Jesus taught so much that I can't even think of a title... (Luke 12-17; John 11)

Luke

12:1-3

Hypocrisy is a problem. It's a bigger problem than we may realize. The definition of hypocrisy is: "the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform." It's from the Greek hupokrisis which is "acting of a theatrical part." It's about being one thing and pretending to be something else.

Jesus warned about it. "...he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops." We cannot avoid the consequences of our secret acts. Those consequences always come. There is always a cause and effect to our behavior - secret or not. If I pretend to be a righteous, moral, church-going person but my week is filled with sinful decisions, the resulting consequences of those actions will show up sooner or later.

My secret behavior affects me. It has to. In fact, my secret behavior IS me. What I do when no one is around defines me. I may be able to fake it during church, but I remain my real self.

When the judgment day happens, my real self will show up. It won't be the version that I pretended to be. My willingness to sincerely repent and progress will continue on into the spirit world - and into eternity.

12:4-5

"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." With an eternal perspective, I have no reason to fear someone who is going to end my mortal life. My mortal life was sure to end anyway. My death at the hands of a person isn't anything to fear...eternally.

However, if a person is able to influence me to do wrong, that's the person who I should worry about. If there is someone who could lead me off of the path, I should fear that person.

I think this also could be talking about our needing to fear God himself. He is the only one who can kill us and send us to hell. His is the primary opinion we should care about. His justice and mercy will determine our eternal state. No wonder Abinadi said "But behold, and fear, and tremble before God, for ye ought to tremble; for the Lord redeemeth none such that rebel against him and die in their sins."

12:11-12

"And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." I have a really hard time with this one. When I teach or speak, a prepare a lot. I feel like I need to. When I don't prepare, I sometimes struggle.

I have had experiences where I have gone off of script and it's worked perfectly. I guess I need to do that more. I need to have more faith in the Spirit's ability to put words into my mouth.

I do think that preparation allows for a better union with the Spirit. If your study has been Spirit-led, the words are more accessible. If I am familiar enough with the material, I should be able to string thoughts together as guided by the Spirit.

We are speaking at a stake fireside next Sunday. I'm nervous because I think, if we are effective, we may be able to influence some of the young men and young women. I feel the responsibility. I am excited but very humbled. I'm relying a lot on the Spirit to guide what we choose to cover.

I think part of this is to rely on the Spirit to change hearts. It's not going to be our clever sentences that changes hearts. It's not going to be our effective presentation that will actually help the youth progress. It is the Spirit. So, if we more fully rely on the Spirit, of course our chances of having an impact are greater.

12:13-15

"And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Obviously, this man didn't understand the role of Jesus Christ. He was wanting the Son of God to resolve a property dispute!

Our mortal lives are not about acquiring abundance. Our life is not about what we own. If we covent material things, our priorities obviously need some adjusting. This question definitely shapes the parable and lesson that Jesus gives throughout this chapter.

Jesus really wanted to make the point that the things of this world have very little to do with the purpose of life.

12:16-21

"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." The purpose of this parable is to illustrate how silly it is to focus only on our physical or material needs.

This man thought that, if he was prepared temporally, he was okay to eat drink and be merry. He could be at ease. He could relax since he had all of his future physical needs met.

But, what has he layed in store for his spiritual future? Any of us could die today! Regardless, all of us are going to die eventually. There will come a time for all of us that any material wealth or supplies or investments will matter absolutely zero to us. "Laying up treasure" for ourselves should not be our life's mission.

12:22-31

"And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment." His disciples were meant to trust completely in the Lord. He sent them out without purse or scrip. He didn't even want them to take a second coat. We obviously need to work to provide for ourselves. We must be able to buy food and shelter and clothing. But we shouldn't think that this is everything.

"Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?" A raven does have to look for food to survive. The raven does have to work. So do we. But, we should have faith that, if we do what we can, the Lord will provide for us.

"And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Our primary mission of this life is to progress, submit to God's will, build the kingdom, repent and come unto Christ. Our goal should be to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything else is secondary. Of course we cannot just lay in our bed and repent and expect food to show up. But, we shouldn't think 99.9% about our worldly needs and then, as an afterthought, think about the kingdom of God!

12:32-34

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." We should view Heavenly Father this way. He isn't stingy with blessings or granting eternal life. We shouldn't be overwhelmed with stress and guilt that we aren't going to qualify for heaven. He wants us to receive everything. He's working for it. It is his greatest desire to see his children progress to be like him. He's all in.

"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." He is making clear the point that we should be focusing on heaven rather than what we can acquire in this world.

I especially like the last sentence. It is so easy to get that wrong. Our pride can be so strong. We see amazing things and can't help but want those things. Marketing messages do a wonderful job of making it seem like we should have it all. If we spend our lives striving for something, that thing is going to be the most important thing - whether we like it or not. We have to actively work hard to keep our perspective calibrated.

12:40, 45-46

"Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." We should be ready because we don't know when the Lord is coming.

However, for most of us, we aren't going to be alive when the Savior comes. So, how does this verse apply to us?

For most of us, the scripture could read, "you don't know when you're going to die - so make the most of every day to prepare for that time." We don't know when our mortal test will end. It's likely that it will end with our death rather than the return of the Savior.

"But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;" Instead of anticipating the Lord's return, let's focus on the day we die. For some of us, we may think that we have a long life ahead of us - plenty of time to repent for the wrong that we're choosing to do now.

That attitude will continue with us into the next life. That attitude reinforces a lack of faith and commitment. That attitude keeps us from loving and serving God with our whole heart. This life is a time to prove ourselves and we're missing the opportunity for some serious growth if we are in a holding pattern until it's too late.

"The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers." Those who believe but don't use their time to repent and move forward in faith, it will be worse for them than the unbelievers. I don't believe it's because God is reserving a special kind of punishment for them. I think they are forming their character which will prevent them from future growth. An unbeliever who finally is convinced that Jesus is the Savior may repent and progress faster than a believer to is in neutral.

It's about what we are willing to do. If we believe but don't act on that belief, we are forming a character that will not likely repent in the future - regardless of our current state. As a believer, I should act like a believer.

12:47-48

"And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." The consequences for those who know more but didn't prepare for do anything will be greater than for those who didn't know.

I don't think there is someone in heaven who beats people. I do think this is talking about consequences. If the goal is to progress to be like God, if we know that but don't want to act on it, of course our growth trajectory is altered. We are the ones altering it. We will actually choose that altered trajectory since it's what we want.

Those who don't know aren't altering their trajectory as much. They aren't sinning against a great light. Obviously, there will still be consequences but those consequences will not be as severe (imagining that when they are taught the truth that they respond).

It does sound like the Light of Christ is taken into account. The ignorant aren't just given a free pass. They still will be "beaten with a few stripes."

12:51-53

"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." The gospel is a gospel of peace - peace between God and man, peace in our souls from knowing that we are doing what God wants. Jesus loves peacemakers and taught that contention is of the devil.

Having said that, the natural man will always be in opposition to the gospel. Those who love this world will be opposed to those who are living the gospel. The natural man will always oppose the things of God. As long as there are mortals on earth, there will be conflict between right and wrong. There will always be opposition between good and evil and that opposition will break apart families.

Make no mistake, Jesus came to INCREASE the division between right and wrong. As members of the true and living Church, we will witness firsthand the struggle that is going to increase between good and evil.

14:7-11

"And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." This proving ground of mortality is about overcoming the natural man and submitting to God's will. This parable illustrates beautifully the point.

Pride is damning. Pride doesn't foster growth. If we believe we are deserving of honor, our desire to work hard to improve is diminished. If we head right to the head table on our own, what does that say about our humility. But, if we head towards the lowest room, doesn't that show humility? If we don't seek honor from men and, instead, patiently wait on the Lord to give us direction, how much better prepared are we to grow?

14:12-14

"Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." The second great commandment is about becoming selfless. If we only do good to those who might recompense us, are we truly developing anything resembling selflessness? No. It has become transactional. Our kindness is given to those who can give us advantage. We shouldn't do kind things for selfish, prideful reasons.

14:26-33

These verses describe the cost of discipleship. It is not free to be a disciple. "And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." We may have to give up those things that are near and dear to us. To be a true disciple, we should understand that we may be asked to give up our favorite things - including our own life.

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." To be a disciple, we must be able to carry whatever burden we have and follow Jesus. No excuse is valid. No mortal challenge gives us a free pass to discipleship. We've got to come unto Jesus carrying whatever is on our backs.

We need to realize this if we are intent on being a disciple. "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish." Discipleship is going to cost us and we should know that upfront.

The price is our lives. It may be our literal lives or it might be our lifestyle. It definitely means giving up our will. "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

15:1

“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.” I love that Jesus “drew near unto him” those who were struggling. It really must have been a sight. A perfect man among sinners. To me, it demonstrates most of all that making mistakes doesn’t disqualify us from the love of God.

I think that we sometimes hesitate to mingle with those who clearly have different standards than we do. Of course, we don’t want to allow others to be a bad influence on us. But, we can’t be a good influence on others that may need it if we sterilize our lives from sinners.

15:4, 8

“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” We all know this story. I’d like to point out that Jesus doesn’t stop until he finds us. He doesn’t get tired. We can’t travel too far away from him. It’s a beautiful love!

It’s the same thing with the woman losing a piece of silver. She will “seek diligently till she find it.”

15:20

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.” This is a perfect illustration of the unconditional love that Heavenly Father has for us. We can completely blow it but can “come to ourselves” and turn towards Heavenly Father and he will immediately forgive us and even celebrate our return.

It’s touching that Jesus is sharing these three parables to the “sinners and publicans.” He is definitely attempting to show them that they matter to God. They are worth a lot. They mean something. The prodigal son parable is especially helpful in that it’s illustrating the father/son relationship that truly does exist.

We sometimes view God as a supreme being. We see him as the ruler of the universe and our ultimate judge. In this church, we do call him Heavenly Father but I wonder if we fully feel and appreciate that relationship. When we see him, we’ll recognize him. His voice will be the most familiar voice we’ve ever heard. It’s going to be awesome to be finally reunited with him.

15:28-30

The brother wasn’t so pleased with the celebration over the prodigal son. “And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.” It is understandable that the son, who had not strayed, was angry because his good behavior wasn’t celebrated to the same degree. I get it.

I think there is a different kind of love that God has for those who stray and come back. The ultimate blessings are the same. As the father said, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” This celebration won’t take anything away from the other son. It is pride that fuels our jealousy when we see others receiving good things. I think we subconsciously think that. blessings are a “zero sum game.” In other words, if someone gets more, we get less. It doesn’t work that way with what Heavenly Father will give. Giving an inheritance to someone else doesn’t subtract from our own.

I would never recommend taking the path of the prodigal son. But, his path did create a appreciation for his father. It made him realize how dependent he was. His love for his father may have been more intense because of his experiences. Part of this life is to learn to be humble, submissive and teachable. I imagine that the prodigal son walks away from this day with loads of that - where the righteous son may not.

We are all trying to be the other son. We are all working to serve the Lord and not transgress at any time God’s commandments. We’re shooting for perfection. Frankly, some of us are very good at it. Some are excellent righteous children. We cannot allow our ability to be obedient to lead to pride. It happens a lot. Righteousness is often paired with unrighteousness. We just need to reevaluate how we’re doing with that…

16:10-12

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your atrust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?" In this life, we are given opportunities to demonstrate our faithfulness. This life is a time to prove ourselves. Of course, we are not trying to prove ourselves to God but we are proving ourselves the way that a metal bar can prove it's strength by holding weight.

If we bend under a little pressure, how are we going to handle it when we have a lot of pressure. Imagine the infinite amount of pressure and stress that Heavenly Father can handle. Was he always this way? No. It happened over time. We are given challenges the same way that we progress - line by line. First a little, then more.

If we are unfaithful with the things of this world, how faithful are we going to be with heavenly things? Riches, in this world, are a test to see what we do with resources. We are going to have different resources given to us in the next life but the principle will be the same. Will we use what we have to serve others or will we horde it? What we are able to dispense in the next life is much more important than what we have here. We will have "true riches."

Also, if we aren't faithful with what belongs to someone else - how will we treat our own heavenly wealth? In other words, if there isn't someone that is going to hold us account for the choices we make, will we make as good of choices. God is faithful. There is no one forcing him to be faithful. The question is, will we be the same?

16:13

"No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." This is absolutely true. Of course, we can be wealthy AND faithful. It just depends on what the motivation is. If we care about the money much more than God, then we are missing the point of this mortal exercise.

Our hearts cannot be set on God and mammon at the same time. And, if we bounce back and forth - guess what, our hearts are set on mammon. That's like saying that "I am a true Christian that worships Buddha also." If you're a true Christian, you cannot worship Christ and Buddha at the same time. Sure, you can appreciate the writings of Buddha - but you cannot truly worship both!

16:20

The story of Lazarus and the rich man is well known. One point that I'd like to make. This is the only parable where one of the characters is named. There is a point to that. Obviously, Lazarus was known by the Lord. He was important. He wasn't just a beggar.

It is a message to us about the worth of every soul. We often see people who are homeless, begging, apparently deranged living around us. You can't drive much in downtown SLC without seeing it. It's key to remember that EVERY SINGLE ONE of them is a son or daughter or God. They have divine potential inside of them. They are not forgotten even though they are struggling in this mortal existence. We should never forget that. We shouldn't disregard them as valueless. We should consider that their reward may be greater than ours.

16:31

"And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." This is very interesting and a point that I have made before. If we are not following the counsel of a prophet that we know to be real, a bright miracle isn't going to change us in a moment. We are truly converted by doing a few important things every single day - not an amazing miracle that happens once.

This is true for us and certainly true for the Pharisees. They had literally witnessed miracles - and it didn't matter one bit.

17:10

"So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." I think this is about pride. We shouldn't let pride creep in simply because we were obedient.

God never owes us anything. All that we have in this life and the next is because of him. We could serve him day and night and we'll still never pay him back. How do you pay someone back when your entire premortal, mortal and eternity exist because of what he has done?!

17:16

"And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan." I think that Jesus is purposefully saying that this one grateful one was a Samaritan. I think the point was that the Samaritan was grateful because he didn't expect help from a Jew.

The others, who didn't thank Jesus, may have felt somehow entitled to what had happened to them. Because they were entitled, they weren't as grateful for their miracles. It would be healthy for us to take a look at our lives and see where we might be being a little entitled and ungrateful...

17:20-24

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day." I think, in the very last days, that there are going to be miracles happening all around. Some of these miracles will be very convincing and may even tempt the very elect.

Imagine if an evangelical pastor performed an inexplicable miracle in front of a crowd. Perhaps someone was cured of a deformity in a moment. That may challenge the beliefs of some Church members. They may be persuaded to leave our church and join the evangelicals.

I think this scripture is saying that we shouldn't chase around various miracle workers who do something inexplicable in a revival tent. The return of the Savior will not be about miscellaneous miracles happening around the world. When it comes, there will no question what's happening! It will be obvious.

John

11:4, 6, 21, 25-26, 32

Jesus finds out that his friend Lazarus is very sick. Some might expect that he would immediately stop what he was doing to go tend to him. He didn't. He waited two more days before he traveled to see Lazarus. "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was." As a result of Christ's delay, Lazarus died.

Mary and Martha had faith that Jesus could heal him. They both commented about that. Martha said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Mary also said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

Why did he do this? To demonstrate his power. "When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

The huge point that Jesus was making is found in verses 25-26. "Jesus said unto her, 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." Jesus has power over death - then, now and in the future.

An important point is the delay. Martha and Mary were likely confused. They had a personal relationship with Jesus. He was healing strangers left and right. Why wouldn't he drop what he was doing and heal their brother?? They must have felt a little abandoned. They were at least confused that Jesus wasn't responding in a timely matter.

Of course, this can happen in our lives. We can question God's timing a lot. We easily believe that we have the complete picture and may get frustrated that God doesn't appear to be hearing our prayers.

We must have faith that God has our best interests always. He is going to do what will help us progress to be like him. It's his job. Random things are going to happen to use - good and bad. He allows both to happen so that our faith in him and confidence in ourselves can grow. Again, let's have faith that God knows what will happen and how we can best benefit by the seemingly random events in our life.

11:33-35

"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept." This has always been interesting to me. Jesus knew that he was going to heal Lazarus. If he knew, why was he sad?

I think it points to the infinite empathy that Jesus has for us. He feels our pain. He cares when we are sad. It affects him emotionally. Even though he knows it will work out for all of us, he still feels our pain of the moment.

This really illustrates how Jesus is a real, feeling person. He isn't just a force or completely on a different level than us. It's not like he's this detached God who sits on his throne. He is with us and feels something when we are sad. I love this about him!

11:39, 44

With raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus did allow the people to do whatever they could do. "Jesus said, Take ye away the stone." Jesus could have moved the stone with his powers. If he can raise someone from the dead, he can certainly move the stone. However, he wanted the people to do what they could.

When Lazarus was wrapped up in graves clothes, "Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." Again, Jesus could have snapped his fingers and gotten the "napkin" to suddenly drop from him. But, Jesus wanted them to do what was possible for them to do.

It is this way for us. He only does those things that aren't possible for us to do. He expects us to do what we can. This allows for the most growth on our part. It's a good system. Jesus is very smart.