The Lord Often Taught with Parables: Matthew 13: 24-48

I wanted to understand parables better because the Lord uses parables throughout his ministry. I want to understand what truths the Lord is trying to teach so I need to understand parables.

I studied under "parables" in the Bible Dictionary and learned these great things:

• What is a parable?
• After my studying I feel that a parable is a story that uses everyday events or objects that everyone is familiar with to convey a deeper meaning that is a specific interpretation but can be applied so many different ways.
• Why did the Lord Often Teach with parables?
• In the bible dictionary under “Parables” it says, “The parable conveys to the hearer religious truth in proportion to his faith and intelligence” or in other words “only he who seeks finds.”
• Seeks=not just reading but pondering and applying

• I also feel like the Lord was being merciful so that only those that were ready to live a higher law would understand how to. That way others wouldn’t be under greater condemnation for not living what they knew. If they don’t understand then they won’t be judge on that.
• Interpretation of parables 
• Interpretation= “the meaning the parable conveyed, or was meant to convey, when first spoken” (bible dictionary)
• “if the original meaning is to be grasped , it is important to consider its context and setting.” (bible dictionary)
•  “the thought to which it is linked, the connection in which it is placed, the persons to whom it was addressed…” (bible dictionary)

• Application of parables
• “may vary in every age and circumstance” (bible dictionary)
•  Example: On Sunday talking about the creation of the world and how the Lord created each thing one at a time and in a certain order. I felt that the principle that was being taught to me from this was that I don’t have to do everything right now. There is a time and season for everything. Right now in my season of life, taking care of my kids and keeping them alive is good. I don’t have to worry about going to the temple everyday right now. Even the Lord did things in order so it’s okay for me to not do everything right now.  That was how I applied this story of the creation to my life but someone else in a different season of life might not see it that way.

Next I read the following parables: parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24–30); parables of the mustard seed and the leaven (Matthew 13:31–33); parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44–46); parable of the gospel net (Matthew 13:47–50). Next to each of the following questions I matched the name of the parable that best answers that question.

1. What describes the future growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 
• Parable of the tares in Matt 13:24-30
2. Why does the Church send out so many missionaries? 
• Parables of the mustard seed and the leaven in Matt 13:31-33 and parable of the net in Matt 13:47-50
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? 
• Parables of the mustard seed and the leaven in Matt 13:31-33 
• Parable of the net in Matt 13:47-50
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? 
• Parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price in Matt 13:44-46
5. Why do some Church members choose to leave the Church? 
• Parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price in Matt 13:44-46

Considering the parables of the treasure and the pearl of great price (see Mattthew 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?

• Personally I haven’t had to sacrifice much to obtain the treasure of the gospel. My ancestors, family and I have been members of the church for a long time. I do know though that one of my ancestors, Amasa Mason Lyman, had to sacrifice a lot to join the church back in England. He traveled to meet with the Saints in Nauvoo and even was jailed with Joseph Smith and other church leaders.

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).

• I believe this net symbolizes all the missionary efforts done by both full time missionaries and members alike. All are gathered into the net if they want to be, meaning that all are invited to be members of the church but they have to choose to be or not. At the final judgment, the Lord will gather the truly converted and cast the unconverted away.

Peter, James and John Heeding the Savior's Invitations (Luke 5:1-11)

Read Luke 5:1-11. Explain in writing what you learn from the responses made by Peter, James, and John to the Savior’s call. How could you apply their actions and examples in your own life?

In Luke 5 we read about the account about Christ asking Peter, James and John to follow him and become his apostles. I love this story and see it differently because of a book, “The Peter Potential” by David Butler and Emily Freeman, I have read recently.

This great story starts out with the Savior realizing that he needed a way to teach the “people pressed upon him to hear the word of God” (vs. 1). Then he sees two ships and enters into one, which happens to be Simon Peter’s ship, who we’ll just call Peter from now on. Jesus then asks Peter to “thrust out a little from the land” (vs. 3) so Peter did as this stranger was asking. We don’t know for sure, but I imagine as Jesus taught the people that Peter probably was listening too and most likely feeling the Spirit. How could you not feel the Spirit with the Savior right by your side?

After Jesus is done teaching the people, he turns to Peter personally and says, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” (vs. 4). To this Peter responds, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing” (vs. 5). I imagine that Peter was frustrated and confused because when Jesus came upon this fisherman Peter was cleaning his fishing net, so why now would this special man ask him to get his nets dirty again? Luckily, Peter had faith and went on in vs. 5 to say, “nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Wow, already Peter is trusting the Lord and having great faith.

Peter’s faith was rewarded because he caught so many fish that his net started to break and he had to call to his partners, James and John, to come help him. Even with his partners help their nets were overflowing and the boats were sinking with the great amount of fish (vs. 6-7). I think at this point Peter realizes something is special about this man because in vs. 8 it says, “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” What humility Peter demonstrated.

Then Jesus says, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” (vs. 10) This is the invitation to become Jesus’ apostles. How do you think Peter, James and John responded? They had great faith before but this time they showed perfect faith and in vs. 11 it says, “they forsook all, and followed him.”

Even though they had just caught so many fish I feel they realized that the invitation Jesus was extending was much more important than their fishing careers or anything else.

As I read this story a couple of self-reflecting questions came to me:
1. Do I have faith like Peter to act even when I don’t understand why the Savior is asking me to do something?
2. Do I have enough humility like Peter to accept the Savior’s invitation to come follow Him?
3. Do I trust my Savior enough to try again even when things haven’t been working out like Peter did when he let down his nets again?
4. Do I remember the great blessings the Lord has provided in my life like Peter’s nets overflowing with fish?
5. Am I willing to forsake all to follow my Savior like Peter, James and John did?

John 4. The Samaritan Woman at the Well

1. Read John 4:1–42; Bible Dictionary entry for “Samaritans” (pg. 768); institute student manual commentary for John 4:9, “Why Did the Jews Feel So Much Antipathy Towards the Samaritans?” (pgs. 37–38). Write two or three sentences explaining why the Samaritan woman was surprised that Jesus Christ would talk with her.

2. The Jews had “no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9) and usually avoided Samaria when traveling. Yet Jesus deliberately went through Samaria. How does Colossians 3:25 and 2 Nephi 26:33 together with this of the Samaritan woman, help you understand how the Lord will judge people?


I have always been intrigued and touched by the story about the Samaritan woman at the well with the Savior in John 4 but wanted to understand better why the Samaritans and Jews didn’t interact with each other.

As I studied John 4:1-42 more in depth with the help of the institute manual, especially the part about “Why Did the Jews Feel So Much Antipathy Towards the Samaritans?” I understood better the character of the Lord and why the Samaritan woman was so shocked that Jesus, a Jew, would not only talk to her but ask her for some water.

What I learned:
1. The Samaritans according to the Bible Dictionary was “partly Israelite and partly gentile”. The gentile part of Samaritans was created when the king of Assyria and Babylonia placed what the Bible Dictionary called “foreign colonists” there. Since Samaritans were part gentile and considered even worse than gentiles, Jews considered them “unclean” and avoided them at all costs. In fact Talmage in “Jesus the Christ” says, “To the orthodox Jew of the time a Samaritan was more unclean than a Gentile of any other nationality.”

The Samaritan woman understood this fact that the Jews didn’t like the Samaritans and in John 4: 9 even expresses this when she says to Jesus, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

2. I also realized when reading John 4: 25 that the Samaritan woman knew about the prophecy of Jesus coming but didn’t realize who she was talking to. In John 4:25 she says to Jesus, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” Then Jesus lovingly says in John 4:27 “I that speak unto thee am he.”

Now the Samaritan woman had a choice to make, does she ask him more questions or believe him and proclaim it to the city. Luckily, she must have felt the Spirit because in John 4: 28-29 “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men
“Come, see a man, which told me all things the ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

Just like the Samaritan woman had a choice to make, we all have a choice to make when we realize that Jesus Christ really is the promised Savior. We can either take the knowledge and change or we can choose not to follow him. If we choose to follow him then it will only be natural for us, like the Samaritan woman, to share that good message with others around us.

3. Then the true character of Jesus Christ as EVERYONE’s SAVIOR shone through in John 4: 40, “So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him the he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.”  When it says “come unto him” I was wondering if that meant physically gathering at his feet or if it could also mean they came to him with open ears and hearts to learn from him? If so, do I always “come to him”, not just physically but also spiritually with open ears and heart?

Even though the Samaritans were hated by other Jews and considered unclean, Jesus understood the he was to be the Savior to all, not just the Jews or righteous people. I learned this again when I read Colossians 3:25 where it says, “…there is no respect of persons”. This is explained even better in 2 Nephi 26:33 where it says, “…he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him [even unclean Samaritans]…and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

When I saw the word “heathen” in this verse I decided to study deeper and see what it was really talking about. I used the reference of Alma 26:37 for the word “heathen” and this is what it says, “Now my bretheren [and sisters], we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.” What peace these words brought to me because according to these words are we not all heathen or as Elder Holland’s talk “Are We Not All Beggars?” (Mosiah 4:19).

We might feel that there are some “Samaritans” in our day but the truth is we all need the Savior because none of us are perfect. Luckily, the Savior truly loves everyone, yes even you and me, and died so everyone could come unto him and, like he told the Samaritan woman, drink of the living water he gives to all so freely.

Joseph's Role in The Birth of Christ

As part of my BYU-Idaho online New Testament class I will be posting my thoughts and answers to questions at least weekly.

This week I chose to focus on Joseph, the father of Jesus Christ, because I feel he is a very important person but gets forgotten frequently.

I studied Matthew 1-2 and the institute manual commentary for Matthew 1:18-25, "Mary Was Espoused to Joseph" (p. 22-23). Then I responded to these following questions:

1. What did Joseph initially want to do when he found out Mary was with child?

Matthew 1:18-19 and the institute manual commentary make it clear that Joseph had to choices when he found out Mary was with child. He could either as vs. 19 says "...make her a publik example..." or "...put her away privily.." From the very beginning we realize Joseph loves Mary and is a righteous man of mercy because he makes the decision to "put her away privily" which according to the institute manual meant "privately sever the espousal contract before witnesses."

2. What did Joseph decide to do after the visit of the angel in his dream? What does this suggest about Joseph's character?

I love how Matthew 1:20 says, "But while he thought on these things..." which means he didn't come to the decision hastily to sever his espousal contract with Mary. Again this showed how much he truly loved her. While he was thinking about this decision we are told in vs. 20 that an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him to take Mary to wife because she was to have the Son of God. Joseph again had a difficult choice to make, but I believe because he was so righteous and close to the Spirit he didn't hesitate to take to wife Mary.

3. How many times in these chapters was Joseph guided by the Lord in a dream? What does this suggest about Joseph's spiritual sensitivity?

During these chapters Joesph was guided by the Lord in a dream 4 times. The first time is when the angel directs Joesph to go ahead and marry Mary (Matthew 1:20). The second time is when the Lord tells Joseph to go to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath (Matthew 2:13). The third time is when the Lord tells Joseph it is safe to return to Israel because Herod is dead (Matthew 2:19-20). The final time is when God tells Joseph to go to parts of Galilee instead of Judaea. I believe that Joseph was foreordained to be the earthly father of Jesus because Heavenly Father knew His Son would be safe with this righteous and spiritually sensitive man. What an honor and heavy burden Joseph must have felt.

I also noticed that the wise men were warned by the Lord in a dream too (Matthew 2:12). They were told not to return to Herod so they didn't. I think this shows the righteousness of the wise men too and their willingness to obey the Lord.

4. Although Joseph was not the literal father of Jesus, he was a righteous man entrusted by Heavenly Father to be a guardian to His Son in mortality. Write about at least two qualities Joseph demonstrated that you think you could develop to help you prepare to be a good parent.

As I read I felt a great love for Joseph and his exact obedience and mercy. I feel that mercy and obedience are very important qualities to have to be a good parent. It is essential to have mercy because your children are going to make mistakes and you need to be able to show them mercy while at the same time teaching them discipline. I feel that the mercy must come first though because until they know how much you love them they will not respect you and want to be obedient. As a parent you have to lead by example so if you want your children to obey the commandments of God then you have to show them how first. Faith is also essential to have exact obedience because sometimes things our Heavenly Father asks us to do doesn't make sense logically. If we are exactly obedient as parents then we will be worthy of the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help us be the best parents possible.