Matthew 8, Mark 2-4, Luke 7

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CALMING MY STORMS (Mark 4:35-41)

ICEBREAKER

I like to begin this lesson by asking: What is the worst storm you’ve ever been in? For me, I remember hiding in the basement of our home as a child in Colorado with a mattress over me while a tornado raged nearby. I’ll never forget the howling of the wind pounding on the sides of the house as we prayed for it to pass. I also remember getting caught with my two young sons in a terrible lightning and hailstorm near the top of Mt. Humphrey’s in Arizona that scared the living daylights of me. Storms can be quite terrifying. Now I can’t even imagine how much more terrifying it would be to be in a storm on open water. I personally have never had that experience before. I can only imagine how frightening that must be. It’s scary enough as it is on land, in a shelter! But on a boat! With waves all around you and the possibility of being thrown into the water, or having your boat sink, to drown. What an absolutely horrifying situation to be in.

TRANSITION

Well, that’s exactly the situation that the apostles find themselves in in Mark 4:35-41. While crossing over the Sea of Galilee, a terrible storm arises, threatening to capsize their small boat and tossing all of its passengers into the angry deep to descend to a watery grave. Well, I’ve found this to be one of the best stories in the New Testament to illustrate the principle of “likening the scriptures” to ourselves. Which is when we take a situation from the scriptures and symbolically compare it to our own. So symbolically speaking, have you ever figuratively found yourself in a similar situation? The scriptures say that “there arose a great storm of wind”. “the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” In the JST translation of the same story in Luke chapter 8, it says that the apostles were “filled with fear, and were in danger”. Have you ever experienced anything like that? A time in your life when you felt vulnerable to the elements? Spiritual winds, emotional waves, financial lightning strikes? Has the boat of your relationships, health, happiness, faith, or security seemed on the verge of sinking? What storms have you faced in life?

Because I believe we are all going to have our fair share of them. Pressures at work, family or marital struggles with our spouse or children, financial difficulties, health problems, wrestling with feelings of failure, doubts, or uncertainty, losing a loved one, or becoming the victim of somebody else’s ill use of their agency. These situations can feel almost like being tossed about the seas in a storm.

And if you were to compare your life to a boat on the sea, which of the following pictures best describes your life right now? Is it smooth sailing? Do you sense a storm is brewing on the horizon? Are you in the middle of a storm right now? Do you feel like you’re sinking? Or are you recovering from a storm that has already passed?

If you can relate to any of those feelings, I believe this story can help.

SEARCH

After that introduction, either read the story together as a class, or show them the church produced Bible video of this event (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2014-01-0030-calming-the-tempest?lang=eng&alang=eng) with the following three questions in mind:

What do you feel Jesus was teaching them by sleeping through the storm?

What do you feel Jesus was teaching them by rebuking the storm?

How does this relate to the times when YOU and I face “storms”?

And I invite you, as my listener to do that very thing yourself right now. Read the story or watch the video and then come back.

And if you did that . .

Question #1: What do you feel Jesus was teaching them by sleeping through the storm?

Yes. Jesus was sleeping through the storm somehow. I guess he’d had a really long and exhausting day teaching and healing. But still, with the storm billowing around him, and his apostles shaking with fear, the Savior slept. Well, I believe that we are all going to have that kind of experience during our own storms. Maybe you already have. Have you ever been facing one of the storms of your life, and it seemed like the Savior was sleeping through it? I mean can you imagine that moment for them? How must they have felt when they saw that? Maybe they were filled with a little surprise, frustration, or indignation even. How could he be sleeping at a time when they seemed to need him most?

And so one of them rushes over to his side, perhaps grabs him by the shoulder and gives him a little shake, and asks a very revealing question in Mark 4:38. What does his question reveal about the reason why they think he is sleeping?

“Master, carest thou not that we perish?” What are they assuming about his sleeping? They think he doesn’t what? Care. He’s sleeping because he doesn’t care. Have you ever come to that conclusion yourself in your own storms?

I think C.S. Lewis expressed this feeling in words almost better than anyone else while he struggled through one of the great storms of his life—when his beloved wife, Joy, died of cancer. Lewis’s faith in God was severely challenged at that time. And he wrote a little book about his experience called, “A Grief Observed”. And in it, he expressed his feelings like this:

“... Meanwhile, where is God? This is one of the most disquieting symptoms. When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, so happy that you are tempted to feel His claims upon you as an interruption, if you remember yourself and turn to Him with gratitude and praise, you will be — or so it feels — welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away. The longer you wait, the more emphatic the silence will become. There are no lights in the windows. It might be an empty house. Was it ever inhabited? It seemed so once. And that seeming was as strong as this. What can this mean? Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?”

Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not 'So there's no God after all,' but 'So this is what God's really like. Deceive yourself no longer.”

C.S. Lewis

(A Grief Observed)

Have you ever felt this way? Joseph Smith felt that way in Liberty Jail as he cried out, “O God, where art thou.” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:1) Hannah felt that way as she prayed at the tabernacle, “O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid.” (1 Samuel 1:11) Job prayed that prayer in the depths of his suffering, “Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment”. (Job 19:7)

And perhaps, we could say that even Jesus himself felt this way as he hung from the cross and called out, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

There are some common conclusions I’ve found that many of us come to when the storms of our lives come, and it seems like God is sleeping through them. We may make some dreadful assumptions. There are four of them. One, we may assume, that he’s not there at all. Or, we say, I know that God is there, but he’s not listening to me. Or, we say, I know God is there, I know he’s listening to me, but he doesn’t care. Or, we say, I know God is there, I know he’s listening to me, and I know he cares about me, but I must not be worthy of his help. Something I’ve done in my past has made it so that he can’t or won’t help me. I don’t deserve it.

Well, my friends, can I testify to you with all my heart that I know that all four of those conclusions are wrong. They’re false. Those are not the reason God seems to sleep. I know God is there. I know he listens to all faithful prayers. I know he cares about his children and the trials they face. And I know that there is nothing you could ever do, that would make unworthy of his love or his help. So those are not the reasons for why he is sleeping.

But then our question still remains. All right, Brother Wilcox, why is he sleeping then? Why isn’t he answering my prayer? Why hasn’t he woken up and calmed my storm yet? Why do my prayers seem unanswered?

And you know, I believe there’s more than one answer to that question. More than one possible explanation. And we’ll come back to it a number of times as we study the life of the Savior. We find one explanation when we study the time when Jesus walked on water. Another explanation comes in a little parable that Jesus tells about a man who persistently knocks on the door of his neighbor one night.

But in this case, I think we find a unique explanation. When the apostles wake him up and say, “Carest thou not that WE perish” , I believe that “WE” doesn’t refer to just them. It’s WE, all of us, you included Jesus, are going to die in this storm! He’s in the boat too! Now think about that. Why would HE not be worried about his own life at that moment? What does Jesus know about his future that would make him able to sleep under these circumstances?

Is Jesus going to die in a shipwreck on the Sea of Galilee? No. We know that, he knows that. He knows what lies in his future. On his path, he knows that there is a cup he must drink, and a crown he must wear, and a cross he must bear. With his elevated perspective, he KNOWS that that ship is NOT going to sink while he’s on it. So he sleeps unconcerned for his life, and the lives of those who are with him. Because he knows that they will be ok too. Because THEY are on his boat.

And so perhaps that’s the reason behind his gentle rebuke. Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? Now we can’t be sure, but I don’t imagine him saying that with a tone of disappointment or scolding. But with compassion. You don’t need to worry so much when I’m with you. I don’t want you to be afraid. I am not a God of fear, but faith.

Therefore, I believe that we too can seek to channel that eternal perspective as well when it comes to our storms. If God has not yet come to my rescue, it must be because he knows something that I don’t know. He sees something about my future that I don’t see. He knows that I’m going to be Ok, that this experience is temporary, or maybe even vital to my eternal progress. He knows that I’m strong enough, he’s made me strong enough to endure it.

However, there is a condition to that promise. See if you can highlight it. What was it that made the difference for the apostles? How would you finish this sentence?

When the storms of my life rage around me, as long as ________________ I will be ok, and I won’t sink. As long as the Savior is in my boat, I will be ok. He won’t let me sink. As long as I continue to have faith in him. I will be ok. As long as I invite him to sail the seas of my life with me, I’m going to arrive on the other side safe and sound. So, the most important question to ask here is not, “Will he still my storms for me?” but “Is Christ on my boat?”

Our second question now: What do you feel Jesus was teaching them by rebuking the storm?

I love that this story teaches both of these principles. Yes, there will be times when God allows us to be tossed upon the waves of life. But, there will also be times when he does step in and do something about them. Jesus CAN calm our storms! Yes, there will be times when he sleeps or delays the calming. But the calming will come. Remember that “even the winds and the waves obey him.” I fervently believe that there are no storms we experience in life that Christ will not eventually calm. He will bring you a “great calm” (Mark 4:39). I have faith that Jesus will rebuke all winds, all waves, and all storms and say “Peace, be still,” to every problem you face, have faced, or ever will face. Now I can’t, although I wish I could, promise you that all your storms will be stilled IN MORTALITY. That I can’t guarantee. I believe he does and will calm many of them, but not all. We may even slip through the veil of death while the waves billow around us. But what we have to remember is that Christ sees all things from an eternal perspective.

Allow me to share with you two of my favorite verses of all time. One, the promise of our Lord in Revelation 21:4

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

And then Romans 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So you see, that I can promise you that all your storms will, at some future point, be stilled, and peace will reign.

But in the meantime, while the Savior sleeps, I encourage you to continue to row, continue to have faith, and continue to know that all will be well in the end, AS LONG AS . . . you keep Jesus in your boat.

And let’s go back to C.S. Lewis then. I’m happy to report that he did keep Jesus in his boat as he suffered through his grief. And eventually, he came to a very different conclusion about that situation. He said:

“And so, perhaps, with God. I have gradually come to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when there is nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God can't give it: you are like the drowning man who can't be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear.

On the other hand, 'Knock and it shall be opened.' But does knocking mean hammering and kicking the door like a maniac?

God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn't. In this trial He makes us occupy the dock, the witness box and the bench all at once. He always knew that my temple was a house of cards. His only way of making me realize that fact was to knock it down.”

C.S. Lewis (A Grief Observed)

TRUTH

When I face the great storms of my life, if I maintain my faith in Christ, and make sure he is on my boat, he won’t let me sink, and eventually, he will bring peace and calm to my life.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Is Christ on your boat? How can you tell? Do you speak to him often? Do you spend time at his house? Do you hearken to his words? Do you seek to serve him, by serving your fellow man? Do you feel him near?

Have you ever felt like Jesus calmed a storm and brought peace to your life?

CONCLUSION

I pray that Jesus will calm your storms, and I hope that happens soon for you. But regardless, of whether he calms them today, or tomorrow, or in a year, or in the next life, I pray that we can maintain our faith in him and not allow our fear to steal our faith. There is a great tranquility that can come through faith. Perhaps we too could even actually get to the point where we sleep through our own storms unworried, in the quiet knowledge that all be ok in the end with Christ at our helm.

A good way to conclude this lesson might be to either sing or play the hymn, “Master, the Tempest is Raging” and encourage your class to ponder its message. I love this hymn. It’s so good. It’s one of the best “Liken the Scriptures” hymns that I can think of. Because that’s exactly what it does. The first verse relates the story from the scriptures, the second verse likens it to ourselves, and the third verse ends with triumphant hope—the kind of triumphant hope that comes with deep scripture study. Besides, it’s just got a great and memorable tune to it. The crescendo of the chorus is so moving and just fun to sing. You just leave with this feeling that there’s nothing Jesus can’t overcome if we invite him to sail with us. I have a link to a YouTube video here of I performance of this hymn that I enjoyed, and which also displays the words of the hymn on the screen to follow along with. OR I’ll also include a link to a video of the Tabernacle Choir performing the hymn. They, of course, do an incredible job as well.

THE SPIRIT OF TRUE REPENTANCE (Luke 7:36-50)

ICEBREAKER

For the story of the sinful woman who washes the Savior’s feet, I like to begin with an object lesson and there are a few ways you can do it. If you’re teaching this lesson on a warm day, you could actually take your class outside and ask them to find a place in the sun. Ask them if they can feel the warmth of it sun shining down on them. Then ask them to move to a new location—a dark corner next to the building, or in the shade of a tree. Then ask them if they feel differently. Which they should. It’ll be much cooler in the shade. They won’t feel that same warmth. Then ask them why that is? Did something about the sun change? Is the sun losing its heat? Is it starting to go out? No, obviously not. What changed then? We changed. We placed some kind of barrier between us and the sun. And when there’s something between us and the sun, it makes it much harder to feel the warmth. But the sun didn’t change, nor the heat that emanates from it. Now, if going outside won’t work for this illustration, because of the weather, or whatever, you could bring in a portable space heater to your classroom or something of that nature produces heat. Although be judicious with this, please don’t burn the building down, and remember that its church policy not to have anything with an open flame inside our church buildings. But then you have a large board or some kind of barrier and place it between the heater and a volunteer. And they won’t be able to feel the heat anymore. You could even write the word SIN in big letters across the front of the board. The point of the illustration is this. When we sin, it’s almost like we place a barrier between us and the warmth of God’s love. Now, it’s not God that puts it there, it's us, or the adversary that tries to convince us that God’s love isn’t there for us anymore. But that’s just not true. When we sin, it doesn’t change the warmth that radiates from our Heavenly Father and our Savior for us. That love and concern is always there. Sin does not change it. What repentance can do for us then, is bring us back out into the full warmth of that source. The light of the Son, S-O-N, always shines brightly for us. The key is to remove the barriers.

TRANSITION

Today we’re going to take a look at a story of a woman who had allowed many sins to get between her and that light. You sense that she really wonders if there’s any light left for her. We get to watch her come to Jesus and plead for that light again. And we also get to watch how Jesus reacts. What does the Savior do when someone comes to Him seeking the warmth of his light once they feel they’ve lost it?

SEARCH

And one way you could approach a study of this story is to give your students the following handout and invite them to read it and answer the questions on the page. It’s really just a printout of the scriptures themselves but I feel can help your students engage with and connect more with the story. Emphasize the fact that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions and if there are any that there not sure about, to just leave them blank move on to the next question. They’re just there to get you thinking. Give them ample time to study and then encourage a discussion together as a class as you review the questions. And let’s do that together here.

The woman doesn’t say a word. What does she teach you about repentance by what she does?

And, you know, repentance is a difficult concept to put into words. Since it represents a change of heart, it’s something can be hard to express in cold technical language. How do you know if you have a penitent heart? Penitence is a feeling, and feelings are difficult to describe. But what this woman DOES, to me, is the definition itself of the true spirit of repentance. This is what godly sorrow looks like. This is what a mighty change of heart looks like. This is true remorse. And she shows it through her actions. You FEEL the principle of repentance as you read this story.

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Can you see her doing this? She lays her sins at the Savior’s feet and washes them in humility and pleading. She’s wondering if the warmth of his love is still radiating from behind her wall of sins. So can you sense the attitude in her penitence? It’s as if she’s thinking, “Washing his feet with water isn’t enough for my Lord. He is deserving of something far greater. What could I offer him that would truly demonstrate the depth of my love and gratitude? Ah, something more personal. My tears. Then I’ll need something to dry them with. Wiping them with a towel doesn’t seem sufficient. I’ll wipe them with my hair. A part of myself. That’s what I’ll use, for him. A kiss on the cheek would not show the depth of my feelings, I’ll kiss his feet without ceasing. Anointing his head with oil is not good enough for my Lord. I want to do something more. I’ll anoint his feet with ointment, but I’ll get the very best that I can. I’ll bring a costly ointment in an alabaster jar.” Do you feel that attitude in her? This is true repentance.

So perhaps we ought to consider her example when it comes to OUR penitence. I’ve often been asked as a teacher, or had this question asked while serving as Bishop of my ward. How do I know if I’ve been forgiven? And I understand the concern and the worry there, but I don’t think that’s the best question we can ask. Because, I believe that if we humbly ask for forgiveness, we are sure to get it. Jesus frankly forgives people. That’s another one of the questions on the handout? What does that word suggest about forgiveness and the Savior because that’s the word Jesus uses in his little parable to describe how the creditor releases the two debtors from their debt. Frankly means easily, quickly, unequivocally. I don’t think it’s that difficult to receive the Savior’s forgiveness. I mean, as long as we’re not being insincere in our request. I don’t believe that his forgiveness and mercy are something that we have to earn. I really don’t. Perhaps the better question we could ask would be . . . Have I truly repented for my sins? Have I experienced a mighty change of heart? Do I feel as deeply about my desire to put this thing behind me as this woman does. Her example is a good attitude to judge our desires by. Do we wash his feet with our tears? Or do we hope to just run in, pour a little water out, give a quick kiss on the cheek and a little oil on the head, and run back out hoping that’s sufficient. In the simple humility of this unnamed woman we’re invited to feel both the principles of repentance AND forgiveness. Hopefully, as we watch her, we’re strengthened in our resolve to lay our own burdens down and wash the feet of our Lord in humility.

Consider her timing. Why do you think she came right then?

And I don’t know for sure why she came right then, while Jesus is eating dinner with important people in the community. In a public setting. But, the scriptures tell us that Jesus was almost constantly surrounded by people. He was a very popular figure. So maybe she didn’t feel like she had any other choice. I like to think she came right then because she just couldn’t wait. This was her opportunity and she decided to take it. She’s like, I can’t hold on to this feeling any longer. My sins are too painful, too heavy to carry. And her sins WERE many. Jesus tells us that in verse 47. But she felt like she needed to do it now, no matter what. No matter who was watching or who knew it. She doesn’t seem to mind who sees her. She’s not worried about the judgment and scrutiny of the people around her. And she IS being judged by them. Simon does dismiss her as a sinner. But she doesn’t allow that to stand in her way of going to Christ.

Now, do we allow the judgment of others to hinder us in our efforts to seek forgiveness from the Savior? Are we more worried about what others might think about us than we are about our spiritual standing before God? Are we worried about who might see, or wonder, or judge. And, you know, maybe we will be judged by others. It’s very possible. But that’s on them. And interestingly enough, it’s Simon that gets the rebuke in this story, not the woman full of sin.

And speaking of the judgment of others.

What point do you feel Jesus is trying to make with the little parable he tells in the story?

When Jesus senses the judgmental eyes of those in the room watching this scene play out, he tells this little parable.

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

A couple of things here. One, forgiveness=love. The more we seek the Savior’s forgiveness, the greater the bond we will form with him. More forgiven, more love. But with that thought, a warning here. We should be very careful about making an assumption about sin and forgiveness with this. If more forgiveness=more love, should I go out and sin more so that I can experience that forgiveness and love more? I believe that would be a very foolish thing to do. God does not lead us into temptation. The fact of the matter, though, is that we are all sinners. We all have many sins, just like her. Jesus was saying that the problem with Simon the Pharisee was that he felt like He didn’t need to repent. Therefore, he didn’t feel the need to do much for Jesus as he came into his house. Not even the common courtesies of a guest. Not even a small bowl of water for Jesus to wash his own feet with. He loved little, because he didn’t feel he needed any mercy. Hopefully we don’t make that same mistake. We should all come to Him and seek his love and mercy. If we “love much”, then we are certain feel that love from Him. Also, whose attitude do we most reflect in the story? The woman or Simon? Do we feel that it’s everyone out there that needs to repent and fail to recognize the beams in our own eyes while focusing on the motes in others? We all need to repent. And deeply. And we all can feel that deep love from our Savior when we do.

How do these phrases add to our understanding of the Savior’s forgiveness?

One of the phrases is the amounts the debtors owe to the creditor. One owed 500 pence, and the other 50. And then the other phrase is when Jesus lets us know that this woman indeed had many sins. But what did we just learn about those with big or many sins? Jesus can forgive big sins and little sins, many sins, and few sins. And none of us can truly pay for them ourselves. But that doesn’t matter. If we bring them to Christ, they will be frankly forgiven.

How many times does Jesus tell her she is forgiven? What might that suggest?

Well, let’s count them.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; (one) for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. (two)

49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (three)

Why do you think he repeated himself so many times? I’m sure the Savior sensed that she needed to hear that message more than once. Sometimes we find it difficult to believe that we’re forgiven. Perhaps that’s one of the dangers of feeling remorse for our sins so deeply. We may begin to feel unworthy of his forgiveness or wonder if WE can really be forgiven. On an intellectual level, we can understand that Christ can forgive sins, but on a feeling level, we still doubt. But when we have been forgiven, we must forgive ourselves. We’ve got to be careful to not make ourselves a higher judge than Christ. Give him his victory over your sins, and look forward, not back. It’s such a beautiful scene, this little story. So much hope and power in it.

TRUTH/LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Which of the following truths has meant the most to you today?

As we are forgiven for our sins, our love for the Savior deepens.

Jesus can frankly forgive both big and small sins, many and few.

As I demonstrate the true spirit of repentance, I will receive forgiveness.

AND I might ask:

When have you experienced the mercy and love of the Savior in your life?

CONCLUSION

So to conclude, remember the object lesson. God and Christ’s love are always there for us. The warmth they feel towards us never changes. But our sins can so often seem to get in the way. So if we ever do find ourselves in that situation, come to Christ, and the barrier WILL be removed. But hopefully we can come with the proper attitude—like this great woman did.

HEALINGS AND TEACHINGS

ICEBREAKER

Now, the two above principles would really be my focus for the week if I didn’t have a lot of time to teach. But there are some other great principles in this week’s block. Particularly some of the stories of Jesus’s healings. In previous lessons, we’ve already covered the stories of Jesus making the leper whole and the healing of the paralytic man that is lowered through the ceiling, but there are some other stories and teachings of the Savior in this week’s chapters that we haven’t taken a look at yet. So for those, I like to do an activity called, “Dig, Draw, and Discuss”.

It’s a great activity that helps train your students to read the scriptures more carefully and closely. There are no teams involved in this activity—just the class competing with itself. I tell them that there will be a treat, or some kind of reward if the class can collectively earn at least 80% of the possible points. To earn points, I have them read a certain section of scripture quietly and carefully by themselves and encourage them to be prepared to answer questions about that block of scripture. The catch is, that once I start asking the questions, they have to close their scriptures and answer solely from memory.

Then once they’ve read, I have either an individual card, or a popsicle stick, or a piece of paper with each of their names written on them. I ask them a question and draw one of the names. I typically like to start with an easier question, then ask a harder question, and finally ask “the hardest question.” If the person who I draw can answer the question correctly, then the entire class earns 2 out of 2 points. If they can't answer or they get it wrong, then I ask if there is anyone in the class who thinks they know the right answer. If that person gets it right, then the entire class earns 1 of 2 points. If that person answers incorrectly or nobody knows the answer, then they earn 0 out of 2 points. That's the dig portion of the activity. Then, we do a "Draw" round. For this, you randomly select a name from your cards and have that person come forward to be the artist. You show them a word that comes from the section they read. And in this activity, I have an easy word, a medium word, and a difficult word that you could choose from depending on the maturity of your class. Then it's like Pictionary, they have to get the class to guess the word by drawing only pictures, no words. If the class can guess it in 30 seconds or less, they earn 2 out of 2 points. If they can guess it in 60 seconds or less, they earn 1 out of 2 points. If they can't guess it in 60 seconds, you reveal the word, and they earn 0 points. This, I’ve found, is a really fun way to engage your class and help them to learn how to read the scriptures a bit more carefully. And then, so the lesson is not just a game. At the end of each round, you engage your class in a short discussion of the importance of the message of that block of scripture, and how it could be applied. So, let me show you how this works.

SECTION 1-THE CENTURION’S SERVANT

Read: Luke 7:1-10

Easier Question: Who did the Centurion want Jesus to heal? His what?

Answer: His servant.

Harder Question: What reason did the centurion give for why he didn’t want Jesus to come into his home to heal his servant?

Answer: He didn’t feel like he was worthy of Jesus’s presence under his roof.

Hardest Question: How did Jesus react to the Centurion’s request. Fill in the blanks. “When Jesus heard it, he __________ at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great _________, no, not in Israel.

Answer: Marvelled, and faith.

DRAW

Easy: Roof

Medium: Sick

Hard: Authority

DISCUSS

Jesus gave this man one of the most incredible compliments in the entire New Testament. He said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” And like our last question pointed out, we learn that Jesus “marvelled” at him. He was amazed by this man’s faith. That’s saying something. So my discussion question is this:

What do you think it was that made this man’s faith so amazing to Jesus? Why did HIS faith stand out to him? What was special about it?

A few thoughts. One, it was faith based on love. He’s asking for Jesus to heal his servant. This man was a Centurion, a leader in the Roman army and his servant would have been really more of a slave than an employee—of low status and easily replaced. But, he cared enough about one of his servants that he was willing to ask for a miracle of this Jewish rabbi. The scripture says that his servant was “dear unto him”. You would think it would be more likely that someone would go to that kind of effort to ask for a healing for his spouse or a child, but he did it for a servant. More than likely, a man of a different nationality, a different religion, a different social class. And that’s not the only evidence of this man’s benevolent nature. Even the Jews of the city plead for Jesus to do this miracle. They affirm his worthiness and love for their nation. He’d even built a synagogue for the Jews of his town. This man loved and served everyone. And perhaps it was this surprising and uncommon demonstration of love that moved Jesus to so readily help him. He recognized in this man his own Christlike quality of selflessness and acceptance of all of God’s children. Have we cultivated this kind of love for the people around us that are not just our family members or people like us. People of different nationalities, cultures, races, religions, political parties, or social classes? Perhaps that’s part of why Jesus said his faith was so great.

Or, did Jesus say that because his faith in asking for this miracle was not based on an assessment of his own goodness or merit. He didn’t come stating that he “deserved” this miracle because he was such a good person. In fact, it was just the opposite. He considered himself unworthy of the Master’s help. It’s the other people of the town that have to stand up for him and vouch for his character and worthiness. Now, do we ever make the mistake of feeling like we have earned miracles from God? Do we pray and say, “Hey, Lord. I’m a good person. I keep the commandments. I go to Church. I think I’ve earned thy help or divine intervention here.” Do we get upset with the Lord when tragedy befalls us, or our loved ones, and his help doesn’t seem to be forthcoming? Do we feel like God owes us something? Maybe that’s what sets this man’s faith apart in Jesus’s eyes. He approached his request with great humility. He didn’t come out and say, “You know, I’ve done a lot of good things for the Jews of my city, don’t you think I merit this favor, Jesus?” No, he even states that he wondered if it were appropriate for him to come to Jesus at all, let alone have him enter his house. All this Roman soldier knew was that he needed help, and he believed, deeply, that Jesus was capable of offering it. But, he came with nothing more than a humble request, and no sense of expectation or entitlement. This was an exceptional demonstration of faith.

And I feel the reason the man gives for his supposed “unworthiness” is noteworthy. Because he was a man of authority. He felt unfit for the Savior’s help because he was in a position to tell people what to do. Which I think is an interesting reason to feel unworthy. We would probably look at that and say, “What’s so bad about that? You don’t need to feel guilty about that.” Funnily enough, I’ve seen that same kind of thing in members of the Church I know. There are those who are capable of finding guilt under every rock, or that struggle with the feeling of never being good enough. They don’t feel like they deserve God’s help. And if they were to verbalize their reasons for why they feel unworthy, we may have a similar reaction to the one that I have with this story. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that so much. You ARE worthy of Christ’s help AND his admiration.” Great is thy faith!

THE WIDOW OF NAIN

Read: Luke 7:11-17

Easier Question: The man Jesus heals in the story was the ______ son of his mother.

Answer: Only. He was her only son. So this was a great, great tragedy for this poor widow. Not only had she lost her husband, but now she had lost her only son as well. She would now have to spend the rest of her life alone.

Harder Question: What reason are we given for why Jesus brings her son back from the dead. He did it because . . .

Answer: Because he had compassion on her. He felt the pain of her loss and situation. This is Jesus living his own charge to “mourn with those that mourn”. How wonderful it must have been for him to know that he was able to take away her grief and restore her beloved son to her. Jesus was compassionate. He looked for opportunities to alleviate pain and suffering. We can do the same.

Hardest Question: The people of the city were amazed at this miracle, and glorified God, and came to the following conclusion: That God hath __________ his people.

Answer: Visited. Jesus was proof that God was among them and loved them and was willing to help them.

DRAW

Easy: Dead

Medium: Weep

Hard: Arise

DISCUSS

What is something you have witnessed in your life that would cause you to say, “God hath visited his people.” What evidence have you seen that God is among us and helps us?

SECTION 3 A HOUSE DIVIDED

Read: Mark 3:22-35

Easier Question: Jesus was able to cast out devils. What explanation did Jesus’s enemies give for how he was able to do this?

Answer: They accused him of being able to do it through the power of the devil. That he was a leader of the devils, and therefore that’s why they would listen to him.

Harder Question: What reason did Jesus give to show that their explanation made no sense?

Answer: He asks them why Satan would want to cast himself out of someone. Why would he want to give up his power over them? He makes the point that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Why on earth would the prince of devils, if that’s what you think I am, go around casting my own followers out of people. That makes no sense.

Hardest Question: Who does Jesus consider to be members of HIS family?

Answer: Whoever does his will. Jesus, ever the teacher, when told by his disciples that his Mother and brothers are standing outside trying to reach him, he basically says, “My Mother and my brothers? Look around you, these are my family members! All of you! Anyone who does the will of God is a member of my family!” And if you stop to think about it, that truth is reflected in our baptismal or sacramental covenants. We covenant to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. Which means we become a part of his family. Like when my wife married me. She took upon herself my name—my last name. She was no longer only Allesha Hilton, but Allesha Hilton Wilcox. because she was now a part of my family, and I, hers. That’s the relationship we share with Christ and with each other. It’s a family bond we share between us. What do we call each other in the Church? Brother Jones, Sister Smith. We’re a part of the same family! With Jesus at our head.

DRAW

Easy: Mother

Medium: Kingdom

Hard: Spoil

DISCUSS

I would just write the following phrase up on the board: “If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”. Though it’s used here as a response against the accusation of the scribes, there’s a lot of truth in that statement. Where else may that truth be applied? I believe that statement is true of nations, communities, wards, workplaces, and most especially homes. It underscores the importance of seeking unity in all our associations. When we allow conflict, criticism, and an unwillingness to compromise to permeate these places, they tend to fall apart. They don’t stand. The goal of unity is key for any assembly of people. Abraham Lincoln famously quoted that line from the Bible in reference to the Civil War. The “Union” of the nation needed to be secured and defended. But when we allow civil wars to flare up in our communities and families, we’re sowing the seeds of their destruction. Rather than seeking to “cast each other out,” maybe we can seek to work out our differences respectfully, disagree without becoming disagreeable, and seek for common ground when standing on different sides of an issue. This is a particularly when it comes to our marriages and families. A house divided against itself cannot stand. And God intends our houses or families to “stand” for eternity.