Lesson 14: Matthew 11–12
Introduction
Jesus
Christ testified that John the Baptist was
sent to prepare the way before Him, and He promised rest to all who come unto
Him. Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ allegations that His power came from the
devil. He warned them against making false accusations and seeking signs, and
He taught the parable of the empty house.
---Show students a picture of a
police officer, a doctor, and Jesus Christ.
- Why is it important to know that these people truly are who they appear to be? How can you know that they are who they appear to be?
---During Jesus Christ’s mortal
ministry, many were seeking to know if He was who He appeared to be. Look for
truths as we study Matthew 11
that can help you develop your own testimony of who Jesus Christ is.
---King Herod had arrested and
imprisoned John the Baptist.
- What did John send his disciples to ask Jesus?
---With this question in verse 3,
John’s disciples were asking Jesus if He was the Messiah. Remember that John
the Baptist already knew that Jesus was the Messiah (see Matthew 3:11, 13–14; John 1:29–34).
- Why do you think John the Baptist sent his disciples to find out if Jesus was the Messiah when John already knew who Jesus was? (He wanted his disciples to receive their own witness of Jesus Christ.)
- Rather than simply confirming that He was the Messiah, what did Jesus invite John the Baptist’s disciples to do?
---Jesus could have easily told
John’s disciples that He was the Messiah. Instead, He invited them to “hear and
see” (verse 4),
or consider, His works and then return to John the Baptist and testify of the
things they had heard and seen Jesus do.
- How might Jesus’s answer have helped John’s disciples receive a more powerful witness of the Savior than if He had just told them who He was?
- What principle can we learn from this account about how we can strengthen our witness of the Savior? (Although they may use other words, students should identify the following truth: As we seek to learn of Jesus Christ and as we testify of Him, our own testimony of Him can be strengthened.)
---Write down how you have come to
know for yourselves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
---Does anyone want to share with the
class what you have written?
---In Matthew 11:7–27
after the two disciples left, Jesus told the multitude that John the Baptist
was the prophet chosen to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus condemned
those who rejected John the Baptist as well as those who had witnessed clear
evidence of the Lord’s divinity yet rejected Him. (Note: Jesus’s teachings
about John the Baptist in these verses will be discussed in greater detail in
the lesson on Luke 7:18–35).
Jesus then offered a promise to all those who accept Him as the Messiah.
---To help students review Matthew 11:28–30, which
you introduced in lesson 1, invite a student to read these verses aloud
and ask the class to follow along and look for what the Lord invites us to do.
- What does the Lord invite us to do? What does He promise us in return? (After students have shared their responses, write the following truth on the board: If we come unto Jesus Christ, He will ease our burdens and give us rest.)
- How can understanding the truths in this scripture mastery passage help you this year?
---Matthew 12:1–30
tells u that after Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath day, some of the Pharisees
began seeking to destroy Him. When He healed someone possessed of a devil, they
attempted to discredit Him in front of the people by accusing Him of performing
those works by the power of the devil. Jesus knew their thoughts and asserted
that, on the contrary, by casting out devils He was demonstrating that He was
the Messiah and was establishing God’s kingdom.
---Report
what you found.
- According to verse 30, if we desire to be part of God’s kingdom, what must we do? (As students share their responses, be sure to emphasize this truth: If we desire to be part of God’s kingdom, we must be fully committed to Jesus Christ.)
- What are some ways that we can demonstrate our full commitment to Jesus Christ?
---In Matthew 12:31–42 Jesus affirmed again
that His good works were evidence that He was of God and not the devil. He also
warned the Pharisees that God would hold them accountable for their accusing
words. Some of the scribes and Pharisees then asked for a sign, and Jesus rebuked
them for sign seeking and failing to see that He was greater than any former
prophet or king in Israel.
III.
Matthew 12:43–50 Jesus teaches the
parable of the empty house and that those who do His Father’s will are numbered
among His family
---Imagine that one of your friends
has asked for advice on how to avoid returning to a sin he or she is trying to
forsake.
- What counsel would you give your friend to help him or her resist temptation?
---Matthew 12:43–45 contains a parable about an unclean spirit that is cast out
of a man. Look for a principle in this parable that could help your friend
overcome temptation.
- What did the unclean spirit do after finding no rest anywhere?
- What words describe the state of the “house,” or the man, when the unclean spirit returns?
---Read Matthew 12:45 and
look for what the unclean spirit did after finding the “house,” or the man,
empty.
---Report
what you found.
- After he had removed the devil, what did the man in the parable fail to do that allowed the evil spirit to return? (He did not replace the evil with righteous thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.)
- How could the experience of the man in this parable represent someone who is repenting of sin and trying to resist temptation?
---After students respond, invite a
student to read aloud the following statement by President Spencer W.
Kimball:
“In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better
conditions. He must make them. …
“… The things which engaged him and caught his fancy and
occupied his thoughts are gone, and better substitutions have not yet filled
the void. This is Satan’s opportunity”
(The Miracle
of Forgiveness [1969], 171–72; emphasis added).
- What principle can we learn from this parable that can help us know how to continue to repel evil influences after we have removed them from our lives? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following principle: We can repel evil influences after removing them from our lives by replacing them with righteousness.)
---Read the following statement
aloud and listen for why it is not enough to simply rid our lives of sin.
“It is not enough to simply try to resist evil or empty your
life of sin. You must fill your life with righteousness and engage in
activities that bring spiritual power. …
“Full obedience brings the complete power of the gospel into
your life, including increased strength to overcome your weaknesses. This
obedience includes actions you might not initially consider part of repentance,
such as attending meetings, paying tithing, giving
service, and forgiving others”
(True to the
Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 135).
- As we repent, what are some things we can do to fill our lives with righteousness so that we don’t return to sin? (You might invite a student to write responses on the board.)
- How can doing these things bring greater spiritual power into our lives and enable us to overcome evil influences?
---Testify that filling our lives
with righteousness will give us greater power to repel evil.
---Ponder how you can fill your
lives with more righteousness and follow the inspiration you receive as you
ponder.
---THe rest of Matthew 12
says that while Jesus was teaching, someone told Him that some members of His
family wanted to speak to Him. The Lord then taught that all who do the will of
the Father are numbered among His family.
Commentary
and Background Information
Matthew
11:11. “He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained
that one way of understanding Matthew 11:11
is to view it as a reference to Jesus Christ Himself:
“Whom did Jesus have reference to as
being the least? Jesus was looked upon as having the least claim in God’s
kingdom, and [seemingly] was least entitled to their credulity as a prophet; as
though He had said—‘He that is considered the least among you is greater than
John—that is I myself’” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith
[2007], 82).
The Prophet Joseph Smith explained
how someone commits the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost:
“He must receive the Holy Ghost,
have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After
a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost, there is no repentance for him. He has
got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny
Jesus Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan
of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it; and from that time he
begins to be an enemy” (in History of the Church, 6:314).
Sometimes students are concerned
about the sin of blasphemy against or denying the Holy Ghost. President
Spencer W. Kimball taught:
“The sin against the Holy Ghost
requires such knowledge that it is manifestly impossible for the rank and file
to commit such a sin” (The Miracle of Forgiveness
[1969], 123).
Elder James E. Talmage of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why Jesus was warning the Pharisees of
the unpardonable sin in Matthew 12:31–32:
“Jesus was merciful in His assurance
that words spoken against Himself as a Man, might be forgiven; but to speak
against the authority He possessed, and particularly to ascribe that power and
authority to Satan, was very near to blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, for
which sin there could be no forgiveness” (Jesus the
Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 269).
Right margin
extras:
Matthew 11:28–30 is a scripture mastery passage. Studying scripture mastery
passages will help students increase their understanding of basic doctrines and
be prepared to teach them to others. You may want to suggest that students mark
scripture mastery passages in a distinctive way so they will be able to locate
them easily. Refer to the teaching idea at the end of the lesson to help
students with their mastery of this passage.
For an explanation of scripture
mastery and a list of additional activities to help students master these
selected passages, see the appendix
of this manual.
To help students memorize Matthew 11:28–30, invite the class to create actions that could represent
words or phrases in each verse and then recite the passage while performing the
actions. Have students practice reciting it at the beginning of class for
several days until they can recite it from memory.
Lesson 15: Matthew 13:1–23
Introduction
While the Savior was in Galilee, a
great multitude came to Him. The Savior taught the people using parables,
beginning with the parable of the sower.
I.
Matthew 13:1–17
The Savior begins to teach in parables
---Show students a small container
filled with soil.
- What are some characteristics of fertile soil? Of soil that is not fertile?
---In Matthew 13:1–23, we read that the Savior compared
different kinds of soil to the degrees of openness or spiritual receptivity of
people’s hearts. As we study these verses, consider which kind of soil is most
like the current condition of your heart.
- How did Jesus teach the multitude? (In parables.)
---Invite students to silently read
the first two paragraphs under the entry “Parables” in the Bible
Dictionary.
- What is a parable?
---A parable is “a simple story used
to illustrate and teach a spiritual truth or principle. A parable is based on
comparing an ordinary object or event to a truth” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Parable,” scriptures.lds.org).
- According to Matthew 13:3, what was the Savior’s parable about? (Explain that to sow means to spread or plant seed.)
- What kinds of soil did the sower’s seeds fall on?
---Draw on the board illustrations
that depict the four types of soil, and invite the students to make similar drawings
in their class notebooks or on paper you provide for them.
----A wayside is a path near fields
that becomes hardened as people walk on it. The hardness of the wayside
prevents seeds from taking root in the soil. Stony places are rocky surfaces
covered by a thin layer of soil. Though seeds can develop shallow roots, the
rock that lies just below the surface prevents the roots from going deeper. The
ground with thorns is fertile soil, but the thorns crowd out the plants by
depriving them of light, water, and needed nutrients. The good ground is
fertile soil with sufficient depth for healthy roots.
---In Matthew 13:10–13 the Savior’s disciples asked Him
why He taught in parables. The Savior explained that parables revealed the
mysteries or truths of the kingdom of heaven to those who were ready to receive
them, while hiding the meaning from those who were spiritually unprepared (see New
Testament Student Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 45).
---Read Matthew 13:14–15
aloud, and ask the class to look for what prevented the people from
understanding the truths the Savior taught.
- What did the Savior say prevented the people from seeing, hearing, and understanding the truths He taught? (Explain that the phrase “this people’s heart is waxed gross” means the people’s hearts had become hard and insensitive.)
---On the board next to the drawing
of the wayside soil, write the following incomplete statement:
If we harden our hearts, then …
- According to verse 15, what blessings can we lose if we harden our hearts? (After students respond, complete the statement on the board so it conveys the following principle: If we harden our hearts, then we will not understand the word of God, be converted to the Savior, and be healed by Him.)
- What does it mean to be converted to the Savior and healed? (To be changed and purified through His Atonement so that our beliefs, heart, and life are in harmony with Heavenly Father’s will and we are freed from the burden of sin.)
---Matthew 13:16–17 says that Jesus told His
disciples that they were blessed because they had eyes to see and ears to hear.
II.
Matthew 13:18–23
The Savior provides the interpretation of the parable of the sower
---Refer again to the drawing on the
board of the wayside soil.
---Read Matthew 13:18–19
looking for what the Savior compared to the seed, the wayside, and the birds
mentioned in Matthew 13:4.
- What does the seed represent? (Label the drawing of the seed The word of God.)
- What kind of heart does the wayside represent? (Label the drawing of the wayside Understands not the truth [a hardened heart].)
- What do the birds represent? Who is “the wicked one”? (Label the drawing of the birds Satan and his servants.)
- How might the Savior’s teachings about the wayside help us further understand the principle that if we harden our hearts, then we will not understand the word of God, be converted to the Savior, and be healed by Him?
---Refer to the drawing on the board
of the stony ground.
- What do the plants that grew in the stony places represent? (Label the drawing of the plants in the stony places Testimony that is not deeply rooted.)
- What does the heat of the sun represent? (Above the drawing of the plants with shallow roots, write Tribulations, persecutions, and temptations.)
---Write the following incomplete
statement on the board next to the drawing of the stony ground:
Unless we strive to deepen our
testimonies …
- Based on what you learned from Matthew 13:20–21 and Luke 8:13, how would you complete this statement? (After students have responded, complete the statement on the board so that it conveys the following principle: Unless we strive to deepen our testimonies, we may lack the strength necessary to endure tribulations, persecutions, and temptations.)
---Refer to the drawing on the board
of the thorny ground.
- What do the thorns represent? (Label the drawing of the thorns Cares of the world.)
- What are some examples of the “cares of the world”? (Worldliness, greed, or temporal distractions that take us away from God.)
- What principle can we learn from this verse about what the cares of the world can do to our faith and testimony? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board next to the drawing of the thorny ground: The cares of the world can distract us, remove our focus from the Lord, and choke our faith and testimony of the word of God.)
---Refer to the drawing on the board
of the good soil.
---Read aloud Matthew 13:23
and the portion of Joseph Smith
Translation, Matthew 13:21, found in Matthew 13:23, footnote b. looking for what the good soil represents.
---The plants in the good ground
were exposed to the same heat of the sun (representing tribulations,
persecutions, and temptations) as the withered plants in the stony ground.
- How would you summarize what the good soil represents? (Label the drawing of the good soil One who hears and understands the word of God and endures tribulations, persecutions, and temptations.)
- Based on what we learned in Matthew 13:15, what could the fruit mentioned in verse 23 represent? (Conversion to Jesus Christ.)
- What principle can we learn from the Savior’s teachings about the good soil? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board next to the drawing of the good soil: As we receive the word of God, understand it, and endure tribulations, persecutions, and temptations, we will become converted to the Savior.)
---To help students further
understand the principles they have identified, invite four students to each
read one of the following scenarios aloud. After each is read, invite the class
to explain which principle the scenario illustrates:
- A young man spends most of his time studying so he can be accepted to a prestigious university. When he is not studying, he is busy working. He tells himself that he doesn’t have time to read the scriptures, pray, or attend church.
- A young woman used to love attending church each Sunday. However, as she grew older some of her friends began to mock her because of her standards. She has begun to break some of the commandments. She no longer feels comfortable at church and has lost the desire to attend.
- A young man regularly attends church, but he rarely participates and does not open his heart to the influence of the Holy Ghost. He has been reading information online that challenges important Church doctrines, and he questions whether he still believes in the truthfulness of the gospel.
- A young woman attends church and quietly prays that she can be receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. When she receives promptings, she acts on them. She feels close to the Lord and is grateful for the ways she has been inspired to overcome temptation.
---Hearts, like soil, can change and
be improved.
---Write the following questions on
the board or provide them to students as a handout. Invite students to read and
discuss the questions with a partner:
---What
could be done to change or maintain each type of soil so it would be a
favorable place to grow healthy, fruitful plants?
---How could
we liken the improvement of each soil to what we can do to be more receptive to
the word of God?
---After sufficient time, invite a
few students to report their responses to the class.
- How has seeking to receive and understand the word of God helped you become more deeply converted to the Savior?
---Ponder which soil best represents
the condition of your heart right now.
---Set a goal regarding what you
will do to better receive and understand the word of God and to endure
tribulations, persecutions, and temptations.
---Write your goals in their class
notebooks.
Commentary
and Background Information
Matthew
13:3–8, 18–23. The parable of the sower
President James E. Faust of the
First Presidency taught what we can do to prepare our hearts to be more
receptive to God’s word:
“For the seeds of faith to sprout in
our lives, we must avoid Satan’s grasp.
“We also need to prepare our own
seedbed of faith. To do this we need to plow the soil through daily humble
prayer, asking for strength and forgiveness. We need to
harrow [break up] the soil by overcoming our feelings of pride. We need to
prepare the seedbed by keeping the commandments to the best of our ability” (“Of Seeds and Soils,” Ensign, Nov.
1999, 48).
Matthew
13:6, 21. “They were scorched … because they had no root”
Sunlight is required for a plant to
grow, but if a plant’s root system is not deep, that sunlight will scorch and
destroy the plant. Similarly, trials, persecution, and opposition can actually
help us grow if we allow the word of God to develop deep roots in our hearts;
if not, such experiences can cause fragile testimonies to wither away.
Matthew
13:21, 23. Firmly rooted in the gospel
President Thomas S. Monson
taught about the blessings of having a testimony firmly rooted in the gospel:
“Unless the roots of your testimony
are firmly planted, it will be difficult for you to withstand the ridicule of
those who challenge your faith. When firmly planted, your testimony of the
gospel, of the Savior, and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you
do throughout your life” (“May You Have Courage,” Ensign or Liahona, May
2009, 126).
Supplemental
Teaching Idea
Matthew
13:10–13. Why did Jesus speak in parables?
Rather than summarize Matthew 13:10–13, invite a student to read aloud Matthew 13:10–13 and Joseph
Smith Translation, Matthew 13:10–11 (in Matthew 13:12, footnote a). Ask the class to
follow along and identify why the Savior taught in parables. Explain that the
“mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” mentioned in verse 11 are spiritual truths that can be
known only through revelation.
- Why did the Savior teach in parables?
To help students further understand
why Jesus taught in parables, invite a student to read the following statement
aloud:
“The parable conveys to the hearer
religious truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to the
dull and uninspired it is a mere story, ‘seeing they see not,’ while to the
instructed and spiritual it reveals the mysteries or secrets of the kingdom of
heaven. Thus it is that the parable exhibits the condition of all true
knowledge. Only he who seeks finds” (Bible
Dictionary, “Parables”).
- According to Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 13:10–11, what principle did the Lord teach concerning those who are willing to receive spiritual truths? (As students respond, help them identify a principle similar to the following: If we receive the spiritual truths the Lord gives us, then He will bless us with more.)
- What principle did the Lord teach about the consequences of being unwilling to receive the spiritual truths the Lord gives us? (As students respond, help them identify a principle similar to the following: If we are not willing to receive the spiritual truths the Lord gives us, then we will lose the spiritual understanding we once had.)
- What do you think it means to “receive” spiritual truth? (Answers should include hearing, understanding, and acting on truth the Lord gives us through the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, and our Church leaders.)
·
Invite
students to respond in writing
·
Inviting students to respond to a
question in writing before sharing their thoughts with the class gives them
time to formulate their ideas and receive impressions from the Holy Ghost.
Students may be more inclined to share their thoughts when they have written
them first, and what they share will often be more meaningful.
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