“March 11–17. Matthew 10–12; Mark 2; Luke 7; 11: ‘These Twelve Jesus Sent Forth’” Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2019 (2019)
“March 11–17. Matthew 10–12; Mark 2; Luke 7; 11,” Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: 2019
March 11–17
Matthew 10–12; Mark 2; Luke 7; 11
“These Twelve Jesus Sent Forth”
As you read Matthew 10–12; Mark 2; and Luke 7; 11, make note of the impressions you receive from the Holy Ghost. Consider pondering and recording them.
Record Your Impressions
Word of Jesus’s healing miracles was spreading quickly. Multitudes followed Him, hoping for relief from their sicknesses. But when the Savior looked upon the multitudes, He saw more than their physical ailments. Filled with compassion, He saw “sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). “The harvest truly is plenteous,” He observed, “but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37). So He called twelve Apostles, “gave them power,” and sent them to teach and minister “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:1, 6). Today the need for more laborers to serve Heavenly Father’s children is just as great. There are still twelve Apostles, but there are more disciples of Jesus Christ than ever before—people who can declare to all the world, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7).
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
The Lord gives His servants power to do His work.
The instruction Jesus gave in Matthew 10 was to His Apostles, but we all have a part in the Lord’s work. What power did Christ give His Apostles to help them fulfill their mission? How can you access His power in the work you have been called to do? (see 2 Corinthians 6:1–10; D&C 121:34–46).
The Twelve Apostles perform the Lord’s work today.
As you read the commission Christ gave to His Apostles, you might receive impressions about the work the Lord wants you to do. A chart like the following could help you organize your thoughts:
|
Impressions I receive | |
|---|---|
|
The Savior gave His disciples power. | Impressions I receive God will give me the power I need to do my work. |
Impressions I receive |
See also Articles of Faith 1:6; Bible Dictionary, “Apostle”; “Jesus Calls Twelve Apostles to Preach and Bless Others” (video, LDS.org).
When I am in the Lord’s service, He will inspire me with what to say.
The Lord foresaw that His disciples would be persecuted and questioned about their faith—something similar to what disciples today may experience. But He promised the disciples that they would know by the Spirit what to say. Have you had experiences when this divine promise was fulfilled in your life, perhaps when you bore your testimony, gave a blessing, or had a conversation with someone? Consider sharing your experiences with a loved one or recording them in a journal.
See also Luke 12:11–12; Doctrine and Covenants 84:85.
What did Jesus mean by “I came not to send peace, but a sword”?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught: “I’m confident that a number of you have been rejected and ostracized by father and mother, brothers and sisters as you accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and entered into His covenant. In one way or another, your superior love of Christ has required the sacrifice of relationships that were dear to you, and you have shed many tears. Yet with your own love undiminished, you hold steady under this cross, showing yourself unashamed of the Son of God” (“Finding Your Life,” Ensign, Mar. 2016, 28).
This willingness to lose cherished relationships in order to follow the Savior comes with a promise that “he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 10:39).
Jesus Christ will give me rest when I rely on Him and His Atonement.
We all carry burdens—some resulting from our own sins and mistakes, some caused by the choices of others, and some that are nobody’s fault but are simply part of life on earth. Regardless of the reasons for our struggles, Jesus pleads with us to come unto Him so He can help us bear our burdens and find relief (see also Mosiah 24). Elder David A. Bednar taught, “Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ” (“Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 88). With this in mind, ponder questions like the following to better understand the Savior’s words in these verses: “How do my covenants yoke me to and with the Savior?” “What do I need to do to come unto Christ?” or “In what sense is the Savior’s yoke easy and His burden light?”
What other questions come to your mind as you read? Record them and search for answers this week in the scriptures and the words of the prophets. You may find answers to some of your questions in Elder David A. Bednar’s message referenced above.
As I am forgiven of my sins, my love for the Savior deepens.
Do you see yourself in the account in these verses of the Savior’s visit to Simon the Pharisee? Are you ever like Simon? What can you do to follow the woman’s example of showing humility and love for Jesus Christ? When have you experienced the tenderness and mercy that the Savior showed the woman? What do you learn from these verses about how forgiveness strengthens our love for the Savior?
Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit can help you know what principles to emphasize and discuss in order to meet the needs of your family. Here are some suggestions:
As we consider the messages of the most recent general conference, how are we doing as a family at receiving and following the counsel of modern-day Apostles? How is our obedience to their counsel bringing us closer to Jesus Christ?
You can help your family visualize the Savior’s teachings in these verses by having them take turns trying to pull something heavy, first by themselves and then with help. What are some of the burdens we carry? What does it mean to take Christ’s yoke upon ourselves? The picture accompanying this outline could help you explain what a yoke is.
How can we “do well” on the Sabbath day? (Matthew 12:12). In what ways can the Savior heal us on the Sabbath?
For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.
Improving Personal Study
Listen to the Spirit. As you study, pay attention to your thoughts and feelings (see D&C 8:2–3), even if they seem unrelated to what you are reading. Those impressions may be the very things God wants you to know and do.
The Savior said, “Take my yoke upon you” (Matthew 11:29).
Kirtland and the First Temple, by Dan Burr