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If you had the chance to talk to the Savior, in the same way the people whom he taught during his mortal mission did, what would you talk about? Would you ask a question, what would that question be? For me the question would be the same as the title to this blog, What lack I yet? It was the same question asked to him by a rich young man when he met the Savior for the first time saying, “What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Matthew 19:16. When we ponder the possibility of eternal life, we may wonder if there’s more we should be doing. When we ask, in our own way, “What lack I yet?” Matthew 19:20, the Lord can give us answers that are just as personal as His response to the rich young man explaining to him both appreciation for the good things the young man had already done and loving encouragement to do more. Whatever the Lord asks us to do, acting on His answer will always require that we trust Him more than our own righteousness Luke 18:9–14 and that we “receive the kingdom of God as a little child” Luke 18:17; see also 3 Nephi 9:22.
This week we study Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18 in the New Testament. Here we learn specific insight and knowledge on trusting God, gaining eternal life and growing closer to the Savior. Topics which are essential in our journey through this life. As we read through the these specific scriptures let us keep in mind the question, what lack I yet? Finding ways we can improve our lives to fit in harmony with what is needed to gain that eternal life we seek, and at peace while doing so.
How well do each of the following statements represent your attitudes and beliefs?
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In God’s plan for His children, He intends for marriage to last forever.
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Satan is working to destroy marriages and families.
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There are many reasons for which divorce is justified.
3 ¶ The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
In Matthew 19:3 what was the Pharisees question to the Savior? How would you put it in your own words? The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
“To put away his wife for every cause” refers to a man divorcing his wife for any reason, even if it is trivial or selfish.
What was the Savior’s answer concerning divorce? How would you put it in your own words? Matthew 19:4–6
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
These verses tell us the Savior taught that marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred relationship ordained of God.
What is meant by the phrase “from the beginning it was not so”? God did not intend for Adam and Eve or their posterity to get divorced.
What reason did Jesus Christ give in Matthew 19:9 that might justify divorce?
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Matthew 19:7 records that the Pharisees referred to Deuteronomy 24:1, which some of their leaders understood to mean that if a man married a woman and she did not please him, he could provide her a written bill of divorcement. When asked why Moses permitted divorce, Jesus Christ declared, “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8; italics added). Latter-day scriptures affirm that in the Lord’s plan of happiness, marriage is meant to be eternal (see D&C 132:15–20; Ecclesiastes 3:14; Moses 4:18).
Is It Adultery for a Divorced Person to Remarry? President Dallin H. Oaks explained that in our day divorced individuals may remarry without their new marriage being considered adultery, but in the celestial kingdom there will be no divorce: “The kind of marriage required for exaltation—eternal in duration and godlike in quality—does not contemplate divorce. In the temples of the Lord, couples are married for all eternity. But some marriages do not progress toward that ideal. Because ‘of the hardness of [our] hearts’ [Matthew 19:8], the Lord does not currently enforce the consequences of the celestial standard. He permits divorced persons to marry again without the stain of immorality specified in the higher law” (“Divorce,”).
According to the Savior, why did Moses allow divorce among the Israelites? Because of the hardness of the people’s hearts.
In modern society, what attitudes about marriage and divorce reflect a lack of respect for the sanctity of marriage? “Modern prophets
have warned that looking upon marriage ‘as a mere contract that may be
entered into at pleasure … and severed at the first difficulty … is an
evil meriting severe condemnation,’ especially where children are made
to suffer [David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1969, 8–9].
“In
ancient times and even under tribal laws in some countries where we now
have members, men have power to divorce their wives for any trivial
thing. Such unrighteous oppression of women was rejected by the Savior
[see Matthew 19:8–9]” (Dallin H Oaks “Divorce,” Ensign May 2007, 70)
President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, “There may be now and again a legitimate cause for divorce. I am not one to say that it is never justified. But I say without hesitation that this plague among us, which seems to be growing everywhere, is not of God, but rather is the work of the adversary of righteousness and peace and truth” (“What God Hath Joined Together,” Ensign, May 1991, 74).
Matthew 19:9. Is It Adultery for a Divorced Person to Remarry? (see also Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18)
President James E Faust stated: “In my opinion, ‘just cause’ [for divorce] should be nothing less serious than a prolonged and apparently irredeemable relationship which is destructive of a person’s dignity as a human being. “At the same time, I have strong feelings about what is not provocation for breaking the sacred covenants of marriage. Surely it is not simply ‘mental distress,’ nor ‘personality differences,’ nor ‘having grown apart,’ nor having ‘fallen out of love’” (“Father, Come Home,” Ensign, May 1993, 36–37).
Part 2: Matthew 20:1–16 Eternal life is available to all—no matter how early or late we accept the gospel
A common practice in Jesus’s day was for landowners to go to a central gathering place and hire temporary laborers. In this parable the householder went into the marketplace at about 6:00 a.m. and hired laborers to work for a “penny” (or denarius, which was a typical day’s wages). He returned to the marketplace at 9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. (the eleventh hour), found other unemployed men who were willing to work, and hired them, promising to pay them “whatsoever is right” (Matthew 20:4, 7).
1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
What payment did each group of laborers receive? 1 penny
If you were among the laborers who worked all day, what thoughts or feelings might you have had as you received the same reward as those who worked for only an hour?
What was the complaint of those who had worked all day? These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
What did the lord of the vineyard say in response? Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
How had the lord of the vineyard been just (or fair) with those who had worked all day? He had paid everyone what was agreed upon from the beginning.
How does this parable relate to us in our gospel journey? The wage of one penny can represent everlasting or eternal life, if the reward in this parable represents eternal life, what could the labor represent? The labor in this parable can represent making and keeping sacred covenants with God. God gives eternal life to all people who choose to make and keep sacred covenants with Him. This truth helps us understand Heavenly Father’s mercy for individuals who do not make or keep covenants early in life and for those who do not have the opportunity to do so until after they die D&C 137:7–8
What does this parable suggest about the kingdom of heaven? It would have been unusual to pay first those who had worked the least Matthew 20:8. However, this parable is an extension of what Jesus Christ taught in Matthew 19:30: “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” Those hired in the eleventh hour might represent those who become converted late in life but thereafter labor diligently in the kingdom. One truth this parable illustrates is that whether people become disciples of Christ in their youth, in their young adulthood, in the later stages of life, or in some instances in the spirit world D&C 137:7–8, eternal life is the reward for all people who make and keep sacred covenants with the Lord D&C 76:95; 84:38; 88:107.
What would help us apply the principles in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland offered these additional lessons from this parable of the laborers: “This parable—like all parables—is not really about laborers or wages any more than the others are about sheep and goats. This is a story about God’s goodness, His patience and forgiveness, and the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a story about generosity and compassion. It is a story about grace. It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it. “… However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines. “… There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized. Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. “… His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there. “So if you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time” (“The Laborers in the Vineyard,” Ensign May 2012, 32–33).
Why do you think it is important for us to know that God gives eternal life to all people who choose to make and keep sacred covenants with Him, regardless of when that may occur?
What do you think the lord of the vineyard meant when he asked, “Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” verse 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland paraphrased this question as follows: “Why should you be jealous because I choose to be kind?” (“The Laborers in the Vineyard,” Ensign May 2012, 31).
What does it mean in verse 16 that “many are called, but few chosen”? To be called means to be invited to participate in Heavenly Father’s work. To be chosen means to receive His blessings including the blessing of eternal life.
What principle can we learn from verse 16? If we choose to be jealous of Heavenly Father’s blessings upon others, then we may lose the blessings He wants to give us.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, again gives us great counsel: “There are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin. …“… Coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live” (“Laborers in the Vineyard,” 31, 32).
The above verses tell the story of a rich young man who asks what he must do to gain eternal life, and Jesus teaches that trusting in riches can keep a person out of the kingdom of God. Jesus praises a poor widow for casting two mites into the treasury.
16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
17 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
23 ¶ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
When we obtain something appealing, we may be unwilling to let it go even if keeping it might cause us to lose something better. This parable teaches us that trusting in riches can keep a person out of the kingdom of God. To help us better understand lets break it down.
What did Jesus say to the rich young man who asked how to receive eternal life? Mark 10:17–21
17 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Why did these instructions sadden the young man? Mark 10:22
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
Have you ever felt like the rich young man?
How does the Savior’s instruction to the rich young man apply to us? President Joseph F. Smith said: “The difficulty with the young man [was that] he had great possessions, and he preferred to rely upon his wealth rather than forsake all and follow Christ. … No man can obtain the gift of eternal life unless he is willing to sacrifice all earthly things in order to obtain it” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 261)
What did Jesus teach about the relationship between having riches and entering the kingdom of God? Mark 10:23–25.
23 ¶ And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
What is the difference between possessing riches and trusting in them?
How can we maintain a proper attitude toward earthly possessions? Mosiah 4:19, 21
19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.
President Smith also taught: “God is not a respecter of persons. The rich man may enter into the kingdom of heaven as freely as the poor, if he will bring his heart and affections into subjection to the law of God and to the principle of truth; if he will place his affections upon God, his heart upon the truth, and his soul upon the accomplishment of God’s purposes, and not fix his affections and his hopes upon the things of the world” (Gospel Doctrine, 260–61)
Contrast the rich young man with the poor widow in Mark 12:41–44. What was the widow willing to do that the rich young man was not? She was willing to give all she had for the kingdom of God.
41 ¶ And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
How can we develop an attitude like the poor widow’s?
Have you had an experience in which you asked “What lack I yet?” and received a personalized prompting to improve? What difference did it make in your life?
Part 4: Luke 18:9–14 We should trust God’s mercy, not our own righteousness
As Jesus Christ traveled to Jerusalem for the last time in mortality, He taught a number of parables and healed many people. He invited the rich young ruler to give all to the poor and follow Him. He healed a blind man. Despite ridicule, He dined with one of the chief publicans in Jericho.
He arrived in Jerusalem and, amidst shouts of praise, rode a colt as He entered the city. He again expelled the money changers from the temple, taught the people there, and responded to questions from chief priests and scribes. He praised a widow who offered her two mites to the temple treasury. He also taught the disciples about His Second Coming. However; this parable of the Pharisee and Publician is unique only to the Gospel of Luke and is a parable that can help us highlight the attitude that the Lord asks of those who seek to follow Him.
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
After reading this parable rewrite the Pharisee’s prayer in a way that uses modern details but expresses the same attitudes?
Now do the same with the publican’s prayer.
How do verses 15–17 and 18–24 relate to what the Savior taught in this parable?
15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
How can these verses inspire us to remain humble, as the publican was? President Howard W. Hunter explained the difference between the prayer of the Pharisee and the prayer of the publican:
“Could there be greater contrast in the prayers of two men? The Pharisee stood apart because he believed he was better than other men, whom he considered as common. The publican stood apart also, but it was because he felt himself unworthy. The Pharisee thought of no one other than himself and regarded everyone else a sinner, whereas the publican thought of everyone else as righteous as compared with himself, a sinner. The Pharisee asked nothing of God, but relied upon his own self-righteousness. The publican appealed to God for mercy and forgiveness of his sins.
“… The publican, the despised tax collector, ‘went down to his house justified, rather than the other.’ (Luke 18:14.) In other words, the Lord said he was absolved, forgiven, or vindicated. …
“Humility is an attribute of godliness possessed by true Saints. It is easy to understand why a proud man fails. He is content to rely upon himself only. … The proud man shuts himself off from God, and when he does he no longer lives in the light. …
“… History bears record that those who have exalted themselves have been abased, but the humble have been exalted. On every busy street there are Pharisees and publicans. It may be that one of them bears our name” (“The Pharisee and the Publican,” Ensign, May 1984, 65–66)
Elder Dale G. Renlund stated: “The message for us is clear: a repenting sinner draws closer to God than does the self-righteous person who condemns that sinner” (“Our Good Shepherd,” Ensign May 2017, 31)
Conclusion
So what do we individually lack yet? Are there things that we can improve on to be more Holy and draw closer to God. Sure there are. We are not a perfect people each one of us falls short in one way or another. Thankfully the Lord has provided for us the tools and education we need so that we can improve and continue to grow more perfect in our journey. Our goal is to receive eternal life and live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. To receive eternal life, we must be willing to put away the things of the world and serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. Every thought, action, word and deed that we choose in our daily lives shows are commitment to Jesus Christ. If we like the rich young man choose worldly things over righteous, we are stating that we prefer the world over Christ. We must find those little areas where we lack, those worldly pitfalls that beset us and improve them one by one so that we can be pure and ready to enter into His presence when the day comes. Its not a task that we can accomplish overnight but we can commit ourselves by working diligently daily. That is what the Lord asks of us and is my prayer that we can achieve.
Next week: “What would you do if you had only one week to live?” study Matthew 21–23; Mark 11–12; Luke 19–20; and John 12,
Resources:
Old Testament Student Manual
Ensign
Conference Reports
Seminary Manual
Gospel Doctrine Manual
Behold the Man Gerald Lund
Come Unto Me Gerald Lund
What would a Holy Woman Do Wendy Watson
The Power Within Us Russell M Nelson
Insights from a Prophets Life Russell M Nelson
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