21: “Behold, Thy King Cometh” (Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12)

Tammy 0:00

What do you know about the six days that led up to the Savior's crucifixion and resurrection? Now, while we can't know with exactness everything that happened, we do know a few important things. And today we begin our study of the final week of the Savior's life. For the next seven weeks, we get to carefully study what took place, as well as the sermons that Jesus taught the days before He was crucified and resurrected. And it's going to be glorious. Today, we will begin this study and we're going to be all over the place: we will be in Matthew 21 -23, Mark chapter 11, Luke 19-20, and John chapter 12. And I think you're in for a real treat.

Tammy 0:43

Welcome to the Sunday on Monday Study Group, a Deseret Bookshelf Plus original, brought to you by LDS Living where we take the Come, Follow Me lesson for the week, and we really dig into the scriptures together. I'm your host, Tammy Uzelac Hall. Now if you're new to our study group, I just want to make sure you know how to use this podcast, so follow the link - it's in our description - and it's going to explain how you can best use this podcast to enhance your Come, Follow Me study, just like my friend, Suzann Foster from Layton. And I met her at a really cool "Questions worth exploring event." Hi, Suzanne, thank you for coming and saying hi to me. Okay, now another awesome thing about our study group is each week we're joined by two of my friends, so it's always a little bit different. And today we have two fantastic guests. The first mother/daughter duo we've ever had. We have Jill Candland and her daughter Josie. Hi ladies.

Josie 1:30

Hi.

Jill 1:31

Hi, Tammy. it's great to be back.

Tammy 1:33

Oh my gosh. Now I have to tell you - I am dying - because right when I saw Josie I started freaking out a little bit. She looks just like her aunt and here's how I know these two. Josie's aunt - or Jill's sister-in-law - is Kristin Canland, one of my all-time favorite missionary companions. I adore her. We lived together after doing college. We backpacked through Europe. I mean, we did single so well. And I just love Kristen and Kristen was on with Jill two years ago.

Tammy 1:59

Yeah, it was about that.

Jill 2:00

Yeah, we had a great discussion. And then I got to know Josie this way. And Josie is super-duper smart, she's in college. Actually, I'm going to let you, Josie, tell us about yourself.

Josie 2:13

Okay. I'm 18, I am a ASL major at Utah Tech University, formerly known as Dixie. My voice is totally messed up because I went to a concert last night. It sounded like the best idea at the time. I'm thinking about it - it's still a great idea - probably not the best one though.

Tammy 2:32

That's great. Uh, Jill, I want you to tell me about your daughter because I'm going to tell you this right now: nobody loves her girls more than Jill. Like, the way you talk about your daughters is so beautiful. Tell me about your daughter, Josie.

Jill 2:45

Josie is fun, that it's one of those things we always said, that she she lights up the room and everyone kind of sees her like that. And what is really fun about Josie, she's really like quick-witted and clever. One of my favorite stories is when she was three, she was little, and she was riding her tricycle in our house. And we had been watching "Annie" recently. And I was mad at them for something. So I yelled at them. And she rode her tricycle down the hallway and she turned around at me and said, "We love you, Miss Hanagan." And so that's pretty much Josie. She's just like, clever and quick-witted and really kind of deep in the way she just sees things, and especially the gospel, differently. And you know, where some people just kind of take it how it is, she's always asking, or her brain is always curious. And she just sees it differently, which is really cool. And she and she's comfortable in telling people that too, from the pulpit or wherever. She'll just kind of explain stories as she sees it and so you actually always get to see the gospel through a different lens. It's like putting on a different pair of glasses. Pretty cool.

Tammy 3:58

Yeah, I would agree. I have listened to some of her teachings or sermons and I love the way she thinks so, Josie, I want you to tell me something about your mom.

Josie 4:08

My mom is like the coolest person in the world. She is like, legit, one of my best friends in the whole entire world. Like hands down. I really like her because she's like a no bullcrap kind of person, you know? Like, she just like, she's just like, so, like, confident and like strong in her beliefs and it's just like, it's just like amazing that I get to like, you know, have that. And I like really, really love her because like, she just like, so totally gets me. It's like, it's like so crazy. Like, I'll be like, you know, giving her like a Marco Polo of like, all of my thoughts and they're like, probably like super weird and like really don't make all that much sense. And I'm like word vomiting. And she'll like, is like, bring it all together in like one cohesive sentence and so like, like tag team things. It's super awesome. I love her.

Tammy 4:56

Ohhhh, Well, I love you both and I am so excited for our discussion today. Especially because there's a lot about women and I cannot wait to hear what your thoughts are. And so it's going to be a fun discussion, especially about who we are as people. So if you want to know more about my guests, and you want to see their pictures and read their bios, you can find those in our show notes which are at LDS living.com/sunday on Monday. So everyone, grab your scriptures, your scripture journal, and something to mark with. And I'm going to just again, pay close attention to where we are, because we're going to be in a lot of places. It's kind of a whirlwind of scripture, but I think it's going to be an awesome discussion of the first of the last week of the Savior's life, if that made sense.

Tammy 5:38

All right, here we go. Let's turn to John 12:1, and we're going to mark in this verse the timeframe and setting for the week leading up to the Savior's crucifixion. Okay. John 12:1, and Jill, will you please read that verse. And those of you listening, I want you to, again, mark the timeframe and the setting. What, where are we, what's going on?

Jill 6:01

John 12:1 "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead."

Tammy 6:10

Okay. How many days before Passover?

Jill 6:15

Six

Tammy 6:16

Very good, circle the number six. Six days before Passover they go to Bethany. Okay, now, why are they in Bethany? Look at verse 2. It says, "There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him." Now, I think this is interesting, because we have already discussed great story where Martha served and Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. But there's no mention of Martha being frustrated. Like I think she gets it now. And she is doing what Martha does well. She's preparing this meal - It's not Passover meal - but she is just preparing a meal where she's going to serve the Savior and the disciples. Now, I asked my guests to really study this story, because I am curious to know their thoughts about this. And so here's where the story takes place. We're going to continue to read in verse 3. And we're just going to read 3, 4, & 5, and then we're gonna cross reference to more of the story. So Josie, can you please read for us verses 3, 4, & 5..

Josie 7:12

3: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4: "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5: "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"

Tammy 7:37

All right, we have the situation here. So let's just look at verse 3, because there's a couple of things you want to know about this story. So you can understand Judas' reaction. So spikenard - this is a very fragrant oil, and it is derived from the root and spike - which is like the hair stem of this plant that's called the Nard plant - and it grows in the mountains of northern India. Then we have the cost which is 300 denarii. That is in verse 5. It says 300 Pence, but it's actually translated denarii in Greek. This is really important to know because a denarius was payment for one day's labor. So 200 denarii could provide a meal for 5000 men; we read that in Mark 6, and you can go to the shownotes where we have all these references. But what basically it's saying, 300 pence or 300 denarii, if one denarius is a day's wage, then 300 would be almost a year, right? A year's wage that she is spending to buy this ointment to do something specific with it.

Tammy 8:39

Okay, now let's see what she does with this ointment, because in this verse it says, "She wiped the Savior's feet with her hair", but there's more information we need. Let's go to Mark 14:3, because before she wipes the Savior's feet, here's what she does with the oil. Mark 14:3, and Jill, will you read that for us.

Jill 8:58

Mark 14:3 "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head,"

Tammy 9:11

Okay, underline where she poured it: she poured it on His head. Now, if you cross reference that to Matthew 26:7 it says the same thing, that she poured it on his head. Okay, two very important places that Mary anoints the Savior. She pours oil on His head, and then she pours it on His feet. Now this is significant. And I really like what Camille Fronk Olson wrote about this in her book "Women of the New Testament". She talks about how some of the people present interpreted her actions as anointing Him as the Messiah. So a woman is anointing Jesus as the Messiah, because this is what you do. When you anoint prophets, priests, and kings, you anoint their head with oil and that is found extensively throughout the Old Testament. But this is pretty neat: when she anoints His feet, that is a symbol of anointing someone to death. You don't just wipe someone's feet with oil without it meaning something; it's a symbol of what you would do to a corpse. Now, this is crazy, because the person there, who is Judas, he does not like that she's spending that much money. But before we go into that discussion, I want to know what your thoughts were as you both read and prepared for about this story about Mary?

Josie 10:26

My first thought was that she was like, # killing it. Like, she just like, saved up like all of this money because like, wicked, expensive oil. Like not only was it like hard to get, the money was probably hard for her to get anyway, you know, to get our hands on that. Like that's, like really expensive stuff. And so I just thought that it was really amazing, because like, a year's worth of wages, especially like for a woman in those times. Like she would not get paid as much, as it would have been a lot easier for someone else to do. But someone else didn't do it. She did. And I just thought that it was like amazing, because not only could she have used the money just on literally anything else, literally anything else. Life probably was hard for them, you know. They weren't like living it up, you know. So like, she sacrificed and devoted so much for Him, because she knew like in the end that He is her ultimate goal.

Tammy 11:23

Oh, I like that, that He is her ultimate goal. That's a great way to look at that. You know, and the people there and specifically Judas Iscariot, he was so mad because he said, you could use this money and you could take care of the poor. That's in John 12:6. It's significant that in John 12:6, the author, John, writes this about Judas. He said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. Isn't that interesting, like, notr that Judas really cared for the poor, or that the money was being spent that way. He just thought, there's a lot of money there that could go to maybe me,? or any other cause, like you said, Josie, and how powerful that you just taught us that He was who she really did care about.

Tammy 12:09

In fact, look what the Savior had to say about what she did go to Mark 14:8. And we're going to use the Joseph Smith translation down below for this, leading up to this, where they say, you know, you could have given this to the poor, and you could have helped so many people with this money. And, and so the Savior says in verse 7, "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always." Like, I'm not always going to be here. But now look at what He says to her, about her, actually. He says about her in verse 8: "She hath done what she could: she is come aorehand to anoint my body to the burying." Now go down below and look at footnote 8a in Mark 14:8 footnote 8a. It says,"....and this which she has done unto me, shall be had in remembrance in generations to come, wheresoever my gospel shall be preached; for verily she has come beforehand." Now tell me about that verse. What's the Savior, put it into real words. Josie, what's He saying?

Josie 13:15

When I hear that, it kind of made me think of like the Widow's Mite, you know, another amazing woman in the scriptures, how she gave literally everything for the Savior. And she will like, be known forever for it, like what, like, and what an amazing thing to be known for. I really love how heaven knows that she didn't do anything, any of this for like glory. She didn't, she would have probably done this in like a room with just her and the Savior in it. And she would have felt just as fulfilled, to do it. Like she wasn't looking for approval from anyone else. Which actually, she's doing like this amazing display of devotion for the Savior of anointing His head, which is something that probably no woman is supposed to do, probably in their minds ever, you know. Like how they were back then, like that was not a rite for a woman to do. And like for her to like, do it is just like, like, that's just so powerful, like, in and of itself.

Josie 14:21

But also, like, I think that is just like so amazing, the fact that she is being judged for it from like disciples, like people who are important, you know, like, these are important people. These are people whose opinions should matter and that like you would care about. And she's like, literally being smack-talked in her own home. Like literally, I would have been so mad. I would have been so angry. And like she could have like, listened to their words and she could have gotten up and she could walked back to the kitchen, like helped Martha. She so totally could have done that. But she didn't care about the disciples' opinions. She didn't care about like what people would think in that moment, a year from then, like, even like generations, you know, from now. She didn't think about that. The only event in that she cared about was the Savior's.

Tammy 15:15

Yep. No, Josie, I love that you said she didn't care and as a result of her not caring, look at Mark 14:9. And Jill, will you read verse 9 for us.

Jill 15:26

Mark 14:9 "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, This also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

Tammy 15:38

And that is what we're doing. How cool that we're fulfilling the Savior's words. Like we're telling Mary's story. And we're letting people know that it was more than just bringing oil in and putting on head and feet. Like it really was so significant. In fact, here is what Elder Bruce R McConkie had to say about this moment. And Jill, will you read this quote for us, please.

Jill 15:57

Elder Bruce R McConkie taught, "Again Jesus announces that the Lord Jehovah shall die. And in doing so lets us know that Mary at least foreknew and realized what her beloved Lord would soon face. Rather than fighting against that truth, Mary sought to sustain the Savior in His greatest mission, completing the very purpose for which He came to Earth."

Tammy 16:19

Thank you. So all of this idea, just wanted to kind of be thinking about Mary and what her memorial was. And we're gonna kind of continue this theme. And in the next segment, we're going to learn about another person's memorial and the story that his life will tell. We'll do that next.

Segment 2 16:34

.....

Tammy 16:49

So you may or may not, I don't know, depending on the kind of person you are, I kind of do. You might have ideas of careers that are often associated with dishonesty. Do either one of you have - don't say what the career is - but do you have career ideas of maybe those people who are dishonest?

Jill 17:05

Yeah.

Tammy 17:06

Okay. Don't say what it is. We're not going to name any here. But listen, if you were alive during Old Testament, New Testament times, there was actually a job, and it's in Luke chapter 19. Let's turn there, verses 1-2, and we're going to look at the job that they viewed to be very dishonest. Okay, so Luke 19 and we are just going to look at verses 1 & 2. And Josie, will you read those two verses for us?

Josie 17:30

Yes, I can. Luke 19:1 "And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2: "And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich."

Tammy 17:42

Okay, his job in verse 2, he was chief among who?

Josie 17:46

The publicans.

Tammy 17:48

Yes, draw a line under that. He wasn't just a publican. He was the chief publican. Now what's a publican? It's a tax collector. Now, here's a couple of facts about tax collecting that you're going to want to know before we go into this story. So in Jesus's day, many people assume that publicans or tax collectors were very dishonest and stole from the people. In fact, look at verse 2, again, where it says at the end, "he was rich." What do you think many of the people in his day would assume about him?

Jill 18:21

They would assume he would have been one of them that were taking, you know, either extorting people or taking some off the top or just turning on, you know, like he was a fellow Jew, like, he would just be betraying his fellow people.

Tammy 18:36

Yeah, of course he's rich. He's stealing from us, right? So some other facts about these men is that tax collectors were backed by the authority of the Roman Empire, and they were accompanied by Roman soldiers. So anyone who's watched "The Chosen", you'll remember that Matthew and his Roman soldier buddy goes with him to collect taxes, and nobody really liked Matthew. Now this is a really, I thought this fact was interesting to me: in the Babylonian Talmud. yhey placed tax collectors alongside murderers and robbers. That's how disliked they are. The Rabbis taught that tax collectors were disqualified witnesses in court. The Rabbis also excommunicated tax collectors from the synagogue. Tax collectors weren't even allowed to exchange the money in the temple treasury. And rabbis considered it lawful to lie in almost any conceivable way to avoid paying tax collectors. So there's a lot going up against this poor guy Zacchaeus. Not a lot of people like him.

Tammy 19:33

Now we have this story about Zacchaeus in verses 3-10 and here's what I asked my guests to do beforehand. I asked them to read the story about Zacchaeus and to write down what they learned about him and his heart in these verses. So I'm going to read the story and then I want you guys to tell me what you learned about him. Here we go in verse 3: "And he (Zacchaeus) sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, (or the crowd) because he was little of stature." He was a little guy. 4: "And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5: "And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him (Zacchaeus), make haste, and come down; for to day, I must abide at thy house."

Tammy 20:18

I thought that was interesting. Jesus is saying, I'm going to come and live with you and stay with you. 6: "And he (Zacchaeus) made haste, and came down, and (received Christ) received him joyfully. 7: "And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. 8: "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9: "And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10: "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Can you to tell me what you've learned about Zacchaeus' heart?

Josie 21:01

Well, I thought of it as, oh, like the kids, kind of like acted like a kid basically. He acted like, like, he climbed up in a sycamore tree, because he was like, so couldn't wait any longer to see Jesus. He was so pumped. And when, when Jesus like came, came to him, and he was like, talking to Him, and he couldn't wait to tell Him like, what, like what he would done, like what he had done. He was just like, so excited. He was like, he's like, I give like most of my stuff to the poor. I like restore things fourfold. He kind of like how kids like, run up and be like, Mom, Mom, Mom, look at this picture I drew, you know, it's like the same thing. And I just thought that was just so amazing.

Tammy 21:44

Oh, I like that. So I've written down: he's childlike, he's giving. Oh, I think that's great.

Tammy 22:02

What about you, Jill?

Jill 21:52

The one thing I didn't notice in my studies was that he was small stature. And so I think having again watched "The Chosen" and different things, I've started to just kind of expand what the backstory might be. And I'm wondering, in those times, that a lot of the, if, perhaps a lot of the work may have been stuff that would require like strength or size to do. Then maybe his entry in taking that job wasn't something that he chose, but maybe out of necessity he picked that. And then he was thrown into that life, right? which was a hard decision to make. And so that's just something that hit me right now.

Jill 22:29

But what I also thought about was Mathew being a Publican, and I'm sure, because they were so hated, that they knew who, they knew who everybody was. So I'm curious if he knew Matthew, and if he knew, and he watched Matthew go from being hated and on the outs to being on the in, and that change of heart. That he saw the opportunity because of Matthew's example to be a part of it, to belong again, to pal with people that he'd been estranged from for so long. And not that he necessarily was doing that with that intent, but that, because that way was paved, because he was able to watch somebody else do it, but it just gave him the hope that Jesus would answer him when he stood up to get His attention.

Tammy 23:21

Wow, I like that, especially in light of verse 6. What does verse 6 tell us then? "And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." Like I'm thinking, it didn't even, wasn't even a question in his mind if the Savior would stay with him. He's like, Great, come stay with me because I know Matthew is a friend of Yours and You like him, so You probably are going to be nice to me in my house,' right? What does that tell us about him, that he received Him joyfully? What does that say about his heart J,osie?

Josie 23:51

I think that like, that makes me kind of think that he has like a very forgiving heart, you know, because he has been shunned and hated and like, given every reason to just hate everybody. And he could have just been awful dude, who stole from people. And he could have been exactly what the people thought he was. But he just so totally and most completely was not. And I think that it was like, like, in his forgiving heart that like he, like forgave those people. And he was willing to, like, go up, to like, go up to Jesus, with like, his heart wide open for Him. And like how amazing would it be for you to be hated and disliked all of these years and for someone, not only someone but like the Savior, to love you? And it's just like, I just couldn't even imagine that.

Tammy 25:00

Yeah, well, especially and everything you said is backed up in verse 7 Because when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "he was gone to be a guest with a man that was a sinner." Like none of them likee Aacchaeus. Like why would Jesus go live with them? And I think verse 9 is important. 9: "....Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham." I mean, that's one of the greatest compliments you could be given is to be called the son of Abraham, a son of the Covenant, especially to a sinner.

Tammy 25:33

So people around who don't like Zacchaeus, hearing Jesus call him a son of Abraham. But it's interesting when He says in 9: "This day is salvation come to this house." It's two-fold. Salvation as we think, but then also the name salvation is the name Yeshua in Hebrew. And Yeshua, in the Greek translation is the name Jesus. So Jesus's name literally means salvation. So He's saying, 'And this day is me. I'm coming to your house.' Best gift you could possibly imagine.

Tammy 26:07

Now, a cool fact is the tree that he climbed up in. Look agai at verse. Highlight 'sycamore tree.' I looked this up,because I wanted to know what is the sycamore tree a symbol of? I think trees throughout the Bible are really important. The sycamore tree is a symbol of strength, protection, divinity, and clarity. Now, think about that. And Zacchaeus, he is waiting up in a sycamore tree for the Savior to come. And what we just learned about that story is absolutely strength for Zacchaeus. He was offered protection, he was shown his divinity, and offered clarity. And everybody there is going to get more clarity through this experience. So we have the story of Zacchaeus Do you have anything else about his heart or anything else that strikes you about Zacchaeus before I teach you this other neat thing?

Josie 27:01

I kind of have like a personal story to share with that's cool.

Tammy 27:04

Yes, I would love that Josie.

Josie 27:06

Cool. So I kind of like totally get Zacchaeus because like when I, like me and my family, we used to live in Arizona, and I lived there until I was 16. And then I moved to Spokane, Washington. And we were all like, you know what, it'll be fine. Like, I'm great at making friends, and I am. And so when I didn't, it just like took such a toll on me. It was like so hard because like I was shunned. I didn't really know why no one like, sought me out. No one tried and I, I kept putting myself like in the position over and over again, like opening myself up to people, trying to be like, Will, you like me? Will you like me? Will you like me, trying to like find my people and find a place to belong. And since it just didn't happen over time, I just closed myself off. And I just like, I did. Like I couldn't put myself in that vulnerable position anymore. And so seeing Zacchaeus like just open his heart in like such a vulnerable way where he like could not have been accepted. But like it really didn't matter. And so I just think that that's so amazing. Like, it's just like given me more confidence in like who I am, not only as a person, but like as a child of God.

Tammy 28:34

Wow, Josie. Especially when you ended that, it's come to help you understand, know more as a child of God. And then I go back to that verse, "That this day has salvation come to Josie, that Jesus has come to you. Oh, I think that story's beautiful. Mom of Josie, what are your thoughts?

Jill 28:54

Um, that was great to hear. Because she has had a rough year. Like it, it didn't end when she moved away. What I thought would be just kind of a place-based thing. Like she headed into school and it was, it was continuing to be rough. Until as a mother who, like I carry a lot of guilt for moving her because it was so hard. And I didn't ,I didn't know you know, I didn't know what I didn't know,hat it was gonna be such a different place where where we moved. But it's great to see that she has gotten some resilience and an ability to kind of bounce back and to see. I'm glad to hear that she feels like she can be herself,because she is a big personality. And I mean, our whole family's got a lot of big personalities. But we all often say is like we're not for everyone. But when you find people you are for, and I think it was great to hear, you know, her ability to take her, that growth, and just what was. Like having despair and to be able to transform that into like a lesson and, it was good to hear.

Tammy 30:05

That was good. Well, and I think every one of us have felt like a Zacchaeus at some point in our lives. And I love this story because the example is, for everyone that feels like a Zacchaeus, just climb up into your sycamore tree,where you're going to get protection, you're going to get strength, you're going to get more clarity. And wait for Jesus to come. He will come. And he did. He came for Zacchaeus, He came for Josie, He comes for every single one of us. And I think this is cool for Him then to say, 'You know what, this day salvation, Jesus is come to your house. And He does do that for us.

Tammy 30:40

Now this is a really interesting fact, because while this is happening with Zacchaeus - so we've left Mary and Martha and Lazarus's house. They're now walking, they have this experience with Zacchaeus. Now what you want to know is, the week leading up to Passover, something really significant is happening in all Jewish homes. They are cleaning out all the leaven out of their house, anything that has yeast in it, they are getting rid of. So imagine, I don't know what your car is like, Jill. But do you have crushed up Goldfish in your car? Are there snacks in your, you know, in your rug? I mean, they go to every, they sweep out every corner of their house. They search for bread crumbs literally everywhere that they could be found: under their sofa, in the cushions, in drawers, in the refrigerator, even in the pockets of their coats and pants. That's how extensive this is. They get rid of every bit of this leaven.

Tammy 31:36

Now the reason they do this is because it's found in Exodus 12:14 & 15. And we're not going to go there, but you can cross reference it and then read this. But it literally says in Exodus 12:14 & 15, part of it says on this first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leaven from the first day until the seventh, that person shall be cut off from Israel. Okay, now that seems crazy because we love bread. But the Jews get rid of it. But there's a symbolism in all of this. To them it's a symbol of pride. It's a symbol of letting go of what puffs us up, the thing that makes us better or think that we're better than other people.

Tammy 32:15

Now, this is the really great part of the story, because the Savior is a perfect example of getting rid of leaven and He didn't care what people thought about living with Zacchaeus, the sinner, the tax collector. So while people are getting rid of leaven, at this time in the Savior's life, and in His story, He's literally showing us what it looks like to not have leaven, to get rid of it. And the key is He's a great example of no leaven and you both pointed that out beautifully. He is childlike, He is giving, He is humble, He is Forgiving, and He is willing. So He has removed the leaven from His life. So in the next segment though, I'm going to show you a story, because not everybody was willing to remove their leaven. And so in the next segment, I'm going to show you who the Savior had to call out and say, 'Remove your leaven.' And we'll do that next.

Segment 3 33:00

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Tammy 33:16

I have a picture to show you guys and I recommend everybody go and see it. This picture has to do with my absolute favorite time of the year. And it's not even Christmas. I love to celebrate this holiday. Okay, can you see the picture? Can you describe to everyone what you're seeing?

Jill 33:32

I'm seeing a picture of a palm frond and then a little girl who's got, who's standing in a doorway that's covered in palm fronds with the word Hosanna written over the top.

Tammy 33:46

Yes

Josie 33:47

She's so cute.

Tammy 33:48

She is so cute with a little palm frond her hand.

Josie 33:51

She's like standing all weird. Ah, she's so darling.

Tammy 33:54

It's super cute. Okay, go to Matthew chapter 21. We're gonna go back into Matthew now. Go to Matthew 21. and we're gonna see what this picture has to do with the scripture that talks about my favorite holiday, my favorite Sunday. Now, as you're turning there, here's what you want to know. So the Savior has left Bethany. He had his experience with Zacchaeus and He's on his way to Jerusalem. Okay. And by the way, it's important to know that Jesus started in Jericho, we mentioned that earlier. But here's why I want you to know this, is because I call it "The ascent of Jesus." He began his last week by walking about a 15 mile journey from Jericho, which was 800 feet below sea level, all the way up to Jerusalem, which is 2500 feet above sea level. And I think it's just important because it shocked me to learn of the difficult and steep climb that the Savior would make essentially for me. I mean, listen, I always laugh - I wouldn't like, I wouldn't run for my own life. I certainly wouldn't hike for it, at least not this.

Tammy 34:55

And the Savior makes His grand ascent from Jericho to Jerusalem for us, where He will finish out His ministry on this earth, and He made this climb. And as He's approaching Jerusalem, He actually sends two of His apostles ahead of them. And He gave them very specific instructions. He says to them in Matthew 21, go and find a donkey and a colt tied together, untie them, and bring them to Me. And this is going to fulfill prophecy that's found in Zachariah 9:9. So look at Matthew 21, look at verse 5, and I want you to write this reference: put Zechariah 9:9, because it says, 'tell ye, the daughter of Zion, behold, thy King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.' So clear back in the Old Testament, in Zechariah 9:9, it was prophesied that the Messiah would, or the King, would come riding a donkey. So the Savior is going to fulfill that; He told his apostles to go and find these two things and bring them to Him. So, they bring them. And we have this story now. We're going to read it in Matthew 21. We're going to read verse 7 & 8. And Josie, can you please read those two verses for us.

Josie 36:15

"And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way."

Tammy 36:31

Okay, pause for a second there. Now, why a donkey? I really like this explanation, because you had a big horse or you had a donkey, and the Lord rode in on a donkey. And here's why: The donkey is a symbol of Jewish royalty. And Jesus came in peace, not as a conqueror on a war horse. Tell me about that. Jill, I love your face.

Jill 36:51

I love that. I love that because I just, I didn't,when you asked that question I was thinking, please don't ask me because I have no idea. Then when you said that, I just love, I love that because the Romans saw him creating a stir. And the Pharisees felt like He was creating a stir as this person who was was taking power in different ways. So for him to kinda reject the power that they were assigning to Him and come in on a donkey had to have been just just perplexing to them because of what they thought He was doing. And Him coming in on a donkey. I don't know. It's just it's like, I need to sit and really for a little bit. It was just kind of such a cool thought.

Jill 36:52

Yeah, I mean, I would have chosen the horse for sure. I could have been higher up, you would have been about the people, they would have seen Him come in on that. And He shows something so small, humble. Again, no leaven in the Savior's life.

Jill 37:50

For sure.

Tammy 37:50

He's gonna ride in on the most humble thing, right? Okay. Now, Josie, go back to verse 8. This is so great. It says "a very great multitude." Now look what they did, they're spreading their garments in the way and others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way now. They're literally taking their clothing, and they're laying it down on the ground. And this donkey is going to just walk on the clothing. Now that may seem odd. I don't know that I, like would you take your very best coat and your clothing and lay that down on the ground? What could this be, Jill? What would this be a symbol of if you're gonna take your clothes and just lay them on the ground and let the Savior walk on 'em?

Jill 38:31

It, it makes me think of this: if people showed up and they didn't have their chance to be like Mary and bring their ointment or bring their things, that's what they had. Right? So you're going to create the best path you can for Him and you're going to, you're going to recognize with whatever you have to, it's like what are you giving up of yours that may be important to you or maybe something that's a necessity, it could be a sacrifice. So you're like. you're, you're sacrificing things for the Savior to lay in front of Him. Like I've never thought about it that way, but right now I am.

Tammy 39:07

I really, I'm writing that down. You want to create the very best path for Him. And what is that sacrifice for you? What does that look like - an outward symbol. You're right, an outward symbol would be your clothing. They're going to lay that down. In fact, it was an actual act of submission paid to royalty. So this is something they knew very well. And they knew He was Royal, they lay their clothes. And then it says, they "cut down branches." Now circle the word 'branches' in verse 8. And I want you to cross reference it with John 12:13, we're not going to go there. I'll tell you what it says in John 12:13, it says palm branches. So palm fronds, just like the picture I showed you at the beginning, those palm leaves. Now they are taking these palm leaves, and this is where we get Palm Sunday from, is they took these palms and they waved them in the air.

Tammy 39:56

I love Palm Sunday. Any chance I get if I'm traveling out of town I will find a Methodist Church, any type of church that's celebrating this so I can wave my palm frond in the air and join other people as they celebrate this Sunday. I love Palm Sunday. Now why palm branches? Okay, this is cool. A palm branch is very symbolic, you guys, here we go, another tree. You ready for this one? A palm tree is a symbol of - get this - "victory over enemies of the faithful, and ultimate triumph." So write that next to the word 'branches'. You want to remember. Why - because of all the branches they could have waived - why didn't they run to the sycamore tree or a fig tree? They specifically chose palm leaves. It's a symbol again, "victory over enemies of the faithful, ultimate triumph." So, imagine in your mind: palm leaves in the air, victory over enemies, ultimate triumph, laying your clothes down, the donkey's walking over all of their clothes. And now verse 9. Josie hit it. Here's what everybody said.

Josie 41:01

Matt 21:9 "And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

Tammy 41:14

Highlight 'Hosanna'. Let's define that word, here's what it means. Hosanna means "save now, or please save."

Jill 41:25

Well, I was just thinking that, like they really are understanding who the Savior is at this point.

Tammy 41:31

Yeah

Jill 41:32

I mean, I don't think they fully know, like what happened in the end, you know. But it's them recognizing really, who He is and hopefully recognizing, because they know, initially, they were hoping to be saved from Rome. And I'm curious as to if a lot of them are understanding at this point that it wasn't about that and it never was. But they're actually understanding His, it was about, you know, the saving from from places they didn't want to be anymore, like redemption from their personal demons or their iniquities or their

Tammy 42:10

I like how you put that out - being saved from their Roman oppressors. Like, save us now. Oh I like that.

Josie 42:19

So then I was gonna say was like, I also kind of like how it's like, they are kind of being saved from like their Roman oppressors. Like, not like really, but like what it kind of is because like, Romans, like, they're foreigners, you know. They're not, they're not part of them. That's not who they are, they aren't Roman. And so they are being saved from something that they aren't, which is like, you know, sin stuff. But something else that I wanted to kind of do was I wanted to like reread verse 9, but like the translation, because I feel like it's so sick. Right?

Josie 42:52

Go ahead.

Josie 42:52

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried saying, 'please save me' to the son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the name of the Lord." 'Please save me in the highest.' And I just think, I think that's, that's just like, so amazing. And, like, just one more thing also about like, the Romans were like, and like, Jesus and stuff. Like, I love, I love Him. He's so funny. Of course He would like come in on a donkey. Like, of course, He would do that. That makes so much sense, y6ou know, it's just so funny. Because I mean, I don't know if anyone else thinks that this is funny, but like, He just like wasn't what anyone was expecting.

Tammy 43:37

Right

Josie 43:38

at all. He was, you know, the reverse card on literally everything. Like they thought He was gonna be a conqueror. No, He wasn't. Like they thought that He was going to save them from the Romans. No He didn't, you know. And they thought that He was going to be talk defy and to be like this crazy, awesome, like, super military man. And He just wasn't like, He was trained by a carpenter. Like, He knew how to fix things, which I think is so amazing. And the Pharisees, they all thought that He was gonna, like, come and like, try to like take over their power and like, be like, try to be like, greater and show like, how amazing He is and like this great strength. And He never did that. He always did it humbly. And so He, like He basically said, like, I'm not who you think I am. And, like, the only people who know like, who knew who He was, were the people that like laid out their clothing.

Tammy 44:38

Josie, I really appreciate what you just said, and I wrote this down because I want to do something. You said He wasn't a warrior, He was a carpenter, and He knew how to fix things. Okay. I want us to take that into context, then as we read. So we just read what Matthew wrote that the people said: Hosanna hosanna. Let's read two other accounts of what the people said in light of what you just taught us, Josie. He wasn't who they thought He would be, but He was exactly what they needed. So let's turn to another account. Go to Luke 19:38. And here's what Luke said, the people said. Luke 19:38. And Jill, will you read that for us please.

Jill 45:20

Luke 19:38 "Saying, Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."

Tammy 45:27

So to them, He is royalty. Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. Now, here's one more: go to Mark chapter 11. And look at verses 9 & 10. And Jill, will you read those for us.

Jill 45:40

Mark 11:9,10 "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest."

Tammy 45:53

Thank you. So from all of these answers, and it's just beautiful because you can just feel the love that the people have and how they are calling him a king, and they're yelling at him: Hosanna. And to me, it seems that they're leaven is gone. Remember, people have been getting rid of their leaven and their pride and the Savior's leaven is gone. That is the practice here. And as we continue on in the story, go to Matthew chapter 21. And let's look at verse 12. And it's going to show us where the Savior found some leaven, because He didn't, they didn't get rid of all of it. So Matthew 21:12-13. Josie will you read that for us.

Josie 46:32

Verses 12 and 13. "And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the House of Prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

Tammy 46:53

Thank you. Okay, I think this is so cool. Everyone's cleaning leaven out of their own homes. And Look back at verse 13. What home is Jesus cleaning the leaven out of?

Josie 47:04

The temple, his house?

Tammy 47:06

Yes. That's exactly it, we gotta get rid of it. We're about to celebrate the Passover. And again, another example of the Savior showing us how to do that. So He goes into the temple, He cleans out the leaven, He gets rid of it because His house is a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. And so you better believe it, we need to get rid of our 1leaven too. And I think it's really important for us to think about this, especially leading up to our next celebration of Easter next year. But my, I'm going to encourage all of you to go back and read the conference talks from this last General Conference in April, because there was a lot of talk about Palm Sunday. And go back and read those talks and then think about leaven in your own life and where your hearts are. Because while these people were shouting Hosanna, not everybody was shouting Hosanna. And some were trying to find ways to tempt or trick Jesus in this moment. And we're going to study a story about that next.

Segment 4 48:01

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Tammy 48:16

K, for this next segment, what you're going to need is a piece of paper and a pen. So hurry and find one, grab a piece of paper and a pen. Everyone listening, get your journals or grab a piece of paper and a pen. I'm gonna give you 30 seconds to do something, and you're gonna have to write really fast. All right? Okay, here we go. I'm going to give you 30 seconds to write down as many of the commandments as you can think of, okay? On your mark, get set. Go............stop. Okay, tell me what you guys came up with. What commandments did you write?

Jill 48:58

Apparently I'm not very good at remembering the commandments.

Tammy 49:02

That's okay.

Jill 49:03

It was real quick.

Tammy 49:04

What ones did you write?

Jill 49:05

(Don't) steal, don't commit adultery, love your parents, don't lie, don't covet.

Tammy 49:15

Great. Good job. What did you write Josie?

Josie 49:18

Um, I said don't kill people. Don't steal, love your parents, love God. Don't eat or drink weird stuff, love your neighbor.

Tammy 49:27

Perfect. Okay. Look at your list of commandments you guys wrote in 30 seconds. By the way, I'm very impressed. That was a good list in such a short amount of time. Okay, I want you to do this now. Circle which one you think is the most important of the list you made.

Tammy 49:46

All right. What'd you circle?

Jill 49:48

Love thy neighbor

Tammy 49:49

Okay, what'd you circle, Josie?

Josie 49:51

I also circled Love thy neighbor.

Tammy 49:53

Oh, I'm impressed.

Josie 49:54

We've got brainwaves, love it.

Tammy 49:56

Yes, seriously. I would have thought for sure like adultery or murder. Okay, that's very impressive.

Josie 50:02

If you love your neighbor, you're not going to kill them.

Tammy 50:04

touche

Josie 50:06

or.......

Tammy 50:07

You're totally right. So turn with me to Matthew 22:35-39 and we're going to see how the Savior answers that question. What's the most important commandment? And what one He would circle. And you guys, you're so smart. Here we go. Here's the story. In verse 35, a lawyer comes to Him, tempting Him. Now, we've heard this story before, but it's another one, a second story with a lawyer, a man of the law. And he says in verse 36, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Now, verses 37 and 38, the Lord is strictly reciting what they already know. You can put this cross reference: Leviticus 19:18, and Deuteronomy 6:5. It's very clear what the laws are. Josie, will you please read for us verse 37 and 38.

Josie 50:58

Matt 22: 36-38 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

Tammy 51:12

Thank you. Okay. So you're gonna read that in Deuteronomy 6:5 to love God with all your heart and with all your mind. But then verse 39, is the Leviticus 19:8, and the Savior then teaches them. And by the way, He says to them, Jill will you read verse 39.

Jill 51:29

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Tammy 51:34

Okay. Now, you both beautifully circled the right commandment, to love your neighbor. But let me ask you this: What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? That's a lot different than just loving your neighbor. Tell me about that.

Jill 51:49

So every time I've always read that I read it as in Love thy neighbor as you would love yourself. That's just kind of I added those words in there. But as I was studying for this, I reread it, like I heard it differently, that it said, Love thy neighbor as thyself, as in like, bringing your self. So this is what I wrote down in my thoughts, is to love your neighbor as your truest and most genuine self, as in, show your heart and be you without insecurities, or hiding. Don't hold back. God knows us and how amazing we are from the beginning and knows our truest selves, and it's bringing that to the table. Just how often do we hold back from connecting with people or serving at a fear of rejection or self doubt or insecurities?

Tammy 52:39

Wow.

Jill 52:41

And He's saying to show up as yourself and be like the most best and beautiful of who you are, and go and love people.

Tammy 52:48

Wow,

Josie 52:48

Hold on. Can I kind of like, add something? Low key, that's what Mary did.

Josie 52:55

Tell me how.

Josie 52:56

Well, like she didn't like hold back from like serving, even though she was like literally being like berated in her own home. Like literally some of the down. But like, she like, maybe like, maybe she did care like what they thought, you know. But like she knew that like, but what they thought didn't matter, you know. Like, you can care about something and it still not mattered. You know what I mean? So like, she might have maybe cared. I don't know if she did or not. But like, but it didn't matter to her either way, you know.

Tammy 53:36

Yeah, she just didn't care. Like your mom said, not caring what people think, loving 'em and how you can love them. Jill, I like that take on that word. That's a great way because I've always read it the same way. So if you don't really like yourself, you're not really going to love people. If you love yourself, like, No, I think it's beautifully how love thy neighbor as your truest self without any restrictions or worries about how you'll be received. That is powerful. Well, in preparation for this specific segment, I asked you two to really think about this verse because I wanted you to give us some great ideas. Like what are some specific actions you could take to better live these two commandments? Like what did you guys come up with? How can you, Jill, and you, Josie, love someone as thyself, as your truest self? What does that look like for you?

Jill 54:26

I like recently, in my own just kind of personal life, I've been thinking about the negative voice that I have in my head that stops me from everything. And I've named her. Anyway, and so I'm always like, Okay, shut up, Janet. Because I know it's not me, right. So I realized that what we have to do is quiet whatever that voice is. And or, or recognize it and then question it, because I think a lot of times we feel like, and it might come from sources of like hurt or things that happened and you create this story, right? Because this happened, because you got rejected, and maybe you're a tender heart or you have an experience like Josie, where you just put yourself out there so many times, and you're just kind of beat up and bruised. So you're a little more protective of your heart.

Jill 55:16

But when it comes to serving and loving, and without an expectation of what's coming back. I think we get hurt when we're expecting something to come back to us and it doesn't, right. Like, put myself out there and I want to be a part of that group or that group doesn't accept me. But if you go as just yourself on an errand of the Lord, and you can quiet that voice that's trying to stop you, then, and then replace that with What would the Savior be saying to me right now? So that's what we can do is just kind of, kind of take that voice, name it, tell it to stop talking, and then switch it to the voice of, 'Okay, well, now let me ask what Christ, what Jesus would say to me,' and hear that voice and follow that voice. Yes.

Tammy 56:02

Great response Jill. Thank you.

Josie 56:05

What does it look like for you Josie?

Josie 56:08

Like, I don't like, so like, for me, like how that looks like, for me is just being like, just saying, like, who cares? You know? Like 'Sticks and stones may break my bones', but who cares, you know? Like who cares? Like that's like the best two words anyone can ever say. Who cares? You know? Like, Oh, like, you thought that you should like bring a plate of cookies over to these people but you don't know if they would like want raisins in their cookies? Who cares? put em in, you know? I don't actually because raisins don't normally taste good in cookies. Don't do that. But, no judgement, but I don't know.

Tammy 56:53

Yeah. Well, you know, I think it's really fascinating that you both talked about this. Josie, you're right, your mantra is who cares? And Jill, don't listen to that voice but be thyself ,because the Savior has very strong feelings about us being ourselves and about this idea of who cares. I'm going to show you what He means in the next segment.

Seg,emt 5 57:12

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Tammy 57:27

Okay, I have picture to show you. We have a lot of pictures in this episode so you guys are gonna want to check out the show notes. Here's a picture and I want you to describe to the listeners what you see.

Josie 57:35

I'm so glad we have pictures because I'm such like a visual person.

Tammy 57:40

Me too! I need pictures.

Josie 57:42

Okay, I was gonna say this, but the tree, they're like just a bunch of trees.

Tammy 57:49

Yeah. Do you, can you tell what kind of tree it is by looking at it?

Josie 57:54

No, I', not a botanist.

Tammy 57:55

But no, you totally can't. So here's what you want to know about this tree. So this tree directly correlates to a story in Mark chapter 11. Let's turn there, got to Mark chapter 11. And we're going to look at verses 12 and 13. The tree that I have on this picture is a fig tree. Now the fact that you can see such beautiful big leaves is a very important thing you want to know about a fig tree. So here are some facts. If you turn to Mark chapter 11 and you look at verse 12. It says, "And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. Verse 13 says, "And seeing a fig tree" - underline 'fig tree'.

Tammy 58:35

Before we even go on in the story, here are some facts about a fig tree. First of all, they grow to nearly 20 feet in height, and they have very large leaves. And the fig tree will provide pleasant shade. There are also little wasps that cover the tree. But before the leaves emerge, something significant happens. The flower on the tree is never seen, because you have so many little mini tiny flowers that fruit into a, that have a little bud that gives us the fruit. And on this idea, the fruit comes before the leaf. So when you see a fig tree and you see it full of leaves, it will tell the person in New Testament time it's ready to produce. Like it has fruit, I can just go pick figs off of it and eat it now. So the Savior, in verse 12, He's hungry, and He sees a fig tree. So what's He seeing? He sees the fig tree, He sees the leaves, and He's like, look at that in verse 13. "And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves," . Josie, what is this tree telling Jesus who's hungry? What can you do?

Josie 59:38

You can get all up in this, He can get some fruit.

Tammy 59:42

Yes, very good. He's gonna be able to eat. And it says, "he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of the figs was not yet." He's furious. He's like, wait a minute, this tree tricked me. There should be fruit on the tree. The leaves are already there, I know how fig trees work. In fact, he's so mad about this. We'll go over and look at verse 20 & 21. And Jill, what does He do in these two verses? Will you read that for us 20 and 21.

Jill 1:00:13

Mark 11: 20 & 21 "And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away."

Tammy 1:00:24

Okay. He curses the fig tree to die, because it's no good. And His message to them is, it's not what it said it was. It is a total hypocrite. I don't like this, it's not being true to thyself, as you taught us, Jill. And it has this idea where it's, it's pretending to be something that it's not. Now let's turn in our scriptures back to Matthew chapter 23. Because in this same discourse, the Savior then spends Matthew 23 to teach about the importance of hypocrisy, and why He doesn't want us to be that way. And He wants us to say, as Josie said, Who cares, right? Don't be a hypocrite. Be true to yourself. Matthew chapter 23, is just verse after verse of the Savior calling out hypocrites. And I want us to look at some of these. Jill, will you share one that you found and then I'll share one that I found about the Savior teaching don't be a hypocrite, don't be this fig tree. It's all pretty on the outside with no fruit on the inside. Go ahead.

Jill 1:01:23

There were so many. There were so many that I liked, but I'm gonna do a verse in Matthew 23:25 & 26. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."

Tammy 1:01:49

Ooo, why'd you choose those?

Jill 1:01:51

So I actually asked to hire my husband on this because we were going through all of these, and some of them got kind of just kind of tricky. And so we had this discussion, and he brought this so I want to give him a little bit of credit. And he said, you spend a lot -and we were discussing - and we came to, like you spent a lot of time looking good, looking organized and like playing the part. So like, try cleaning up your insi... and on the inside you're not anything that the outside is projecting. So be cleaning up your spirit and as you clean up your spirit, the outside will just naturally follow. You'll just naturally exude what's already on the inside. You didn't have to spend the time cleaning up the outside because it doesn't matter. It just happens as you do it.

Tammy 1:02:37

Yeah. Oh, great example. I like those two verses so much. The one I found that I liked was verse 27. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." Like, you look like this beautiful thing that we would bury somebody in but inside - dead, you're dead. And this idea of this whole thing we have, again, don't be a hypocrite, it goes back to the leaven. Like stop appearing to be something you're not. If you're not a fig tree with fruit, there's no point. And that's what the point of the fig tree is. If you're not going to be a fig tree that bears fruit, you're no good to Me. Don't try to look pretty on the outside and then when I come up to you, there's nothing you can give.

Tammy 1:03:24

And so that's the message for every one of us here. That's why they included the story of the fig tree is for us to really kind of recognize, are we willing to really, truly - I just think this is awesome - love as ourselves, and just let it go? Or are we just so caught up in how we're going to look? And how we'll be perceived by other people? Are we a Mary and a Zacchaeus? Or are we the fig tree? You can kind of just see this theme running through this whole experience. This is the last week of the Savior's life and this is the first lesson He wants to teach us. I think it's awesome. Get rid of your leaven, and be who I need you to be. Because if you're not, you're not going to be in a good spot. And in fact, in the next segment, we're going to look at another picture and we're going to read the Savior's words for people who just can't get it together, can't get rid of their leaven, and what the Savior has to say to them. So we'll do that next.

Segment 6 1:04:19

.....

Tammy 1:04:35

So there's a picture that I would encourage everyone going and looking it up. It's by Greg Olson, and it's such a classic picture. It's in a lot of chapels. Jill and Josie, can you describe what this picture is: where, like, what's going on in this picture?

Josie 1:04:50

It looks like Jesus is just kind of like hanging out and pondering.

Tammy 1:04:54

Yes. Yes. And He's looking towards something. Can you see, Jill, what He's looking towards?

Jill 1:04:59

Yeah. He's up on a mountain, He's overlooking a city.

Tammy 1:05:03

Yes, this painting by Greg Olson is called "Jerusalem, Jerusalem". And here's the Scripture it's taken from. Turn to Matthew 23:37. Okay, he just got done talking about hypocrites. He just got done explaining why we shouldn't be them. And then here's what He has to say about the hypocrites. Josie, can you please read that for us.

Josie 1:05:23

37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

Tammy 1:05:41

Okay. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem," just in that phrasing right there, what is that telling us about Jesus? "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem."

Jill 1:05:52

I'm just seeing, I'm seeing the heart of Jesus right there. And, and one of the things in my studies recently, especially through Easter, is like Christ seeing everybody in His family. And He's just looking out and He's just sorrowful. And he's just, you know, loving everybody and just wishing for a different ending, or a different, and by ending, I mean, has anybody, He's just saying, 'O Jerusalem, like, remember who you are, and come to me. I just, like, I just really wanted you all to be with me. I just really wanted to gather everybody together. Like, I want this to be great. I want, there's so much opportunity for hope, and everything in Me. And I just wanted you all to be part of it and you're not. Like you're choosing not to be.' And I'm just, you know, it's just that heart of, of Jesus, that just true, sincere, deep love for people as individuals. And He's just, He's just sad about it.

Tammy 1:06:57

Yeah. Josie, because you're a visual person, I want you to help me with this imagery, because He says "I would have gath, "I would have, I would have gathered you as a chicken gathereth her chicks under her wings." What does that mean? Like, visually think about that. A mama hen opens up her wings. And these little baby chicks run underneath it, right? What is she offering them by putting her wings over them.

Josie 1:07:24

She's offering them for protection. And something that I like learned about like chickens, because we like had a, we like learned about this, like, one time and like, when I was like a kid in like Sunday school, and it was like, this is such a crazy fact about chickens, is the fact that they'll like,so they'll like, like, call their like kids who like come under their wings. And they literally will like, fight to the absolute death like for their babies. Like they, like they will never leave their kids like ever at all for anything. Like no joke, anything. It will, like they will like just put themselves like up and like they just like sacrifice themselves for their kids and like, for my family.

Tammy 1:08:14

That's why He's saying, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Like, it's right here - the protection, and you won't take it.' You know, Jill, as a mom, I mean, how does this imagery strike you? You're a mama hen.

Jill 1:08:26

I am. I think, I think about it and thinking you could do it on their own, or thinking that maybe your mom hen doesn't know, you know, all that they profess to know. But I think that's why I can kind of connect with the Savior's thinking, I have, I have this like, love for you, and this desire to protect you. Just, just come like under my wings. And, and I think in that He's say, if he, He's not saying I don't want you to grow or be on your own, but just stick with Me as you grow. And then when it's time and when you're ready to go out, you kind of understood how to do things and how you've been taught to do things. And I think that's what the Savior is saying is, I can protect you. I don't expect you to just sit here and stagnate. I expect you to grow and learn. But let Me be here as your protection as you grow. And you'd just be better prepared for when you go out and want to protect others as well. I think that's also just one of the things I thought about, is also the Savior, you know, I would say is the hen here, but how can we individually also be that sort of protection and bring people with us as well? It's important to be like the Savior, like who are we putting under our wings? Who are we bringing close to us and, and how can we do, be more of that?

Tammy 1:10:04

Well, let me do this because, you know, Jill, you said, "O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem" - you see the Savior's heart. Turn with me to Luke chapter 19. And here's another way that it's worded. Luke 19:41 & 42. And in verse 41, Jill, will you read that for us. Luke 19:41.

Jill 1:10:24

"And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it."

Tammy 1:10:28

So you were right, it captured the Savior's heart. I mean, He's just weeping over the city who won't come under His wings. I think this is interesting in verse 42, saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this day, the things which belong unto thy peace: but now they are hid from thine eyes." Going into maybe they just didn't know. I like that, "if thou hadst known." And, and then thinking about our own lives today, like what is it that the Savior wants us to know? If thou hadst known, you would definitely go under his wings. And I want you to just kind of, maybe that's sort of a rhetorical question, I'd love your thoughts on it. But I want us to ponder over these questions for the next couple of weeks. Like what does the, what does the Savior want us to know? He's been very clear in all of our stories: get rid of your leaven, be true to who you are, love your neighbor as thyself. I think that is so awesome. Be a Zacchaeus where you're climb up in your sycamore tree and wait for Jesus to come. Because He will protect you. And so as we've studied and talked this whole day today, I'm curious to know, did anything strike your hearts that you feel like Jesus wants you to know "if thou hadst known"?

Jill 1:11:37

I think in our discussion and Josie's story of Zacchaeus, I think I didn't see it as a personal story. And I liked the way she made it personal about just general not belonging. And I'm seeing - I work with young adults now and in my work and I'm talking to a lot of people and different therapists and stuff to talk about, or I have friends who are therapists - that there's a lot of young adults who are struggling with this belonging. And I thought it was great being able to look at that, that story that didn't have anything, it didn't seem to have anything to do with that. But to be able to see that and, and to find that place through your heart. Or maybe you're not, regardless of wha -, like maybe you did - to put yourself in that position. Or maybe that position was given to you like Zacchaeus, you know, kind of did that to himself. But again, we don't know his backstory. Josie was put in a position where she didn't choose that, but how can you take either of those situations and like jump up in the tree and reach out for the Savior and then, and just bring yourself and bring your best and maybe bring your little bits of change or whatever. That just kind of stood out to me in making that more personal. I really liked that.

Tammy 1:12:57

Yeah, me too. Josie, what about you, "If thou hadst known"?

Josie 1:13:03

Well, I've like, I've been kind of like thinking about like the words "if thou hadst known" and like, I think it's just because I can, like, hear, like hear the Savior's voice saying that. Like I know exactly how He's saying that. I like can feel exactly how He feels by saying that. And it's just like, so like, just so heartbreaking to me. And, and the thing was that, like, they didn't know. And I think that, you know, since we're talking about like the days leading up to His death, that is exactly what His death was. Like, they didn't know what they were doing. And He even says that, like, while He's dying, He like asked Heavenly Father to forgive them, for they know not what they do. And that's just like, I just like find that like, crazy.

Josie 1:14:02

But something that I think, "if thou hadst known, like, what do I think He would wish that I would know? And I couldn't think of one thing. And I think that that just is how it is. I, I genuinely think that He would just want me to know everything. I think He would want me to know everything because that's just like, that's the kind of person that He is. He like, He wants us to know, He wants us to learn, he wants us to like grow. He wants, like He wants to help us. He wants us to be so much bigger than what we could ever imagine ourselves being. And I think that, like that's just like how He is and like, that's how I imagined Him being like in the premortal life where He saw all of our potential, He saw, like how He saw Jerusalem's potential, He saw our potential. And He knew like what we could become if given the chance. And that's why He offered himself up. And that's why He said, like, I will go, and I will, like I will go through everything for you, I will like I will die for you. And He did all of that, just so that we could learn who we are. And I don't think that He would want us to know that He gave everything. I think that he would want us to know that He would give even more if He could.

Tammy 1:15:30

Wow. Oh, Josie, thank you. I'm writing everything down. Beautiful. Oh, you too. What a great discussion today. Thank you. I loved your insights. That was awesome. That's the end. That's the end of our episode. Okay, so take a second and just gather your thoughts. And is there anything you learned today, that will be your takeaway, because I wrote so many things down.

Jill 1:15:54

When Josie was talking recently, during well as I was when you asked, like, If thou hadst known, like, as I was studying during Easter, and I was really thinking about Jesus on the cross when He says, "Father forgive them", a lot of times I just saw Him as this sort of, you know, Divine Being just kind of saying this, you know, statement, it was very kind of general. And then I got the visual of being Christ and looking out on all the faces and seeing them as His family. And so He's pleading for His, His brothers and His sisters. And that changes the whole story.

Jill 1:16:37

And I think when He's saying, like, O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, or you know, like, if you would have known, like, He wants us to. When Mary is known, Mary knew, like, how can we be Mary? Mary knew. How can we, what do, I was thinking, what do I personally need to do to be more like Mary, where I just know. If I know who I am and I know that relationship and I feel like Josie has this understanding of this direct relationship with Jesus Christ, it's a lot more personal than what I think of. If I can go towards that, that's kind of what, you know, will be my goal moving forward is how do I, how do become Mary where I see it and just know who He is. And know, with it on a different level, where I'm not being lamented over.

Tammy 1:17:39

I just wrote that next to that. I underlined "if thou hadst known." And then I wrote, If I had known thaHe really is my brother, do I know Him? I like that you just taught us that, our relationship to him. "If thou hadst known" your relationship to Him, would that make a difference? So, wow, thank you. Thank you. Josie. what's your takeaway?

Josie 1:17:57

My takeaway, my stuff that I've learned from this episode is that I've got a lot of work to do. Like, I've just, I've got so much stuff, you know. Like something like my mom said earlier about like how Heavenly Father already knows who we are. And like, that just makes me think like, if He already knows who we are, why bother at hiding it? Like, why bother hiding who we are? And like, that's something that's like pretty difficult for me to do, like with Him. Because it's like I want Him to like, see me for like the amazing Child of God, you know. Like an A + student, like, you know, like, bound for Ivy Leagues. Kind of like cure. I don't know, whatever, like cure something, you know. Lke, I want Him to see me as like something amazing, and as something profound. And I'm not saying that I'm not that. But like, but I often think that I like, the reason why I want Him to see me like that is because I don't see myself like that. And so like I can. I just need to like, agh, I don't even know how to phrase this. But like, I got to work on like letting the Savior in. Yeah.

Tammy 1:19:44

Thank you, Josie. In fact, I was thinking, "if thou hadst known" how amazing you are, Josie. "If thou hadst known" the way I see you, so, oh, gosh, that's good. My takeaways, one from each one of you. I loved it when you taught us to Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself. I've never considered that before, Jill, as your truest self. To not worry about what people think. I mean, that is right in line with getting rid of the leaven, and the hypocrisy, and just not caring, just letting it go and serving God with all of our hearts. So that was beautiful. And then Josie, when you said that He wasn't a warrior, He was a carpenter, and He knows how to fix things. That really struck me. That's what He does. He's a fixer. So thank you, you two. You're beautiful; I love you both. This was such a fun discussion, so thank you, thank you for your time and your preparation and your awesome discussion.

Josie 1:20:35

Love you, too.

Jill 1:20:37

That was so fun.

Tammy 1:20:38

I love you both.

Jill 1:20:39

Okay, thank you.

Tammy 1:20:41

Well, I would love to know what you guys learned from this discussion. So if you haven't already joined our discussion group on Facebook or Instagram, go join. It is a great place where you can share what you've learned. You can ask questions throughout the week, which is one of my favorite things when people post things they're learning and what they want to know. And then at the end of the week, on a Saturday, we usually post a question from this episode. So comment on the post that relates to this lesson and you can share your answers and thoughts. You can get to both our Facebook and Instagram by going to the show notes for this episode at LDS living.com/sunday on Monday. And if you go there, which is such a good idea, you're also going to find the links to all of the references we used as well as a transcript of this entire discussion, and a glue-in for this episode. So go check it out.

Tammy 1:21:21

The Sunday on Monday Study Group is a Deseret Bookshelf Plus original and it's brought to you by LDS Living. It's written and hosted by me, Tammy Uzelac Hall. And today our awesome study group participants were Jill and Josie Candland, and you can find more information about these friends at LDS living.com/sunday on Monday. Our podcast is produced by Cole Wissinger and me. It is edited by Hailey Higham, and recorded and mixed by Mix at Six Studios. Our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next week.

Tammy 1:21:49

And please remember, "If thou hadst known" that you are God's favorite.

Tammy 1:21:54

I love that Josie's is laughing about that.

Josie 1:21:56

The Lord's plan. That's so great.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai