I HAVE COME TO SAVE

 

The three years of the Saviour’s ministry would have been the most physically taxing years of His life. Imagine traversing the vast area of Galilee and Judea on foot and such primitive transport as donkeys. Add to that, being continuously thronged by people so that He was hard pressed for time to eat and sleep.

 

A week prior to His death, Jesus communed daily between the town of Bethany, where He lodged, and the temple in Jerusalem. On one such day, He passed with His apostles a village near the Mount of Olives, called Bethphage (Matthew 21:1), which means ‘house of figs’ (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 526). Being hungry, Jesus approached a fig tree full of leafage but found no fruit on it. The tree, with all its showy leaves, was deceptively barren, much like the religion of Israel that had degenerated into pretentious show and hypocrisy yielding no fruit. Jesus cursed the tree and it withered immediately (Matthew 21:19). To the astonishment of the Twelve, He delivered a lesson on faith, the medium of all miracles (v 21,22). 

 

Here is something very interesting about the barren fig tree. Up to this moment, the Saviour’s power was only used to heal, restore, and build up but now He demonstrated His power to smite and destroy. Imagine how the Twelve felt when just a few days later they saw Him in the hands of His blood thirsty enemies. If He could smite the fig tree, how much more could He have done to them? Instead Jesus chose to climb the hill of Calvary and submitted to the gruesome treatment of Golgotha’s atrocities. And here is a little story that says why. Whilst traveling toward Jerusalem from Galilee, Jesus and the Twelve passed through Samaria and requested hospitality from one village, which was denied. The zealous ‘Sons of Thunder’ (John and James) asked Jesus if they should call fire down from heaven to consume the offenders. Jesus forbade them by saying: “For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56). And this He would do at any cost, with heart, body and soul, surrendering His power, and voluntarily laying down His life that He might save every one of us, in every way.

 

You did not falter

As you carried me up Calvary’s hill,

Golgotha had no claim on Thee.

I sit now, light upon Thy shoulders,

As you carry me into eternity. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Light Upon His Shoulders by Yongsung Kim)

THE WORTH OF A SOUL

  

 

When God the Father showed Enoch His corrupted children that would be swept away in the flood, He wept at the loss (Moses 7:28). Enoch was beyond perplexed when he considered that God would sorrow over a ‘handful’ of His children compared to the immensity of His creations (v 29-31). The Father simply answered that these His children were ‘the workmanship” of His own hands (v 32). The dictionary defines ‘workmanship’ as ‘the product or result of labour and skill, or work executed’. 

 

When I was bringing up my two children some 20 years ago, it was estimated by the Australian Government, that it cost $180,000 to raise a child to the age of 18. When you consider the cost of food, clothing, housing, medication and all living expenses, it seems plausible. But what of the mental and emotional expenditure? How can we put a price to worry, protection, care during sickness, guidance, teaching moments….??? 

 

We are told the worth of a soul is great in the eyes of God (D&C 17:10). What does that exactly mean? Does it mean our worth is great simply because we are the offspring of Deity who loves us? Well, it would seem there is more to it than that. If ‘workmanship’ insinuates investment of labour and skill, the worth cannot be purely in the birth alone. To arrive at the estimate of the worth, consider all the ‘work’ that went into the making of YOU: 1. Your spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Your spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for your mortality; 4. Overseeing of your earthly tutoring; 5. Preparation of kingdoms for your eternal destination; 6. The redemption of your soul through sacrifice of another. Now think of the scale of guidance, protection, care, overseeing, anguish and sorrow of your Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, your guardian angels, your ancestors, your departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know you….what price would you put to all that??? I know two things:  the price would be higher than we can possibly imagine;  and I know who paid it. 

 

Surely for a God to be impaled upon a cross to suffer the agonies of humanity is the crescendo of all the work invested in our souls. The Atonement is the crowning glory of the work that has gone into you and me. All the  prior work that had been put into us would be in vain if there was no Atonement, and even more importantly, there would be no future for any of us, and the future is what counts, because it ensures our rightful place in the eternal scheme of things. It completes the Plan, it ensures the success of the Plan, it validates the ‘workmanship’ and preserves its value. So with all the labour, material, and struggle that has gone into your creation and development, how much do you think your soul is worth?

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Though Your Sins Be As Scarlet by Greg Collins)

(For further understanding of this concept, see The Mortal Messiah by Bruce R. McConkie, p 49)

PERFECTION PERSONIFIED

 

There lived in the town of Bethany, two miles east of Jerusalem, two sisters by the name of Martha and Mary. They and their brother Lazarus were three of the most intimate friends Jesus had on earth. Because of them, Bethany was a place of refuge for one so widely misunderstood, unaccepted and ultimately rejected. Imagine what restraint Jesus had to exercise not to rush to this town after He received this devastating news from the two sisters: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick” (John 11:3). The restraint would have been difficult knowing He could spare the sorrow and anguish of the sisters He loved by healing their brother. Nevertheless, it was exercised because Lazarus was destined to be a part of the Saviour’s ultimate miracle which would glorify Him and solidify the testimony of His divinity in the hearts of the believers. The miracle of bringing Lazarus back from death was one through which Jesus would prove that He was ‘the resurrection and the life’ (v 23). 

 

Now consider this….. He, who knew that Lazarus was dead without receiving news of his death (v 11-14) could have known also where he was laid, yet when He arrived in Bethany, He enquired as to the location (v 34); He who calmed the sea of Galilee could have easily by His word removed the stone of the sepulchre but instead He asked others to do it (v 39); He who could reunite spirit and body could also have freed bound Lazarus from the graveclothes by His word but instead He requested those present to do so (v 44). The Saviour was never about showmanship because He was devoid of pride. In no instance of His life, did He unnecessarily use the superhuman powers He possessed. His divine energy was only ever used as a testament of His divinity and for the benefit of others. The balance between His divine Sonship with all its inherent powers and His humility is beyond admiration. The perfection of His character is transparent in all holy writ but most obvious in the New Testament through which we get but a fraction of His mortal life (John 21:25). Through this most spiritually charged record we see: the man, the dedicated Son, the Saviour, the Redeemer, the God….we see perfection personified. 

 

The raising of Lazarus from death was a nail in the Saviour’s coffin. From then on He was destined for the cross (John 11:53). The cross that would herald to the world, and not just the plains of Judea: “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (v 25). 

 

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: I Am the Resurrection by Liz Lemon Swindle)

UNITY OF FAITH

 

 

She was a Greek woman from Tyre. A Canaanite of pagan birth held in derision by the Jews. She came seeking Jesus, a man of many miracles who had the power to heal. And so she came and begged the Master whose reputation of compassion spread through all of Galilee and the coasts of Tyre. Her relentless pleading pressed upon Jesus to heal her daughter who was ‘vexed with a devil’ (Matthew 15:22). And then this: she called Him ‘the son of David’. She, with not a drop of Jewish blood in her veins, a pure Gentile, knew what that meant….He was the Messiah of Israel. She, however, was ‘the dog that ate the crumbs off the children’s tables’ (Matthew 15:22-28). And this she humbly accepted because she was not of the ‘chosen race’. And so because of Her humility and her undaunted faith, the great Lord of Israel granted her heart’s desire and her daughter was healed ‘from that very hour’ (Matthew 15:28).

 

I was born and raised in Croatia. When I was a youth I moved with my family to Australia where I joined the Church some 40 years ago. For most of these years I felt disadvantaged because I had not been born as a child of the covenant, in Utah, to goodly parents. I felt I was not, so to speak, of a ‘chosen race’. I wondered why I did not qualify for that privilege. In time, however, that became less important and belonging to the household of faith came to mean so much more. As I have yielded my heart to God these 40 years, I have been given a  remembrance of my eternal identity. I carry with me every day a strong sense of who I really am and have always been. I have no words to explain it. With this awareness has come a strong understanding of myself as a woman of faith. Now it matters less where I was place in this life and more that I am like the woman from Tyre who became, through her faith, a part of the ‘chosen race’. 

 

The Saviour unites us from the four corners of the earth through our faith in Him and His saving power. Because of Him all races, nationalities and cultures are one through salvation in His name. He is the validator of all souls, the lifter of all hearts, the succor of the weak, the rewarder of the strong, the unifier of us all. 

 

Thy love burns within us ever so bright

We bear Thy holy name

And in Thee unite

through Gospel’s everlasting light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Hope of the World by Greg Collins)

 

THE WILLING HEART OF THE SHEPHERD

 

How dear to the heart of the Shepherd

Is the flock of His sheep!

With tenderness and love

He watches over those in His keep.

How much do they love their Shepherd!

How closely they stay by His side,

With every footstep they follow

To forever with Him abide.

“….I lay down my life for the sheep…..No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of myself…” John 10:15, 18). How deeply significant is the operative word here which is ‘lay’. From God the Father, Jesus inherited the power of immortality, the power to live forever. An immortal being cannot die a natural death and neither can someone else take his life from him. As an immortal being Jesus was immune to death with the exception that He willed it and allowed it. How much this says about the Saviour who never had to experience death but willed Himself to die for the eternal welfare of us, His sheep!!! It takes the willingness to die to another level, does it not??? Cherish your beating heart, you were worth it…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art by Yongsung Kim)

(For further understanding of this concept see “Jesus the Christ” by James Talmage, p 418 and “The Mortal Messiah Book 3” by Bruce R McConkie, p 216-217)

THE WEIGHT OF THE CROSS

 

I carried my cross to the foot of Calvary,

While you carried yours to the top.

I cried bitter tears over the injustices of my life,

While you bled valiantly for all that was lost.

I carried my hurts like a badge

So scornfully proud and spiritually poor,

While you rose to the heights of your exalted throne:

Perfected, ennobled and infinitely more.

You are so high

And I am so low;

I consent to climb to Calvary’s top,

I consent to be lifted to Thy throne.

 

 

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The Saviour’s mandate to the true followers of Christ to deny themselves and be like Him, takes His gospel of obedience to the next level. 

 

Prior to this reference to individual cross, the Saviour spoke to His apostles of His imminent death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22; Mark 8:31). Not fully understanding Christ’s mission of redemption, Peter was outraged to hear such talk and began to rebuke Jesus saying, “Lord, this shall not be unto thee” (Matt 16:22,23). Being wounded by the suggestion of His unfaithfulness to Father’s trust of Him to fulfil His earthly purpose, the Saviour’s reply to Peter was forceful and suggestive of Satan’s temptation to evade the sacrifice and suffering that lay before Him (see Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 364). It was unthinkable to the Saviour that He would not take up His cross and carry it to Calvary. This speaks volumes of His character and integrity, does it not?

 

I have contemplated a lot about something I have noticed this year during my study of the New Testament. The Saviour’s focus on His mission to atone for us and to bring honour and glory to the Father has at times left me breathless and in awe of this man we call Jesus who has become our Saviour, our God and our King. This, above all of His examples He has given us, should be the greatest. Whether our cross is one of denial of appetites and passions and worldly pursuits; or one of avoidance of obedience and good works, that we find difficult to do, our cross should be strapped to our backs every day, never losing focus, to the end of our destination.  If we, unlike the Saviour, fail to carry our cross to the foot of Calvary, He will not help us walk the rest of the way to the top. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Crucifixion by Liz Lemon Swindle)

THE POWER OF ENDURANCE

 

I am amazed at the Saviour’s resistance to many temptations He encountered in mortality to invoke His godship so He could be worshipped for who He truly is. I consider this His greatest trial second only to His Atonement. Consider just three examples:

 

1.     Whilst in the wilderness being tested, the adversary tempted Him to cast Himself off the pinnacle of the temple. How easy it would have been to prove His divinity to the throngs of worshippers below if He had cast Himself down and allowed the angels to save Him. What proof that would have been that He was the Son of God! What a beginning to His ministry it would be have been if people could have seen immediately who He truly was. They would have flocked to Him accepting Him as the awaited Messiah. Seductive as the temptation was, He resisted. (Matthew 4:5-7)

2.     The miracle of feeding 5,000 produced a profound impression upon the masses who saw in Him the awaited Prophet like Moses who would feed them manna from heaven. Not only could He feed them like Moses, but He could also deliver them like Moses. Their recognition of the King that stood before them fanned the fire of the Messianic prophecy.  All the Saviour had to do is take up the sword against the Romans and defeat them with not only the Jews who were ready for the uprising but with His legions of angels. He could have there and then sat on the throne of David as the rightful king that He was. This the Saviour resisted to do. (John 6:3-15)

3.     With the hour of His immense suffering approaching, the ruling class of the people who sought to kill Him demanded He produce a sign from heaven to prove that He was the Son of God. Once again, how easy that would have been for Him to do so and avoid going through the worst suffering imaginable. How easy it would have been to instead assume His role as the God of this earth and all the earths He had created. (Matthew 16:2-3; Mark 8:12)

 

The Saviour was completely devoid of pride and focused entirely on the one true thing that could ennoble His godship, His Atonement. Nothing else mattered. Enduring to the end was the ultimate act that would glorify Him and His name. So it is with us, whether we are here simply to be proven worthy of our final destination or to achieve something of great significance on the way, we must not be derailed because the reward is only in endurance. Endurance is power and that power is in Christ. By virtue of our discipleship we have access to that power. The crown awaits for all who desire it, pray for it and work for it. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Lion of Righteousness by Greg Collins)