Day 7 August 16 - Mark 7-11

[pam]

Discussion

[KeithLBrown]

Thou art the Christ

Scripture Reference: Mark 8:27-29

27 ¶ And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

This Is The Christ!, Sacrament talk delivered to by me to the congregation of the Annapolis Maryland Ward, Easter Sunday Morning, 23 March 2008.

"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13-16). Peter would later testify that Jesus "was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for [us]" (1 Peter 1:20). And in Doctrine and Covenants 93:21, we are taught that He was "in the beginning with the Father, and [is] the Firstborn."

When the Father’s plan of salvation and happiness was presented (see Alma 42:5,8), one was required to atone to provide redemption and mercy to all those who accepted the plan. The Father asked, "Whom shall I send?" He who was to be known as Jesus freely and willingly chose to answer, "Here am I, send me" (Abraham 3:27). "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever" (Moses 4:2).

We can read and learn of the Father’s plan of salvation and happiness in the Book of Mormon, in Alma chapter 34 beginning at verse 9 and continuing through verse 16.

Alma 34:9-16

9 For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice.
11 Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another. Now, if a man murdereth, behold will our law, which is just, take the life of his brother? I say unto you, Nay.
12 But the law requireth the life of him who hath murdered; therefore there can be nothing which is short of an infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.
13 Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.
14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
15 And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
16 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.

As taught in Alma 42:15, we can see that "all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence. And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also."

Salvation could not come to the world except it was through a mediator and that Great Mediator was the Lord Jesus Christ. We are taught in 2 Nephi 2:6: "wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth." And in John 3:16-17 we learn that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Who is Jesus Christ? It is He of whom the prophet Isaiah prophesied would be "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). He is the one who bore our grief and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). He was "wounded for our transgressions . . . bruised for our iniquities. . . .And with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). He was oppressed and afflicted and was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, He opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). He who knew no sin became sin’s final sacrifice. He paid a debt that He did not owe – a debt that none of us could ever pay on our own.

This is the Christ! He is the Holy Lamb of God, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Master, and our King. Nothing can compare to "His Unspeakable Gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15), that the Son of God "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). May His name be forever blessed "for His Great love wherewith He loved us" (Ephesians 2:4) by His voluntary sacrifice, that we "might have Life through His name" (John 20:31).

If He were to ask me the question "Whom say ye that I am?" I would echo the words of the Apostle Peter and proclaim "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Of these things I do so testify and bear solemn witness in the sacred name of Him who is the Resurrection and the Life, even the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Edited August 20, 2009 by pam

[pam]

Mark 7:8 laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men

“The Pharisees and the Essenes…believed in something called the ‘oral’ Law. This was a body of oral traditions which interpreted the written Law of Moses and applied it to new situations. It was often claimed that these traditions had been given to Moses on Mount Sinai; but actually they were attempts of later teachers to ‘fine-tune’ the Law of Moses. This was done (in the absence of revelation) in an effort to extend or even to alter the requirements of the Law in the face of changing social circumstances.” (Stephen E. Robinson, “The Law after Christ,” Ensign, Sept. 1983, 69)

“Often called ‘the tradition of men’ or ‘the traditions of the fathers’ (Mark 7:8; Gal. 1:14.), these interpretations and commentaries on the law in large measure came to govern Jewish life. Had the Pharisees been more intense in their study of the law itself rather than in the commentaries upon it, they might have recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah. And had they been more eager to apply its teachings rather than to seek for further things they could not understand, they might have been able to accept him.” (Robert L. Millet, “Looking beyond the Mark: Why Many Did Not Accept the Messiah,” Ensign, July 1987, 61)

[pam]

Mark 7:15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him

It is doubtful that the Lord would utter the same statement today. While eating food with dirty hands may not defile a man, modern day tobacco, hard liquor, and illicit drugs defile both the body and spirit. Their regular use and addictive potential can be most destructive and devastating: binding the individual to appetite, destroying personal freedoms, and negating individual agency. In this regard, Elder Maxwell has noted, “It is so easy to become imprisoned in the single well-lit cell of one impulse and one appetite.” (Notwithstanding My Weakness [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 100.)

Gordon B. Hinckley

“Some have even used as an alibi the fact that drugs are not mentioned in the Word of Wisdom. What a miserable excuse. There is likewise no mention of the hazards of diving into an empty swimming pool or of jumping from an overpass onto the freeway. But who doubts the deadly consequences of such? Common sense would dictate against such behavior.

“Regardless of the Word of Wisdom, there is a divinely given reason for avoiding these illegal substances.

“I am convinced that their use is an affront to God. He is our Creator. We are made in His image. These remarkable and wonderful bodies are His handiwork. Does anyone think that he can deliberately injure and impair his body without affronting its Creator? We are told again and again that the body is the tabernacle of the spirit. We are told that it is a temple, holy to the Lord. In a time of terrible conflict between the Nephites and the Lamanites, we are told that the Nephites, who had been strong, became ‘weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples.’ (Hel. 4:24.)

“Alma taught the people of Zarahemla: The Lord ‘doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God.’ (Alma 7:21.)

“Can anyone doubt that the taking of these mind- and body-destroying drugs is an act of unholiness? Does anyone think that the Spirit of God can dwell in the temple of the body when that body is defiled by these destructive elements? If there be a young man anywhere who is listening tonight, who is tampering with these things, let him resolve forthwith, and with the strongest determination of which he is capable, that he will never touch them again.” (“The Scourge of Illicit Drugs,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 50)

[pam]

Mark 7:29 For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter

Jesus had been instructed of his Father to minister only to the House of Israel (Matt 15:24). Yet, this Gentile woman shows such faithful tenacity that the Savior is placed in a position to decide between responding to the woman’s faith and following the Father’s instruction. It’s a classic case: not a choice between good and evil but a choice between good and better.

How does the Savior respond? What can we learn from his dilemma? Did he respond with the letter or the spirit of the law? Knowing the character of God, Jesus knew what Elohim would want him to do. He would respond with compassion. The lesson is that people are more important than policy—that compassion is more important than conformity—that the spirit gives life to the letter of the law and not vice versa.

A latter-day analogy may be useful. Imagine yourself assigned to the recommend desk at the Salt Lake Temple. A bride’s mother comes in but fumbles around for her recommend, unable to find it. According to your job description, you are 100% justified in forbidding entrance to the Temple. However, you know that people are more important than policies so exceptions are made. The temple presidency is contacted, a call is made to the sister’s stake president, and the embarrassed mother is allowed in. Wouldn’t the Savior have responded the same way?

“Jesus our Lord placed people first. People before programs, people before rules and regulations. For example, ‘the sabbath was made for man,’ he said, ‘and not man for the sabbath’ ("Mark 2:27Mark 2:27). There must be order and cleanliness in the kingdom of God, and members of the Church are expected to abide by the laws and statutes of a divinely established institution… Jesus our Lord also placed people before his own convenience. Jesus ‘went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would that no man should come unto him.’ He was tired. He was weary. He needed, as do we all occasionally, a moment to himself. ‘But he could not deny them; for he had compassion upon all men’ (JST, "Mark 7:22"Mark 7:23Mark 7:22-23). The work and glory of God are to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man ("Moses 1:39Moses 1:39). That is, God's work is people. People are ends in themselves, never means, no matter how noble the desired end.” (Robert L. Millet, An Eye Single to the Glory of God: Reflections on the Cost of Discipleship [salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 92.)

[pam]

Mark 10:16 he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them

Jay E. Jensen

The inspiring and tender account of Jesus blessing the children is found in three of the four gospels (see Matt. 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16; Luke 18:15–17). The three accounts vary slightly. Matthew reports that Jesus “laid his hands on them” (Matt. 19:15). Luke does not record Him blessing them. Only in Mark’s account is found this tender experience: “And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). We do not know how many children were so blessed to have Him take them into His arms, put His hands on them, and bless them. Painters have captured tender expressions and scenes depicting Jesus holding little children, touching them, or blessing them. Yet happily for all of us, adults included, if we keep the commandments of God and prove faithful, He has promised, “I will encircle thee in the arms of my love” (D&C 6:20). (“Little Children and the Gospel,” Ensign, Jan. 1999, 34)

Thomas S. Monson

When I was a boy your age, I too had a teacher in Sunday School. From the Bible she would read to us of Jesus, the Redeemer and the Savior of the world. One day she taught us how the little children were brought to Him, that He should put His hands on them and pray. His disciples rebuked those who brought the children. “But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

That lesson has never left me. Indeed, years ago I relearned its meaning and partook of its power. My teacher was the Lord. May I share with you this experience.

Far away from Salt Lake City, and some 80 miles from Shreveport, Louisiana, lived the Jack Methvin family. Mother, Dad, and the children are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There was a lovely daughter who, by her presence, graced that home. Her name was Christal. She was but 10 years old when death ended her earthly sojourn.

Christal liked to run and play on the spacious ranch where her family lived. She could ride horses skillfully and excelled in 4-H work, winning awards in the local and state fairs. Her future was bright, and life was wonderful. Then there was discovered on her leg an unusual lump. The specialists in New Orleans completed their diagnosis and rendered their verdict: carcinoma. The leg must be removed.

Christal recovered well from the surgery, lived as buoyantly as ever, and never complained. Then the doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to her tiny lungs.

Christal’s condition deteriorated. The end drew nigh. But her faith did not waver. She knew that stake conference was approaching. To her parents she said, “Do you think whoever is assigned to our stake conference could give me a blessing?”

Meanwhile in Salt Lake City, with no knowledge of the events transpiring in Shreveport, an unusual situation developed. For the weekend of the Shreveport Louisiana Stake conference, I had been assigned to El Paso, Texas. President Ezra Taft Benson, who was then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called me to his office and explained that one of the other Brethren had done some preparatory work regarding the stake division in El Paso. He asked if I would mind were another to be assigned to El Paso and I assigned elsewhere. Of course there was no problem; anywhere would be fine with me. Then President Benson said, “Brother Monson, I feel impressed to have you visit the Shreveport Louisiana Stake.”

The assignment was accepted. The day came. I arrived in Shreveport.

That Saturday afternoon was filled with meetings: one with the stake presidency, one with priesthood leaders, one with the patriarch, then yet another with the general leadership of the stake. Rather apologetically, stake president Charles F. Cagle asked if my schedule would permit me time to provide a blessing to a 10-year-old girl afflicted with cancer. Her name: Christal Methvin. I responded that, if possible, I would do so, and then inquired if she would be at the conference, or was she in a Shreveport hospital. Knowing the time was tightly scheduled, President Cagle almost whispered that Christal was confined to her home many miles from Shreveport.

I examined the schedule of meetings for that evening and the next morning, even my return flight. There simply was no available time. An alternative suggestion came to mind. Could we not remember the little one in our prayers at conference? Surely the Lord would understand. On this basis we proceeded with the scheduled meetings.

When the word was communicated to the Methvin family, there was understanding but disappointment as well. They prayed fervently, asking for a final favor—that their precious Christal would realize her desire.

At the very moment the Methvin family knelt in prayer, the clock in the stake center showed the time to be 7:45 P.M. The Saturday leadership meeting had been inspirational. I was sorting my notes, preparing to step to the pulpit, when I heard a voice speak to my spirit. The message was brief, the words familiar: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” My notes became a blur. My thoughts turned to a tiny girl who desired a blessing. The decision was made, the meeting schedule altered. After all, people are more important than meetings. I turned to Bishop James Serra and asked that he leave the meeting and advise the Methvins.

The Methvin family had just arisen from their knees when the telephone rang and the message was relayed. They were informed that early on Sunday morning—the Lord’s day—in a spirit of fasting and prayer, we would journey to Christal’s bedside.

I shall ever remember and never forget that early-morning journey to a heaven the Methvin family called home. I have been in hallowed places—even holy houses—but never have I felt more strongly the presence of the Lord than in the Methvin home. Christal looked so tiny, lying peacefully on such a large bed. The room was bright and cheerful. The sunshine from the east window filled the bedroom with light as the Lord filled our hearts with love.

The family surrounded Christal’s bedside. I gazed down at a child who was too ill to rise—almost too weak to speak. Her illness had now rendered her sightless. So strong was the Spirit that I fell to my knees, took her frail hand in mine, and said simply, “Christal, I am here.” She parted her lips and whispered, “Brother Monson, I just knew you would come.” I looked around the room. No one was standing. Each was on bended knee. A blessing was given. A faint smile crossed Christal’s face. Her whispered “thank you” provided an appropriate benediction. Quietly, each filed from the room.

Four days later, on Thursday, as Church members in Shreveport joined their faith with the Methvin family and Christal’s name was remembered in a special prayer to a kind and loving Heavenly Father, the pure spirit of Christal Methvin left its disease-ravaged body and entered the paradise of God.

…For us there is no need to wonder or to wait. Said the Master, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” To you, Jack and Nancy Methvin, He speaks: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” And from your sweet Christal could well come the comforting expression: “I go to prepare a place for you … that where I am, there ye may be also.” (“The Faith of a Child,” Ensign, Aug. 1998, 2-5)