Christ-like Love

This was a great topic to spend the week studying, especially as we head into the Christmas season. I loved reading about Christ's love for us, and how the greatest commandment we have is to show that love to our fellow man. Here are the questions and answers from my assignment this week:

1.     According to John 13:34–35, how can others know if we are disciples of Jesus Christ?

They will know if we show them, as well as all others, Christ-like love.

2.     List some specific ways a disciple of Jesus Christ might respond in the following situations (in accordance with John 13:34–35):

·       Someone you know is ridiculed or made fun of because of the way he or she dresses. 

A disciple of Christ would stand up for the person and discourage the teasing, despite any risk of teasing or danger to themselves.

·       You see a new person at church.

A disciple of Christ would make every effort to make the new person feel welcome, including saying hello, inviting them to sit with them, and then getting to know them.

3.     Ponder the question, “Do people know that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ by the way I treat them?” Select a family member, coworker, or neighbor and make a short list of things you can do during the coming week to show him or her the kind of love the Savior would show. Then follow through with what you wrote down.

I have selected my mother. She does so much for each member of our family. I will seek to do some of her regular household chores, like sweeping and unloading the dishwasher in the morning. I will cook her dinner one night this week. I will do one extra chore that she has been trying to get around to, like organizing the homeschooling bookshelves.

Christ's Second Coming

This week we read about the second coming, which can be a pretty scary topic. For this week's assignment we analyzed the scriptures about what will happen, and what the righteous can expect to happen. It was very comforting to focus on that second part, and I really appreciate that we have the ability to prepare now for those harder times. Here is my work from the assignment:

	Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem	The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Events to Occur	·      False Prophets v.9 ·      Deceit v.9 ·      Betrayals v. 8 ·      Hatred v.8 ·      Love wax cold v 10 ·      Destruction of Jerusalem v. 14	·      False Christs, prophets and signs v. 22 ·      All the earth will know of His coming v. 23 ·      Famine, pestilence, earthquakes. V 29 ·      Darkness v. 33 ·      Second coming v. 36
Promises to the Righteous	·      Those who remain steadfast shall be saved. V. 11 ·      None but the elect shall be saved-days shortened v.20	·      The righteous will know of His coming v. 39 ·      They will be prepared v. 50

Although many terrible things will happen, the Lord will not let his people perish. He will provide a way for them that they might be preserved. If we follow God’s commandments we will be saved.

This week in my New Testament Class, we examined more parables taught by the Savior. We compared how the pharisees were like each of the following parables:

The pharisees were like the fig tree in Matthew 21:17-20 because they were doing no good works, or producing to good fruits. Jesus sentenced the tree to shrivel away as the pharisees would eventually because they were not productive.

The pharisees were like the second son in Matthew 21: 28-32 because they often offered lip-service, and pretended to live the law of God. However, they did not actually follow the laws, and were wicked at heart.

The pharisees were like the husbandmen in Matthew 21: 33-41 because they continually destroyed those that prophesied of Christ, and then killed Christ as well. They master of the vinyard, or God, will destroy them in the last day.

The pharisees were like the wedding guests and the man without the wedding garment in Matthew: 22:1-14 because they did not follow the Lord's commandments, and did not offer the proper reverence for his teachings.

I enjoyed reading these parables and learning how to better apply them in my own life.

Another Great Week of New Testament Study

The subject of my new testament class this week centered around the parables that Christ taught. My assignment for this week asked me to explain why I thought Christ might have taught those parables, and what I thought to be the deeper, spiritual meaning of each. The parables come from Luke chapters 17 and 18.

1. In the parable of the unjust steward we learn even from those who have sinned. We must use the time we have wisely.
2. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we learn that there is work going on in the spirit world. Jesus bridged the “gulf” between spirit prison and spirit paradise to allow missionaries to teach to those in prison.
3. In the parable of the ten lepers we learn that we must have gratitude to be made a whole person. The other lepers were cleansed physically, but the thankful leper was made a whole person. 
4.  The Lord gave the parable of the unjust judge for several reasons. The first was to encourage us to persevere like unto the widow who sought justice. Next, he contrasted God’s justice with the justice of man. Lastly, he taught that he would bring justice to His followers during the second coming.
5. The Lord gave the parable of the publican and the Pharisee to show that humility is what matters, not boastful pride in one’s own “righteousness.”