Week 8

This week I had the opportunity to study the parables in Matthew 25. I want to focus this week's blog post on the parable of the 10 Virgins.

I love this parable because it teaches us what we need to do in order to be able to participate in the blessings of following Jesus Christ. The parable of the 10 Virgins can be found in Matthew 25:1-13, and it goes like this: there were 10 virgins that were waiting for the bridegroom of a wedding to come so that they could join the wedding party. The groom was late so they slept and waited around for him to come. They heard a cry at midnight that said that he was coming, so the 10 virgins got up and ready for him to come. Five of them were wise and had extra oil for their lamps, but five were foolish and did not have extra oil. They asked the wise virgins for oil, but they couldn't give it to them because they wouldn't have enough for themselves if they shared. So the five foolish virgins ran to try to buy some oil, but when they got back, the door to the wedding was shut, and when the knocked, the bridegroom answered and said that he knew them not.

Now, at first glance, this seems like an almost boring story with a lesson on being prepared, but it's more than that. The parable is not about physical preparedness, it's about being spiritually prepared to meet God. The five wise virgins represent the people that do what God asks of us and follow the commandments, and the five foolish virgins are the people that don't. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ and the wedding is heaven. We cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven if we don't follow the commandments and do things that Heavenly Father asks us to do, nor can we enter on the merits of man alone. We must add oil to our own lamps one drop at a time so that when the time comes, we will be ready. 

One of the things that I used to struggle with in the parable was the reasoning behind the five wise virgins not being able to share their oil. I thought that surely they could spare some of it so that the other five virgins would be able to go to the feast too. I found a quote about this predicament that reads:

"President Spencer W. Kimball (1899–1985) discussed what the oil symbolizes and why it cannot be shared with those who are foolish: 'The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge? How can one share faith or testimony? How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission? How can one share temple privileges? Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself. …'In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps'" (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 255–56).

I hope that that quote will help you to be able to understand why each of us in this life need to act for ourselves and make the right choices ourselves because we CANNOT borrow from other people.

This week's study principle:

Patterns and Themes- We can learn more from the scriptures if we look for patterns and themes while we are reading. They can help us connect verses and chapters and allow us to see the bigger picture.

Midterm

Scriptural Analysis of Matthew 25

When studying the scriptures, there are many ways to understand and apply the gospel doctrines. It is important to know and apply these methods when studying, because with them, the reader may better apply the teachings to themselves and know why these teachings are sacred and should be applied to his or her life. Heavenly Father provided us with the bible, Book of Mormon, and Pearl of Great Price for a reason, and if we know how to relate the principles and teachings therein, we will be able to live them, and be more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. These ways include, but are not limited to, asking questions, picking out and learning the principles, cross referencing with conference talks, articles, and commentaries, using the footnotes and lexicons, identifying patterns and themes, and putting the verses into context. This essay will focus on applying all of these study skills to the book of Matthew 25 in the New Testament.

The first study skill that this essay will cover will be the study skill called “asking questions” which is where the reader of the scriptures asks questions to clarify, expound, clear up, and understand what is in the text. In Matthew 25, there are many parables that are told by Jesus Christ, and at first glance, the text just seems to be a story book with stories that are totally unrelated, and frankly, strange. But when the reader starts to ask questions, the meanings of the parable begin to come alive. The first parable in the chapter is the parable of the ten virgins. In this parable, ten young girls are waiting for the bridegroom to come so that they may go to the marriage. Five of them are wise because they brought extra oil for their lamps and five of them are foolish because they did not bring extra oil. When the time came to go to the wedding, the foolish virgins were out of oil and the wise virgins were not. The five foolish virgins asked the five wise virgins for oil, but they said no and went to the wedding. The foolish virgins were not able to enter. Knowing this, one might begin to ask questions. Some of the questions that a reader might have could be: why did the foolish virgins not buy oil? Why would they need lamps to go to a wedding? Why were the five wise virgins so selfish with their oil? What is this story supposed to represent? Some of the questions listed above are questions that cannot be answered right away, but all of them can be answered. To ask questions is extremely important because without the answers, there are no lessons to be learned, and even questions that can’t be answered are important too, because it means that the reader is thinking about the lessons to be learned.

The second study skill that is important to understand and apply is being to read between the lines in the verses and pick out principles. This study skill is extremely important because without it, the scriptures are just nice stories. We can find this skill in Matthew 25 in the parable of the talents. In this story, there is a master that has three servants. He gave a certain amount of money (talents) to each servant and then went his way.  In Matthew 25:15 it reads: “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.” The master represents God and the servants represent all of His children, or, in other words, us. A principle that we can learn from this verse is that the Lord gives blesses all of His children differently. We cannot compare our lives to those of other people because life is not fair; it never has been and it never will be. In this way, principles can be gleaned from every verse in the chapters of the scriptures and then applied to better the life of the reader. These small verses have a lot to teach if one is willing to read between the lines.

Another study skill that be used to enrich the experience of reading the scriptures is that of looking up general conference talks, articles, and commentaries about the chapters, verses, stories, and parables. This can be applied to the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. The parable of the sheep and goats can be summarized in this way; when the judgment happens, we will be separated into the “goats” and the “sheep.” The sheep will be on the right hand of God (His good side, so to speak) and the goats will be on His left. What will determine where we end up will be how well we follow the commandments, more specifically, the commandment to be charitable and serve our fellow man. The famous quote, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”, is found in this parable. To apply the study skill, the reader only needs to google parts of the parable that they want to have insight on and read through the articles that come up. For example, in Huge E. Martinez’s October 2014 general conference talk, he said, “We have the special opportunity to be instruments in His hands. We can be so in our marriages, in our families, with our friends, and with our fellow man. That is our personal ministry as true disciples of Jesus Christ.” He then quoted Matthew 25. From this we can learn that as followers of Christ, we have the ability to help be Jesus’ hands here on the earth.

Being able to use the footnotes and Greek lexicons are another tool that we have available to clarify the scriptures. In the parable of the 10 virgins, which was previously explained in this essay, the five foolish virgins were not able to enter the wedding because the door was shut, and the bridegroom says that he knows them not. (Matthew 25:12) When one looks at the footnote “a” for Matthew 25:12, it says that in the Joseph Smith translation of the verse reads, “Verily I say unto you, Ye know me not.” This changes the whole meaning of the verse from it being the bridegroom’s fault to it being the virgins’ fault. When we apply this to our own lives, we see that we are the only ones that can gain entry into heaven. The debt has already been paid; we just have to use repent and do our part. Greek lexicons work in a similar way. When the reader wants to clarify the meaning of a word, or is curious to see how something could have been translated, the use of a Greek lexicon is extremely enlightening. For example, the use of the word Lord in Matthew 25:11, is translated from the Greek word “kurios” which means “a person exercising absolute ownership rights.” (BibleHub) This is interesting because we can see why Jesus is called Lord at times; he, along with God, has absolute ownership rights over us.

The fifth study skill that this paper will cover will be patterns and themes. A pattern or a theme is something that is very useful in the linking of stories and events. In Matthew 25, we see the pattern of the Savior teaching in parables. This an extremely important concept to understand because if the reader didn’t recognize that the Savior taught in parables, they would be extremely confused as to why He was such a story teller. The importance of finding and understanding patterns and themes is to be able to comprehend exactly what is being taught and to be able to find links to other scriptures that clarify and/or add on. In a talk by Elder Bednar entitled A Reservoir of Living Water, he says, “In my judgment, diligently searching to discover connections, patterns, and themes is in part what it means to “feast” upon the words of Christ. This approach can open the floodgates of the spiritual reservoir, enlighten our understanding through His Spirit, and produce a depth of gratitude for the Holy Scriptures and a degree of spiritual commitment that can be received in no other way. Such searching enables us to build upon the rock of our Redeemer and to withstand the winds of wickedness in these latter days.”

The last study skill that this paper will cover is the study skill of context. This means being able to place events, paces, and happenings in order and in the right place. Without this study skill, the reader will become lost and not know what is happening in the chapters of the scriptures. In order to be able to know the context of a verse, chapter, story, etc. in the scriptures, the reader has to look at chapter headings, chapters before and after the one they are reading, the institute manual, and might also look to talks or commentaries. In Matthew 25, the reader knows that Jesus is teaching, but maybe not when or where. The answer to this question is found in the student manual of the New Testament. In it, it reads, “Matthew 25 is a continuation of the Savior’s teachings on the Mount of Olives.” This tells the reader where he was and what he was doing; and that is extremely vital to understanding the parables.
In conclusion, in order to be able to fully understand the scriptures, all of the study skills need to be understood and applied. Matthew 25 is an amazing chapter that encompasses the teaching methods of Jesus Christ, and when principles are found, conference talks, articles, and commentaries are used, footnotes and lexicons are taken note of, patterns and themes are identified, and context is provided, the beautiful teachings of the Savior are able to be learned and applied.
 

Works Cited

Martinez, Elder Hugo E. "Our Personal Ministries." By Elder Hugo E. Martinez. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
"Matthew 25." Matthew 25. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
"New Testament Student Manual Chapter 8: Matthew 24–25; Joseph Smith-Matthew." New Testament Student Manual. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
Speeches, BYU. "The Scriptures: A Reservoir of Living Water." BYU Speeches. BYU Speeches, 04 Feb. 2007. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
"Strong's Greek: 2962. κύριος (kurios) -- Lord, Master." Strong's Greek: 2962. κύριος (kurios) -- Lord, Master. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.

Week 7

This week I wanted to share my thoughts on the parable of the good samaritan. This parable can be found in Luke 10:30-37, and is a beautiful story of compassion, love, and doing what Jesus would do.

I want to start by giving a little context. In the same chapter, Jesus appointed 70 men to go out and teach the gospel, and when they returned, He started teaching. A man stood up and asked what the greatest commandment was. Jesus answered that the greatest commandment was love God and love thy neighbor. The man then asked who his neighbor was was Jesus told him the story of the good samaritan. The verses read:

Matthew: 30-37- And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ...And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ...And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. ...But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, ..And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ...And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. ...Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? ...And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

What I love about this story is that the good samaritan went above and beyond helping the man he found lying in the road; he took him to an inn, took care of him, told the innkeeper to help him, and that he would pay for whatever the innkeeper spent.

When I was reading this story, I got a little upset because two men passed him and didn't stop to help him at all. I said to myself that I would have helped him had it been me that passed him. Then I realized that nowadays it's not likely that we pass someone beaten and lying in the road, but we do find people who are beaten mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, and it's our job to help them. I hope that when see someone in need, we help them and be like the good samaritan.

This week's study principle:

Footnotes and Lexicons- When reading in the scriptures, look to the footnotes, they will lead you to to other scriptures or definitions of words that will allow you to understand the scriptures. You can also look up the greek lexicon to better understand the translations and meanings of words.

Week 6

This week I had the opportunity to study the story of Jesus Christ walking on the water. I love this story because there are many things to be learned and we can apply those lessons to our lives and become more faithful followers of Christ.

The story can be found in Matthew 14 verses 22-33. In these verses, Jesus sends the disciples away to board a boat and He and goes up into a mountain to pray. Meanwhile, all of the disciples are on the boat and a fierce wind begins to blow, causing them to become a little frightened. 

Matthew 14:25-26- And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. ...And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

The disciples didn't know that it was their Lord and Master that was walking toward them; they thought that it was a ghost that was coming to haunt them. I think that if I would have been in their situation, I would be scared too. It's not everyday that you see someone walking towards you on the water. What happened next is a show of faith that we can all learn from. 

Matthew 14: 27-31- But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. ...And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. ...And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. ...But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. ...And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

When Peter was looking at Christ, he had the faith to walk on the water too. When he looked away, his faith faltered and he sunk. We are like Peter. When we look to Christ, we can do much more than when we pay more attention to our surroundings and to the storm of political, ethical, and moral problems that we face in this world. We need to have Peter's faith when he was facing the Savior, and even if we start to sink, He will pull us up.

This week's study principle:

Questions- When we read the scriptures, we need to ask questions. If we do this, our understanding will deepen because we will be able to analyze the stories and want to learn more.

Week 5

This week I had the opportunity to study some of the miracles performed by Jesus and some of the parables that He taught in. I would like to focus this post on the miracle of when Jesus calmed a storm.

In Matthew 8, Jesus had a big day healing, casting out devils, and teaching the people. At the end of the day, Jesus and His disciples get on a boat to, presumably, go home to rest. Jesus falls asleep and while He's sleeping, a huge storm begins to rage. The disciples are terrified (as I imagine anyone would be) and they wake Christ.

Matthew 8:23-27- And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. ... And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. ... And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. ... And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. ... But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

As we read in the verses, the disciples woke the Savior. They asked Him to save them because they were going to perish in the storm. From this we can tell that they still did not fully comprehend that He was the son of God, the Savior, the Messiah. They knew that he could perform miracles, but they didn't completely understand Him.

When he awoke, we see that he rebuked them. Rebuke means: "express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions" This means that the Savior expressed disapproval of the disciples because they had so little faith. However, the disciples had faith that He could save them, and that to me, is amazing. Sometimes I think about what I would have done if I were in the place of the disciples, and I think I would have done the same thing. I would have waited until I couldn't take it anymore and then I would have woken Him up and asked Him what we should do.

Jesus then calmed the waves and the sea and the disciples were full of wonder. Wouldn't you be too?

There is a hymn that I love and it's called Master the Tempest is Raging.

1. Master, the tempest is raging!

The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o'ershadowed with blackness.

No shelter or help is nigh.

Carest thou not that we perish?

How canst thou lie asleep

When each moment so madly is threat'ning

A grave in the angry deep?

(Chorus)

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:

Peace, be still.

Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea

Or demons or men or whatever it be,

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean and earth and skies.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, be still; peace, be still.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, peace, be still.

2. Master, with anguish of spirit

I bow in my grief today.

The depths of my sad heart are troubled.

Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish

Sweep o'er my sinking soul,

And I perish! I perish! dear Master.

Oh, hasten and take control!

(Chorus)

3. Master, the terror is over.

The elements sweetly rest.

Earth's sun in the calm lake is mirrored,

And heaven's within my breast.

Linger, O blessed Redeemer!

Leave me alone no more,

And with joy I shall make the blest harbor

And rest on the blissful shore.

This hymn tells the story and I think that we all are like these scared disciples of Christ at some points in our lives. We need to remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always at the helm and that they love and will take care of us.

This week's study principles:

Principles (or looking for ideas to help address real-life gospel needs )- When we read the scriptures, we need to read them in a way that we can apply the teachings to our lives. If we only read the scriptures for the stories, we will never become better people, we will only know the stories and the sequence of events.

For example- When we read of the miracle in Matthew 8, we might apply to our own lives the faith (or lack thereof) that the disciples had in their Savior. We can evaluate what we do when we are in trouble or distress, and then make changes based on what we can learn from this story.