an object lesson whenever the question of the trinity arises. Present at Christ's baptism at the River Jordan were Christ who was baptized by John the Baptist (the forerunner of Christ - he who was sent to prepare the way), the Holy Spirit who descended upon Christ as He came straightway out of the water in the form of a dove, and the Father who spoke from Heaven and proclaimed that Christ is His Son in whom He is well pleased.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 40–42

Our first and foremost article of faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” We believe these three divine persons constituting a single Godhead are united in purpose, in manner, in testimony, in mission. We believe Them to be filled with the same godly sense of mercy and love, justice and grace, patience, forgiveness, and redemption. I think it is accurate to say we believe They are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable except believing Them to be three persons combined in one substance, a Trinitarian notion never set forth in the scriptures because it is not true.

Indeed no less a source than the stalwart Harper’s Bible Dictionary records that “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the [New Testament].”

So any criticism that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not hold the contemporary Christian view of God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost is not a comment about our commitment to Christ but rather a recognition (accurate, I might add) that our view of the Godhead breaks with post–New Testament Christian history and returns to the doctrine taught by Jesus Himself.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent" - Video

[KeithLBrown]

The Lord of the Sabbath

Scripture Reference: Mark 2:27,28

27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

JOSEPH SMITH TRANSLATION: MARK 2: 26-27

26 Wherefore the Sabbath was given unto man for a day of rest; and also that man should glorify God, and not that man should not eat;

27 For the Son of Man made the Sabbath day, therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

BIBLE DICTIONARY - SABBATH

Instituted to commemorate God’s seventh day of rest at the Creation (Ex. 20: 10-11), and also the redemption from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5: 15). On the Sabbath the daily sacrifices were doubled; the loaves of the shewbread were changed; the people abstained from all manner of work, and it was a day of holy assembly.

The Sabbath was a holy day before the giving of the law, even from the earliest times (cf. the account of the creation - Gen. 2: 2-3; the sacredness of the number 7; the narrative of the manna - Ex. 16: 32-36; cf. v. 34); but we have no evidence of its observance in patriarchal times. This is no doubt due to the scantiness of the record, for the Sabbath is an eternal principle, and would have existed from the days of Adam, whenever the gospel was on the earth among men.

After the return from the exile Nehemiah made the observance of the Sabbath one of the chief points of his reformation (Neh. 10: 31; Neh. 13: 15-22), and the strictness with which it was kept by the Jews became a well-known fact. In course of time many regulations grew up, and were observed by the Pharisees. One of the charges frequently brought against our Lord was that of Sabbath breaking, but this was because he failed to conform to the traditions and manmade regulations concerning the Sabbath. Jesus obeyed the letter and the spirit of the Sabbath, but was not obligated to follow the traditions of the elders of the Jews.

After the ascension of Christ, the members of the Church, whether Jews or gentiles, kept holy the first day of the week (the Lord’s day) as a weekly commemoration of our Lord’s resurrection (Acts 20: 7; 1 Cor. 16: 2; Rev. 1: 10); and by degrees the observance of the seventh day was discontinued. (See Lord’s Day.)

The importance of a sacred day for man to rest from his temporal labors, contemplate the word of the Lord, and assemble for public worship is a major item in a person’s spiritual development. Furthermore, decay in the national religious life always follows any tendency toward carelessness in the matter of Sabbath observance. The existence of a weekly holy day is a most important safeguard; it leaves a constant reminder to the individual of his need for spiritual sustenance and his duty before God, and serves as a witness to the world that there is such a thing as revealed religion.

The change from observing the last day of the week to the first day of the week is not so important as is the concept and principle of the Sabbath. In either case, the Sabbath was symbolic of the mighty works of God, i.e., the creation of the earth, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Latter-day revelation confirms the significance of the Sabbath (or Lord’s day), in D&C 59: 9-13:

9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;

10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;

11 Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;

12 But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.

13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.” (D&C 59:9–13.)

Elder James E. Faust, “The Lord’s Day,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 33

Keeping the Sabbath day holy is much more than just physical rest. It involves spiritual renewal and worship. President Spencer W. Kimball gave excellent counsel on Sabbath day observance. He said:

“The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. To fail to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, pp. 96–97.)

Over a lifetime of observation, it is clear to me that the farmer who observes the Sabbath day seems to get more done on his farm than he would if he worked seven days. The mechanic will be able to turn out more and better products in six days than in seven. The doctor, the lawyer, the dentist, the scientist will accomplish more by trying to rest on the Sabbath than if he tries to utilize every day of the week for his professional work. I would counsel all students, if they can, to arrange their schedules so that they do not study on the Sabbath. If students and other seekers after truth will do this, their minds will be quickened and the infinite Spirit will lead them to the verities they wish to learn. This is because God has hallowed his day and blessed it as a perpetual covenant of faithfulness. (See Ex. 31:16.)

Why has God asked us to honor the Sabbath day? The reasons I think are at least threefold. The first has to do with the physical need for rest and renewing. Obviously God, who created us, would know more than we do of the limits of our physical and nervous energy and strength.

The second reason is, in my opinion, of far greater significance. It has to do with the need for regeneration and the strengthening of our spiritual being. God knows that, left completely to our own devices without regular reminders of our spiritual needs, many would degenerate into the preoccupation of satisfying earthly desires and appetites. This need for physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration is met in large measure by faithful observance of the Sabbath day.

The third reason may be the most important of the three. It has to do with obedience to commandments as an expression of our love for God. Blessed are those who need no reasons other than their love for the Savior to keep his commandments. The response of Adam to the angel who asked Adam why he made a sacrifice unto the Lord is a model for all. Responded Adam, “I know not, save the Lord commanded me.” (Moses 5:6.)

[pam]

The Testimony of St Mark

Introduction

”John Mark, commonly known as Mark, is the author of the Gospel of that name. He was the son of one of the leading women in the early church in Jerusalem. Believers assembled at her home, and Peter returned there after being freed from prison (Acts 12:12-17). John Mark was chosen as a companion of Paul and Barnabas as they left on the first missionary journey (Acts 12:25,13:5) but for an unnamed reason he left the two brethren about half way into the journey (Acts 13:13)…Peter speaks of Mark as his son and as being with him in Babylon—probably Rome (1 Pet 5:13). An ancient tradition states that Mark wrote his gospel in Rome, taking his material directly from Peter.” (Institute Manual, The Life and Teachings of Jesus & his Apostles, 2nd ed., p. 253)

“’The Gospel according to Mark came into being in this manner: when Peter had publicly preached the word at Rome, and by the Spirit had proclaimed the Gospel, that those present, who were many, exhorted Mark as one who had followed him for a long time and remembered what he had spoken, to make a record of what was said; and that he did this, and distributed the 'Gospel' among those that asked him.’” (S. Kent Brown, Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986], 63 - 64.)

“Mark appeals to a gentile audience and is fast moving, emphasizing the doings more than the sayings of the Lord. He occasionally gives geographical and cultural explanations—necessary procedure for non-Jewish readers (see Mark 2:26; 5:41; 7:2-13)…Mark has the least amount of unique material, being only about 7 percent exclusive.” (Bible Dictionary, Gospels)

“A close comparative study of Matthew, Mark, and Luke shows that they have much in common. Thus they are called ‘synoptic,’ meaning that they take a ‘similar look’ at Christ. We find, for example, that the substance of 606 of the 661 verses of Mark appears in Matthew and that 380 of Mark's verses reappear with only slight alteration in Luke...To look at this another way, consider the following chart, which illustrates the material common and exclusive to each of the Gospels:

Gospel Exclusive Common

Mark 7% 93%

Matthew 42% 58%

Luke 59% 41%

John 92% 8%

“In other words, 93 percent of the material in Mark is included in the other Gospels…

“What is one to make of such statistics? What is the chronological and literary relationship between the Synoptic Gospels? The issues underlying these relationships constitute what biblical critics have come to denote the ‘synoptic problem.’ Since the nineteenth century many scholars have concluded that the resolution of the problem was to be found in stressing the priority and primacy of Mark, the shortest of the Gospels. The general consensus has been that Mark's was the first Gospel written and that Matthew and Luke drew upon Mark in preparing their own Gospels. This approach, known as the ‘Markan Hypothesis’ or the ‘Two-Document Hypothesis,’ contends that Matthew relied upon Mark, upon a ‘sayings source’ or collection of sayings of Jesus (known as the ‘Q Document,’ from the German word Quelle, ‘source’), and added his own peculiar style, perspective, and experiences in preparing the Gospel we know as Matthew. Supposedly Luke did the same.” (Kent P. Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1986], 49.)

[pam]

Mark 1:9 Jesus…was baptized of John in Jordan

Bruce R. McConkie

“He who was holy—who did no sin, in whose mouth was no guile, whose every thought and word and deed was perfect—even he came to John to be baptized. Why? Not for the remission of sins, for he had none; not to court popularity with the people who revered John, for his message was to stand or fall on its own merit; not because he needed spiritual regeneration, for the Spirit he had with him always—but he came to be baptized ‘to fulfil all righteousness,’ that is, to accomplish all that was required of him according to the terms and conditions of his Father's plan.

“’And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness,’ Nephi acclaimed, ‘O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!’

“Then Nephi asks how the Lamb of God, he being holy and needing no remission of sins, fulfilled all righteousness by being immersed in Jordan by John. His answer falls into five parts, and Jesus was baptized for these reasons:

“1. To signify his humility before the Father; to show that ‘according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father.’ He is God's Almighty Son; he made the worlds; the sidereal heavens rolled into existence at his word; he has all power in heaven and on earth—and yet, as a perfect pattern of humility, he wades out into a dirty stream, whose waters are scarcely fit for human consumption, and permits a rugged, unpolished man from the desert to immerse him in baptism, because such is the law of the Lord.

“2. As a covenant of obedience; he ‘witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.’ He came not to do his own will, but the will of the Father, who sent him. He was no more free of constraint and control than is any man. He walked the course set out for him because it was his Father's will, and he was under covenant, made in the waters of baptism, to do the will of the Father.

“3. To receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; that is to say, to conform to the law that gave him the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead. As we are aware, this was a formality only in his case, for he being holy and without sin, the Spirit was his companion always. At baptism he simply went through the form that is required for all men, and that he should have done so is manifest by the fact that ‘the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.’

“4. To gain an inheritance in the celestial kingdom; that is, his baptism ‘showeth unto the children of men the straightness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.’ In other words, though he is the King of the kingdom, though he authors and proclaims his Father's plan of salvation, though he ordains and establishes the laws governing all things, yet he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without baptism.

“5. As an example to all men; to mark the course and chart the way; to show them the path they must follow. ‘And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren,’ Nephi says, ‘can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?’ ("2 Ne. 31:5"2 Ne. 31:6"2 Ne. 31:7"2 Ne. 31:8"2 Ne. 31:9"2 Ne. 31:10"2 Ne. 31:11"2 Ne. 31:122 Ne. 31:5-12.)

“And so it is that the Lord Jesus is baptized—to save himself and to mark the path in which all others must walk to gain the same salvation…’to fulfil all righteousness.’” (The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 1: 403.)

Dallin H. Oaks

“Those who seek to follow the Savior will understand the importance of the ordinance of baptism. The Lamb without Blemish saw fit to submit himself to baptism by one holding the authority of the priesthood in order to ‘fulfil all righteousness.’ How much more each of us has need of the cleansing and saving power of this ordinance and the other ordinances of the gospel.” (“Always Remember Him,” Ensign, May 1988, 31)

[pam]

Mark 2:27 The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath

James E. Faust

“Jesus reaffirmed the importance of the Sabbath day devotion, but he introduced a new spirit into this part of worship. Rather than observe the endless technicalities and prohibitions concerning what should and should not be done on the Lord's day, he affirmed that it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath (see "Matt. 12:12Matthew 12:12). He taught us that ‘the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day’ (verse 8) and introduced the principle that ‘the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath’ ("Mark 2:27Mark 2:27). He performed good deeds on the Sabbath, such as healing the man with palsy (see "Mark 2:1"Mark 2:2"Mark 2:3"Mark 2:4"Mark 2:5"Mark 2:6"Mark 2:7"Mark 2:8"Mark 2:9"Mark 2:10"Mark 2:11"Mark 2:12Mark 2:1-12) as well as the man with the paralyzed hand (see "Matt. 12:10"Matt. 12:11"Matt. 12:12"Matt. 12:13Matthew 12:10-13). So the divine mandate of Sabbath day observance in our day is now a manifestation of individual devotion and commitment rather than a requirement of civil law…Keeping the Sabbath day holy is much more than just physical rest. It involves spiritual renewal and worship. President Spencer W. Kimball gave excellent counsel on Sabbath day observance. He said:

“The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. To fail to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.’” (Finding Light in a Dark World [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 111 - 112.)

Russell M. Nelson

“In taking this commandment seriously, the early children of Israel compiled long lists of deeds that were not permitted on the Sabbath. The Savior came later to clarify that man was not created for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was created for man. (See "Mark 2:27Mark 2:27.)

“When I was a youth, I wondered just what activities were appropriate for the Sabbath. I read lists of dos and don'ts, all prepared by others. But now I have a much better understanding. I gained precious insight from two Old Testament scriptures. The first is from Exodus: ‘The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, . . . My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.’ ("Ex. 31:12"Ex. 31:13Exodus 31:12-13.) The other scripture is from Ezekiel: ‘I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. . . . I am the Lord your God; . . . hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.’ ("Ezek. 20:12Ezekiel 20:12, "Ezek. 20:19"Ezek. 20:2019-20.)

“Now I understand that my behavior on the Sabbath is my sign to the Lord of my regard for him and for the covenant under which I was born. If, on the one hand, my interests on the Sabbath were turned to pro football games or worldly movies, the sign from me to him would clearly be that my devotion would not favor the Lord. If, on the other hand, my Sabbath interests were focused on the Lord and his teachings, my family, or the sick, or the poor, and the needy, that sign would likewise be visible to God. Our activities on the Sabbath will be appropriate as we consider them to be our personal sign to him of our commitment to the Lord.” (The Power within Us [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1988], 126-127.)

If, on the one hand, my interests on the Sabbath were turned to pro football games

This truly is a tough spot for me as I so dearly love football. Another one of the numerous things I must work on.

[pam]

Mark 3:4 Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil?

What a great question to ask ourselves! In the debate over what is appropriate Sabbath activity, this question settles the debate, ‘is it lawful to do good…or to do evil?’ Maybe we should ask ourselves this question more often.

“Most of us would like to have our Sabbath dos and don’ts spelled out in black and white; then we could be relieved from having to make decisions. But with the Sabbath, as with many other things, there are many gray areas, and one of our great opportunities is to learn how to make the right choices. Ancient Israel allowed itself to get into a ‘no win’ situation when its leaders attempted to spell out the Sabbath prohibitions. Before long they became entangled in a web of conflicting rules and regulations that emphasized the letter of the law rather than the spirit. Jesus found them ‘straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel’ when they complained about his breaking the Sabbath because he healed a man on that day. His pertinent question to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?’ left them without response. He followed by observing that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (see Mark 3:1–5; Mark 2:27).

“When the Prophet Joseph Smith was once asked how he governed his people, he responded by saying that he taught them correct principles and then let them govern themselves. A similar approach can be meaningful for each of us in determining whether a particular activity is compatible with the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. By first identifying the principles, we can then evaluate whether a given activity conforms to the spirit of keeping the Sabbath holy.” (Ben E. Lewis, “Q&A: Questions and Answers,” New Era, May 1984, 13)

[pam]

Mark 3:5 he…looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts

Paul H. Dunn

“Someone has said that ‘the measure of a man is the things that make him angry.’ And I believe that we have plenty of confirmation of this statement in the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as in the experiences of other noble souls who have lived since his time.

“11399“We note that, although Jesus warned his disciples against the evil results of uncontrolled temper, he became angry himself, and on at least one occasion he prepared to use force, if necessary, in driving evil practices from the halls of the temple. (See John 2:15.) But think, if you will, of the size of the things that aroused his anger. Men called him the prince of devils, and he paid little attention to their criticism. They had said that he was ignorant, but this had not caused him to lose his temper. They had spit in his face, mocked him, hit him, and later even hanged him to the cross, but he did not lose control of his feelings.

“11399“It was quite different, however, when they criticized him for doing good on the Sabbath. Realizing that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, he started to heal a poor fellow on the sacred day. And when he found the crowd in a critical mood, he ‘looked round about on them with anger. . . .’ (Mark 3:5.)

“11399“So long as men held him up personally to ridicule, he paid little attention. But in the presence of injustice, when men would be unfair and unkind toward each other, he threw the influence of his great, tempered personality against their evil practices. No one could hurt him by attempting to punish him as an individual, but they touched his heart when they were cruel to each other.” (Conference Report, April 1968, Afternoon Meeting 141.)

Harold B. Lee

“When the hypocritical Pharisees challenged him because he healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath day, the gospel writer records that he looked on them ‘with anger being grieved because of their hardness of heart.’ The wise preacher of the Old Testament declared that there is ‘a time to love and a time to hate.’ I can fancy the Master hating sin, hating social conditions that oppressed the poor and yet loving those who ‘despitefully’ used him. When the Ten Commandments were thundered from Mt. Sinai, the Lord declared, ‘I the Lord am a jealous God, and will have no other gods before me.’ The Apostle Paul counseled the saints to ‘be ye angry, and sin not,’ and spoke of being ‘jealous’ over them with a ‘godly jealousy.’ Yes, Jesus was ‘tempted as we are in all things’ yet he was without sin. Although he was moved by human emotions throughout his life, there was an essential difference between his expression of them and ours. His emotions were always under control. Frequently ours are uncontrolled and end in bitterness that endangers our own souls. He could hate sin yet have compassion on the sinner. He was angered at the narrowness and bigotry that closed men's minds to truth, yet he was patient in his teachings. He loved all mankind and jealously shepherded them against the evils of the day.” (Decisions for Successful Living [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973], 42 - 43.)

[pam]

Mark 5:22 one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet

Howard W. Hunter

“Matthew doesn’t give the name of this chief elder, but Mark identifies him by adding to his title the words, ‘Jairus by name.’ Nowhere else in the scriptures does this man or his name appear except on this occasion, yet his memory lives in history because of a brief contact with Jesus. Many, many lives have become memorable that otherwise would have been lost in obscurity had it not been for the touch of the Master’s hand that made a significant change of thought and action and a new and better life.

“’And when he saw him [that is, when Jairus saw Jesus], he fell at his feet.’

“This was an unusual circumstance for a man of rank and prestige, a ruler of the synagogue, to kneel at Jesus’ feet—at the feet of one considered to be an itinerant teacher with the gift of healing. Many others of learning and prestige saw Jesus also but ignored him. Their minds were closed. Today is no different; obstacles stand in the way of many to accept him.” (“Reading the Scriptures,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, 65)

[pam]

Mark 5:9 My name is Legion: for we are many

What if we were able to see this legion of evil spirits? How would they appear? What would it feel like to get a glimpse into the realm of Satan’s servants? Heber C. Kimball found out when he was a missionary in the British Isles in the early days of the church. Due to their success, Satan and his legion came to destroy them. Elder Kimball saw the evil army and described them as follows:

“…we saw the devils coming in legions, with their leaders, who came within a few feet of us. They came towards us like armies rushing to battle. They appeared to be men of full stature, possessing every form and feature of men in the flesh, who were angry and desperate; and I shall never forget the vindictive malignity depicted on their countenances as they looked me in the eye; and any attempt to paint the scene which then presented itself, or portray their malice and enmity, would be vain. I perspired exceedingly, my clothes becoming as wet as if I had been taken out of the river. I felt excessive pain, and was in the greatest distress for sometime. I cannot even look back on the scene without feelings of horror; yet by it I learned the power of the adversary, his enmity against the servants of God, and got some understanding of the invisible world.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 4 vols. [salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1946-1949], 3: 99.)

[pam]

Mark 6:3-4 the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?

Jesus was raised in a large family with four brothers and at least two sisters. At this point in his ministry, the Lord’s siblings did not understand who Jesus really was. Some of his younger half-brothers would become great servants in the kingdom, but not until after the resurrection. James became known as James the Just. It would seem that he replaced James the brother of John in the acting First Presidency. He is credited with the remarkable book of James and became the “bishop of Jerusalem”—a title which meant the leading ecclesiastical authority of the city not a bishop over a small congregation as we would understand it today (see Acts 15). Jesus’ brother, Juda, must have been recognized as a general church authority for he is thought to be the author of the book of Jude.

“Mark 6:3 tells us that Jesus had four younger brothers and at least two sisters, the children of Mary and Joseph. The sisters’ names have not been preserved, but the brothers were called James (in the Hebrew, Jacob), Joses (in the Hebrew, Joseph, after his father), Simon, and Judas or Juda (also known as Jude). (See also Matt. 13:55.)

“Although there is no scriptural evidence for it, tradition claims that when Mary’s husband died, her eldest son, Jesus, took over his business and supported the family until his brothers and sisters were married or independent. Even if that were not true, by the time Jesus was thirty, evidently his mother was a widow, and as the oldest male in the family, Jesus was sought out when there were important family matters to consider, even after he had given up his carpenter tools and engaged full-time in his ministry. (See Matt. 12:46–47.)

“They were a close family. After the marriage at Cana (because of Mary’s and Jesus’ roles at the feast, the wedding was most likely that of a close relative), the whole family accompanied Jesus and his earliest disciples to nearby Capernaum, where they stayed for a short time. (See John 2:1–12.)

“The first weeks of Jesus’ ministry were full of glorious successes. Luke says of the Savior’s first missionary journey, ‘Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.’ (Luke 4:14.)

“Yet, when Jesus returned to Nazareth and declared his Messiahship to his former friends and neighbors, the response was uniformly hostile. The congregation became so angry at his claims that they attempted to cast him off a cliff. He escaped, but it is not recorded that any brother’s voice or hand was raised in his defense. (See Luke 4:16–30.) The sad truth is that, despite their exposure to his words and his works, ‘neither did his brethren believe in him.’ (John 7:5.)

“Months later, during a second missionary journey through Galilee, Jesus revisited Nazareth. Although he had established himself as a prophet and a healer whose name had become well known in the land, the Nazarenes’ response was so derisive that he exclaimed, ‘A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.’ (Mark 6:4; italics added.)

“We can only imagine the degree of Jesus’ pain at this rejection by those he loved.” (Carlfred B. Broderick, “The Brothers of Jesus: Loving the Unbelieving Relative,” Ensign, Mar. 1987, 50)