This week in my New Testament class we went through many different events and interactions with Christ. The first of which being the interaction between Christ and many of His followers in explaining the sacrament in John chapter 6. Christ tells the people, "I am the bread of life." To which their response seems unsettled and confused. The people of this time took everything very literally and so when Christ was explaining the sacrament in a symbolic way, many of His original followers left Him because they found this message very unsettling and weird. I think that sometimes we tend to do the same thing because we are impatient with revelation the Lord reveals through His prophets. If these people had taken the time to think about what Christ was saying or even asked Him to explain, they would've understood the meaning behind his words and continued to follow Him faithfully. 

We also discussed the story of Christ's interaction with the Canaanite woman which can seem a bit weird upon first reading it. This woman comes to Christ asking Him to heal her daughter to which His reply is essentially silence. He then responds to her request with a no. Finally, the third time she asks, he responds with a yes. This is a powerful lesson because it can teach us the way that Christ will answer our prayers. It also teaches us patience in His timing and His will for our lives. 

Mostly this week I've learned about the peace and assurance that Christ gives. I've had very high demands and expectations both in work, school, and socially this past week. All of which leaving me with thoughts of discouragement and self-doubt. However, when I am feeling down on myself or my situation, and I know that I can always look to Christ because He is my shepherd and He has the power to interact with me just as He did with the people He was around during His time on Earth. I am so grateful for Him and I love Him very much.

In Luke chapter 15, Christ gives three parables of the "lost and found". This week in class we discussed the similarities and differences between all three and how each one of them relate to our lives. The first parable is of the lost sheep. Christ tells of a shepherd having 100 sheep. When one of them wanders away from the rest of the herd, the shepherd "leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it."(v. 4). Each one of us have experienced this parable in one way or another. It can be quite easy to get caught up in things that draw our attention away from Christ and His gospel. When this happens, we may find ourselves afar off in the wilderness away from the other sheep. However, Christ will do all within His power to bring us back home. He is our good shepherd and can "layeth [us] on his shoulders, rejoicing." (v. 5), if we choose to accept Him and His invitation to come. The second parable is about a woman with 10 pieces of silver. Upon losing one piece, she " light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it." (v. 8). In this parable, the coin is lost out of neglect and needs to be sought out in order to recollect with the rest. This may symbolize those who've left the church out of feelings of loneliness or hurt feelings. It is many times the case that we are the woman who neglected the coin and need to take action to seek the one out and bring them back home. The third parable is about a prodigal son who chooses to rebel against his father. However, when he realizes that he needs help he returns to his father and they rejoice together. Often times, we are also like this son who actively choose to rebel against our Heavnenly Father and His commandments, however he will always be watching and waiting for us to return.

In my New Testament class this week we discussed several of Christ's performed miracles. In Mark : 23 a man named Jairus comes to Christ and pleads with him to heal his little daughter who is gravely ill. As Christ and His disciples travel to Jairus's house to heal his daughter, a woman with an issue of blood of 12 years touches Christ's clothing because she has faith that if she does so she may be healed. Christ takes the time to interact with this woman and in verse 34 He tells the woman, "Daughter, be of good comfort; they faith hath made thee whole." From this point on the woman is healed both physically and spiritually. As this happens Jairus is informed that his daughter has just died. I'm sure that Jairus had to apply a lot of patience as Christ stopped to heal this woman, knowing that his daughter was dying quickly. Christ turns to Jairus and says , "Be not afraid, only believe." This line is so powerful to me because I can also find myself getting impatient with the Lord's timing and with this feeling of impatience comes uneasiness and fear. However, Christ has the power to do all things. He goes to Jairus' house and heals his daughter. She immediately rises and is made whole again. As we have faith and patience in promised blessings we too will be able to witness mighty miracles in our lives.

In Matthew 5 Christ gives the Sermon on the Mount where he lists the "Beatitudes". Previously, I've thought of the beatitudes as simply a linear list of characteristics and resulting blessings. I imagined groups of people in each category and wondered which group I personally belonged to. However, after studying this chapter in my New Testament class this week, I see this list differently. As we treat the beatitudes like a spiral staircase, the preceding trait giving rise to the next, we realize that we don't belong only to one or two groups of people that Christ is describing, but rather all groups. We can recognize the need for the previous listed step in order to achieve the next. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This trait defines a recognition of one's imperfection and gap between God and man. This act gives rise to mourning, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Upon recognizing this seemingly infinite gap, we feel sorrow. We see that Heavenly Father possess qualities which we hope for but have not yet achieved. This leads us to humble ourselves, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Upon feeling such sorrow, we understand that only through God's will, can we become like Him. We decide to submit our desires and passions to Him. And so on and so forth. The list begins to paint the picture of a large spiral staircase we are all ascending toward our heavenly home. I love the idea that this sermon is not meant to be linear in nature but rather cyclic and a means of progression because that is essentially what God's plan is all about. He wants us to re-learn and apply old things in new situations. And that is what I love about Him; He does not see us for who we are but rather who we are becoming and what direction we are headed.