Early Judean Ministry,"Ye Must Be Born Again"

24 And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.

25 And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him.

26 And after many years, the hour of his ministry drew nigh

Matthew 3:24-26 Joseph Smith Translation

 

 

His preparations were complete. He had taken the covenant of baptism upon him. He then,"being full of the Holy Ghost," was led by the spirit into the wilderness to commune with our Father.

A solitary place. Fasting. Angels ministering to Him. Receiving greater light and knowledge.
 

The inspired version of Matthew clarifies for us what occurred, shortly after the ordinance of baptism had taken place:

JST Matt. 4:5 Then Jesus was taken up into the holy city, and the Spirit setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple.

JST Matt. 4:6 Then the devil came unto him and said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.....
 

Righteous people do not seek out temptation. They don't have to. It will find them. Fresh from the waters of baptism. Even at the very door of the temple.

 

 

The more we are determined to put God first in our lives, the more determined Satan is that he should be first. He doesn't concentrate his best efforts on the weakest link. Often, it is after we are firmly commited to following the Savior that our greatest trials come.
 

Alma teaches: "....for I do know that whosoever shall put their ^atrust in God shall be supported in their ^btrials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be ^clifted up at the last day. (Alma 36:5)

If we put our trust Him. Turn to Him. Allow ourselves to be supported. Led. Comforted. Instructed.

That is when we grow in spiritual light and power. In love for our Savior. In love for our Father. Closer to them.

The time had come for Him to teach us. Through his words as well as through his example.

 

And so his ministry began. He first went to the temple. The house of his Father. His house. It needed to be cleansed. He put it in order. He announced who he was. He proclaimed his mission to the Jews that were there. They did not understand, nor did they want to understand. As Jesus and his disciples began to teach and baptize, they sought to take his life.

Rejected by his own.

There were some though, who were ready to learn from Him.

To receive His tender mercies.

 Elder David A. Bednar taught that "... the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men” (D&C 46:15). (General Conference April 2005.)
 

The reading this week talks about a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. I think she must have experienced plenty in the trial department. She was a Samaritan first of all, whom the Jews considered unclean. Second class citizens. Anything they touched was considered unclean. A Samaritan woman was even lower. The lowest of all was an unchaste Samaritan woman. Beneath notice. Not worth acknowledgement.

 This woman had had five husbands. It doesn't say what happened to them, but the sixth man whom she was with she had not married.  Jesus had departed from Judea and was traveling through Samaria on his way to Galilee. Unheard of - most Jews refused to enter Samaria and would travel all the way around the country to avoid it. Jesus was tired, hungry, and thirsty. He had gone to the well while the disciples went to buy food. He asked the woman for a drink - at the very public well in the busy noon time of the day.

What?! Her incredulous response: "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the ^aSamaritans." (John 4:9)

Then he taught her. Individually. He spoke of Living Water. He made it obvious that he knew her personally. He was familiar with the details of her life. As he taught, the level of her understanding increased. First she acknowledged him as a Jew, then, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet."(John4:19). Finally, she understands. She immediately leaves her water pot and runs to tell others, "Come, see.....is not this the Christ?"(John 4:29)

And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? (John 4:27)

What makes this story so beautiful is not just that the Lord taught her, but the way that he taught her.
He was not ashamed to be seen speaking with her. Just her. He taught according to her level of understanding. He talked with her about her life. He manifested to her personally who he was.These were very personal and individualized blessings, guidance, loving-kindnesses, support. A spiritual gift. A tender mercy.

I have been thinking of tender mercies alot lately. Although we don't receive them face to face as the Samaritan woman did, we do still receive them. I have received them. Elder Bednar stated, "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them."

I had to have surgery last week. I was not at all excited about it. In fact I have a great aversion to the thought of being cut open with a sharp object and having my insides manipulated. I prayed about it. Alot. I went back to see both my primary doctor and the surgeon again. Twice. I was given a priesthood blessing. I prayed some more. Each time I prayed I would feel a warm sense of peace and calm wash over me, but not long and I would have myself worked up into a state of high anxiety again with thoughts running through my head such as: pain, hemmorrhage, risks of anesthesia, infection, pain......

Then during a family home evening lesson my son was teaching, he read the words, "Have  I not spoken peace to thy mind?"

Yes. He. had.

I knew undoubtedly that those words were for me. I felt that same feeling of peace and calm. I felt grateful.

But, I am persistent, and inspite of myself I would eventually have anxious words running rampant through my head again: bleeding, ouch, I don't have time for this, what if...... 

Worrying about ............   EVERY          LITTLE         THING!

I was in the car, worrying, listening to some music. The words that came out of the speaker said,
"Don't worry. Every little thing, is gonna be all right."

I laughed out loud! I had tears in my eyes. Another tender mercy from a loving Father in Heaven. A Father who knows who I am. Who cared that I was scared. Who knew the details of my life. I can't think of a time when I have felt more personally, tenderly loved by Him.

He gave me the exact words that I needed. With a sense of humor.Through the words of Bob Marley. He made me laugh.

 Posted by Sister Montgomery

Family Home Evening Ideas:

Read the talk, "The Tender Mercies of the Lord," by Elder David A. Bednar. April General Conference 2005. Have family members look for the tender mercies in their lives and keep track of them in a notebook or journal. Share them with each other after a week, or two weeks or so.