Become as Little Children
READ Matthew 18:1-6 and 10-11 (see JST)
How
are little children humble?
They don’t know very much.
They know they don’t know very much and
admit it.
They ask others for knowledge.
They are open to the learning from others.
Who
is the greatest in the Kingdom?
Christ.
Why
does Christ use a child to describe what He is like?
Christ is the most humble being in the
universe.
That He submitted to His Father’s will in
all things – which paradoxically makes Him childlike but also the “greatest” or
most like God (being a God is an absolute standard – we must be “precisely” as
He is).
What
does it imply that “their angels do always behold the face of my Father”?
That we have guardian angels assigned to
us.
That they are active in protecting,
blessing and influencing our lives.
That some of those angels do not behold
the face of God.
That those angels who can abide the face
of God are filled with more light, power and intelligence – such that they are
able to stand in His presence; implied that they also have more power here on
earth.
It is possible that as we grow up and make
poor choices or fail to repent and submit our whole souls to God, those angels
in His presence are reassigned to others – He doesn’t say “good children’s
angels do always behold the face of my Father”.
Or that “little children” is what Christ
asks us to be like – and those who are like that, even as adults, have angel
guardians that stand in God’s presence.
Or that the label “little children” has
nothing to do with age/time on earth but on the humility of the soul who is
living on the earth (despite their age), and that the angels of those who are
humble and more like Christ have inherently more power in the heavens than
those who are assigned to souls who are not that “childlike”.
What
does it mean to become as little children?
Become submissive, meek, humble, patient,
full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to
inflict on them (see Mosiah 3:19).
To enter and abide in the covenant such
that Christ declares you “saved”, as He saves little children – not for their
sinless performance but through His choice as Savior (see Moroni 10:32-33).
What
happens to those who offend or despise little children or others who have
attained to that level of humility?
It would be better that they had died
before they abused one like this.
Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
READ Matthew 18:21-35
How
much is ten thousand talents worth?
$21 billion in today’s money.
Calculation: Gold is $1800 per oz; Talent
is 75lbs of gold; 75lbs = 1200 oz; 1 talent = $2.1 million; 10,000 talents = $21
billion
How
much should the servant expect the servant to pay him back – what would be
fair?
$21 billion was what was borrowed…is what
is justly owed; and that is without interest.
Is
the servant going to be able to pay back the debt?
Not likely – that is $525 million a year
for the next 40 years.
How
much is the Master asking for?
Zero – he forgives the servant of the
entire debt.
Is
this fair?
No.
But it’s merciful.
Why
did the Master forgive the debt?
He was “moved with compassion” after the
servant asked for patience and told him that he would repay him.
How
much is 100 pence worth today?
$35,000 to $12,000.
Calculation A: 1 pence (denari) = 1/6000
of a talent; 1.4 million / 6000 = $350; 100 pence = $35,000.
Calculation B: 1 pence = 1 day’s labor; $15
per hour x 8 hours = $120; 100 pence = $12,000.
Is
the debtor going to be able to pay back the debt?
Yes.
$583 (or $200) a month for 5 years.
How
much should the servant expect the debtor to pay him back – what would be fair?
$35,000 to $12,000 depending on your
calculation, plus any agreed upon interest.
Why
did the Master forgive the first servant’s debt?
Because he had asked Him.
Because He had compassion on him.
Why
did the Unmerciful Servant not have compassion on his fellow servant?
He was asking for justice.
He had not learned the lesson his Master
had tried to teach him.
He did not understand the Law of
Reciprocity.
What
does it mean to “forgive them from your hearts”?
You really have to mean it – feel
compassion – seek to relieve the suffering of others.
Even if or particularly if, it is unjust
or undeserved to do so.
What
did the Unmerciful Servant get in the end?
Justice.
Reciprocity.
He was judged by the standard of judgment
he had established through his judgement of others in a similar situation.
Parable of the Good Samaritan
READ Luke 10:25-29
Is
the lawyer’s answer correct?
Yes, this is the Sh’ma – which was worn
on the forehead of each Jew (see Deuteronomy 6:5).
READ Matthew 22:36-40
What
question is Christ answering?
“Who is my neighbor?”
READ Luke 10:30-37
How
did the robbers leave the Jewish traveler?
Robbed.
Naked.
Wounded, beaten and “half dead”; in other
words, he was unconscious by the side of the road, likely in a pool of blood,
looking as if he were dead.
Why
was it “by chance” that a Priest and a Levite were taking the Jericho Road?
It was dangerous – lots of highwaymen
(robbers).
Perhaps wealthy priests and Levites
didn’t take the road very often, for this reason.
One would have thought that a Priest or
Levite would help the man – “by chance a Church leader and priesthood holder
came…”
Why
would the Priest and Levite cross to the other side of the road when they saw
the man?
They couldn’t be bothered to help – they
didn’t act in line with the values they espoused.
They were afraid – they didn’t want to
stop to help in case the robbers were still in the area and would attack them,
too.
They would become ritually unclean if they
came into contact with a dead man (and would not be able to administer in the
Temple for a certain period of time); it was hard to tell if the man was dead
or “half dead” – so they thought it was better to cross the street and be safe.
Should
our primary allegiance be to truth or to loving and serving others?
The first and great commandment is to
love God, and the second is like unto it – to love your neighbor as yourself.
When we are in the service of our fellow
beings, we are only in the service of God, and visa-versa because His work and
glory is the immortality and eternal life of man.
Our primary allegiance should be to God,
which also includes loving our fellow beings.
“Allegiance to the truth” means keeping
the two great commandments, because doing that means you are living the Law and
keeping the words of the prophets, if they receive those words from God’s own
mouth (the truth).
In this case, the Priest and Levite thought
that serving in the Temple was more important than helping a dying man, but
obeying the great commandments is better than sacrificing or performing ritual
(see 1 Samuel 15:22).
Mistaking zealousness for “the truth” at
the expense of loving and serving our fellow beings has been the source of
terrible atrocities throughout history; but what is so ironically sad is the
message that Christ is teaching here: zealousness for the truth of God IS
loving and serving your fellow beings – charity is THE primary barometer or
measure for the level of light in our hearts and souls.
What
status did the Priest and Levite have in Jewish society?
High status – they were revered.
What
status did the Samaritans have in Jewish society?
They were detested – an unclean and hated
enemy.
Was
the man who fell among thieves Jewish or Samaritan?
Jewish.
Jews
hate Samaritans, so why did the Samaritan go to the wounded man?
He had compassion on him.
He cared more about loving his neighbor
than becoming ritually unclean.
When
the Samaritan has bound up his wounds and taken him to the inn, how much money
did he leave for the innkeeper?
Between $240-$700 in today’s money
(depending on how you calculate it).
2 days wages – not a small sum to the
average person.
Why
did the lawyer ask “who is my neighbor”?
He wanted to know who he had to love in
order to get eternal life.
Implied is that he was also asking “who
don’t I have to love?”
Who
is the neighbor?
Not the Priest, Levite or the Samaritan.
The neighbor is the one who fell among
thieves – the one in need: the Jewish man.
Instead
of asking “who is my neighbor”, what question should the lawyer have asked if
he was really interested in gaining eternal life?
“How should I love”.
Not “who should I love”.
The parable is really about how we should
love God and our fellow beings – especially keeping in mind that when we have
done it unto one of the least, we have done it unto Him.
So,
how did the Good Samaritan love his neighbor?
He stopped to help an “enemy” (someone
who detested him).
He risked his life to do so (attack from
the thieves).
He relieved the wounded man’s suffering.
He paid for his lodging and care.
He was not expected or told to do these
things but he did them because he had learned to love unconditionally – it was
who he had become as a person.
Martha and Mary
READ Luke 10:38-42
What
is Martha careful and troubled about?
Serving Christ by preparing an extensive dinner
for Him and his disciples.
What
was Mary doing?
Listening to Christ teach – share light
and knowledge.
What
commandment was Martha keeping?
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
What
commandment was Mary keeping?
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
soul and mind.
What
one thing is “needful” and the “good part”?
Loving God is the first and great
commandment.
Loving each other is like unto it but is
second; this is a bit of a sophisticated nuance, given the last parable; what
Martha did is a critical way to love and serve God by serving her fellow
beings; 999 times out of a 1000, this is the right answer because rarely do we
have the opportunity to love and serve and learn from God directly – but when
we do have that chance, we must take it.
Christ is the “bread of life” – partaking
of it will give eternal “nourishment”.
Martha’s bread would only satisfy for a
few hours.
Who
had more to offer that night, Martha’s meal for Christ or Christ’s teachings to
Martha which she missed?
Christ’s teachings: light, truth,
knowledge, spirit – is what saves; they are “needful” and the “good part”.
This is really a parable about Martha’s
choice, as much as it’s about Mary’s.
