How to Live | Lesson 5, Part 2

Greetings MOL Family!

In our previous lessons, we noticed some things that Jesus avoided and some things that He did, speaking of His public ministry, particularly. Today, we want to notice how He, as we would say, “got that way”…

What Jesus Did, We Must Do Also

Jesus secured His education in the home. His mother was His first human teacher. From her lips, and from the scrolls of the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. – The Ministry of Healing., pg. 399 {The Wisdom of the Great Physician, pg. 130}

He must have had unusual parents. Well, He did as a matter of fact. Now, what did He use to get this instruction from her lips? — His ears. That’s right. What did He use to get the instruction from the scrolls of the prophets? — His eyes.

Turn to Proverbs 20:12. Notice these expressions. We’ll pick one of them up again in a few moments.

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. – Proverbs 20:12

What’s the ear for? — To hear. What’s the eye for? — To see. Is it possible to have your eyes open and still not see? Is it possible to have your ears open and still not hear? You know somebody going through these lessons can get twice as much than somebody else can. That’s right. It lies in focusing the energies of the mind on what we’re looking at or what we’re trying to understand. We need to zero in on the point.

…He learned of heavenly things. – Ministry of Healing, pg. 399 {The Wisdom of the Great Physician, pg. 130}

From who? — From His mother, and from where? — The scrolls of the prophets.

He lived in a peasant’s home… – Ibid

What’s a peasant? — A poor person. That’s right.

He lived in a peasant’s home and faithfully and cheerfully acted His part in [Doing what?] bearing the household burdens. – Ibid

What do you suppose that some of that might be? — Sweeping the floor, bringing wood, doing dishes, preparing the table, carrying water. For most of the people back there, the water that they used in the home had to be carried. So there was plenty to do that involved muscle. Then every day Jesus was not only learning but what? — Doing. He was not only using His eyes and His ears but His hands and feet.

[He] faithfully and cheerfully acted His part in bearing the household burdens. He who had been the commander of heaven was a willing servant, a loving, obedient son. He learned a trade and with His own hands worked in the carpenter’s shop with Joseph. – Ibid

Now, what two places, at least are suggested here in which He worked? — The home and the shop. You mean He worked in both? That’s what it says. He worked in both.

Now, dear class, don’t miss this next point. If you were in a situation where you had no opportunity to work in a home or in a shop, what use would it be for me to spend this time studying this point with you? Do you see? But, do you have the opportunity to work in a home? Do you? Do you have the opportunity, notice the way that it is worded, to act your part in bearing the household burdens? The verse that we’ve been studying is literally true:

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:17

There’s a happiness that comes in doing something to make the home run (not the baseball home run), to cause the home to run, to make it successful. There is a happiness that comes in that, that nothing else in the world gives quite the same. This is just as much a part of how to live as reading the scriptures.

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:17

 

In the garb of a common laborer, He walked the streets of the little town, going to and returning from His humble work. – Ministry of Healing, pgs. 399, 400 {The Wisdom of the Great Physician, pg. 130}

What does garb mean? — Clothes. We could say in overalls, but you mean Jesus worked in one place and then went home and worked in another? And how did He get from home to shop? Do you have that opportunity? Do you?

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:17

Now there’s a time to ride. Jesus believed that. Did He ever ride? Yes, He rode the colt one day. And He probably had ridden before that in His life. But the usual picture we see of Jesus is what? — Walking. He walked from home to work and in the evening when He was all tired He did what? Walked where? — Home.

Follow His Steps

Now I want to give you a little sidelight on this. It’s in the little volume Sons and Daughters of God. Read it and see if it doesn’t just thrill you:

The childhood and youth of Christ were spent in humble circumstances under conditions that were favorable to the development of a sound constitution. His life was passed mostly in the open air. He drank of the pure streams of water, and ate the fruit of the garden. He passed up and down the steep mountain paths and through the streets of Nazareth as He went to and from His place of toil to His home. – Sons and Daughters of God, pg. 135

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could live in a place like that? Where we could go up steep mountain paths getting from where we live to where we work and from where we work to where we live?

He passed up and down the steep mountain paths and through the streets of Nazareth as He went to and from His place of toil and to His home. – Ibid

Let’s keep reading:

He enjoyed the very notes of the birds as they caroled forth their praise to their Creator. – Ibid

This is while He’s going from home to work and work to home.

He took delight in the beauty of the flowers that decked the fields. He noted with joy the glory of the heavens, the splendor of sun, moon, and stars, and looked upon the rising and setting sun with admiration. The book of nature was opened before Him, and He enjoyed its tender lessons. The everlasting hills, the olive groves were favorite places of resort where He went to commune with His Father. He was filled with divine wisdom. And through the study of nature and by meditation upon and communion with God, His spiritual powers were strengthened. – Ibid

Isn’t that a wonderful picture, friends? Is it open to us?

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:17

Now notice the program. Jesus was spending His time learning and doing. And the 3 great places noted in what we read today where He was learning and doing were in the home, in the shop, and in nature, coming and going. And in these 3 great facilities what a campus He had. What an educational opportunity!

What was He learning? My dear friends, He was learning the joy of service. And therefore, He did not look upon work as an interruption, a distraction, something to divert Him from His schooling. Oh, no. He looked upon what He learned as the necessary preparation to do something to help His mother, His brother, His sisters, to help His fellow citizens in the home, in the shop, in the community.

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:17

Remember, from last week’s lesson, the purpose of learning is what? — Doing. And the time to do is when? — When we learn. So, between now and our lesson next week, we’re not only going to meditate on what we’ve studied, we’re going to what? — Going to do it. And we’re going to come back with a new appreciation of God’s wonderful way of life.

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:17

Do you agree with me that that’s a great verse on how to live? Oh, yes!

Until next week – Invite a friend, and we’ll see you then… 

–Continue on to the next study–

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The experiences that Jesus gained in the home, the shop, and in nature are available to us all. For each of us, the greatest lessons of life are available, and only a click away >> Learn More

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*This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.