Tuesday

Eric and I were talking about my recent blog posts and the posts we've seen on facebook.  Isn't it interesting that everything that is going on in the world right now (you know - and blocking up your news feed) is happening on this sacred week?  This has helped me keep things in perspective and have helped me to keep it sacred. I hope it helps you too.

Although Tuesday was a sad day in the Savior's life, studying it has brought peace into mine.

Jesus went to the temple to preach the gospel.  His authority was questioned and with that he shared 3 parables.
1. The parable of the 2 sons (Matthew 21:28-32): I loved this parable.  Of course it was sad but its very hopeful for people like me.  No matter what we've done or how badly we've screwed up, if we repent, we can be forgiven and we can be redeemed.
2. The Parable of the wicked husbandman (Matthew 21: 33-41)
3.  The parable of the royal marriage feast (Matthew 22:1-10): In the which he states: "Many are called but few are chosen."  We must live the commandments always, and repent when we come up short.

These were the last parables given publicly in the Savior's life, so I guess they must be important. 

James Talmage wrote, "On the last day of our Lord's teaching in public, Pharisees and Herodians joined forces against Him; the one watched for the smallest technical infringement of the mosaic law, the other alert to seize upon the slightest excuse for charging Him with disloyalty to the secular powers" (Jesus the Christ, pg. 544).  He was questioned and put on the spot just to find a reason to arrest Him.  He taught The Great Commandment as His last teaching (Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34), "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".  He denounces them and he leaves.  The Lord them laments over Jerusalem and predicts the destruction of it (Matthew 23: 37-39, 24:1,2).  

I cannot imagine how sad the Savior must have been.  I go back to the saddest days on my missions when people just wouldn't believe.  Wouldn't listen to the spirit.  Wouldn't keep the commandments, even though they knew they were true.  And my heart just broke and I would just sob.  I felt like all my hard work had been for nothing.  I felt helpless.  And hopeless.  And so discouraged.  I'm sure what I felt was just a small taste of what His heart was going through that day as he left the temple and looked out over Jerusalem, knowing full well what was going to happen.