The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores,

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now is comforted, and thou art tormented.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Classification: Reversal of Human Judgment; Rich and Poor

Narrative: This parable is given in the same moment Jesus gave the parable of the unjust steward. Jesus makes it clear (with help from JST Luke 16:16-23) that He likens the rich man in both parables to the Pharisees of His day.

Interpretation: A greedy man who hoards his money to himself will find it nearly impossible to enter into heaven while the poor man who suffered much will be welcomed greatly.
   If the people still alive will not listen to the prophets (or read their words) then they will not listen to one who had returned from the dead. They will either believe the words of the Savior and His prophets or they won't. I don't think the Lazarus in this parable is the same Lazarus that the Savior really did raise from the dead.

Application: It's up to you whether or not to believe in the words of the prophets and change your ways now before you die. Learn wisdom while in thy youth (no matter how old you are) and learn to keep the commandments of God. (See Alma 37:35)

"Be Ye Prepared" by Elder Legrand Richards

the Unjust Steward

Luke 16: 1-18

And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.


Before we get started in taking this apart, we have a Joseph Smith Translation to do. This is in the appendix JST Luke 16:16-23. The JST parts in italics and KJV in regular:

And they said unto him, We have the law; and the prophets; but as for this man we will not receive him to be our ruler; for he maketh himself to be a judge over us.

Then said Jesus unto them, The law and the prophets testify of me; yea, and all the prophets who have written, even until John, have foretold of these days.

Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man who seeketh truth presseth into it.

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one tittle of the law to fail.

And why teach ye the law, and deny that which is written; and condemn him whom the Father hath sent to fulfill the law, that ye might all be redeemed?

O fools! for you have said in your hearts, There is no God. And you pervert the right way; and the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence of you; and you persecute the meek; and in your violence you seek to destroy the kingdom; and ye take the children of the kingdom by force. Woe unto you ye adulterers!

And they reviled him again, being angry for the saying, that they were adulterers.

But he continued, saying, Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her who is put away from her husband, committeth adultery. Verily I say unto you, I will liken you unto the rich man.

Classification: 

Interpretation: First, it is important to note that the rich man is not the Savior. The rich man is just a businessman who left his steward in charge of his business for a while. The steward didn't run the business the way the rich man would have and angered the rich man. Once he started making deals he was rewarded by the rich man because that is how he runs his business. That is how he became rich. 

Application: What a weird and complicated parable! I think Jesus was trying to direct this parable to teach the pharisees in terms they understand: money! They understood how to make money, keep money, etc., all while pretending to be righteous. While it is clear that the Lord doesn't want us to become like the rich man or his unjust steward, there are things we can learn from them. 
   I found an Ensign article from July 2003:Parables of Jesus: The Unjust Steward by Elder Tsung-Ting Yang. He says:

          After telling the parable, Jesus explained some points that were important to Him.

1. 1. 
   Those who are spiritually strong need to give proper attention to the temporal affairs in their lives. “For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8).
2. 2. 
   When possible the righteous should be friends, not enemies, with people in positions of authority or wealth, for someday those friends may assist the righteous and the kingdom of God. “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (Luke 16:9; see D&C 82:22).
3. 3. 
   Those who wisely manage their temporal affairs are more likely to also wisely manage their spiritual affairs. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. … And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:10, 12; see D&C 51:19).
4. 4. 
   Obedience to God is much more important than making money. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13; see D&C 56:16–17).

   We live in a world where money is essential. There is no way around this fact: We have to have money to survive. However, the Pharisees divorced their God and married a new one: money (mammon). It is important that we prepare financially for our family's future, but it is even more important to prepare for our spiritual futures. Finding the balance between the two makes us a wise and just steward. 

In Jesus the Christ James E. Talmage writes, "Worldly minded men do not neglect provisions for their future years,... while the 'children of light,' or those who believe spiritual wealth to be above all earthly possessions, are less energetic, prudent, or wise. ... Emulate the unjust steward and the lovers of mammon (money), not in their dishonesty, cupidity, and miserly hoarding of the wealth that is at best transitory, but in their zeal, forethought, and provision for the future."

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

 11 ¶And he said, A certain man had two sons:

 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of ^agoods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them hisliving.

 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there^awasted his ^bsubstance with ^criotous living.

 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 16 And he ^awould fain have filled his belly with the ^bhusks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

 17 And when he ^acame to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

 18 I will ^aarise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have ^bsinned against heaven, and before thee,

 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had ^acompassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more ^aworthy to be called thy^bson.

 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.

 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

 31 And he said unto him, ^aSon, thou art ever with me, and ^ball that I have is thine.

 32 It was ^ameet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Classification: Forgiveness and the Love of God

Interpretation: Same as the parable of the lost sheep and lost coin; God is represented as the one who has lost something. The lost something being one of His precious souls. When they are found and brought back into the fold all of heaven rejoices.

Application: Here's the rest of the David O. McKay quote he gave April 1945: "The Lost Son: He Was Lost Through his Own Willful Disobedience and Self Concern: The third parable is the prodigal son, the 'younger son', we are told, so he was immature in his judgment. He was irking under the restraint, and he rather resented the father's careful guiding eye. He evidently longed for so-called freedom, wanted, so to speak, to try his wings. So he said, 'Father, give me my portion, and I will go.' The father gave him his portion, and out the lad went.

   Here is a case of volition; here is choice, deliberate choice, Here is, in a way, rebellion against authority. And what did he do? He spent his means in riotous living, he wasted his portion with harlots. That is the way they are lost.  Youth who start out to indulge their appetites and passions are on a downward road to apostasy as sure as the sun rises in the east. I do not confine it to youth; any man or woman who starts out on that road of intemperance, of dissolute living will separate himself or herself from the fold as inevitably as darkness follows the day.  'My spirit shall not always strive with man' (Gen. 6:3), Says the Lord. 'My spirit will not dwell in an unclean tabernacle.' He who tries to live a double life, who does live a double life in violation of his covenants, to quote one author, 'is either a knave or a fool.' Often he is both, because he himself is using his free agency to gratify his passions, to waste his substance in riotous living, to violate the covenants that he has made in the house of God.  In such cases there is little we can do but warn and plead until the recreant, as the prodigal son, at last 'comes to himself."

   The best thing we can do, I think, when we are dealing with people we believe to be "lost" is not to determine how they got lost. Whether they were lost through wandering, neglect or willful disobedience. This is one of those moments where it really isn't our job to decide what happened but to love them and treat them as you would anyone else. 

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1773, Pompeo Batoni

"Parables of the Lost and Found" Feb 2011 Ensign

"Search and Rescue" by Thomas S. Monson

The Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin

Luke 15:1-10

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me: for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me: for I have found the piece which I had lost.

Classification: Forgiveness and the Love of God

Interpretation: First, there is one JST that is so small I almost didn't bother with it. But that one small change makes a big difference. It's in verse 4. As usual, the JST will be in italics. "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine and go into the wilderness after that which is lost, until he find it?" The original had me believe that He would leave us alone in the wilderness to fend for ourselves while he searches for someone else. But, that is not the case. He leaves the ninety and nine in peace and safety to go find the one lost in the wilderness.
  Anyway, God is represented as the one who has lost something. The lost something being one of His precious souls. When they are found and brought back into the fold all of heaven rejoices.

Application: This is what David O. McKay had to say in general conference April 1945:
   "The Lost Sheep: It strayed without intending to: Sheep go where grass is. It seems apparent that the sheep in the parable was not lost through willful disobedience or careless neglect; it simply strayed away in search of greener pastures and soon was lost.
   I ask you tonight, how did that sheep get lost? He was not rebellious. If you follow the comparison, the lamb was seeking its livelihood in a perfectly legitimate manner, but either stupidly, perhaps unconsciously; it followed the enticement of the field, the prospect of better grass until it got out beyond the fold and was lost.
   So we have those in the Church, young men and young women, who wander away from the fold in perfectly legitimate ways. They are seeking success, success in business, success in their professions, and before long they become disinterested in Church and finally disconnected from the fold; they have lost track of what true success is, perhaps stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, in some cases, perhaps willingly. They are blind to what constitutes true success.
   The Lost Coin: it was lost through the Carelessness and Neglect of Another: In this case the thing lost was not in itself responsible. The one who had been trusted with that coin had, through carelessness or neglect, mislaid it or dropped it. There is a difference, and this is the one-third, which I think applies to us tonight. Our charge is not only coins, but living souls of children, youth, and adults. They are our charges...Someone may be wandering because of the careless remark of a girl of her age in Mutual (and I have in mind a case), and the president of the Mutual lets her go, fails to follow her next Tuesday night and invite her to come. Another may be lost because of the inactivity of the Sunday School teacher, or the indifference of the Sunday School teacher who was satisfied with the fifteen people there that morning, instead of thinking of the fifteen who are wandering because of neglect."
  I'll write what he said about being lost through willful disobedience in the next parable.
  "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." D&C 18:10
  So, how do we seek out and find these lost souls. And what do we do to bring them back?


   

The Good Shepherd, 17th century
Phillippe de Champaigne

The Tower and the Rash King

Luke 14:25-35     Also known as Counting the Cost

And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.


Classification: Discipleship

Interpretation: Alright, let's start with a some footnotes that will help us understand what He is trying to tell us. In verse 26 on the word "hate" is a reference that takes us to Matthew 10:37: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
   The next footnote is also in verse 26 on the word "yea". This one takes us to a Joseph Smith Translation. (I LOVE those!) Here is how the verse would read with the JST. Again, the JST will be in italics. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, or husband, yea and his own life also; or in other words, is afraid to lay down his life for my sake, he cannot be my disciple.
   The footnote in verse 27 on the word disciple brings us to another JST! Here's the verse: "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Wherefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you."
   In verse 30 on the word "finish" brings us yet another JST. Here's the verse: Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. And this he said, signifying there should not any man follow him, unless he was able to continue; saying,"
   And in verse 34 we have one more footnote with a JST which actually adds verses to the chapter. Here is the JST Luke 14:35-37 "Then certain of them came to him, saying, Good Master, we have Moses and the prophets, and whosoever shall live by them, shall he not have life?  And Jesus answered, saying, Ye know not Moses, neither the prophets; for if ye had known them, ye would have believed on me; for to this intent they were written. For I am sent that ye might have life. Therefore I will liken it unto salt which is good;  But if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?"

  Wow, that was a lot of JSTs. So, how do we interpret this? Jesus wanted all in the "great multitude" to become a disciple. But he wanted them to think strongly before committing to do so. Thanks to Matthew 10:37 we can see that he didn't want his disciples to hate their family. One of the ten commandments is to Honor thy father and thy mother. He just wanted them to put Him first in their lives like He says in Matthew 22:37-38 when asked which is the great commandment in the law. He said, "..Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment." He wanted them to make sure they would be able to put Him in proper priority ranking before committing to discipleship. He wanted them to know there is a cost, not of money (well, we can discuss tithing later) but of other resources such as time and possibly life. BUT! The cost is so small compared to the rewards.

Application: I think President Uchtdorf said it best at last general conference when he said this: "Once there was a man who dreamed that he was in a great hall where all the religions of the world were gathered. He realized that each religion had much that seemed desirable and worthy.

He met a nice couple who represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked, “What do you require of your members?”

“We do not require anything,” they replied. “But the Lord asks that we consecrate all.”

The couple went on to explain about Church callings, home and visiting teaching, full-time missions, weekly family home evenings, temple work, welfare and humanitarian service, and assignments to teach.

“Do you pay your people for all the work they do?” the man asked.

“Oh, no,” the couple explained. “They offer their time freely.”

“Also,” the couple continued, “every six months our Church members spend a weekend attending or watching 10 hours of general conference.”

“Ten hours of people giving talks?” the man wondered.

“What about your weekly church services? How long are they?”

“Three hours, every Sunday!”

“Oh, my,” the man said. “Do members of your church actually do what you have said?”

“That and more. We haven’t even mentioned family history, youth camps, devotionals, scripture study, leadership training, youth activities, early-morning seminary, maintaining Church buildings, and of course there is the Lord’s law of health, the monthly fast to help the poor, and tithing.”

The man said, “Now I’m confused. Why would anyone want to join such a church?”

The couple smiled and said, “We thought you would never ask.”

It takes a lot to be a true disciple. But the cost is so very small compared to the rewards we get both here, now, in this life and in the life to come.

 "A Disciple of Christ" by Marion G. Romney

The tower and the war-making king

P.S. I really like these super old paintings of the parables. They remind me just how long the Savior's words have been around. I read the New Testament and feel like the Savior speaks to me, today. But these paintings remind me that His words have been influencing the world for over 2,000 years.

Marriage of the King's Son

Matthew 22:1-14

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.

Classification: You get to decide

Interpretation: This parable is so similar to the Parable of the Great Feast that I almost clumped them together. But there were a few slight differences that made me think the interpretation of the two parables are very different. I'm going to be doing some scripture chaining to help shape my views of this parable.
    Remember the parable of the great feast was about the Atonement and accepting it into our lives. I would have yawned my way through this parable and assumed it was the same thing had it not been for verse 11 and 12 that talked about the "Friend" who didn't have on the wedding garment. So, I'm going to take you through the scripture chain that led me to think the way I do: If you're using the LDS version of the scriptures (we have footnotes) you'll find a footnote on the word "garment" in verse 11 which takes us to Revelation 19:8. To give you a better picture of what was happening in 19:8 I'm going to type out verses 5-9
   Revelation 19:5-9 "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
   And I heard as it were the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
   Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
   And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
   And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
   The next scripture I followed was this: In verse 8 on the word "linen" is a footnote which takes you to 1 Nephi 12:10. I'm going to type verses 9-10.
   1 Nephi 12:9-10 "And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.
   And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And behold,  they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood."
   And just for kicks and giggles lets look at the footnote in verse 10 on the word "garments". It takes us to D&C 88:85. Really all of chapter 88, especially verses 81-126, is incredible and I could type the whole thing. But I'm not going to. I'll type out verses 81-87 and encourage you to pull out your scriptures and read the whole chapter. Or to read online click here.
   D&C 88:81-87 "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.
   Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.
   He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken.
   Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come;
   That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come. Verily, I say unto you, let those who are not the first elders continue in the vineyard until the mouth of the Lord shall call them, for their time is not yet come; their garments are not clean from the blood of this generation.
   Abide ye in liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes.
   For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off the fig tree."
   
   Let's go back to Matthew 22. In verse 10 it says, "...and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests." On the word "gathered" is a footnote that takes us to Matthew 13:47-53: The parable of the gospel net. (To read my thoughts on that parable click here.)  The gospel net is about gathering all the fish, bad and good, and sorting them. That is what will happen on Judgment Day. And, again in Matthew 22:13 it talks about the king's servants binding "hand and foot" the one who was not wearing the wedding garment (the robe of righteousness) and sending him to outer darkness where there will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. (Outer darkness is the dentists office. Who knew?) I thought this scripture was referring to only one particular "friend". I thought it was talking about Satan being bound for a thousand years. And maybe it can still be applied to that. But in verse 14 was one more footnote that I almost didn't bother clicking on. "For many are called, but few are chosen." The footnote on "chosen" shows a Joseph Smith Translation. I'll type the whole scripture again with the JST in italics. Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen; wherefore all do not have on the wedding garment." Which means the "friend" is not just Satan. It is all who refuse to listen and become righteous. 
   I really love how the Savior took the parable of the great supper and taught about the importance of the Atonement and then built on it to teach about the Second Coming. Line upon line. And He continues to build on the same concept in other parables (the ten virgins.) Laura's Lesson Learned: Don't gloss over anything assuming it's teaching something you already "know".
   And this is why it becomes important that we "warn our neighbors". I don't want to be found at the last day without a wedding garment. And I don't want anyone I know to be without one either. WOW! That was a really long interpretation process. So now all we have to do is apply.

Application: You know what? I'm going to do something different. I'm not going to tell you how to apply this to your life. I want you to tell me. Leave a comment, talk to me in person, or keep it private to yourself and write it in your journal. But Apply! This one is big. This one is literally life or death. 

The man without the Wedding Garment by Jan Luyken

The Great Supper

Luke 14:7-24

And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Classification: The Jewish Church and Nation, its history, and the causes of its Fall.

Interpretation: An invitation went out to come to this great feast. Invitations were RSVP'd. Efforts were made to plan, decorate, cook, money was spent on the preparations. Then when it came time to dine, those who had RSVP'd came up with excuses not to come.

Those who accepted were the Jews (really the whole house of Israel). They accepted the invitation when they accepted the Law of Moses. The Great Feast was the Atonement of the Savior. But by the time the Atonement was done, the tribe of Judah had already moved on to other things.

The servants that were sent out to let the Jews know that the feast was ready were the Apostles of the Lord.

The Jews had various excuses why they couldn't come. For some, they had left Israel for other lands (the diaspora), others had "married a wife" (idolatry, commitment to the other religions of the time)

The yoke of oxen excuse is particularly interesting to me. This great feast is the Atonement and Jesus said to "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;...and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30). Ultimately what happened was the Jews refused to take upon His yoke, refused to believe that an Atonement was made. They chose to carry on working with their own yokes (burdens, sins, powerlessness) that were far heavier than Christ's. 

So, the Lord sent out His Apostles to invite the gentiles, the poor, the outcast, the thieves and sinners (Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled) to accept the gospel and come unto Christ.

Then Jesus said, "none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."

The gospel was extended to those who desperately needed that meal. It was given to those who were starving and in need of nourishment. The invitation was extended to those who gratefully accepted everything that was offered. The tears of gratitude that must have been shed by those who felt unworthy of such an honor must have been tremendous.


Application: The original invitees were the Jews of His day but their excuses are just as prevalent among our church today. "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it." What does he need to go see exactly? It's just ground, it'll be there the next day. I think he just wants to go see his material (earthly) possessions: his boat, his tv, his 4 wheeler, his PS4, all those fun earthly things that keep us from doing the Lord's work and living up to our covenants. "I have bought five yoke of oxen and need to go prove them." Too much today we see people of the Lord choosing to work (or play) on the Sabbath. (I'm completely aware that there are many who really don't have any choice when it comes to working on Sunday. I'm talking about the ones who feel working on Sunday is far more productive than worshiping our Lord.) Keeping the Sabbath day holy is not a "mormon thing". It's one of the ten commandments so we're all subject to it. "I have married a wife, and therefore cannot come." Marriage between the Church and God has always been a theme in the teachings of God to explain how He feels toward us. To say that "I have married a wife" implies that he has chosen another religion, another way of life. We've all seen this happen. We all have someone close to us that chose to go another way. This could also be applied to meaning appetites of the flesh and the desires of the natural man.

The footnote on the word hedges in verse 23 reads "hedged pathways". To me this means one whose way has been blocked by sin, troubles, indecision, or depression. The Savior wanted the gospel to go to them. He knew how much they needed the gospel and He knew how much it would mean to them to have the gospel in their lives. This applies to us today. We still need the gospel in our lives. We still, and always will, need the power of the Atonement in our lives each and every day.

The Master wants this invitation extended to all. We are not just the guests but we are the servants as well. Once we have tasted of the delicious supper it becomes our job to "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind...Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

The Invitation by Jan Luyken

Parables of Jesus: The Great Supper by Elder F. Melvin Hammond

The Watchful Servant and The Barren Fig Tree

The Watchful Servant     Luke 12:35-48

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning:

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with a few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

In case you didn't already know: The word lord is an English word. I don't know what the Hebrew word was that the translators changed to lord. But because the word lord had two different meanings they changed the first letter to keep track of which lord they were referring to. When using the word lord as a common title (there were many lords in England) they used a lower case L. When using the word to talk about Jesus they capitalized the L.

Classification: The Church of the Future - The Final Judgment of it

Interpretation:  The patiently waiting servants are those who have committed to do the Lord's work and are doing it so that the people may be ready for His return. This parable talks about a servant who assumes the Lord won't return for a long long time or even return at all and so lives for the Natural Man. But he is an unwise servant because there's no telling when the Lord will return.

Application: Jesus has promised that he will return to earth and rule over the house of Israel. This parable is a reminder to us to be ever watchful. We don't know when it will happen, we just know it will. Continue doing the work of the Lord, no matter how late, no matter how tired, no matter how hopeless it all seems. Continue going forward the best you can.


The Barren Fig Tree    Luke 13:6-9

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth the ground?

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

And if it bear fruit, Well: And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Classification: Not sure.

Interpretation: Please let me remind you that I do not claim to be an expert. There are a couple of things I am not positive with this one. Here's what I'm pretty sure of: The vineyard - the Earth. That's it. That's all I'm sure of. I thought the Fig tree would be the house of Israel but why a fig tree? All of his other allegories use the olive tree to represent Israel so why a fig tree in this one? I thought the dresser would be a prophet but I really don't see the prophets asking for more time. Which leads me to think maybe the dresser is the Lord himself asking Heavenly Father for more time. And that would make the owner Heavenly Father, not Jesus. But I Don't Know! The only thing that is clear is the tree is not producing good fruit and the owner is not well pleased.

Application: Let's do this: Let's say that the Fig Tree is an individual person. We are all fig trees. If the Lord were to come examine your fruit what would He find? Is your fig tree producing good fruit? Or have you become cumbersome to your ground? If we look at it this way then we can imagine that the dresser is everyone around us trying to teach us, trying to help us change. This could be Mom, Dad, siblings, children, friends, teachers, leaders, all of those people who surround us and beg the Lord in prayer to change our hearts. 
    If you're willing to apply this parable in this way then the message would be our time is not infinite. The Lord will allow those around us to have a little more time to get us to change but eventually the Lord is going to say, Enough. So, apply this parable by asking yourself, "How am I spending my time? Am I working to produce good fruit? Am I helping the fig trees around me to produce good fruit? Or am I giving first class time to things that are so completely unimportant?"


 "Do Not Delay" by Henry B. Eyring

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree by Jan Luyken