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

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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.

Matthew 9:12-13 I will have mercy and not sacrifice

"12  But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

• Christ does not desire to have us suffer any more than is necessary to teach us what we must learn. He knows that Justice requires great sacrifice, greater than we can pay. He is willing and able to cover that cost for us, and allow us only that sacrifice and suffering that is necessary for us to learn and within our ability to endure.

Do I desire suffering from others, or do I desire to remove suffering? What level of compassion have I developed? Am I willing to suffer to remove excess suffering from others?

Matthew 7:3 The Mote and the Beam

"3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"

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It seems to be human nature to want to correct others while ignoring our own failings. Before we correct others, we should evaluate ourselves. If we are in the spirit of criticism, we are neglecting the two great commandments to love God and others (Mark 12) and without that Charity we are nothing (1 Cor 13). It's no surprise then that Christ condemns our nitpicking others and challenges us to remove the beam from our own eye. When we have developed pure charity and the ability to love others as Christ did, we will have wisdom from above to assist them in their weaknesses. I think this is one of the great lessons of life and is crucial in parenting. 

Herod and Me

I am thinking about Herod: for some reason I can sympathize with him. Not that I am blood-thirsty enough to demand the lives of a community’s children, but I can see my defensiveness with his. Sometimes goodness is painfully disruptive. Christ warned Nicodemus about how light both guides the path forward and reveals the faults of those walking in the light, upsetting the social strata of believers like the presence of a new king threatened Herod’s social paradigm. God, please help me to cast aside my defensiveness of the way that I live and work and plan for the future and instead be pliable in Your hands: ready to be tied in a knot if that is how You desire to shape me. Help me to embrace the disruptive nature of goodness with a full repentant (ready to change) heart.

Matthew 6 - If Thine Eye Be Single, Thy Whole Body Shall be Full of Light

A major theme in this chapter is motives. We should not serve, pray, fast, to be seen of men, but in these devotions we should have our eye on our Father's will. We should trust him to care for us, rather than worrying excessively about our material needs, and seek first to do His will and lay up treasure in heaven. Then our eye will be single, we will be full of light (wisdom and guidance and assistance from the Holy Ghost) and all things will be added to us.

Matthew 4: Jesus Is Tempted and Begins his Ministry

With this reading I reflected and tried to put myself in Christ's shoes for each of the temptations. He is standing right on the brink of his ministry. I think he must have had, at this point, a great knowledge of his own identity, and powers, and his mission as Savior that others were still blind to. "If thou be the son of God. . ." Satan says, enticing Christ to reveal His identity in a way everyone could see and know instantly. But Christ knew people needed to come to know him through His service and teachings, and not through some grand display. In another temptation Satan offers Christ all the kingdoms of the world if Christ will worship him. Is he trying to convince Christ that our redemption could be quick and easy? Christ knew that Satan could not give us to Him, but that we needed to be won through His love and suffering and through our own personal choice to accept that gift.

Matthew 3:8 - Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance

Our works demonstrate to the Lord the state of our heart. It is impossible to repent and ally ourselves with Christ when we are unwilling to make changes and act in harmony with his commandments. But when we submit ourselves to serving others as Christ did and striving to obey His will in our lives, then when we seek forgiveness for our sins, we will find sweet redemption and peace in Christ.

Matthew 2 - Where is He that is Born King of the Jews?

The birth of the Messiah was a long prophesied event, and the wise men were spiritually guided to recognize it and seek the Christ. But when they came to Jerusalem why did they seek Christ's location by going to Herod? Were the wise men naive in thinking Israel would have noticed the signs? Did they realize that "Herod ... [would be] troubled and all Jerusalem with him" when they arrived and proclaimed Christ's birth? Herod and the Jews had missed the signs and the wise men's arrival and pronouncement was a slap in the face. Herod scrambled to consult his Chief Priests and Scribes to give them a location, and pressed the wise men to tell him the time the star appeared. Surely the wise men did not know the man they were dealing with and the evil intentions that were forming in his heart. But the Lord enlightened them, as he will enlighten and protect us all in our quest to find Christ in our lives and share him with others. Perhaps notifying Herod was a mistake, or perhaps it was part of a grand design to spread the word in all Israel that Christ had been born. The consequences of using this channel were dire, but perhaps in the wake of Herod's destruction needed humility was born and people became more open to receiving the Savior.  

Matthew 1 - Joseph's character

I love the example of Joseph's character in this chapter. Already betrothed to Mary (a binding legal contract), he was deeply troubled by her pregnancy. His determination on his own was to respond compassionately, and save her as much grief as possible by privately annulling the contract. He must have felt incredibly relieved when the angel visited and he was immediately obedient - he married her that very night. I don't know what opposition he might have met for this decision the next day if he had delayed, but I love that he wasn't willing to risk disobedience by procrastinating. I don't know what ridicule or criticism he endured because of her pregnancy, but he didn't let the fear of that slow him down. I also admire his incredible respect, patience and self-control, because he "knew her not" until after her delivery.  Here was a man whom God could trust to safeguard Mary and Christ, to respond immediately to divine guidance, and not to let his own self-interests interfere.

Introduction to the Gospels

How we treat the Gospels creates a pattern for how we treat each other in small groups. Sometimes groups are restrictive and only things that everyone agrees on are approved by the group. If each group member were a line, then the approved portion would be the ball at the intersection of all of those lines. But the way that we read the Gospels suggests a better pattern: use the group approval to emphasize the unique way that God works with different members of the group. making the approved portion more like a star. How to reconcile differences/contradictions? I'm not sure, but I think standing back and appreciating the good in both approaches is a good place to start.

Matthew Chapter One-Genealogy of Jesus

The author traced Jesus’ bloodline to show him as the son of David, the son of Abraham. Jesus’ lineage includes those who’ve sinned exemplifying God’s grace and Jesus’ humanity.