Come Follow Me for Individuals and Families
March 18–24. Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13: ‘Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear’
Matthew 13 has a succession of parables, which we all know. At least I thought I did but I see that I have overlooked the last one:
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old (Matthew 13:52).
This one is significant since it follows Christ asking his Apostles, “Have ye understood all these things?” So I think this means that we, as disciples of Christ, should be constantly seeking to understand His teachings, however they come. Especially since in three short weeks, we will again hear His words through living prophets and leaders in General Conference. New and old teachings we learn are treasures to us.
Obviously, the Lord taught in arable parables (sorry—couldn’t resist that) using symbols which would be familiar to those around Him who relied on Mother Earth for sustenance, “by the sweat of thy face . . .” (Moses 4:25). And I think for us, as always, having the Book of Mormon as a guide to some of these parables is pivotal. For instance, Alma 32 helps us understand the parables of the mustard seed and of the sower.
A few years ago, President Dallin H. Oaks gave us a hard-hitting, uncompromising analysis of the parable of the sower as it applies to us today. The messages given to us at General Conference are increasing in their urgency as we careen through these last days almost as if we were in rapids. Here is an excerpt:
If we are not rooted in the teachings of the gospel and regular in its practices, any one of us can develop a stony heart, which is stony ground for spiritual seeds.
Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong. In an age dominated by the Internet, which magnifies messages that menace faith, we must increase our exposure to spiritual truth in order to strengthen our faith and stay rooted in the gospel. .[1]
I used to almost dread the inaction of Sundays—for me the lack of structure outside of the time we spend at Church; always having to choose between things I think I want to do and things I should be doing on the Sabbath—was distressing. I don’t have it down yet, but having this opportunity to focus on Come Follow Me helps a great deal. One more guide from President Oaks’s talk, important not least because he quotes one of my personal heroes: Hugh Nibley.
We are overcome by the “cares … of this life” when we are paralyzed by fear of the future, which hinders our going forward in faith, trusting in God and His promises. Twenty-five years ago my esteemed BYU teacher Hugh W. Nibley spoke of the dangers of surrendering to the cares of the world. He was asked in an interview whether world conditions and our duty to spread the gospel made it desirable to seek some way to “be accommodating of the world in what we do in the Church.” His reply: “That’s been the whole story of the Church, hasn’t it? You have to be willing to offend here, you have to be willing to take the risk. That’s where the faith comes in. … Our commitment is supposed to be a test, it’s supposed to be hard, it’s supposed to be impractical in the terms of this world.”
Enough of my musings. Suffice to say listening to Carole King singing “Tapestry” is possibly not helping this introspection. Have a wonderful week.
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