During the last week of our Savior's life there was significant preparation for Passover. The Lord Himself emphasized this event in the Gospel of Luke, where He says, "With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22: 15).
The events are described in Exodus chapter 12 and speak of the preparation necessary.
"In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house . . . And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening" (Exodus 12: 3,6).
So what happened between Nisan (the first month) 10th and 14th?
Extensive care was taken to examine the paschal lambs to make sure they were the very best and free from all blemishes.
Ray Watson makes an interesting observation:
"1 Corinthians 5:7 states that Christ is our Passover lamb, and was sacrificed for us. It is likely that Jesus, as the Passover lamb, was being crucified at roughly the same time as the Passover lambs were being slain in the temple.
The Passover lamb had to be without blemish. Before it could be was slain, it had first to be examined and approved by the temple priests. It was examined for four days, from the tenth day of the first month to the fourteenth day of the first month, after which it was offered. I don’t know all the details of what was involved in examining the lamb, but you can be sure if it took 4 days it was a pretty stringent examination. The spiritual significance of this, is that Jesus – as our Passover Lamb – was examined on our behalf, and we don’t have to undergo that stringent examination. There is a passage of scripture (1Corinthians 11) which makes reference to a man examining himself during the Lord’s Supper to see if he is worthy. But this is often misapplied and removed from the context in which it was given. (Refer to the notes on "Breaking Bread & The Lords Supper" associated with a communion song I wrote that relates to this issue.)
Here is a link to the full article.
Notice how the temple priests in the above quote would examine the paschal lambs during Passover week. Also notice how the lambs were being slain in the temple at the same hour as Jesus yielded His mortal body. All three Synoptic Gospels report the voluntary death of the Savior as being at the "ninth hour," or 3:00 in the afternoon. Josephus reports this to be the same time as the paschal lambs being slain.
But getting back to these temple priests, notice how they examine the Lamb of God probably three to four days before the Crucifixion.
As Jesus comes to the temple before Passover he is thoroughly examined. Matthew records,
"And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?" (Matthew 21: 23).
Jesus turns the table on them by asking them a question they refuse to answer. He says He will not answer the question, because they didn't answer His, but then indirectly gives the answer in the parable of the two sons. By the way, Jesus is that first Son who sacrificed His own will in favor of His Father's. The other son was Lucifer.
But the temple priests and Pharisees are not finished. They examine Him and cross-examine Him with more questions. In the next chapter they ask, "Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?"
By their own zeal to entrap Jesus they are actually, in a back-handed way, testifying of the reality of His Messianic role, and fulfilling Old Testament typology that He is in fact the true Lamb of God.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
The Triumphal Entry
During the final week of the Savior's mortal ministry He makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. John's Gospel records: "And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt" (John 12: 14-15).
Jesus followed a pattern established in the Old Testament by riding a donkey. Solomon rode upon king David's mule to the Gihon Spring, where Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed the new king. The trumpets were sounded and the people chanted, "God save king Solomon" (see 1 Kings 1: 38-39). Jesus enters Jerusalem in like fashion as the Davidic king and Messiah, which means "anointed One." Kings in Israel usually rode on a mule. Of course, this was prophesied in Zechariah:
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9: 9). The donkey was also a symbol of peace. Someone riding a mule would not be a threat to Roman authorities.
The Savior triumphed over death and hell. He overcame physical death and spiritual death. As He made His way into the city gates, the people "took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord" (John 12: 13).
The Israelites, similar to the days of Solomon, are calling upon their King to save them. Thus they shout "hosanna," which means "save now."
The palm branches become symbolic of victory, as Jesus grants us victory over death and hell. Palm Sunday is still celebrated the Sunday before Easter.
One such Palm Sunday occurred on March 27,1836 as the Kirtland Temple was dedicated. One of the petitions of the dedicatory prayer is, "And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them" (D&C 109: 22).
Temple ordinances empower us and help us to be victorious over Satan. We can have angels come to our aid as we battle the enemy.
Another promise of the temple, related to Palm Sunday, is contained in this prayer, which petitions,
"That our garments may be pure, that we may be clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands, and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings" (D&C 109: 76).
Saturday, June 6, 2015
"Buried in the Water in His Name"
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon experienced a series of visions recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76, and commonly referred to as "The Vision." Among other things they saw the Father and the Son and bear testimony to the world of the living reality of the Son of God.
They also bear witness of the resurrection of the just. And it was upon the subject of the resurrection as recorded in the Gospel of John that prompted this vision. They speak of the resurrection of the just using the following language:
"And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just—
They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—
That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true" (D&C 76: 50-53).
Today, I took my normal Saturday walk. And needing a restroom and finding the one at a local grocery store locked, I proceeded on my walk. I soon encountered a stake center near my walking route and seeing cars parked outside and realizing it is the first Saturday of the month, I knew baptisms would be going on and the doors would be open.
Sporting casual pants and a tee shirt and equipped with headphones covered with a stocking cap to mitigate the noise of the wind, I entered the building and probably looked more like a vagabond than a saint. It wasn't my intention, but I garnered some puzzled stares while a sacred ordinance was taking place.
A brother, who was probably listening to the Spirit, gave me directions to the restroom without my asking. I passed by the baptismal font, and it was apparent that someone had just received that sacred ordinance, being buried with Jesus in those holy, special, and cleansing waters.
I cannot witness a baptism without thinking of the beautiful doctrine illustrated by Paul, as he describes, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6: 3-4).
What makes baptism so special? Is it the words of the baptismal prayer and other prayers recited verbatim? We know we take His name upon us, and it is renewed each time we partake of the sacrament. But like other ordinances, it becomes most endearing and sweet as those special words become written in the heart as ordinances are "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise." We can walk with others in "newness of life" and become living examples, or Paul would say, living epistles, as the gospel law is "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3: 3).
As I walked down the halls of this church, I heard the beautiful singing of children, as their chorus proclaimed, "I'm trying to be like Jesus." I can't describe how good it sounded--how good it feels.
As a recovering addict, still trying to recover from addictions, I've tried the walk with Him and without Him. Walking with Him yields newness of life, newness of Spirit, newness of hopes, newness of His grace, and newness of dreams.
What a great day to walk with Him.
They also bear witness of the resurrection of the just. And it was upon the subject of the resurrection as recorded in the Gospel of John that prompted this vision. They speak of the resurrection of the just using the following language:
"And again we bear record—for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just—
They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given—
That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true" (D&C 76: 50-53).
Today, I took my normal Saturday walk. And needing a restroom and finding the one at a local grocery store locked, I proceeded on my walk. I soon encountered a stake center near my walking route and seeing cars parked outside and realizing it is the first Saturday of the month, I knew baptisms would be going on and the doors would be open.
Sporting casual pants and a tee shirt and equipped with headphones covered with a stocking cap to mitigate the noise of the wind, I entered the building and probably looked more like a vagabond than a saint. It wasn't my intention, but I garnered some puzzled stares while a sacred ordinance was taking place.
A brother, who was probably listening to the Spirit, gave me directions to the restroom without my asking. I passed by the baptismal font, and it was apparent that someone had just received that sacred ordinance, being buried with Jesus in those holy, special, and cleansing waters.
I cannot witness a baptism without thinking of the beautiful doctrine illustrated by Paul, as he describes, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6: 3-4).
What makes baptism so special? Is it the words of the baptismal prayer and other prayers recited verbatim? We know we take His name upon us, and it is renewed each time we partake of the sacrament. But like other ordinances, it becomes most endearing and sweet as those special words become written in the heart as ordinances are "sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise." We can walk with others in "newness of life" and become living examples, or Paul would say, living epistles, as the gospel law is "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3: 3).
As I walked down the halls of this church, I heard the beautiful singing of children, as their chorus proclaimed, "I'm trying to be like Jesus." I can't describe how good it sounded--how good it feels.
As a recovering addict, still trying to recover from addictions, I've tried the walk with Him and without Him. Walking with Him yields newness of life, newness of Spirit, newness of hopes, newness of His grace, and newness of dreams.
What a great day to walk with Him.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
The Prostitute Fig Tree
At the risk of having my blog blocked as an inappropriate site, I chose this title which fits one of Dictionary.com's definitions of prostitute, defined as "to put to any base or unworthy use."
The scriptures speak of an event in the life of the Savior as He enters Jerusalem and encounters a certain fig tree. The verses read:
"Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!" (Matthew 21: 18-20).
There are several interesting doctrines springing forth from the Savior's comments on this poor fig tree.
The Bible Dictionary tells us that fig trees develop differently from other trees. "The tree is one of the earliest to show its fruitbuds, which appear before the leaves; thus a fig tree with leaves would be expected to also have fruit. Jesus’ cursing the fig tree for its fruitlessness (Mark 11:12–13, 20–23) was an allusion to the fruitlessness of Israel. The time when the leaves appear indicates that summer is 'nigh at hand.'"
Fig trees, and particularly fig leaves, wherever you see them, symbolize fruitfulness. Adam and Eve were given the commandment to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28). After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, "they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Genesis 3: 7). This was to serve as a covering, but also it represented God's will that they be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Fruitfulness also applies to good works.
The hapless fig tree produced neither fruit, and thus becomes cursed and cut off to those eternal blessings. Of course this is purely symbolic. The fig tree obviously is not capable of transgressing any law. But this innocent fig tree becomes a counterfeit, immoral, prostitute tree as it imitates the sacred reproductive act merely by displaying leaves, but in reality nothing is produced.
Jesus desires to be in the everyday details of our lives. He wants nothing more than to make life fruitful, rich, and rewarding. In modern times He has quoted from His own Olivet Discourse. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read,
"And when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you—
Ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand" (D&C 45: 36-37).
The light breaking forth is the restoration of His gospel. He invites us to take full advantage of it and reap great harvests before the summer is ended. Tomorrow begins the summer months and marks an opportunity to be grateful for bounteous blessings. "The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days" (D&C 64: 34).
The scriptures speak of an event in the life of the Savior as He enters Jerusalem and encounters a certain fig tree. The verses read:
"Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!" (Matthew 21: 18-20).
There are several interesting doctrines springing forth from the Savior's comments on this poor fig tree.
The Bible Dictionary tells us that fig trees develop differently from other trees. "The tree is one of the earliest to show its fruitbuds, which appear before the leaves; thus a fig tree with leaves would be expected to also have fruit. Jesus’ cursing the fig tree for its fruitlessness (Mark 11:12–13, 20–23) was an allusion to the fruitlessness of Israel. The time when the leaves appear indicates that summer is 'nigh at hand.'"
Fig trees, and particularly fig leaves, wherever you see them, symbolize fruitfulness. Adam and Eve were given the commandment to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28). After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, "they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (Genesis 3: 7). This was to serve as a covering, but also it represented God's will that they be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Fruitfulness also applies to good works.
The hapless fig tree produced neither fruit, and thus becomes cursed and cut off to those eternal blessings. Of course this is purely symbolic. The fig tree obviously is not capable of transgressing any law. But this innocent fig tree becomes a counterfeit, immoral, prostitute tree as it imitates the sacred reproductive act merely by displaying leaves, but in reality nothing is produced.
Jesus desires to be in the everyday details of our lives. He wants nothing more than to make life fruitful, rich, and rewarding. In modern times He has quoted from His own Olivet Discourse. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read,
"And when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you—
Ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand" (D&C 45: 36-37).
The light breaking forth is the restoration of His gospel. He invites us to take full advantage of it and reap great harvests before the summer is ended. Tomorrow begins the summer months and marks an opportunity to be grateful for bounteous blessings. "The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days" (D&C 64: 34).
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Half Measures and the Prodigal Son
I vividly remember the early days of recovery, especially the first couple of weeks. At the beginning of each AA meeting, we would read from The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous a portion of chapter 5 entitled "How It Works." We would read that "half measures availed us nothing." And I heard people say, "God is everything or He's nothing."
In the early days surrender seemed impossible. I reread Step Three in the AA version: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." I had a hunch of what God might require from me, and I certainly did not want to turn over my entire will and my whole life just to get sober from alcohol.
Now I can't get the Prodigal Son off my mind. He has what the Big Book describes as a "moment of clarity," or in the scriptural version, "He came to himself" (Luke 15: 17). But the idea of returning to his Father with "full purpose of heart," as a spiritually begotten son, not only seems difficult, but perhaps impossible (see 3 Nephi 18: 32).
I began to plan out what I could do to graduate from AA and learn to control and manage my drinking. Perhaps I could be like the Prodigal Son and graduate from slave to servant. As the prodigal reasoned, "How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" So thought I, "How many others can drink and get away with it." Or, "How many others can manage their lives" (see Luke 15: 17). There had to be, as the Big Book describes, "an easier, softer way."
And so I took action, like others in a previous Lukan parable, to have myself excused from "eating bread in the kingdom of God" (Luke 14:15). Many were invited to sup with the Lord, but some had new ground to care for, some had just bought new oxen (or maybe a new car), so they sought to be excused at suppertime.
And there is the crux of the matter. By surrendering to God the greatest blessings of life and eternity are to be enjoyed. But after almost 26 years of sobriety from alcohol and drugs, I'm still "a great way off," and struggle to surrender entirely (see Luke 15:20). Sometimes I'm ashamed of my feeble attempts.
But the blessings I've experienced in the attempt are beyond my ability to express. The sweet joy of the Spirit is something I never thought possible. I'm always given more than I deserve. Trying to pay back my Heavenly Father is like trying to pay back my earthly father (and mother). I just get further behind.
Like the tender mercies I feel as I study the scriptures and ponder my blessings. And like the tender mercy I received this morning with just enough sunshine to complete my Saturday walk before the rain began.
When I feel and notice I'm too weak to surrender fully and feel like Nephi to exclaim, "Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities" (2 Nephi 4:17).
But He keeps inviting me back to sup with Him one more time.
And there is the crux of the matter. By surrendering to God the greatest blessings of life and eternity are to be enjoyed. But after almost 26 years of sobriety from alcohol and drugs, I'm still "a great way off," and struggle to surrender entirely (see Luke 15:20). Sometimes I'm ashamed of my feeble attempts.
But the blessings I've experienced in the attempt are beyond my ability to express. The sweet joy of the Spirit is something I never thought possible. I'm always given more than I deserve. Trying to pay back my Heavenly Father is like trying to pay back my earthly father (and mother). I just get further behind.
Like the tender mercies I feel as I study the scriptures and ponder my blessings. And like the tender mercy I received this morning with just enough sunshine to complete my Saturday walk before the rain began.
When I feel and notice I'm too weak to surrender fully and feel like Nephi to exclaim, "Notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities" (2 Nephi 4:17).
But He keeps inviting me back to sup with Him one more time.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
A Penitent Prodigal Returns in Royal Raiment
My memories are vivid of the awful despair on that night over 25 years ago as my soul cried out to God for help. I had not experienced a sober day in over seven years, and the thought of returning home to a former life filled me with terror. I remember the whisperings of the enemy who said I had gone too far astray and out of reach of God's help. And he defied my attempt to seek divine help by saying, "How dare you approach God after all you've done."
My plea would not seem grandiose to others, but it was earth-shaking to me. I pleaded for one sober day, perhaps hoping to sneak in the back door as a begging servant. Like the Prodigal Son, it might not be too much to ask to come back as a second-class citizen.
My addictions had carried me away to a far country--not geographically, but still I was a slave to alcohol. Seeking instant gratification I could not wait, but asked for the goods that fell to me and headed for party land. Like the prodigal, I soon was in want, followed by desperation. Like the prodigal, I "would fain have filled (my) belly with the husks that the swine did eat" (Luke 15:16). That, my friends, is addiction language. In Alcoholics Anonymous, we call it "The God Hole." It's that empty space in the middle of our souls, in the belly, the seat of feeling, that we try to fill with alcohol, drugs, sex, food, and many other things. Isaiah described it as "when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite" (Isaiah 29:8). But the thirst is never quenched and the appetite never satisfied. My friends, it's not by accident that the prophecy of the Book of Mormon occurs in the same chapter.
My prayer on July 31, 1989--my sobriety date from alcohol and drugs--was short and simple, but full of "energy of heart:" "Dear God, help me. I'm beat." Immediately, I was filled with a peace beyond my understanding, and certainly far beyond what I deserved."
In the Biblical account, the prodigal conceives an idealistic solution that goes like this:
" I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (Luke 15:18-20).
Ditto for me. For while I was a great way off, I felt the welcoming embrace of a Heavenly Father, a Savior, an earthly father and mother, and a wonderful family. And I'm sure my sweet wife was somewhere praying that her "royal priesthood holder" (a term she later used on me) would get his act together and come find her. And perhaps my dear kids were cheering for me from the spirit world. But for me, a wife, kids, and temple blessings were all virtual impossibilities.
The Prodigal Son makes his offer, which the father flatly refuses. The father's response may have been something like, "Are you kidding. 'I gave Egypt for thy ransom'" (Isaiah 43:3). Actually, He gave more.
After a few months of sobriety, I thought perhaps I could sneak in the church doors, find a spot on the back row and nobody would notice. In a few months the bishop pulled me into his office and began talking about a return to the temple. My reply was, "Well, that's impossible, Bishop, you see, I'm an alcoholic. I expected him to say, "Thanks, I didn't know that," and excuse me from his office. Instead he did just the opposite by saying, "I know. Now let's talk about what stands between you and the temple."
The father of the Prodigal Son calls for a change of shoes, the best robe, and a ring. The change of shoes recalls Moses on the mountain of God, as the Lord says, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).
The robe would symbolize the robe of the priesthood, and would grant the son a great blessing as described by Jacob in the Book of Mormon. It would bless him with a "perfect knowledge of (his) enjoyment, and . . . righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness" (2 Nephi 9:14).
The ring represents the eternal verdict of the King and His sealing power. Anciently, kings would use a signet of a ring to stamp and seal the judgment of the king. Mordecai was given authority to "write . . . also for the Jews . . . in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse" (Esther 8:8). Joseph was given a ring from Pharaoh. The scripture records,
"And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:42-43).
I think you'll see some similarities with the Savior in this example.
This sealing power found only in the temple is more than the sealing of families, as wonderful as that is. It's the sealing described in D&C 131 as the "more sure word of prophecy," and it "means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood" (D&C 131:5). It is actually the pronouncement of the son as a king and a priest, and his wife as a queen and a priestess.
Does this sound anything like the Prodigal Son's plan to return as a lowly servant?
And the promises are made sure by the older brother standing in the wings. On one level, we can see the older brother's jealousy and perhaps we read into it a bit of a temper tantrum. But on another level, this older brother is your Savior. The verse reads,
"And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him" (Luke 15:28).
In the original Greek it reads a little differently. The Greek word for would is thelo, and in another rather famous passage it is translated as will. I'm referring to the Savior's prayer in Gethsemane: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will (thelo), but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39).
The older brother is saying, "It's not my will to go in." But the older son's protest is unanswered. Remember they are having a sacrificial feast and the "fatted calf" in the story would represent an animal offering, and thus, a substitute sacrifice. But in the case of the Prodigal Son, the older brother would become the priest, the sacrificer, and the sacrifice. In other words, unlike Abraham and Isaac, this time there would not be a ram in the thicket. The Older Brother would feel firsthand the anguish of being in want, the shame of having to return home penniless, and to be so hungry and addicted that he would fain fill his belly with the husks the swine did eat.
I marvel that my Savior would descend so low to rescue a wretched drunk like me. I marvel in His mercy and grace, and sometimes feel glimpses of His love. I feel ever grateful for the Spirit who confirms such supernal truths as these. As I return home to a loving wife and great kids after attending my Twelve Step meeting, I feel His Spirit and know His watchful eye is upon all my brothers and sisters.
My plea would not seem grandiose to others, but it was earth-shaking to me. I pleaded for one sober day, perhaps hoping to sneak in the back door as a begging servant. Like the Prodigal Son, it might not be too much to ask to come back as a second-class citizen.
My addictions had carried me away to a far country--not geographically, but still I was a slave to alcohol. Seeking instant gratification I could not wait, but asked for the goods that fell to me and headed for party land. Like the prodigal, I soon was in want, followed by desperation. Like the prodigal, I "would fain have filled (my) belly with the husks that the swine did eat" (Luke 15:16). That, my friends, is addiction language. In Alcoholics Anonymous, we call it "The God Hole." It's that empty space in the middle of our souls, in the belly, the seat of feeling, that we try to fill with alcohol, drugs, sex, food, and many other things. Isaiah described it as "when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite" (Isaiah 29:8). But the thirst is never quenched and the appetite never satisfied. My friends, it's not by accident that the prophecy of the Book of Mormon occurs in the same chapter.
My prayer on July 31, 1989--my sobriety date from alcohol and drugs--was short and simple, but full of "energy of heart:" "Dear God, help me. I'm beat." Immediately, I was filled with a peace beyond my understanding, and certainly far beyond what I deserved."
In the Biblical account, the prodigal conceives an idealistic solution that goes like this:
" I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (Luke 15:18-20).
Ditto for me. For while I was a great way off, I felt the welcoming embrace of a Heavenly Father, a Savior, an earthly father and mother, and a wonderful family. And I'm sure my sweet wife was somewhere praying that her "royal priesthood holder" (a term she later used on me) would get his act together and come find her. And perhaps my dear kids were cheering for me from the spirit world. But for me, a wife, kids, and temple blessings were all virtual impossibilities.
The Prodigal Son makes his offer, which the father flatly refuses. The father's response may have been something like, "Are you kidding. 'I gave Egypt for thy ransom'" (Isaiah 43:3). Actually, He gave more.
After a few months of sobriety, I thought perhaps I could sneak in the church doors, find a spot on the back row and nobody would notice. In a few months the bishop pulled me into his office and began talking about a return to the temple. My reply was, "Well, that's impossible, Bishop, you see, I'm an alcoholic. I expected him to say, "Thanks, I didn't know that," and excuse me from his office. Instead he did just the opposite by saying, "I know. Now let's talk about what stands between you and the temple."
The father of the Prodigal Son calls for a change of shoes, the best robe, and a ring. The change of shoes recalls Moses on the mountain of God, as the Lord says, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).
The robe would symbolize the robe of the priesthood, and would grant the son a great blessing as described by Jacob in the Book of Mormon. It would bless him with a "perfect knowledge of (his) enjoyment, and . . . righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness" (2 Nephi 9:14).
The ring represents the eternal verdict of the King and His sealing power. Anciently, kings would use a signet of a ring to stamp and seal the judgment of the king. Mordecai was given authority to "write . . . also for the Jews . . . in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse" (Esther 8:8). Joseph was given a ring from Pharaoh. The scripture records,
"And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:42-43).
I think you'll see some similarities with the Savior in this example.
This sealing power found only in the temple is more than the sealing of families, as wonderful as that is. It's the sealing described in D&C 131 as the "more sure word of prophecy," and it "means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood" (D&C 131:5). It is actually the pronouncement of the son as a king and a priest, and his wife as a queen and a priestess.
Does this sound anything like the Prodigal Son's plan to return as a lowly servant?
And the promises are made sure by the older brother standing in the wings. On one level, we can see the older brother's jealousy and perhaps we read into it a bit of a temper tantrum. But on another level, this older brother is your Savior. The verse reads,
"And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him" (Luke 15:28).
In the original Greek it reads a little differently. The Greek word for would is thelo, and in another rather famous passage it is translated as will. I'm referring to the Savior's prayer in Gethsemane: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will (thelo), but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39).
The older brother is saying, "It's not my will to go in." But the older son's protest is unanswered. Remember they are having a sacrificial feast and the "fatted calf" in the story would represent an animal offering, and thus, a substitute sacrifice. But in the case of the Prodigal Son, the older brother would become the priest, the sacrificer, and the sacrifice. In other words, unlike Abraham and Isaac, this time there would not be a ram in the thicket. The Older Brother would feel firsthand the anguish of being in want, the shame of having to return home penniless, and to be so hungry and addicted that he would fain fill his belly with the husks the swine did eat.
I marvel that my Savior would descend so low to rescue a wretched drunk like me. I marvel in His mercy and grace, and sometimes feel glimpses of His love. I feel ever grateful for the Spirit who confirms such supernal truths as these. As I return home to a loving wife and great kids after attending my Twelve Step meeting, I feel His Spirit and know His watchful eye is upon all my brothers and sisters.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
The Blazing Throne of God
I am intrigued by the use of fire in the scriptures. It seems to be a dividing line between the glories of eternity and the torments of hell. I once quoted a verse in Isaiah as I was teaching a group of youth. The verse reads, "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isaiah 33:14). Before reading further, I asked my students if Isaiah was speaking of heaven or hell. There is "that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment" (2 Nephi 9:19). The students were convinced that this was hell.
Then we read the next verse together, "He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood (violence), and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil" (Isaiah 33:15). That certainly doesn't sound like a candidate headed for hell, rather it sounds like celestial glory.
Jesus gives the interesting parable of Lazarus. The story goes as follows.
"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 he 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" (Luke 16:19-26).
Lazarus is carried into Abraham's bosom, as a type of being embraced by the Father, where he sees as he is seen and knows as he is known (see D&C 76:94). The unnamed rich man sees the Abrahamic Covenant from afar, rather than being embraced by it. And he is tormented in the flames of glory.
Where is the dividing line? Is it not the gulf between? I'm thinking Lazarus is in the midst of flames too.
Nephi explains this gulf in his father's vision of the tree of life, and describes it as "an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God." He further explains, "And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end" (1 Nephi 15: 28,30).
The fire, like Lazarus, ascends up to the presence of God to be embraced by the Father. Lazarus, like the burning bush, representing the presence of God and seen by Moses, was not consumed nor tormented in the flame (see Exodus 3:2).
When Joseph Smith sees the Celestial Kingdom, he describes it as follows:
"I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son" (D&C 137: 2-3).
As two lighted matchsticks are held closely together, they become one flame. Jesus prayed during His great intercessory prayer, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17: 21). Isn't that the meaning of atonement--at-one-ment.
As doesn't that perfectly express celestial glory?
Then we read the next verse together, "He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood (violence), and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil" (Isaiah 33:15). That certainly doesn't sound like a candidate headed for hell, rather it sounds like celestial glory.
Jesus gives the interesting parable of Lazarus. The story goes as follows.
"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 he 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" (Luke 16:19-26).
Lazarus is carried into Abraham's bosom, as a type of being embraced by the Father, where he sees as he is seen and knows as he is known (see D&C 76:94). The unnamed rich man sees the Abrahamic Covenant from afar, rather than being embraced by it. And he is tormented in the flames of glory.
Where is the dividing line? Is it not the gulf between? I'm thinking Lazarus is in the midst of flames too.
Nephi explains this gulf in his father's vision of the tree of life, and describes it as "an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God." He further explains, "And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end" (1 Nephi 15: 28,30).
The fire, like Lazarus, ascends up to the presence of God to be embraced by the Father. Lazarus, like the burning bush, representing the presence of God and seen by Moses, was not consumed nor tormented in the flame (see Exodus 3:2).
When Joseph Smith sees the Celestial Kingdom, he describes it as follows:
"I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;
Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son" (D&C 137: 2-3).
As two lighted matchsticks are held closely together, they become one flame. Jesus prayed during His great intercessory prayer, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17: 21). Isn't that the meaning of atonement--at-one-ment.
As doesn't that perfectly express celestial glory?
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