NT Lesson 47-48 Luke 6-7

https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual?lang=eng

Lesson 47: Luke 6:1–7:18

Introduction

Jesus taught about the importance of doing good to others, including on the Sabbath. After spending a night in prayer, He called the Twelve Apostles and then taught them and a multitude of people. He also healed a centurion’s servant and raised a widow’s son from death.

I. Luke 6  Jesus heals on the Sabbath, chooses the Twelve Apostles, and teaches the multitude

(Note: Much of the content in Luke 6 was covered in the lessons for Matthew 5–7; 10:1–4; and Mark 3:1–6. This portion of the lesson will focus on Luke 6:31–38.)

---Ask students to imagine that in their Church meetings on Sunday they hear an announcement about a service project for a family that lives nearby. After the announcement is made, they overhear four different responses. Invite four students to read aloud the following hypothetical responses:

1. “That family has been through a lot lately. I am happy to help in any way that I can.”
2. “There had better be refreshments afterward, because if there aren’t, I’m not going.”
3. “I don’t really want to go, but I could use some help next week with a project that I’m organizing, so I should probably help out now.”
4. “If my friend is going, I will go.”

• What do these examples suggest about the reasons why people sometimes serve?

---Ask students to consider opportunities they have had to serve and how they felt about serving. Invite them to look for principles as they study Luke 6–7 that can help them give service in more meaningful ways.

---Luke 6 says that while Jesus was in Galilee early in His ministry, He healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, spent a night in prayer, and called the Twelve Apostles. Jesus then began to teach them and “a great multitude of people” (verse 17) how to receive heavenly rewards.

---Read Luke 6:19 silently, looking for what Jesus did for the people before He began to teach them. Ask students to report what they find.

---Take turns reading aloud from Luke 6:31–35. Ask the class to follow along, looking for counsel Jesus gave His disciples.

• What counsel did Jesus give His disciples?
• According to verse 35, what should we expect in return for doing good to others? (You may want to invite students to mark the phrase “hoping for nothing.”)
• What temporal rewards might people hope for when they give service?
• If we do good to others without expecting anything in return, what does the Lord promise will happen? (Students should identify a principle similar to the following: If we do good to others without expecting anything in return, our reward will be great and we will be the children of the Highest.)

---Although we are all children of God, those who do good to others fulfill their divine potential by becoming like Heavenly Father.

• Why is this promise the best reward for loving and doing good to others?

---Read Luke 6:36–38 looking for examples that Jesus gave of ways in which we can do good to others.

• According to verses 36–37, what examples did Jesus give of ways in which we can do good to others? (You may want to explain that those who do good in these ways will receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.)

---To help students understand verse 38, bring to class a bucket, basket, or box and several other items, such as clothing, food, and bottles of water. Be sure to bring more items than can fit in the container you brought.

---Invite a student to come to the front of the class, and ask him or her to try to fit as many of the items into the container as possible. When the student has finished, ask him or her:

• How do the phrases “good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over” (verse 38) describe your efforts to fill this container? (Thank the student, and invite him or her to sit down.)
• How do these phrases describe the way in which Heavenly Father rewards us as we give to others? (Students may use different words but should identify the following truth: As we generously give to others, Heavenly Father blesses us more generously.)
• In what ways can we be generous in giving to others?

---Invite students to ponder a time when they or someone they know has given generously to others.

---Display the following questions (or provide students with copies of them), and invite students to respond to them in their class notebooks or scripture study journals (or on the handout you provided):

• How were you or someone you know blessed by the Lord for giving generously?
• What will you do to be more generous to others?

---After sufficient time, consider inviting any students who are willing to share what they wrote. Encourage students to pray for the Lord’s help as they strive to be more generous to others.

II. Luke 7:1–10  Jesus heals the centurion’s servant

---Explain that after teaching the multitude, Jesus entered a town called Capernaum.

---Take turns reading aloud from Luke 7:2–5 looking for who sought Jesus’s help after hearing that He had entered the town.

• Who sought Jesus’s help?

---A centurion was a Roman army officer in command of a company of 50 to 100 men.

• What was troubling the centurion?

---Point out that Jews generally disliked centurions because they represented the Romans’ political and military power over the Jews and their land (see New Testament Student Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 153).

• What kind of man was this centurion?

---Read Luke 7:6–8 looking for how the centurion demonstrated great faith in Jesus Christ.

• How did the centurion demonstrate great faith in Jesus Christ?

---Read Luke 7:9–10 looking for how this centurion’s faith was rewarded. Ask students to report what they find.

• What principles can we learn from this account? (Students may identify several principles, including the following: By exercising faith in Jesus Christ, we can help bring blessings into others’ lives.)

III. Luke 7:11–18  Jesus raises a widow’s son from death

---The day after the Savior healed the centurion’s servant, He performed another miracle.

---Read Luke 7:11–12 looking for what Jesus and His disciples encountered as they approached a city called Nain.

Instead of having a student read Luke 7:11–12 aloud, you could show a portion of the video “The Widow of Nain” (0:00–0:45) from The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos, which is available on LDS.org.

Play

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• What did Jesus and His disciples see as they approached the entrance to the city?
• According to verse 12, why was the death of this young man particularly tragic for this woman?

---Not only had this woman lost her only son to death, but she had also previously lost her husband. In addition to the great sorrow she must have felt, she may have had no one to support her financially.

---Read Luke 7:13–15 aloud, or show the remainder of the video (0:45–2:23). Invite the class to look for what the Savior did when He saw this woman grieving. (You might want to explain that a bier is a coffin or the stand on which a coffin is placed.)

• What did the Savior do for this woman?
• According to verse 13, why did Jesus heal this woman’s son? (You may want to point out that the widow did not ask Him to heal her son but He observed her need and then helped fulfill it.)
• What feelings might you have had if you had been in this widow’s situation and had seen the Savior raise your only son from the dead?
• What truth can we learn from this account about how we can follow Jesus Christ’s example? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify the following truth: We can follow Jesus Christ’s example by demonstrating compassion for others and ministering to their unspoken needs.)
• How can we discern others’ needs when they have not shared them with us?

---As students seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost, they can receive promptings about how to respond to the hidden needs of others. Additionally, students might ponder the counsel President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency once received: “When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time” (“In the Strength of the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 16).

---To help students feel the truth and importance of the principle they identified, invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Thomas S. Monson:

“Few accounts of the Master’s ministry touch me more than His example of compassion shown to the grieving widow at Nain. …

“What power, what tenderness, what compassion did our Master thus demonstrate! We, too, can bless if we will but follow His noble example. Opportunities are everywhere. Needed are eyes to see the pitiable plight and ears to hear the silent pleadings of a broken heart. Yes, and a soul filled with compassion, that we might communicate not only eye to eye or voice to ear but, in the majestic style of the Savior, even heart to heart” (“Meeting Life’s Challenges,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 71).

• When have you or your family received compassion or service from others, even when you had not asked for it?
• How can following Christ’s example help us to develop the ability to discern others’ unspoken needs?

---If you did not show the video, invite a student to read Luke 7:16–17  looking for how the people reacted to the miracle of raising the widow’s son.

• How did the people react after Jesus raised the widow’s son?

---The people may have declared that “a great prophet is risen up among us” (verse 16) because of the similarities between the healing of the son of the widow of Nain and occasions when the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha had raised sons from the dead (see 1 Kings 17:17–24; 2 Kings 4:17–22, 32–37; New Testament Student Manual, 154).

---Conclude by inviting students to look for opportunities to meet the unspoken needs of others. Encourage them to serve generously and without expecting anything in return.

Commentary and Background Information

Luke 6:31–38. Why we serve others

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles listed some possible reasons why we serve and identified the reason why we should serve:

“People serve one another for different reasons, and some reasons are better than others. Perhaps none of us serves in every capacity all the time for only a single reason. Since we are imperfect beings, most of us probably serve for a combination of reasons, and the combinations may be different from time to time as we grow spiritually. But we should all strive to serve for the reasons that are highest and best.

“What are some of the reasons for service? I will suggest six reasons, from the lesser to the greater.

“Some may serve for hope of earthly reward. …

“Another reason for service—probably more worthy than the first, but still in the category of service in search of earthly reward—is that motivated by a personal desire to obtain good companionship. …

“Some may serve out of fear of punishment. …

“Other persons may serve out of a sense of duty or out of loyalty to friends or family or traditions. …

“One such higher reason for service is the hope of an eternal reward. …

“The last motive I will discuss is, in my opinion, the highest reason of all. In its relationship to service, it is what the scriptures call ‘a more excellent way’ (1 Cor. 12:31).

“‘Charity is the pure love of Christ’ (Moro. 7:47). …

“This principle—that our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for personal advantage or any other lesser motive—is admittedly a high standard. The Savior must have seen it so, since he joined his commandment for selfless and complete love directly with the ideal of perfection” (“Why Do We Serve?” New Era, March 1988, 6, 7; see also Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 12–15).

© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Right margin extras:

Audiovisual presentations

Audiovisual presentations best assist students in learning and applying gospel principles when they help students to better understand events or principles recorded in the scriptures. It may be helpful to write on the board specific things students could look for or questions they could consider as they watch or listen to the presentation. You may also want to pause a presentation to ask questions or to point out information that will help students.

Lesson 48: Luke 7:18–50

Introduction

Jesus praised John the Baptist and testified that John prepared the way for His ministry. While Jesus was eating with Simon the Pharisee, a repentant woman showed her faith in and love for the Savior.

I. Luke 7:18–35  Jesus praises John the Baptist and testifies of John’s mission

---Invite students to work in pairs, and give each pair a piece of paper. Ask the pairs to write down as many facts about John the Baptist from memory as they can in one minute. After one minute, ask students to count the number of facts on their papers.

• How many facts about John the Baptist were you able to list?

---Invite students to tell the class about some of the facts they listed.

---If possible, display a tall reed of grass and a soft piece of clothing. Explain that Jesus used these items to teach the people about John the Baptist’s character.

---Read Luke 7:24–26 looking for what Jesus taught about John the Baptist while referring to a reed and soft clothing.

• How was John the Baptist different from a reed or blade of grass? (Unlike a reed, which is shaken or blown about by the wind, John the Baptist was firm and unshakable in his testimony and in performing his mission.)

John the Baptist preaching

---Display the accompanying picture of John the Baptist and ask:

• How was John the Baptist different from those who are “clothed in soft raiment” and live in luxury “in kings’ courts” (verse 25)? (John the Baptist lived in the desert and wore clothing made of camel’s hair, which was very coarse. Rather than seeking temporal comforts, John the Baptist only sought to do God’s will.)
• What did Jesus say about John the Baptist in verse 26?

---To help students understand John the Baptist’s unique role, explain that Jesus quoted a prophecy written hundreds of years before that spoke of a “messenger” who would “prepare the way before [the Messiah]” (Malachi 3:1).

---Read Luke 7:27–28 looking for why John the Baptist was unique among prophets.

• What unique and important role was John the Baptist foreordained to perform? (Students may use different words, but they should identify the following truth: John the Baptist was the prophet foreordained to prepare the way for and baptize the Son of God.)
• How did John the Baptist prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ?

---The Prophet Joseph Smith said the following regarding Luke 7:28:

“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).

---In Luke 7:29–35 many believed Jesus’s teachings, but the Pharisees and lawyers who were present rejected His teachings. Jesus explained that they rejected the truth regardless of whether He or John the Baptist taught it.

---II. Luke 7:36–50  While Jesus dines with Simon the Pharisee, a woman washes Jesus’s feet with her tears

Write the following question on the board:

Can I be forgiven?

---Consider times when you may have wondered if you could be forgiven. Look for truths that answer this question as we continue our study of Luke 7.

---To help students understand the context and content of Luke 7:36–50, invite a student to read aloud the following summary and explanation:

A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to a feast in his home. At feasts of this kind, guests would recline on cushions around a low table and extend their feet away from the table. Social customs of the day allowed people in need to collect leftover food from the banquets. Thus, it was not unusual for uninvited people to enter the home during a feast (see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 261).

To help students further understand the content of Luke 7:36–50, consider showing the video “Come unto Me” (11:34), available on LDS.org. You could play the segment of the video that portrays Jesus dining with Simon the Pharisee (beginning at time code 4:17). Ask the class to follow along in their scriptures, looking for what happened when an uninvited person entered Simon’s home during the feast. Pause the video after Jesus says, “Thou has rightly judged” (Luke 7:43) (time code 7:24).

Play

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• How did Luke describe the woman portrayed in Luke 7:37?
• How did the woman show her love for the Savior? (You may want to explain that an “alabaster box of ointment” was a bottle filled with costly perfumed oil.)
• What did Simon think when he saw what the woman was doing?

---To review the parable Jesus taught, ask a student to read Luke 7:40–43 aloud. Invite the class to follow along, looking for what Jesus taught Simon.

Copy the following chart on the board.

Creditor = __________________________________________________
Debtor who owes 50 pence = __________________________________________________	Debtor who owes 500 pence = __________________________________________________

---Explain that a creditor is someone who lends money; a person who borrows money is a debtor. The debtor agrees to pay back the creditor or go to jail. Ask a student to summarize the parable in his or her own words.

• Whom does the creditor represent? (Write Jesus Christ on the board next to “Creditor.”)
• Which of the debtors could represent the woman, and which could represent Simon the Pharisee? Why? (Write Simon the Pharisee next to “Debtor who owes 50 pence” and Woman next to “Debtor who owes 500 pence.”)

---During Jesus’s time it was customary for the host to honor his distinguished guests by offering acts of kindness such as kissing them in greeting, providing water for them to wash their feet, and anointing their heads with oil (see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 261).

---Resume the video at time code 7:25 and stop it after Jesus says, “Go in peace” (Luke 7:50) (time code 8:52). Or, invite several students to take turns reading aloud from Luke 7:44–47. Ask the class to look for how Simon treated Jesus in comparison to how the woman treated Him and how they each might have felt about Jesus.

• According to verses 44–47, what were some differences between how Simon treated Jesus and how the woman treated Him and how they each might have felt about Jesus? (Write students’ responses in the chart on the board.)

---When students have finished reporting what they found, the chart should look similar to the following:

Creditor = Jesus Christ
Debtor who owes 50 pence = Simon the Pharisee Did not give Jesus water to wash His feet Did not give Him a kiss Did not anoint Him with oil Loved Him little	Debtor who owes 500 pence = Woman Washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair Kissed His feet Anointed His feet with ointment Loved Him much

• What blessing did the woman receive from the Savior?

---By implicitly comparing Simon to the debtor who owes 50 pence, the Savior was suggesting that Simon also needed forgiveness for his sins.

---Read Luke 7:47–50 silently, and ask them to look for what made it possible for this woman to receive forgiveness.

• What principles can we learn from this account? (Using students’ words, write the following principles on the board: As we exercise our faith by showing our love for and devotion to the Lord, we can experience His forgiveness. As we receive the Lord’s forgiveness, we are filled with the desire to love and serve Him even more.)

• Why might we desire to love and serve the Savior even more as we experience His forgiveness?

---Invite three students to each read aloud a paragraph from the following statement by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“There are many degrees of personal worthiness and righteousness. Yet repentance is a blessing to all of us. We each need to feel the Savior’s arms of mercy through the forgiveness of our sins.

“Years ago, I was asked to meet with a man who, long before our visit, had had a period of riotous living. As a result of his bad choices, he lost his membership in the Church. He had long since returned to the Church and was faithfully keeping the commandments, but his previous actions haunted him. Meeting with him, I felt his shame and his deep remorse at having set his covenants aside. Following our interview, I placed my hands upon his head to give him a priesthood blessing. Before speaking a word, I felt an overpowering sense of the Savior’s love and forgiveness for him. Following the blessing, we embraced and the man wept openly.

“I am amazed at the Savior’s encircling arms of mercy and love for the repentant, no matter how selfish the forsaken sin. I testify that the Savior is able and eager to forgive our sins. Except for the sins of those few who choose perdition after having known a fulness, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven. What a marvelous privilege for each of us to turn away from our sins and to come unto Christ. Divine forgiveness is one of the sweetest fruits of the gospel, removing guilt and pain from our hearts and replacing them with joy and peace of conscience” (“Repent … That I May Heal You,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 40–41).

---Invite students to think of a time when they experienced the Lord’s forgiveness. Ask them to ponder what they thought and how they felt about the Savior.

---Refer to the question on the board. Ask students to explain how they would answer if someone asked them, “Can I be forgiven?”

---Conclude the lesson by testifying that Jesus Christ has power to forgive us if we exercise faith in Him and repent of our sins.

Scripture Mastery Review

To help students review the five scripture mastery passages they have studied so far during this course, you may want to give them a brief quiz. Provide the key words from the seminary bookmark, and ask students to write down the corresponding scripture references. See the appendix of this manual for more ideas.

Commentary and Background Information

Luke 7:18–20. Did John the Baptist doubt that Jesus was the Messiah?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a clear answer to this question:

“Any inference that the Baptist was uncertain or doubtful in his own mind, as to the identity and mission of the Master, is totally unwarranted. In reality, the imprisoned Elias and forerunner of our Lord was using this means to persuade his disciples to forsake him and follow Jesus.

“John knew who Jesus was; the Baptist was not wavering as a reed in the wind. … This act of sending his disciples to Jesus was in effect a final great testimony on John’s part that Jesus was the Lamb of God, for the Baptist knew that his disciples, seeing the Master personally and hearing his teachings, could not help but follow the greater light” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:261–62).

John the Baptist understood an important truth that President James E. Faust of the First Presidency reiterated:

“Each of us has to receive our own witness concerning Jesus as the Christ. We cannot get it secondhand from someone else” (“A Testimony of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Mar. 2005, 3).

Luke 7:20–22. Why does the Lord perform miracles?

President Brigham Young described the role miracles play in the Lord’s work:

“Miracles … are to console the Saints, and to strengthen and confirm the faith of those who love, fear, and serve God” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 341).

Luke 7:24–28. “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist”

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained why Jesus considered John the Baptist the greatest prophet:

“First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.

“Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? …

“Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which He had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 81–82).

Luke 7:37–50. What do we know about the woman?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote that the woman referred to in Luke 2:37–50 came to the Savior already having repented and desiring to show her love. In referring to the affection she demonstrated, he said, “All this was the work and worship of a devout and faithful woman who had been a sinner but who was now cleansed; who was now free from the crushing burden of many offenses; who now walked in a newness of life because of him whose feet she now kissed and upon whom she now bestowed all the reverent and awe-inspired love that her whole soul had power to possess” (The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. [1979–81], 2:200).

Luke 7:47–50. “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven”

Elder Shayne M. Bowen of the Quorum of the Seventy raised and answered the question of whether someone who desires forgiveness is ever beyond the ability to receive it through the Atonement of Jesus Christ:

“Is it possible to reclaim a life that through reckless abandon has become so strewn with garbage that it appears that the person is unforgivable? Or what about the one who is making an honest effort but has fallen back into sin so many times that he feels that there is no possible way to break the seemingly endless pattern? Or what about the person who has changed his life but just can’t forgive himself? …

“The Atonement of Jesus Christ is available to each of us. His Atonement is infinite. It applies to everyone, even you. It can clean, reclaim, and sanctify even you. That is what infinite means—total, complete, all, forever” (“The Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim, and Sanctify Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 33–34).

Supplemental Teaching Idea

Luke 7:18–23. Strengthening testimonies

Ask students:

• What are some things a person has that, if asked, he or she could give to another person? (Answers may include money, food, clothing, and shelter.)
• What are some things a person may have that he or she could not give another person? (Answers may include health or talents.)

If students do not mention testimony, ask:

• In which of these categories would you include a testimony? Why?

As students continue their study of Luke 7 today, invite them to look for a principle that can help them know how they can gain or strengthen their testimonies.

Remind students that while in Galilee, Jesus healed a centurion’s servant and brought a widow’s son back to life (Luke 7:2–15). As a result of these acts, rumors that Jesus was a great prophet spread throughout the land.

Invite a student to read Luke 7:18–20 aloud, and ask the class to look for what two questions John the Baptist’s disciples asked when they heard the reports about Jesus.

• What two questions did the disciples ask? (You may want to explain that the phrase “he that should come” [verse 19] refers to the promised Messiah.)

Remind students that John the Baptist had already testified that Jesus was the promised Messiah who would save His people from their sins (see Matthew 3:11, 14; John 1:29–34).

• If John the Baptist already had a testimony of Jesus Christ, why do you think he would send his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah?
• How did these disciples show that they believed Jesus might be the Messiah?

Invite a student to read Luke 7:21–23 aloud and ask the class to follow along, looking for how Jesus answered the disciples’ questions. Ask students to report what they find.

• How might the miracles John the Baptist’s disciples witnessed have strengthened their testimonies of Jesus Christ?
• Based on this account, what can we expect the Lord to do as we seek confirmation of spiritual truths? (If we seek confirmation of spiritual truths, the Lord will give us experiences that will help strengthen our testimonies.)
• What experiences can the Lord give us to help strengthen our testimonies?

Ask students to reflect on the truths they have learned for themselves.

• What experiences has the Lord provided for you to help strengthen your testimony?

Point out that after this experience, Jesus instructed John’s disciples to return and share with John what they had discovered.

© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Right margin extras:

Help students identify principles

Sometimes you will point out doctrines and principles to students. Other times you will guide, encourage, and allow students to discover doctrines and principles for themselves. In identifying doctrines and principles, it is important to state them clearly and simply. Writing an identified doctrine or principle on the board or inviting students to write or mark it in their scriptures can help clarify these truths in students’ minds.