New Testament post, Week 4

Choice 3: Matthew 14: 22-33 Walk on the Sea

1.      Review Matthew 14:22-33. Identify in writing what the reaction of the apostles was when they first saw the Savior walking on the water toward them.

a.       " And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear."

b.      They were scared because he was walking on water. They thought he must have been some kind of spirit or ghost.

2.      What did Peter's response indicate about him?

a.       "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."

b.      Peter must have had SO MUCH faith to know that if it really was the Savior who beckoned him that he could walk on water. From the beginning he didn't doubt. He simply knew he could. That is pretty impressive to me.

3.      According to Matthew 14:30, why did Peter begin to sink?

a.       " But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me."

b.      He began to sink because he was afraid. :(

4.      What did peter do when he began to sink? What word in the verses describes the expediency or the timing when Jesus responded to Peter's request?

a.       " he cried, saying, Lord, save me."

b.      " And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand"

c.       The second Peter started to sink, he called on the Lord and the Lord IMMEDIATELY reached out to save him.

5.      Read D&C 88:67. Write a paragraph describing what principle from this verse relates to what Peter did to successfully walk on the water. How can this same principle be applied to your life to assist you in walking over the storms of life?

a.       "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things."

b.      When Peter was able to walk on the water successfully it was because there wasn't a shred of fear in him. He was focused on the Savior and because of that, there wasn't a chance of him failing. There was no darkness because his whole soul was filled with light. I think something that is important to remember as we look at the D&C verse is that when our bodies are filled with light, there is no room for darkness in us. Peter fell because he was afraid. Fear=darkness. Personally, this is something I NEED to apply more often. I am terrified of the idea of getting married again, or even dating someone because I am scared of being hurt and abused again. Yet that fear is what is preventing me from being filled with light. I can't have my eye single to the Lords glory when I am afraid. I have known this for a while, yet it is much more difficult to vanquish fear than it is to say we must do it. I would appreciate your thoughts. How do you get rid of fear? What is that process? I am not talking about small little nervous. I am talking about a deep rooted fear that has almost become the core of who I am. Like they say in The Croods, "Fear keeps us alive." That is very much how I have felt. Fear of being trapped and mistreated has kept me out of relationships which might trap and mistreat me. It has kept me alive, but Fear isn't as good at watching out for my welfare as the Savior is.....so how do I turn it over to him? How can I even find every shred of fear in me to let it all out?

Class posts - Parables

Parables

My Definition: A parable is a story that contains a deeper truth than is easily apparent in the simple story. Parables are effective because the listener understands the story at their own level. Someone who isn't religious at all may only see the simple face value story, while a gospel scholar might see a deep valuable essential piece of gospel truth.

1. What describes the future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 
• Matthew 13: 47-50 - Gospel Net
2. Why does the Church send out so many missionaries? 
• Matthew 13: 47-50 - Gospel Net
3. How do you explain the remarkable growth of the Church, considering that it is fairly new compared to most world religions and started small in the American frontier? 
• Matthew 13: 31-33 - Mustard Seed
4. Why are some members of the Church willing to sacrifice so much worldly wealth and recognition in order to maintain membership in the Church? 
• Matthew 13: 44-46 - Treasure and pearl of great price
5. Why do some Church members choose to leave the Church?
• Matthew 13: 24-30 - Tares

Considering the parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price (see Matthew 13:44–46), what sacrifices would you be willing to make to obtain the treasure of the gospel? What sacrifices have you or those you know already made for the gospel?

I am willing to sacrifice and do sacrifice my time and tithing, my talents, as well as the "natural man" desires I have. I know people who have sacrificed their relationship with their family for the gospel, and I feel lucky that I haven't had to make sacrifices like that. For me, my sacrifice was more in the effort it took to gain my testimony. I once knew without a doubt, and then had a crisis of faith and had to start back at ground zero to determine what I actually believed. Each little nugget I gain a testimony of again by studying and prayer is a blessing in my life. 

What does the net represent in the parable of the net cast into the sea? (See Matthew 13:47). What does it mean to be gathered into the net? What is represented by the action of gathering the good into vessels and casting the bad away? (See Matthew 13:48–50).

The net is the kingdom of heaven and the gathering of the good into the vessels and casting the bad away is talking about the last days and the final judgment. 

Beatitudes - New Testament class notes

·         Footnote

o   The Latin BEATUS is the basis of the English "beatitude", meaning "to be fortunate", "to be happy" or "to be blessed". TG Blessings

·         Define Blessed or Blessedness

o   Blessed in this context means that one will enjoy pure joy.

·         Blessed are:

o     the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

§  “those who are spiritually needy, who feel so impoverished spiritually that they reach out with great yearning for help”

o    they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

§  “they that mourn” relates to those who mourn over their sins: 

§  I never realized that this one meant those who mourn over sin, but if that is the case, I can relate. I have felt the sorrow, guilt, grief and pain that comes from sin and the relief or comfort that comes from the healing and cleansing power of the atonement.

o    the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

§  “Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering. The meek are willing to follow gospel teachings”

o    they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

§  The Greek word that was translated as “filled” also means “to feed or fatten an animal in a stall” and connotes the idea of eating until completely satisfied. 

o    the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

§  This is one of the many times the Savior taught that the way we treat others affects how God will treat us

§  I had a super special and sacred experience with this one. Learning how to forgive my ex for not being present in my children's life was an all consuming project for months, and finally I learned how and it has to do with Mercy. I can't expect to have mercy for my sins if I want and expect someone else to be held accountable for theirs. We are all sinners and all need mercy too much to demand that someone else gets justice. It is enough that someone already paid that price and that he can heal all wounds.

o    the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

§  If something is pure, it is not polluted or tainted by things which do not belong to it.

o    the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

§  I love this one. My parents emphasize this for us when we were growing up as irritable teenagers that were always at each other's throats. A peace maker is someone who tries to make everything right after or during contention, even if someone else is the source of that contention. I feel like I almost error on the side of too much for this one. It is good to be a peace maker, but that doesn't mean to be a doormat either.

o    they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

o    ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.