In my New Testament class we are drawing very near the end of the semester. This means we are getting closer and closer to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As i attended class this week I realized there wasn't any monumental moment to write about because we are just reading about the events that lead up to the Saviors suffering in the garden of Gethsemane. However, this week was filled with very powerful scriptures that gave me a better insight of who my Eldest brother and Savior really is. In John chapters 14-15 there were a few scriptures that taught me about the character of Jesus on a deeper level.
The Savior is hours away from what will be the most painful and unbelievable suffering anyone would ever endure. If I was in the position of the Savior I would most likely be focused on myself. I would be concerned about the pain I was moments away from enduring, I would be worried about how the last few days of my mortal life would be like, and I would probably just want to seek comfort from the disciples at this moment. However, in John 14:1 Christ reveals where His thoughts were.
14:1" Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
Let not your heart[s] be troubled.... At this point of His life Christ's heart must have been troubled and yet He is trying to bring comfort to His disciples. I think this says a lot about the Savior. To me this shows how much He loves us. He is always concerned about how we are feeling and He genuinely wants to comfort us.
The other verse that really stuck out for me was in John 15:12-15
14:12- "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."
14:13-"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
14:14-"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."
14:15-"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."
Christ doesn't just look down upon us as some random things that happened to be created durring the creation of the earth. He loves us not as one would love a servant, but as a man loves his friends. This to me makes it easier to accept Christ even though I have never seen Him. It makes me understand why Christ endured the atonement. I love that it compares that a man would die for his friend and then Christ reminds the disciples that He views them as His own friends. This can be related to the atonement. Christ laid down His own life for us out of love. Not just because He could but because He views us as His friends. And because He knew we couldn't return back to Heaven without the atonement He threw down His own life for us, His friends. The fact that there is someone who died for me and everyone else because He loved us is just mind blowing.
These two chapters have strengthened my own testimony and have made me realize that Jesus Christ is not just a supreme being that views us all as puny insignificant beings. He cares about our troubled hearts, our concerns, our worries, fears..... He loves us, and He is our friend. He died so that we may have a chance every single day to return unto Him and become more perfect. And I will always be grateful for His selfless sacrifice and matchless love.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Lamp Oil and Ups and Downs
I can honestly say that this weeks class was "for me." So many parts of the lesson I was able to relate back to my life. There were so many good points that I wish I could bring up but because I don't want this to be too long I can only pick one. The one I have chosen is the parable of the 10 virgins found in Matthew 25:1-12. I was able to learn more than one thing from this simple parable.
We all know this parable (if you aren't familiar with it just read it :) ) When we first read it we often think of the message from the parable just simply being "be prepared" This is a good message, but as we as a class dove deeper into the parable we found much more to it. Who were this 10 women? They were virgins, the were holy women. They were, in a sense, disciples of God. However, 5 of these disciples had oil for their lamps and were able to go to the wedding feast and 5 of these disciples didn't have oil and weren't able to participate in the wedding feast. If these 10 women were all disciples how is that only half were able to participate in the wedding celebrations? Just because someone says they are a disciple does not mean they will be "saved a spot" with the Savior when final judgement comes.
These 10 virgins had lamps. Some with oil some without. These are very symbolic. The lamp is the symbol of a testimony. The oil is a sign of conversion. What is the difference between the two? Someone can go to church, say they're a disciple, and do all the outwardly things that would lead one to view them as a disciple of Christ. But just because someone has an outward appearance doesn't mean they are sincere. The oil, or the conversion, is the action that is filled with faith. Conversion means that you are true in what you believe, all the way. Half of these women didn't have true conversion that would've led them to act in preparation for the bride groom. The other half had the conversion that led them to preparation for the up coming events. We need to make sure that we not only have a testimony but oil as well. If we have oil we will be more able to make faith filled choices that will lead us to becoming more like Christ, and that will bring us closer to Him.
After this lesson our professor mentioned that when we have lamps full of oil we will be able to make our big choices in life better. He then drew a line full of ups and downs. He told us that in life we are going to have big choices whether it's getting married, taking a large step by doing a big service, going on a mission, and so forth...If we address these choices with fear and make a choice with only fear contributing to our decision we will have made the wrong choice. For example, if someone wants to get married but fears they aren't financially stable so they decided to not get married this is a bad choice. Our professor told us we need to pray for our "lamps to be filled" so we can be filled with faith, and have courage with our Saviors help. Only then can we make choices about these big steps of life. This really effected me. The day I was in this class I was struggling with a big choice in my life. This choice is going to cost a lot of money and i was starting to have doubts and fears. I was a step away from pulling the plug. But after this I realized that I can apply this to my life. We need to allow our testimonies to go past just saying "we have one." We need to truly be converted (have oil) so when we are faced with life's choices we can make the right ones based on faith instead of fear.
We all know this parable (if you aren't familiar with it just read it :) ) When we first read it we often think of the message from the parable just simply being "be prepared" This is a good message, but as we as a class dove deeper into the parable we found much more to it. Who were this 10 women? They were virgins, the were holy women. They were, in a sense, disciples of God. However, 5 of these disciples had oil for their lamps and were able to go to the wedding feast and 5 of these disciples didn't have oil and weren't able to participate in the wedding feast. If these 10 women were all disciples how is that only half were able to participate in the wedding celebrations? Just because someone says they are a disciple does not mean they will be "saved a spot" with the Savior when final judgement comes.
These 10 virgins had lamps. Some with oil some without. These are very symbolic. The lamp is the symbol of a testimony. The oil is a sign of conversion. What is the difference between the two? Someone can go to church, say they're a disciple, and do all the outwardly things that would lead one to view them as a disciple of Christ. But just because someone has an outward appearance doesn't mean they are sincere. The oil, or the conversion, is the action that is filled with faith. Conversion means that you are true in what you believe, all the way. Half of these women didn't have true conversion that would've led them to act in preparation for the bride groom. The other half had the conversion that led them to preparation for the up coming events. We need to make sure that we not only have a testimony but oil as well. If we have oil we will be more able to make faith filled choices that will lead us to becoming more like Christ, and that will bring us closer to Him.
After this lesson our professor mentioned that when we have lamps full of oil we will be able to make our big choices in life better. He then drew a line full of ups and downs. He told us that in life we are going to have big choices whether it's getting married, taking a large step by doing a big service, going on a mission, and so forth...If we address these choices with fear and make a choice with only fear contributing to our decision we will have made the wrong choice. For example, if someone wants to get married but fears they aren't financially stable so they decided to not get married this is a bad choice. Our professor told us we need to pray for our "lamps to be filled" so we can be filled with faith, and have courage with our Saviors help. Only then can we make choices about these big steps of life. This really effected me. The day I was in this class I was struggling with a big choice in my life. This choice is going to cost a lot of money and i was starting to have doubts and fears. I was a step away from pulling the plug. But after this I realized that I can apply this to my life. We need to allow our testimonies to go past just saying "we have one." We need to truly be converted (have oil) so when we are faced with life's choices we can make the right ones based on faith instead of fear.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
In, Out, and All Around
One of the things that I have learned from studying the New Testament is that Christ has little patients with hypocrites. The Pharisees were very guilty of this characteristic. This week in Matthew 23 Christ actually calls out the Pharisees and scribes for being hypocrites. Because Christ was talking to these groups in the scriptures that means that we don't struggle with this today, right? Because the Pharisees and scribes don't exist in our culture today, right? Wrong. We can apply and learn from these teachings directed towards the Pharsisees and scribes.
Christ used many analogies to help portray what the Parisees and scribes were struggling with. Three of which stood out to me. In Matt 23:24 it says "Ye blind guides, which strains at a gnat, and swallow a camel." While reading this on my own, I will admit, I looked over it without a second thought. However, when we went over it in class i realized how significant it actually is. When you strain liquid you try to get out every particle that you possibly can. Picture this: if you were trying to strain out some freshly squeezed juice and you found a very large bug along with a few small pieces of leaves which would you rather have strained out? In my opinion the bug. However, this analogy is saying that the Pharisees are straining out the little things (the gnat) but are allowing themselves to swallow a giant camel. What this is getting at is that these men were so focused on picking at the little things, accusing those around them of not keeping "simple commandments" such washing their hands before a meal or healing on the sabbath. But because they were so focused on picking at the little things they were allowing themselves to "swallow camels," meaning, they were neglecting the bigger commandments such as those that demanded others to judge not your neighbor, being honest with others, and so forth. Sometimes I think i do the same thing. I will get so caught up with "doing my visiting teaching" or "paying tithing" that I forget that I should be focusing on bigger commandments like "loving my neighbors as myself" and "judging not."
The other thing I really liked was Matt 23:25-26:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites? for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the paltter, but within they are full of extortion and excess."
"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."
This analogy is pretty self explanatory. Christ is reminding the Pharisees that they may look polished and good on the outside but their hearts and desires are not righteous or clean. Are we the same way? Do we make ourselves look like "good people" on the outside because our appearance is "clean cut" and we have the appearance of being a "good religious person." How far does this outward appearance really go? Are we really as good on the inside as we are on the outside? Christ in the scriptures is always spending time with the sinners rather than the Pharisees and the people who are higher in society. That is because those considered sinners were more humble and righteous than they that claimed to be. We need to work to make sure the outside of us matches the inside. If it does not we ourselves are being hypocrites. And as we have seen Christ does not tolerate hypocrites well.
I am setting goals for myself that i focus less on little things and more on the big picture. I am going to try and make myself "real" all around so that the "Kelsey Wood" that people see on first glance is the real "Kelsey Wood" on the inside. I believe that that is how the Savior wants us each to be, as genuine and real "through and through."
Christ used many analogies to help portray what the Parisees and scribes were struggling with. Three of which stood out to me. In Matt 23:24 it says "Ye blind guides, which strains at a gnat, and swallow a camel." While reading this on my own, I will admit, I looked over it without a second thought. However, when we went over it in class i realized how significant it actually is. When you strain liquid you try to get out every particle that you possibly can. Picture this: if you were trying to strain out some freshly squeezed juice and you found a very large bug along with a few small pieces of leaves which would you rather have strained out? In my opinion the bug. However, this analogy is saying that the Pharisees are straining out the little things (the gnat) but are allowing themselves to swallow a giant camel. What this is getting at is that these men were so focused on picking at the little things, accusing those around them of not keeping "simple commandments" such washing their hands before a meal or healing on the sabbath. But because they were so focused on picking at the little things they were allowing themselves to "swallow camels," meaning, they were neglecting the bigger commandments such as those that demanded others to judge not your neighbor, being honest with others, and so forth. Sometimes I think i do the same thing. I will get so caught up with "doing my visiting teaching" or "paying tithing" that I forget that I should be focusing on bigger commandments like "loving my neighbors as myself" and "judging not."
The other thing I really liked was Matt 23:25-26:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites? for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the paltter, but within they are full of extortion and excess."
"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."
This analogy is pretty self explanatory. Christ is reminding the Pharisees that they may look polished and good on the outside but their hearts and desires are not righteous or clean. Are we the same way? Do we make ourselves look like "good people" on the outside because our appearance is "clean cut" and we have the appearance of being a "good religious person." How far does this outward appearance really go? Are we really as good on the inside as we are on the outside? Christ in the scriptures is always spending time with the sinners rather than the Pharisees and the people who are higher in society. That is because those considered sinners were more humble and righteous than they that claimed to be. We need to work to make sure the outside of us matches the inside. If it does not we ourselves are being hypocrites. And as we have seen Christ does not tolerate hypocrites well.
I am setting goals for myself that i focus less on little things and more on the big picture. I am going to try and make myself "real" all around so that the "Kelsey Wood" that people see on first glance is the real "Kelsey Wood" on the inside. I believe that that is how the Savior wants us each to be, as genuine and real "through and through."
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Sonder and Serving
One of my best friends is extremely intelligent. He finds joy in many things one of which being the written word. A while ago he introduced me to a word: Sonder. Sonder is the term used for the following definition-" the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own" Basically what this means is we need to realize that those around us have a body with a mind that has its own thought processes, emotions, and each person has their own lives that they are living with their own points of views, families, problems, etc... I love this word, but I would always get frusturated with my friend when I would start to vent about someone I disliked or had a problem with and all he would say was "sonder." Reminding me that there are people with lives and worries outside of my own (for the record, he was right to do so... but because I am still human it still frustrated me!)
This word was brought to mind and helped me ponder what I learned about in class this week. In John 12 Jesus is abiding in Martha, Mary, and Lazarus's home. While waiting for dinner Mary appears and uses a pound of ointment of spikenard and uses it to anoint the feet of Jesus. She then proceeds to wipe the oil off of His feet with the hairs of her head. At this act of service Judas Iscariot, a disciple, points out that this oil is very costly; 300 pence, and the money for this oil could've been used to help the poor. The math done in class for this story was that 300 pence during this time was equivalent to 40,000 dollars today! So yes, this oil was costly, and yes, this money could've been used for many other things. Regardless of this Christ gets after Judas and says in 12:7 "Let her alone, against the day of my burying hath she kept this" So the Savior defended this young woman for the service she did, she didn't side with Judas even though he had a point.
Sometimes we judge those around us based on their actions. Different people serve in different ways. But for some reason we expect others to serve as we would. In other instances we see people serving and are quick to judge with reality. For example, someone may give all they have to a less fortunate person but in consequence for this may not have the funds to support themselves. We as realistic humans may look at this and judge it as irrational, dumb, or silly. However, the Savior doesn't want us to do this. He is the ultimate judge of people and their actions. If people are willing to serve who are we to condone them? Like the word "sounder" states, we need to realize that people are living separate lives from us, which means they may have different ways of serving Christ. But it is not our place to judge others. Instead, we should be willing to support those who are willing to serve. Our Savior will not condemn someone for serving Him, and we shouldn't either.
This word was brought to mind and helped me ponder what I learned about in class this week. In John 12 Jesus is abiding in Martha, Mary, and Lazarus's home. While waiting for dinner Mary appears and uses a pound of ointment of spikenard and uses it to anoint the feet of Jesus. She then proceeds to wipe the oil off of His feet with the hairs of her head. At this act of service Judas Iscariot, a disciple, points out that this oil is very costly; 300 pence, and the money for this oil could've been used to help the poor. The math done in class for this story was that 300 pence during this time was equivalent to 40,000 dollars today! So yes, this oil was costly, and yes, this money could've been used for many other things. Regardless of this Christ gets after Judas and says in 12:7 "Let her alone, against the day of my burying hath she kept this" So the Savior defended this young woman for the service she did, she didn't side with Judas even though he had a point.
Sometimes we judge those around us based on their actions. Different people serve in different ways. But for some reason we expect others to serve as we would. In other instances we see people serving and are quick to judge with reality. For example, someone may give all they have to a less fortunate person but in consequence for this may not have the funds to support themselves. We as realistic humans may look at this and judge it as irrational, dumb, or silly. However, the Savior doesn't want us to do this. He is the ultimate judge of people and their actions. If people are willing to serve who are we to condone them? Like the word "sounder" states, we need to realize that people are living separate lives from us, which means they may have different ways of serving Christ. But it is not our place to judge others. Instead, we should be willing to support those who are willing to serve. Our Savior will not condemn someone for serving Him, and we shouldn't either.
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