https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual?lang=eng
Lesson 49: Luke 8–9
Introduction
The Savior continued to minister in
Galilee, where He prophesied of His death and Resurrection. Leaving Galilee, Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem
to complete His mortal mission. In Samaria, James and John desired to call down
fire from heaven to consume a Samaritan village that had rejected Jesus, but He
taught His disciples that He had come to save people, not destroy them. Jesus
also taught about true discipleship.
I.
Luke 8:1–9:56
The Savior performs miracles, teaches using parables, and journeys to
Jerusalem
---Write the following scenarios on
the board, or write each of them on a separate piece of paper. Invite three
students to read them aloud.
- When you politely ask your brother to help you clean up a mess, he rudely tells you to do it yourself.
- While planning a school activity, a few classmates criticize and laugh at an idea you share.
- As you share the gospel with a friend, she tells you your beliefs are strange.
- How would you feel in each of these situations? How would you react?
---Look for truths as we study the
Savior’s teachings in Luke 8–9 that can guide you when you feel
offended by others’ actions or words.
---Read aloud the chapter summaries
of Luke 8–9
looking for events that are recorded in these chapters. Because we studied
these events in detail in the lessons on Matthew and Mark, this lesson will
focus on Luke 9:51–62.
---Read Luke 9:51
and look for the place where the Savior decided to go. The phrase “be received
up” refers to the Savior’s approaching Ascension into heaven.
- Where did the Savior decide to go?
---To do something steadfastly means
to do it in a determined or unwavering way. Earlier, the Savior had prophesied
to His disciples that He would be betrayed, scourged, and crucified in Jerusalem
(see Matthew 20:17–19; Luke 9:44).
- What does the Savior’s determination to go to Jerusalem in spite of these challenges reveal about His character?
---Notice that while traveling to
Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples approached a Samaritan village.
---Take turns reading aloud from Luke 9:52–54 and look for the Samaritans’
reaction when they learned that Jesus and His disciples wanted to enter their
village.
- How did the Samaritans react when they learned that Jesus and His disciples wanted to enter their village?
- How did James and John react to the Samaritans’ inhospitality toward and rejection of the Savior?
- In what ways might people today overreact to insults and other offenses from others? (Refer to the scenarios from the beginning of the lesson, and ask students to ponder ways in which someone might overreact in these situations.)
---Read Luke 9:55–56
looking for the Savior’s response to James and John. Invite students to report
what they find.
---When the Savior said, “Ye know
not what manner of spirit ye are of” (verse 55), He was suggesting that James and
John’s request was not in harmony with the Spirit of God but was more in
harmony with the spirit of Satan, who stirs up anger in people’s hearts (see 3 Nephi 11:29–30).
- How did the Savior’s reaction to the Samaritans’ rejection differ from James and John’s reaction?
- What truth can we learn from the Savior’s example that can guide us when we face offenses? (Using students’ words, write on the board a truth similar to the following: We follow the Savior’s example when we choose to respond to offenses with patience and long-suffering.)
---Recall the scenarios from the
beginning of the lesson.
- What is the potential danger of choosing to be offended in each of these scenarios?
- In each scenario, how could we follow the Savior’s example?
- How might we be blessed as we choose to respond to offenses with patience and long-suffering?
---Reflect on an occasion when you
have chosen to be offended by someone’s words or actions. Follow the Savior’s
example by choosing to respond to offenses with patience and long-suffering.
II.
Luke 9:57–62
Jesus teaches about true discipleship
---Invite a student to come to the
front of class, and present him or her with 20 to 30 small objects (such as
beads). Instruct the student to silently count the objects. While he or she is
doing so, ask the class to see whether they can throw off the count by
distracting the student. Make sure students do not become unruly in their attempts
to distract the student. Instruct them to remain seated, and caution them not
to throw anything or touch the student who is counting.
- In what ways is counting objects while being distracted similar to trying to follow Jesus Christ?
---Thank the student who counted the
objects, and invite him or her to sit down.
---As we continue to study Luke 9, consider how we can overcome
influences that might distract or prevent us from following the Savior.
---Read Luke 9:57
looking for what a man said to Jesus as He and His disciples traveled to
Jerusalem.
- What did this man tell the Savior he was willing to do?
---Write the following phrase on the
board:
To be a true disciple of Jesus
Christ, …
---Read Luke 9:58 and
look for the Savior’s response to the man who desired to follow Him. Invite
students to report what they find.
- What does the phrase “the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” indicate about the Savior’s lifestyle? (Jesus and His disciples were constantly on the move. Their ministry was neither comfortable nor easy.)
---Read Luke 9:59–60
silently, looking for a second man’s response to the Savior’s invitation to
follow Him.
- What did this man want to do before following the Savior?
- What might the word first (verse 59) indicate about this man?
---Jesus Christ did not indicate
that it is wrong to mourn a loved one’s death or to pay our respects at a
funeral (see D&C 42:45). Instead, He was teaching this man
an important lesson about discipleship.
- What can we learn from the Savior’s response recorded in verse 60 about the priorities of a true disciple?
- What did this man want to do before following the Savior?
- How did the Savior respond to this man?
---To help students understand the
analogy of putting our hands to the plow and not looking back, invite a student
to read aloud the following statement by President Howard W. Hunter:
“To dig a straight furrow [or trench], the plowman needs to
keep his eyes on a fixed point ahead of him. That keeps him on a true course.
If, however, he happens to look back to see where he has been, his chances of
straying are increased. The results are crooked and irregular furrows. … If our
energies are focused not behind us but ahead of us—on eternal life and the joy
of salvation—we assuredly will obtain it”
(“Am I a ‘Living’ Member?” Ensign, May
1987, 17).
- How is being a disciple of Jesus Christ like putting our hands to a plow and not looking back?
- How is the Savior an example of what He taught as recorded in verse 62? (“He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” [Luke 9:51] to complete the mission Heavenly Father had given Him, and He did not look back.)
---Refer to the incomplete statement
on the board.
- Based on what we have learned from Luke 9:57–62, how would you summarize a truth the Savior taught about what He requires of His disciples? (Students may identify a variety of principles. After they respond, complete the statement on the board so that it conveys the following truth: To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must not let anything take priority over following Him.)
- Why do we sometimes place other priorities above our responsibilities as disciples of Jesus Christ?
---Invite a student to read aloud
the following statement by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles:
“Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people. It is
distraction. He would have good people fill life with ‘good things’ so there is
no room for the essential ones”
(“First Things First,” Ensign, May 2001, 7).
---To help students consider what
could hinder them from fully following Jesus Christ, draw the following chart
on the board and ask students to copy it into their class notebooks or
scripture study journals.
Responsibilities
of a disciple of Jesus Christ
|
Other
priorities
|
---Divide students into pairs. Ask
them to work with their partners to list in the chart responsibilities of a
true disciple of Jesus Christ (which might include being honest, serving
others, sharing the gospel, doing family
history and temple work, and raising a family). ------For each responsibility
listed in their charts, ask students to list examples of other priorities that
someone might put above that responsibility.
---Invite several students to report
what they listed.
---Encourage students to share
positive examples of disciples of Jesus Christ by asking:
- When have you seen someone choose to set aside other goals or priorities in order to follow the Savior?
---Ask students to ponder what they
might be allowing to take priority over following Jesus Christ and His
teachings. Invite them to write a goal in their scripture study journals for
what they will do to make the Savior and His gospel a higher priority.
---You may want to conclude the
lesson by inviting students to sing the hymn “Lord, I Would Follow Thee” (Hymns,
no. 220) or another hymn about following Jesus Christ and His teachings.
Commentary
and Background Information
Luke
8:1–3. Faithful women assisted and ministered to the Savior
Luke recorded that as the Savior
traveled with His Apostles throughout Galilee, teaching in “every city and
village” of the region (Luke 8:1), many women also traveled with Him.
Some of these women had been healed of various maladies; others could have been
wives of the Apostles. A number of these same women continued to follow Jesus
up to the time of His death and Resurrection (see Luke 23:27, 49; 24:10; John 20:11–18).
Luke’s account of the women who
traveled with Jesus emphasized the Savior’s concern for all people, including
women—who were often marginalized in first-century Jewish society. Using the
means they had, these women supported Jesus and His chosen servants.
President Howard W. Hunter
affirmed the Savior’s regard for all women and asked the women of the Church in
our day to stand united with the Brethren in furthering the work of the Lord:
“It must be comforting to you
beloved sisters of his Church to remember that this same Jesus, our Savior
through the Atonement, demonstrated his love and concern for the women of his
time. He enjoyed the company of women and had close friends among them. …
“Is there any reason to think that
he cares any less about women today? …
“As our Lord and Savior needed the
women of his time for a comforting hand, a listening ear, a believing heart, a
kind look, an encouraging word, loyalty—even in his hour of humiliation, agony,
and death—so we, his servants all across the Church, need you, the women of the
Church, to stand with us and for us in stemming the tide of evil that threatens
to engulf us. Together we must stand faithful and firm in the faith against
superior numbers of other-minded people. It seems to me that there is a great
need to rally the women of the Church to stand with and for the Brethren in
stemming the tide of evil that surrounds us and in moving forward the work of
our Savior” (“To the Women of the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1992,
95–96).
Luke
9:54. Fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans
Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained the possible reasoning of James and
John in asking to have the power to call fire down from heaven to consume the
Samaritans:
“[James and John] knew that the God
of Israel—the same Jesus in whose presence they then stood—had sent fire from
heaven at Elijah’s word to consume the enemies of that ancient prophet. (2 Kings 1.) They knew also that the
same merciful God would destroy the wicked by fire at his Second Coming. (Mal. 4:1.) What they had yet to learn was
that for their dispensation, under the conditions which then
existed … , the gospel message was to go forth with charity,
patience, forbearance, and long-suffering. …
“… Though they were unaware of
its source, James and John were here influenced in their proposal by a spirit
from beneath rather than a Spirit from above” (Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:440).
Luke
9:54–56. Choosing to respond to offenses with patience and long-suffering
Elder David A. Bednar of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we can choose not to be offended by
others’ words and actions:
“To believe that someone or
something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our
moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents,
however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to
an offensive or hurtful situation. …
“The Savior is the greatest example
of how we should respond to potentially offensive events or situations” (“And Nothing Shall Offend Them,” Ensign or Liahona,
Nov. 2006, 90).
Luke
9:60. “Let the dead bury their dead”
For insight into the Savior’s
response to the man who desired first to bury his father before following
Christ, see the commentary for Luke 9:59–60 in the New Testament Student Manual
([Church Educational System manual, 2014], 158).
Luke
9:62. Following the Savior’s example and not looking back
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
taught that discipleship means fully following in the Savior’s footsteps:
“Those who have entered the waters
of baptism and received the gift of the Holy
Ghost have set their feet on the path of discipleship and are
charged to follow steadily and faithfully in the footsteps of our Savior” (“Saints for All Seasons,” Ensign or Liahona,
Sept. 2013, 5).
Elder Edward Dube of the Seventy
taught that Jesus gave us an example of what it means to put our hand to the
plough and not look back:
“Our Savior, Jesus
Christ, who sees from the beginning to the end, knew very well the
road He would travel to Gethsemane and Golgotha when He proclaimed, ‘No man,
having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of
God’ (Luke 9:62). In the sight of the Lord, it is not
so much what we have done or where we have been but much more where we are
willing to go” (“Look Ahead and Believe,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov.
2013, 17).
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Right margin
extras:
Abuse
is not to be tolerated
When you ask students to consider
wrongs committed against them and to respond with patience and long-suffering,
make clear that students should not allow any type of abuse to continue against
them. If a student is a victim of abuse, he or she should immediately seek help
from parents, priesthood leaders, and other authorities as appropriate.
Using
hymns
Music, especially Church hymns, can
play a significant role in helping students feel the Holy
Ghost’s influence in their gospel learning experience. To help
provide additional insights during the lesson, you could ask students to sing
one or more verses of a hymn that relates directly to the lesson.
Lesson 50: Luke 10:1–37
Introduction
Jesus called, taught, and sent forth
the Seventy. They preached the gospel, healed the sick, cast out devils, and
returned to give an account of their labors. Jesus taught a lawyer the parable
of the good Samaritan.
I.
Luke 10:1–24
The Lord calls, empowers, and instructs the Seventy
---Bring to class a container full
of objects (such as balls of various sizes). Invite a student to the front of
the classroom. Ask the student to hold the objects you give him or her without
dropping or setting down any of them. Give the student objects until he or she
can’t hold them all and some begin to fall. Then ask the student:
- What could you do to prevent the objects from falling?
---If necessary, suggest that the
student ask for help from others in the class. Continue to give the objects to
the student, and allow him or her to pass some of them to other students. Then
invite the students to be seated.
- How would you compare this activity to the way Church leaders handle their responsibilities?
---Remember that the Savior had
called twelve Apostles and sent them forth to assist in His work. However, the
Apostles would need others to help them teach and minister so that the
blessings of the gospel could be taken to all people.
- Whom did the Lord appoint to assist Him in His work? What was their role?
---The word seventy in Luke 10:1 refers to an office in the Melchizedek
Priesthood. This same office exists in the restored Church today. (If possible,
show the pages titled “General Authorities and General Officers of The Church
of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints” in the most recent conference issue of the Ensign or Liahona.)
There are now multiple quorums of the Seventy, though only members of the first
two quorums are called as General Authorities. Each quorum may have up to 70
members. Their work to preach the gospel and help administer the Church is
directed by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Presidency of the Seventy
(see D&C 107:25–26, 34; Guide to the
Scriptures, “Seventy,” scriptures.lds.org).
- According to verse 2, what did the Lord say were too few for the harvest of souls?
- What truth can we learn about the Lord’s work from these verses? (Students should identify a truth similar to the following: The Lord calls laborers in addition to the Apostles to represent Him and to assist Him in His work.)
- In addition to Apostles and Seventies, who else has a responsibility to assist the Lord in His work today? (All Church members.)
---Just as the Savior declared the
need for more laborers to bring about the harvest of salvation, latter-day
prophets have consistently called for more missionaries. Invite a student to
read aloud the following statement by President Thomas S. Monson:
“I repeat what prophets have long taught—that every worthy,
able young man should prepare to serve a mission. Missionary service is a
priesthood duty—an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so
very much. Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a
missionary. …
“A word to you young sisters: while you do not have the same
priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time
missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we
welcome your service” (“As We Meet Together Again,” Ensign or Liahona,
Nov. 2010, 5–6).
- Besides serving a full-time mission, how else might we assist the Lord in His work?
- What experiences have you or someone you know enjoyed through assisting the Lord in His work?
---In Luke 10:3–24 the Lord gave the Seventy instructions on how
to fulfill their responsibilities. He also chastised the people in various
cities who had rejected His works. The Seventy later reported their labors to
Jesus, and He gave them additional instruction and rejoiced with them.
II.
Luke 10:25–37
Jesus teaches the parable of the good Samaritan
---Ask a student to read aloud the
following statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First
Presidency:
“The people around us are not perfect. People do things that
annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way” (“The Merciful Obtain Mercy,” Ensign or Liahona,
May 2012, 77).
---Invite the class to ponder
whether they know someone who does things that annoy, disappoint, or anger
them.
- Why might it be difficult to love someone who does these things?
---Look for truths as we study Luke 10:25–37 that can guide you as you interact
with individuals who may be difficult to love.
- What did the lawyer ask the Savior?
- What principle do we learn from these verses concerning what we must do to obtain eternal life? (Students may use different words but should identify a principle similar to the following: To obtain eternal life we must love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Write this principle on the board.)
- According to verse 27, how must we love God?
- What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind?
---Notice the phrase “love our
neighbor as ourselves” on the board.
---To help students understand what
it might mean to love our neighbor as ourselves, invite them to list on the
board the things they do during a typical day. (Items might include preparing
for the day, eating, sleeping, doing homework, and so forth.)
---After compiling a list on the
board, invite students to ponder how many of their activities are focused on
themselves.
- What can we learn from this exercise?
- What are some ways we might be able to focus more often on the well-being of others and seek to love them as much as we love ourselves?
- What are some ways we can do this even during activities we do for ourselves? (Examples might include eating lunch with those who seem lonely or complimenting others during our school activities.)
- How do you think loving God and our neighbor as much as we love ourselves can help us progress toward eternal life?
- What was the lawyer’s second question?
---Prepare several students to act
out the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30–35. Invite one student to be the
narrator and others to play the roles of the wounded Jewish man, two thieves,
the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan. (If you have a class with only a few
students, they could play multiple roles.) You may want to provide some props,
which could include name tags, extra clothing to take from the Jewish man, two
containers representing the oil and wine, a rolling chair to represent the
beast, and two coins to represent the two pence. (Note: You may want to select
the participants and give them specific instructions before class to ensure the
role play is effective, appropriate, and safe.)
---Invite the narrator to read Luke 10:30–35
aloud, and ask those participating to act out the parable. Ask the rest of the
class to follow along, looking for what the Savior taught about who our
neighbor is. After the role play, invite the students to return to their seats.
- Which of the Samaritan’s actions impresses you the most?
---To help the class better
understand what might be expected of a priest, Levite, and Samaritan, invite a
student to read the following explanation aloud:
---Priests and Levites held the
Aaronic priesthood and were assigned to serve God and their fellowmen, both in
the temple and as teachers and exemplars of God’s law. These priesthood bearers
were fully aware of the commandment to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18) and to care for foreigners and
travelers (see Leviticus 19:34; 25:35). In contrast, “Samaritans were partly
Israelite and partly Gentile. Their religion was a mixture of Jewish and pagan
beliefs and practices. … Jews had developed [hatred] for the Samaritans because
the Samaritans had apostatized from the Israelite religion” (Guide to the
Scriptures, “Samaritans,” scriptures.lds.org). Both Jews and
Samaritans typically went out of their way to avoid each other.
- In the parable, why might the actions of the priest, Levite, and Samaritan be surprising?
- What reasons might the Samaritan have had to not assist the wounded Jew?
- According to verse 33, what moved the Samaritan to act when he saw the wounded man?
---To have compassion means to
notice another person’s needs or challenges and to feel a desire to do whatever
we can to help that person.
- How does this parable answer the question in verse 29, “Who is my neighbour?”
---Help students understand that the
Savior’s use of the Samaritan in this parable suggests that our neighbor is not
just someone who lives near us but is any of Heavenly Father’s
children—including those who are most difficult for us to love.
---Ask a student to read aloud the
following statement by President Howard W. Hunter:
“We need to remember that though we make our friends, God
has made our neighbors—everywhere. Love should have no boundary. … Christ said,
‘For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same?’ (Matthew 5:46)”
(“The Lord’s Touchstone,” Ensign, Nov.
1986, 35).
- According to verse 37, what did the Savior teach the lawyer to do?
---Invite students to consider once
again the individuals they previously thought of who may be difficult for them
to love.
- What can we do to love and have compassion on those who are difficult for us to love?
- Ponder a time when you or someone you know followed the Savior’s counsel to “love … thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27). What was the result?
---Testify of the truths taught in
today’s lesson.
---Write the following incomplete
statement on the board and invite students to complete it in their class
notebooks:
I will follow the example of the
good Samaritan by …
Commentary
and Background Information
Luke
10:37. “Go, and do thou likewise”
President Thomas S. Monson
counseled us to heed the Savior’s call to be like the good Samaritan:
“Each of us, in the journey through
mortality, will travel his own Jericho Road. What will be your experience? What
will be mine? Will I fail to notice him who has fallen among thieves and
requires my help? Will you? Will I be one who sees the injured and hears his
plea, yet crosses to the other side? Will you? Or will I be one who sees, who
hears, who pauses, and who helps? Will you?
“Jesus provided our watchword: ‘Go,
and do thou likewise.’ When we obey that declaration, there opens to our view a
vista of joy seldom equaled and never surpassed. …
“… When we walk in the steps of
that good Samaritan, we walk the pathway that leads to perfection” (“Your Jericho Road,” Ensign, Feb. 1989,
2, 4).
Supplemental
Teaching Idea
Luke
10:25–37. Video presentation—“Parable of the Good Samaritan”
To help students identify an additional principle in the
parable of the good Samaritan, invite them to watch the video “Parable of the Good Samaritan” (5:11) from The
Life of Jesus Christ Bible
Videos. Ask students to look for how we can liken the wounded man to us and the
Samaritan to the Savior. This video is available on LDS.org.
- In what ways can the Samaritan represent the Savior?
- If Jesus can be likened to the Samaritan, what could the oil and wine that was used to heal the wounded man represent? (The Atonement of Jesus Christ.)
- As we become healed of sin, what gift can we inherit? (Eternal life.)
- What additional truth can we learn from this parable about how we can obtain eternal life? (Help students identify the additional truth that each of us needs the Atonement of Jesus Christ to obtain eternal life.)
Explain that Jesus Christ has
compassion and heals the spiritual wounds of sin, as well as other types of
wounds we suffer in life. He also saves us from death, brings us to safety, and
employs others to help us.
Testify that through His Atonement,
Jesus Christ has personally paid the price for our recovery.
© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Right margin
extras:
Ask
questions and make invitations that encourage application
The aim of gospel teaching is to
help students apply the principles and doctrines found in the scriptures,
become converted, and receive the blessings promised to those who are faithful
and obedient. Asking questions and making invitations that encourage
application can help students see how they can apply these principles in their
current situations and consider how they can apply them in the future.
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