Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome. Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4). This priority was not only reflecte
A Leper
When Christ healed a leper, the leper did not come to Christ with a question, but a statement, and Christ's response, in turn, was not an answer, but an instruction. From this small exchange we can learn about the power of faith, and the responsibility we have in being made clean. Matthew records, "And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed' (Matthew 8:2-3).
Jesus healed a physical ailment, but the same process applies to our spiritual illnesses. The leper worshiped Christ and expressed his confidence in Christ's ability to heal him. When I pray for forgiveness, or ask for spiritual or temporal blessings I must sound pretty whiney by contrast. I usually just repeat my request over and over over the course of days. Instead the leper worshipped God and stated his faith in Christ. I wonder how my prayers would change if I took this approach, and how I might see the power of God in my life differently if I was less focused on asking for things and more focused on worshiping God, and strengthening my faith in Him.
A Centurion
When Jesus offered to go to the home a a centurion to heal his servant stricken with palsy "The centurion answered and said, Lord ... but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it" (Matthew 8:8-9). Again, the healing miracle was preceded by faith. Not only did the centurion have faith in Christ's ability to heal his servant, but that he did not need to be physically present to do it.
I love the lesson this exchange teaches about God's authority, and how it can be delegated and used remotely. I see parallels between the centurion's comments and what D&C 1:38 teaches about prophets: "whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same" (D&C 1:38). In fact, we all have access to God's power and can use it based on our willingness to follow God and our faith in Him. Jesus promised the centurion "as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour" (Matthew 8:13). When it is according to His will, God grants us the righteous desires of our heart if we act in faith to realize them.
Peter's Mother
When Jesus found Peter's mother sick with a fever, "he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them" (Matthew 8:15). What strikes me about this exchange is that Peter's mother's first action after being healed was to serve. Any time we obtain forgiveness, blessings, and other spiritual gifts at God's hand they are intended to be used in the service of others and for the building of God's kingdom on earth.
They Besought Him That He Would Depart
When Jesus met two men possessed by evil sprits, he cast out the spirits into a herd of swine, who then ran into the sea and died (Matthew 8:31-32). Instead of worshipping Jesus or marveling at the miracle that had just been performed, the people of the neighboring village "besought him that he would depart out of their coasts" (Matthew 8:34). I've heard this explained that the death of the swine would have been a significant financial loss for the pig herders, and they were understandably upset and afraid. By extension, the people were more concerned about their temporal livelihood that this spiritual manifestation. I wonder when I react to the miracles of God in the same way as the pig herders. Do I ever find the blessings of God too costly or cumbersome?
The example that readily comes to mind is parenting. God has trusted me with 5 precious souls to parent; I love my children deeply and feel so blessed by the privilege of being their father, but if I were to chart my feelings of love and gratitude as a parent over the course of the day there would be plenty of ups and downs. I am just as likely to feel tired and irritable as I am to feel gratitude and joy. Usually my feelings of love and patience flag when I feel burdened by the perceived inconvenience of parenting, whether its interrupted sleep, loads of laundry, untouched meals, or moments of mischief and rebelliousness. Yes, children come with a cost, but like the pig herders in this story if I am too focused on the cost I will miss out on the miracle.
Especially when it comes to spiritual transformation, God's miracles are inconvenient. They come with costs and trade-offs. Generally, the price of becoming your new self is your old self. The way we are, as imperfect as it may be, feels familiar and comfortable. We resist change, even change for the better, because uncertainty feels hard and scary. God is willing and able to make us new creates if we invite Him in instead of beseeching him to depart.
Image Credit: The Healing of the Leper by Harold Copping
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