Matthew 14: Death of John, Christ heals and feeds 5000, Peter walks on Water

"13  ¶When Jesus heard of it [John's death], he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 14  And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick."

When Christ heard of the death of John the Baptist, his close dear cousin, He left in a ship to be alone. Many people followed after him, and instead of sending them away, Jesus reached out to them even in the midst of his own grief. We receive his grace in our own trials when we reach out to serve others. On my mission there was an amazing woman who was full of light and goodness and a blessing to everyone around her. When I asked about her life, she said her husband had committed suicide from mental illness after fighting in WWII. She decided to combat her grief by reaching out to serve others in every opportunity. That outward focus lifts us out of our trials. Christ not only healed these people, but fed them physically. He can assist us in anything if we will serve him. 

"30  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?"

• When Peter was focused on Christ, he was able to step forward in impossible circumstances and be supported in making progress. But when Peter turned his attention from Christ to the wild wind his faith faltered and he began to sink. The very act of thinking of Christ bring strength and peace, and remembering him throughout the day brings insights that will guide us forward in our lives, whether or not our accomplishment are valued with a worldly perspective.

Matthew 13:12 Whosoever hath shall be given

"12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."

Joseph Smith loved the Bible, and poured and pondered over it, learning Hebrew and Greek to allow him to study manuscripts earlier than King James. Through study and inspiration he clarified a number of passages that had changed over time, and brought back their original meaning. The Joseph Smith Translation for this verse is: 

JST Matt. 13:10–11 For whosoever receiveth, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

I like how this clarification ties back to the parable of the soils right before. When our hearts are open to receive, the soil in our hearts is prepared, and the Lord can add insight upon insight as we grow. But when we have stony hearts and turn a deaf ear to the Lord's guidance, we will not be given more, we may even lose memory of things we have known in the past.

Matthew 13 The Parable of the Sower

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown, He who has ears, let him hear."

13:10 "The disciples came to him and asked, 'Why do you speak to the people in parables?'"

Jesus spoke in parables because they are open to many interpretations but with one meaning. This is true to the nature of God, for there is one path but many languages and cues that we receive through the Spirit and gospel on how to get there. This is similar to what you and Scott were saying about how a group under one umbrella will have different perspectives on a problem after praying, but ultimately the same goal. This message has several meanings to me. The first I thought of involved the church as being the soil or conditions in which the Word is taught. And with a good church the seeds that God planted will grow in our lives and we will be enriched and also able to spread the good to others. Then I also thought of the soil as being different conditions in the world such as sinful opposition, outside persecution and peer pressure and the attraction of the world's pleasures. And the gospel as the seeds that take root and how with these poor conditions, nothing grows or is cut off and with a healthy condition or mindset, the gospel takes root and flourishes. With spring here this parable sprang to mind for it is such. With the connection to your thoughts earlier Melissa, God will forgive as many times as we will repent and the seasons will bring life as many times as the Earth turns.

Matthew 11:28 Rest for the Weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Yokes are oppressive when the ones in charge are harsh and cruel, but Christ's commands are not so- I have seen many people who live in unrest with a heavy yoke yet are wealthy in the world. And I've seen those who strive for survival and yet are at peace in fellowship with each other in Christ.

Matthew 11:16-19 I have piped and ye have not danced

"16 ¶But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children."

It seems human nature to want others to do things our way, and be offended if they won't. Christ was not willing to play the games others imposed on him. So they found fault with him. Even when his style and John the Baptist's styles were different, people could not receive either because they could not manipulate them. But the gospel message is that God sets the rules and our game should be to change ourselves to fit His plan and His rules. When we take that perspective, we can humbly learn from Christ and the Prophets instead of being offended by them.

Simple Gifts

I'm thinking of the miracle of feeding the 5000 in relation to giving charity

.

I don’t know what proportion of the food provided was shared out of back-packs or miraculously made, but breaking the food up into small pieces made any additional giving equal, anonymous, and accessible. Giving fragments of food is nothing to boast about. There was no large lump sum that needed explaining. Everyone could give shreds.

If all charity was given in 20 dollar bills, there would be no need to have plaques on the wall naming donors. Giving could be perceived as something that everybody does rather than something that the wealthy do. Then we could be blessed together by experiencing giving: each person feeling the abundance rather than the scarcity of his or her own situation. And we would be one step closer to bringing to earth the generosity of heaven.

Matthew 10:34 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' "

These versus illustrate of the harsher truths of God's kingdom and how not everyone will open their heart to the word.  Some are full of prejudice, hate and pride and these hearts resist Christ's offer of peace. His message will divide people, families and nations. This is hard for me to comprehend, a God of love offering peace but...it will cause strife. I think this is due to the ego, something we need in order to survive this world but also it gets in the way of humility. Through our giving of will to our higher power we find humility and with this peace. Christ is the ultimate goal, to be like him in grace and love and heart. We will not reach this goal, but what a great aspiration for our lives. I've noticed that through reading and practicing the teachings, following the commandments and loving like Christ, I have had more peace in my life than when "I was in control." Our family can be a family of believers. I hope to give this open heartedness to my sons so one day they can also exist in this light of lights, this peace, Christ's love.