Let No Man Put Asunder

I find it interesting that after God placed Adam in the garden of Eden, he immediately knew that our first father was in over his head and needed help.  It was never God's intention that his children go through life alone.  In the beginning as recorded in Genesis, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27).  We were sent to this earth in families, to form families.  "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).  Of that union, sealed by God himself, Jesus admonished, "what therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6).  God's power and authority binds not just on earth but also in heaven (see Matthew 16:19).  He doesn't intend for the union of a couple to be "until death do you part," but "for time and for all eternity."  I attended a ceremony this week where those precious words were uttered for a dear friend.  She now has the promise of spending eternity with her husband.  What a glorious future.  What a divine promise.

The Pure Love of Christ

"What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25).  Intended as a question to trap Jesus into a theological argument and debate, this question served as one of the most powerful teaching moments recorded in the bible.  Jesus answered simply, "What is written in the law?" (vs. 26).  The well read lawyer replied astutely, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself" (vs. 27).  Jesus concurred, replying, "this do, and thou shalt live" (vs. 28).  The lawyer was not ready to let this debate fizzle so quickly and prodded Jesus saying, "And who is my neighbor?" (vs. 29).  What follows is the parable of the good Samaritan.  It is so well known that a small child can recite it and know what it teaches.  There is symbolism inherit in the parable that can be understand on many levels (see The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols).  What I would like to focus on is how the love required for eternal life is so much more than a feeling, it is a principle of action.

The lawyer knew what he needed to do, Jesus encouraged him by saying "this do."  The good Samaritan didn't just feel love for the beaten man on the road, he showed his love and compassion.  In ancient america, we read of a group of people who were led by a righteous king that taught them of Christ, many years before his coming.  They were so deeply touched by King Benjamin's teachings that they covenanted to be called by the name of Jesus and live accordingly.  The result of their actions was so profound that it is recorded that "there was no contention among all his people for the space of three years" (Mosiah 6:7).  Recently, my young son and I read that verse together and he commented, "wouldn't that be great if we had that in the United States?"  I answered, "Wouldn't that be great if we had that in our family?"  Later that night, in response to a sibling exchange I asked, "who here is trying to avoid contention?"  My son, remembering the verse, answered, "I am," and the issue instantly passed.  It struck me that the power of God's love through his word is so much more than making us feel good inside, it is the power to act and to change.  It is the force by which true conversion happens.

I have pondered in the past how it is that Jesus could have taken upon himself all of our sins and burdens in the atonement.  I don't know that I can say exactly how this happened but I feel strongly that the driving force that made it possible was God's love for each of us. It was by love that the Father sent his son unto the world for us (see John 3:16).  The Prophet Moroni defines this love as charity, calling it "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47).  He goes on to implore us to seek this divine gift, saying, "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ" (vs. 48).  Profoundly he then explains that through this charity, "when He [Jesus] shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (vs. 48).  The gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful not because of who we are but who we can become through the grace of our Lord.  As hearers of the word we turn our hearts to God.  As doers of the word, we change our behavior and beginning the conversion process.  As we incorporate the love of Jesus into every fiber of our being and turn our souls over to him, He completes our transformation, making us joint heirs with him in the kingdom of our Father (see Romans 8:17). This is the life that he offers us, the life more abundant (see John 10:10).  This is the miracle of Easter.

The Holy One of Israel

I have always felt like there was more to the story of the Canaan woman who came to the Savior asking for him to heal her daughter.  At first he wouldn't even answer her.  She apparently was rather persistent because after awhile, his disciples begged him to send her away, "for she crieth after us" (Matthew 15:23).  His response was a rather cool, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (vs. 24).  Imploringly she answered, "Lord, help me" (vs. 25).  His next reply is the one that I've always had a problem with.  He flatly states, "It is not meat to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs" (vs. 26).  I am pretty sure that comparing a woman to a dog was about as disrespectful then as it is now.  To her credit, she is not offended but humbly answers, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (vs. 27).  Touched by her reply, He answers, "Oh, woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.  And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" (vs. 28).  Why did Jesus answer the way that he did?  Was he not sent to all the world, not just the house of Israel? Specifically I am thinking of John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoso 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."

Let me share with you some of the insights that came to me as I continued to read in Matthew, chapter 15.  The very next story is of Jesus preaching to a great multitude of people.  The men alone numbered 4,000 souls.  Due to the geography it is safe to assume that most of them were not of the house of Israel but were Gentiles.  There is no mention of them being called dogs.  In fact after three days of preaching, he turned to his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude...I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way" (Matthew 15:32).  He then, much as he did with a previous group of 5,000 Israelites, had them sit down while he thanked God for the seven loaves of bread, blessed them, broke them and fed all that were there.  Again, the crumbs were gathered up and were enough to fill seven baskets.  I paused to think on the number of baskets remaining.  In the previous setting of Israelites there were twelve baskets extra.  I could see those baskets symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles who are called as special witnesses of Jesus Christ.  What about seven?  I then thought of the quorum of the seventy.  In Luke, chapter 10 it discusses the formation of this group whom he sent out two by two to preach his word.  In modern revelations we are instructed that there are to be up to seven quorums or groups of seventy, who are "to be traveling ministers, unto the Gentiles first and also unto the Jews" (Doctrine & Covenants 107: 96-97).

At this point, my mind was starting to turn things over.  Going back to the original verses in Matthew I saw that after Jesus had healed those of the 4,000, they "glorified the God of Israel" (Matthew 15:31).  Likewise, the Gentile woman's fortunes changed after she recognized Israel as her master.  Jesus indeed was sent to all the world, but he was not sent to save us in our sins but from our sins.  (see Helaman 5:10).  We must first witness that he is the Christ, the anointed one of Israel.  When we are baptized into his church we receive his covenant or testament that He has made to Israel dating back to Father Abraham and even Adam.  (see Doctrine & Covenants 84:33-35).  As stated in my earlier blog, the miracle of the loaves foreshadows the miracle of partaking of the ordinance of the sacrament, which he declared is the "new testament" (Matthew 26:28).

Going back to the Gentile woman, he could have healed her daughter, but by teaching her that salvation comes through the house of Israel, he showed her the path by which true healing occurs. He is "the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by [him]" (John 14:6).  Indeed, He is the Holy One of Israel (2 Nephi 9:41).

Give An Answer

While listening to a sports talk radio show early this morning, the two hosts were discussing the issue of steroids (again).  I didn't pay much mind to them, being tired and on my way to the gym until the point was given that most professional athletes would use performing enhancing drugs if it meant being able to reach that level or not, even knowing of the harm that they could cause.  He went on to assert that this action is wrong and is cheating but who could blame them?  After all, he surmised, we would do the same thing if put in that situation.  Basically, it is all right to cheat if everyone else does too.  The reasoning disturbed me on several levels.  In my own profession, I may not make as much per year as an NFL football player but it is in a well respected profession and I am grateful to be a member of it.  Through my educational years and even now there are times where I could have "cheated" or "gamed the system."  In fact, many have.  In no way does that make it right.  I think that there is a time when we must stand up and say, "enough is enough."  It is not "OK" to cheat.  I thought of Peter's words in the New Testament, "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). I will not lower my standards because someone else has.  I think there are many more people out there that feel the same way I do.  I am proud of my children who come home from school and report on all the cheating they see and yet will not do so themselves.  If we have no integrity, we have nothing indeed.  My hope is in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that it is in how we live that truly reflects what we believe.  If we walk in his paths, his light will be directed to our feet.  As Paul told the Romans, "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28).

The Bread of Life

Many thousands of years ago Moses was commanded to lead the children of Israel from Egypt to the promised land.  Being enslaved by Pharoah, this was no easy task.  For seven days the Lord brought forth plagues to torment Egypt, culminating in the destroying angel taking the lives of all the first born sons in each home.  The lives of the children of Israel whose parents heeded the warning of the prophet were spared, having marked their homes with the sacrificial blood of a first born lamb.  They then left in such haste that they could not wait for their bread to rise.  The celebration of this singular event continues today in Jewish homes each year as "Passover."  The iconic symbol of the passover is the unleavened bread that the children of Israel took with them.

It was on this very day many years later that a young Jewish preacher went up on a hillside to teach a group of about 5,000 people.  There was something different about this "Jesus" who taught them things they had never thought of before.  His power was unmistakable, healing their sick and afflicted.  They left to hear him speak in such haste that not only was there not time for their bread to rise, they forgot it altogether.  After communing with his Father in "the mountain" he looked up, saw the multitude, turned to his disciple Phillip and asked, "Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?" (John 6:5).  A small boy, a lad, had with him five loaves and two fishes.  After having offered a prayer of thanksgiving, the Savior broke the bread and miraculously fed the multitude.  Not only was everyone filled but there was enough left over to fill twelve baskets.

Now I had never before considered the fact that this well known miracle occurred on the passover.  Obviously this was not a coincidence.  Jesus, the following day went on to explain that he was the bread of life.  He was the symbol of the passover.  Through his blood, the blood of the Lamb of God, we all would be saved from the destroying angel of sin.  He declared, "whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I shall raise him up at the last day" (vs. 54).  Many of the people, who were happy to be fed a free meal or receive of a healing miracle could not abide his declaration of the messiaship.  How could he be the Son of God?  He was Joseph's son.  He turned to his trusted apostles, likely with sadness in his eyes and heaviness in his heart and asked, "will you also go away?" (vs. 67).  Peter, he with the willing heart but an impetuous nature and who just the night before had taken two confident steps on water but then needed to reach for Jesus' outstretched hand, simply said, "To whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and art sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (vs. 68-69).  I love his response.  He did not wait for his bread to rise but quickly turned to follow the Savior.

It would be exactly one year later that Jesus would again sit at passover with his apostles.  This would be the last time to do so in mortality.  "[He] took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; This is my body.  And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26: 26-28).  The institution of the ordinance of the sacrament, or in other faiths, communion is, in my mind, a way to access the Savior's atonement.  It calls back through the ages, reminding us of ancient promises made to the fathers, it reminds us of Christ's ability to fill us spiritually and to make us whole, it is a time when we offer up to him the burden of our sins, taking upon ourselves a commitment to follow him and not turn away.  He is the manna from heaven.  As we partake, he will fill us day by day.