even Jesus, the Christ, be subjected to temptation by the devil? Let us
consider the source of our love and adoration of Jesus. If God had made
it no trial {64} or task at all, but altogether pleasant, to redeem
mankind, should we experience the affection and the worship that we now
feel for Jesus? If He had not suffered; if He had experienced no pain;
if He had passed through no agony of body nor anguish of heart, could
we feel indebted to Him as we do now? If He had suffered no temptation,
if it had never been a struggle for Him to do the right--as it was in
Gethsemane--could we admire His strength, and profit by His teaching?
In short, could the atoning death of Jesus be called a sacrifice, if
there had been no suffering, no overcoming of temptation and evil? It
was through overcoming that Jesus proved Himself worthy to be the Son
of God.
[Sidenote: The trial of man.]
In just the same way, evil is put before man to tempt him, that he too
may show his worthiness or unworthiness. We admire the boy who has the
The trial of courage and the will-power to say No to the suggestion
of evil. We recognize in him strength of character. We see in him a
pillar of strength for the future. We are likely to despise the boy
who always yields to temptation, who allows his character to be broken
down by evil, and who finally becomes a slave to Satan. Such a boy is a
weakling; he will be of little or of no service to the world.
[Sidenote: A state of probation.]
With these facts in mind, it is easy to understand the words of Jesus
in the Spirit world. At the great council of the spirits--about which
we have already learned--Jesus said to those around Him, "We will go
down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials,
and we will make an earth whereon these (spirits) may {65} dwell;
and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things
whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." And in our own
dispensation, Jesus said to the Prophet, Joseph Smith, "It must needs
be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not
be agents unto themselves, for if they never should have bitter, they
could not know the sweet."
[Sidenote: The free agency of man.]
Here of course lies the secret of the matter. God has endowed us with
free agency. He does not try to force us to be good, but we may do good
or evil as we ourselves please. And as we gain strength to overcome
evil, we grow in character and in power, and become more nearly worthy
to return to the presence of God. It was partly because he wanted
to destroy the God-given free agency of man, that Lucifer was cast
out of heaven. Only the person who sturdily and persistently resists
temptation retains his free agency. He who yields to temptation becomes
soon a servant to the devil, and loses the free agency with which God
endowed him.
Through overcoming temptation and evil Jesus triumphed over the devil
and redeemed the world. Through overcoming temptation and evil, man,
too, may triumph over the devil, and have glory added upon his head for
ever and ever. "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all
things are given unto them which are expedient unto man. And they are
free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of
all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity
and power of the devil."
{66} THE REFERENCES
Matt. 4:1-11. Abraham 3:24,25.
Matt. 13:19. Doc. and Cov. 29:39.
John 13:2-26, 27. 2 Nephi 2:27.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Why should the devil be concerned after the baptism of Jesus?
2. Discuss the temptation of Jesus.
3. To what do the suggestions of the devil lead?
4. How did Jesus prove Himself worthy to be the Son of God?
5. How may man prove himself worthy to be a son of God?
6. Why was man placed upon the earth?
7. What is the meaning of free agency?
8. Why is evil upon the earth?
{67}
{68} PICTURE: MARKET SCENE AT BETHLEHEM.
{69}
IX
THE CROWN OF CREATION
Have you ever felt the wonder of the poet as he sings,
"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me;
I tremble to know that for me He was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died."
[Sidenote: A wonder-rousing sacrifice.]
It is truly the most wonderfully unselfish sacrifice, and the sincerest
demonstration of love, you will find anywhere recorded. As He
approached the day of the awful sacrifice, Jesus Himself declared to
His followers, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I
have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends." And as God the Son manifested thus His great
love, so also did God the Father. "For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
[Sidenote: Why should God be mindful of man?]
Now, it is only natural that one should ask, as did the great psalmist,
"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that
Thou visitest him? Why should there be devised in the heavens a
gracious and liberal plan of salvation? Why, because of man, should the
hosts of heaven be plunged into the horrors of civil war? What is man,
that the noblest of the spirits of heaven should lay down His life for
man's redemption? It is an answer to these questions that we want now
to find in the teachings of Jesus.
[Sidenote: The parable of the lost sheep.]
{70} One day when the publicans and the sinners drew near to Jesus
to hear Him, "the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man
receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And He spake this parable unto
them, saying, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one
of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go
after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it,
he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he
calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice
with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that
likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more
than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
[Sidenote: Man's soul without price.]
Jesus could hardly have told a better story to show what great value
God places upon man. It is in perfect accord with many other sayings of
His, some of which you should know, Said He, at one time, "What shall
it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul." At another
time He said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of
them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of
more value than many sparrows." In the teaching of Jesus, then, the
soul of man--his true life--is beyond any earthly price. Indeed, its
value is far beyond the worth of the whole material world.
{71} And Jesus did not place this high value on the soul of any
particular man. To Him the souls of all men are priceless. He is no
respecter of persons. The Father "maketh His sun to shine on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." There
is none so humble that he is beyond the reach of the love of God, nor
none so worldly great that he does not need it. Said Jesus, "Whosoever
shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast
into the sea."
[Sidenote: Man, the offspring of God.]
It is because Jesus knew and recognized the divine possibilities
of every man, great or small, that He thus valued him so highly.
Jesus taught always that God is the Father in heaven--and that not
figuratively. We are indeed the offspring of God; and being the
offspring of God, there resides in all of us the possibility to become
gods. Indeed, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, in which we
live, it has been revealed that God is Himself an exalted man; that He
has Himself passed through such a probationary state as that in which
man now lives; and that it is possible for man to become like God.
Jesus, likewise, taught this truth to those who heard Him. When the
Jews were about to stone Him because He declared Himself the Son of
God, Jesus said, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are Gods?"
When exhorting the people to live righteous lives, He urged, "Be ye
therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
And the disciples caught the meaning of {72} the doctrine; for, wrote
John, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God."
[Sidenote: The questions answered.]
Since, then, the soul of man is of such divine origin, and therefore
of such surpassing value, we need seek no further for the answer to
our questions. The heavenly Father feels the loss of a child even
more keenly than does an earthly father. Man is a son of God, and may
himself become a god; therefore, God is mindful of him.
[Sidenote: Reverence for God.]
Now, since he is the offspring of the Almighty Father, man owes certain
duties both to God and to himself. In the first place, as a faithful
and devoted son, he should hold the Father in reverence. "Ye have heard
that it hath been said by them of old time," said Jesus, "Thou shalt
not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is
God's throne: nor by the earth; for it is His footstool: neither by
Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King." The Father of us all
is to be held in awe. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God
in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name
in vain."
[Sidenote: Reverence for personal honor.]
In like manner, the value and dignity of man require that he should
hold his own personal honor in reverence. His word should be as good as
his bond. It should not be necessary to bind a bargain with an oath.
Such practice leads easily to profanity. Jesus said also, "Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not {73} make one hair
white or black. But let your communications be Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for
whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."
[Sidenote: Reverence for personal purity.]
Again, the divine possibilities in him, demand that every man should
be willing to make any worldly sacrifice rather than defile his soul
with evil. As Jesus put it, The light-of-the body is the eye: if
therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that
darkness!" "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for
thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two
eyes to be cast into hell fire."
Thus we learn, that, in the teachings of Jesus, man is the crown
of creation. He is the noblest work of God. He has in him the
possibilities of Godhood. He is indeed the son of God. That is why
there has been manifested such unstinted love for him. And that is why
man should cultivate sincere reverence for God, and reverence for his
own personal honor, and reverence for his own personal purity.
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
(See Shakespeare's Apostrophe to Man in "Hamlet.")
{74} THE REFERENCES
John 3:16. Mark 9:42.
John 15:12-13. Matt. 10:29, 31.
Ps. 8:4. Matt. 5:33-37, 45, 48.
Luke 15:2-7. Matt. 6:22, 23.
Mark 8:36, 37. Luke 9:47.
1 Cor. 3:16, 17.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What does the parable of the lost sheep illustrate?
2. What value did Jesus place on a man's soul?
3. What difference did a man's station in life make to the love of
Jesus?
4. Why did Jesus place so high a value on the soul of man?
5. What duty does man owe God?
6. What duties does man owe himself?
7. How is the body of man the temple of God?
{75}
{76} PICTURE: THE FORGIVING FATHER, Molitor
{77}
X
THE FORGIVING FATHER
[Sidenote: The parable of the prodigal.]
"A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his
father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And
he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger
son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country,
and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had
spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be
in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country;
and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have
filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man
gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said. How many hired
servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish
with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way
off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called
thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best
robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his
feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat.
and be merry: for this my son was dead {78} and is alive again; he was
lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
"Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh
to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the
servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy
brother is come: and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he
hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go
in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
"And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve
thee, neither transgress I at any time thy commandment and yet thou
never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but
as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with
harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
"And he said unto him. Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have
is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this
thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."
[Sidenote: The forgiving Father.]
Of this beautiful parable, the great Dickens said very truly, "It is
the most touching passage in all literature." Most people think of
it and speak of it as the story of the prodigal son. It is really,
however, the story of the forgiving Father. Jesus wanted the Jews
to learn to know God as the Father of all men--great and small--and
therefore interested in the welfare of all of them. Jesus knew only
too well that sin held possession of the lives of the people of His
day. He {79} saw plenty of evidence of it. Men were living corrupt
lives. Corruption had defiled their minds as well as their bodies.
They crowded about the Master to be healed of both mental and physical
diseases, that, in many cases, had come upon them because of their
sins. Jesus knew, too, that no hope was held out to the sinner in the
perverted doctrines of the rabbis. These doctrines made it impossible
for the sinner ever to return to the presence of God. But Jesus
wanted men to think of God not as a stern, severe, and relentless
being, but as a loving and forgiving Father to all men. So, when the
younger son of the parable had recognized his sins, had sorrowfully
repented of them, and had returned and had confessed them freely, the
father forgave them freely, and received him again joyfully into the
household. Of course, the prodigal son, though forgiven, would never
be able wholly to efface from his soul the marks of his offenses, any
more than you would be able to remove from a post the hole made by a
nail you had driven in. You may be sorry and pull out the nail, but the
hole remains; and even though you fill the hole with putty, and cover
all with paint, yet in the post remains the mark made by that nail.
However, that the Father will fully forgive the penitent sinner without
upbraiding is indeed a consolation worth knowing. It was without doubt
the desire of Jesus to illustrate God's intense love even for the
sinner and His eagerness to reclaim him.
[Sidenote: Condemnation of the self-righteous.]
Now there were present, when Jesus related the parable of the forgiving
father and other parables teaching the same comforting lesson, a number
of the scribes {80} and Pharisees. These self-righteous men derided
Him, and found fault with Him because He treated sinners as if they too
were men with souls. To these self-righteous ones, Jesus spoke after
this wise: You scribes and Pharisees, you justify yourselves before
men. You think yourselves so righteous that you need no repentance. But
God knows your hearts; and often that which is highly esteemed among
men is abomination before the Lord. The great brotherhood of man are
all children of God; when one who has sinned repents and returns to
Father's home, there is more joy over his return, than over ninety and
nine like you who think they need no repentance. To illustrate your
case, I may tell you this parable:
[Sidenote: The publican and the Pharisee.]
"Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the
other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God,
I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give
tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man
went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one
that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted."
Fortunately, then, God the Father is ready, nay, eager, to forgive the
sins of the wrongdoer who repents. Likewise, He is ready, eager, to
answer the prayer that is spoken in sincere humility. But there is no
justification for him who thinks he has no need {81} of repentance, or
who self-righteously exalts himself above his fellowmen. Said Jesus
to our own great Prophet, "I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the
least degree of allowance, nevertheless, he that repents and does the
commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven."
THE REFERENCES
Luke 15:11 ff. Doc. and Cov. 1:31.
Luke 18:9-14.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Retell the story of the Forgiving Father.
2. Justify Dickens's statement that this is the most touching passage
in literature.
3. What was Jesus's purpose in telling the story?
4. What views did the Jews generally hold concerning sinners?
5. What did Jesus say about the self-righteous?
6. What lesson do you get from the prayer of the publican?
7. What is God's attitude toward sin?
{82} PICTURE: THE CONSOLING CHRIST, Plockhorst
{83}
XI.
SINCERITY IN WORSHIP
[Sidenote: Finding and losing one's life.]
One day Jesus called to Him the twelve disciples whom He had chosen to
be His special witnesses and instructed them in the business of their
mission. Amongst other things, Jesus said to them, "He that findeth his
life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall
find it."
Perhaps you may be surprised to know that this little saying has caused
many people to wonder. Or, perhaps, you may wonder yourself what Jesus
meant. Why should a man who has found his life lose it? Indeed, how can
a man both find and lose his life at the same time? And how can a man
who has lost his life find it? What does it mean to lose one's life,
and to find one's life? Undoubtedly, the answer to these questions must
be of great importance to men.
In seeking for that answer, we must recall the fundamental purpose of
the mission of Jesus, and of His loving sacrifice for the salvation of
the rest of Father's children. Jesus strove to teach men to know God,
and, through His cruel death, to bring men back into the presence of
God. All of Jesus's teaching, therefore, was based upon the fact that
the chief thing in a man's life is to recognize his divine right as a
son of God, and to come into close, real, and constant touch with the
Father in heaven. But how shall a man come into such close touch with
the Almighty Being who rules the universe?
[Sidenote: The necessity of harmony.]
{84} Our lives upon the earth are full of illustrations of how
necessary it is for us to put ourselves into perfect harmony with our
environments when we wish to attain certain ends. If we wish to mingle
with so-called society, we must conform to the artificial standards
of society in dress, and manners, and speech, and many other things;
otherwise, we become outcasts from society and are despised. Or again,
if we set up an apparatus for wireless telegraphy, we must, whether
we like it or not, make all connections close and in proper way, and
we must use the right kind of materials in both the transmitting and
the receiving instruments; otherwise, we can neither send nor receive
messages. If in the society of men, and in the application of the
principles of science, it is so urgently necessary to observe the rules
of society and the laws of science, it is very easy to understand
that, if we would come into close and constant touch with God, we must
observe also the laws of such divine communion. Anything at all that
might come between one and real communion with God would be disastrous.
Indeed, in the teaching of Jesus, it would constitute the greatest
sorrow, the greatest tragedy in human existence. Since it is life
eternal to know God, not to know Him, not to find Him, is loss eternal.
Although a man may prosper, then, in this life--although he may find
his life, as it were, in this world--yet shall he lose it eternally,
if he has not found God. If we stop now, and think this out clearly,
we may understand very easily what Jesus meant when He said to His
disciples, "He {85} that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that
loseth his life for my sake, shall find it."
[Sidenote: Three forms of temptation.]
We may now ask ourselves, What is likely to come between us and close
touch with God, to prevent us from finding God, and thus to prevent us
from gaining life eternal? You will recall what we have already learned
about the temptation of Jesus. The devil tempted Jesus first through
the physical, the bodily, appetites; then through the desire, the love
of wordly praise; and lastly, through the love of worldly power and
riches. It was these very forms of temptation that Jesus feared might
come between man and God. Especially did He fear that the love of the
praise of men might tempt people and bring about their destruction. So,
as He taught one time those who followed Him, He explained to them the
right attitude in worship.
[Sidenote: Instruction in praying and alms-giving.]
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men," said Jesus, "to be
seen of them; otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in
heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet
before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy
right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father
which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.
"And when thou prayest," said Jesus further, "thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are: for they love to {86} pray standing in the synagogues
and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily
I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall
reward thee openly."