If there was any of the fives senses I would not want to lose, it would be sight. I think it would be so hard! Imagine never knowing what colors were. Faces. The sky. Buildings.
In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man.
Imagine you're the one who's blind and you're standing outside of the temple. The rest of your senses are heightened to try and compensate the loss of your sight. So, as you are standing there, you can sense someone coming up to you. Then you hear that person spit onto the ground.
Maybe that's a little rude, spitting at you at stuff. I mean, you're blind.
Not only that, but you hear them pick up the clay that they have now created.
Personally, I would be worried they were going to throw it at me.
Not this guy though, he doesn't react.
He just stands there as Jesus comes closer and puts the smushed clay onto his blind eyes. Not only that, but he then tells the blind man to wash in the Silom pool...the furthest pool of water from the temple AND there were many, many steps. That's a tough journey for a blind guy.
Jesus is going to make you work for your salvation. That's how it's always been.
So after this miracle of the blind man washing and receiving his vision, the Pharisees decide to question him.
First of all, this man was healed on the Sabbath day. This is a big no, no to the Pharisees. How could someone who did this kind of work on the Sabbath be the son of God?
Jesus was a sinner for spitting on the ground during the Sabbath. He could not perform miracles.
Again and again these outside forces were questioning this blind man's faith and this miracle. However, his testimony was only strengthened.
A lot of the time, we think that outside forces will try and tempt us to lose faith in our testimony. Outside pressure isn't what causes our faith to shake, it's internal doubt.
If you know, and I mean really know something to be true, you are not going to abandon that truth.
If anything, those outside pressures are going to solidify what is true to you.
If you are already doubting what is being questioned, you'll begin to lose it.
As Elder Holland so boldly stated, "Be true to the faith you do have."
Transitioning to Luke 10 -the story of Mary and Martha-
As a woman, this story has always bugged me.
How was it all fair that Mary was considered the better part, when Martha was busy trying to make everything comfortable and pleasing to the Lord?
I mean, wasn't Martha being the better hostess? Isn't that how we are supposed to be? Doing something?!?
Then, in Sunday school we were told that it was more important to be listening to the Lord's word.
This was still unsettling to me.
It wasn't until my New Testament class that things made a little more sense to me.
Let's pretend to be Mary for a moment.
In verse 40, Martha says "Lord, dost though not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me."
Okay.
Totally awkward.
Oops! I probably should be helping my sister.
She probably feels totally embarrassed. I would.
But remember that Jesus never congratulates the condoner. He never says to the Pharisees, Scribes or Saducees, Oh, you're right. So-and-so, go and do this.
Nope.
So when Martha points a finger at Mary, Jesus doesn't tell her she is right.
What if Jesus was telling Martha to be Martha and let Mary be Mary.
We aren't all the same person. We have different strengths and do different things.
I know I'm extremely guilty of this. I get frustrated when people aren't doing what I'm doing.
I know what I'm doing is the right thing, so why can't they be like me?!
Because not everyone is me.
No one is me, but me.
Mary and Martha were both doing good things. The chastising came when one of them pointed a finger at the other telling them to be different.
I feel much better looking at it this way. The focus shouldn't be trying to better other people, but to better yourself.
Being different isn't a bad thing.
Focus on your own strengths and weaknesses, not others.
Don't forget to be awesome!
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