3 Nephi 17

(Marci-red; Kathy-green) orange 7/21 Brown 2022-23

Chapter 17

Jesus directs the people to ponder His words and pray for understanding—He heals their sick—He prays for the people, using language that cannot be written—Angels minister to and fire encircles their little ones. About A.D. 34."

  1 Behold, now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked round about again on the multitude, and he said unto them: Behold, my ^atime is at hand. He's saying it's time to return to the Father. I'm assuming He's receiving communication from Him that it's time to go; something He needs Him to do...Also noticing that "he looked around about" meaning He took time to notice; to look in order to discern. The footnote says this refers to it being time to go show himself to the lost tribes or remaining “other sheep”.
  2 I ^aperceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot ^bunderstand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Christ is still ministering to them by speaking the words that the Father is commanding Him to speak. He's still doing the Father's will, even though He is a God and one with the Father and His own will is the same as the Father's. He still calls it the Father's will and not His own. This is such a great teaching and example for us to follow. Complete submission and complete deference to the Father for all glory, and honor. Also, I think He is teaching that one part of successful ministering is "perceiving by the spirit" the condition and needs of others. This is what he said after “looking” upon the multitude. Sometimes, the words we say or the things we do in behalf of others, might not be understood or appreciated, but we still must do and say what we feel impressed to, hoping that it may plant some seeds, and that those we minister to will remember our words and ponder them, for their betterment. Also wondering if not being able to understand is a sign of weakness. If so...we are all in a constant state of weakness, for who understands completely all the revealed word of the Lord? Seems like He's saying that they don't understand what He's already said. But could mean He has more to say, but they won't understand it, so they need some time...
  3 Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ^aponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the ^cmorrow, and I come unto you again. We should do this each Sunday/Conference - prepare our minds to receive before we go and then return home and ponder what we've heard (both from people and the Spirit) and pray for understanding. We can also do this with others. We can ask them if they've understood what we've said. If we've shared testimony of something, we can ask them to pray about it. Let's look at the pattern here:
1. Go home - the assumption is that you will be with others; discuss. Also, the home is a sacred place.
2. Ponder on what was given to you already. This prepares you to receive understanding.
3. Ask the Father in the name of Christ for understanding - we are being given what to pray for, so we can pray with perfect faith that it will be given, or we would not be told to pray for it. 
4. Prepare your mind for next time. Christ will come to you again. You might think pondering and praying for understanding of the last visit would be enough preparation for the next one. But it doesn't seem to be. What would new preparation look like? Repentance? More questions? Gratitude?
5. Receive more from Christ directly.
I wonder if He’s saying that after you ponder and pray that Christ comes and explains what you don’t understand? Not that if you go home and ponder and pray that the Father explains things to you and then Christ comes to give you more? Could be either/both... If you apply this to the scriptures, we are being taught to read and then ponder and pray that we may understand and then read again.
 4 But now I ^ago unto the Father, and also to ^bshow myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not ^clost unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them. Even though there are people all over the earth of each of the 12 tribes, they are scattered. There must be a gathered group of each of the 10 tribes for Jesus to go to them as he did the Nephites. It doesn't mean there have to be a lot of them. This group was relatively small too, but it must mean they are living together. I wonder where they are? Christ has so many to minister to--people who know of Him and believe in Him--and He states that He will go visit those who have never seen him, of the other 'lost' tribes, who are not lost to Him or Father. It almost sounds like Jesus doesn't know where the lost tribes are and that He has to go ask the Father where to go...
  5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were ^ain tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them. How could you not feel this way? A sign that He had truly ministered to them and their needs. Notice Jesus looks at them again to see how they are responding to what He said. What do you think the tears were saying? Were they tears of gratitude? love? worry? And notice that He always seems to be “noticing” them...paying attention to how they feel, how they receive what he says. How many times do we “check in” with people” after we talk to them to see how they feel and what they understand or if they understood?
  6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you. Compassion is key. Someone coined the phrase, "First observe, then serve." I would say it like this: "First observe, then feel compassion, then serve." We can notice needs, like the first two in the story of the Good Samaritan, and walk right on by. We must notice and then feel compassion. Then we will serve out of love and not duty. 
  7 Have ye any that are ^asick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or ^bleprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal  them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy. Surely these people had heard the prophesies of Christ and his miraculous healings. Is this why they had longed for Him to tarry? Is the Savior teaching that when we feel compassion, we see needs and desire to lift burdens? Pray for mercy when you seek healing. Notice that while he listed specific infirmities, he allowed for any manner of affliction. This would include mental health issues, casting out demons, and the spirits of jealousy, envy and strife. How do we need to feel or what do we need to say to have Christ feel this kind of compassion for us that he wants to heal us of everything? and grant us our hearts desires? All we know is that they “looked steadfastly upon Him” in tears, hoping that He would stay with them longer. Is there a key there? Do we “remember Him always” (look steadfastly upon Him) to the point that we are in tears when we think about His Spirit not being with us? Do we understand that feeling of safety and security when He is with us to the point that we are a little fearful about how we’ll survive if He leaves us? There is something really important here in this teaching...
  8 For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your ^afaith is ^bsufficient that I should heal you. Clearly Christ has power to heal every affliction, but He seems to be restrained if our faith is not sufficient. How do we know if it is sufficient? Many prayers of faith are offered for healing that do not seem to be granted. For a wonderful perspective on this, watch this devotional by Jeff McClellan:)

They really want Him to stay longer, so He concedes, and even greater, more marvelous things transpire, as He tells them to bring their sick and afflicted, and He promises to heal them all. I can't wait for this to happen when Christ comes again. I will bring my blind mother to Him, if she's still with us, for Him to touch and make her see again.(Kathy's mother passed away in 2021. Truly, she can now see)
  9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their ^ablind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him. When the Lord says, "come" we should run! How could you have the God of the universe stand before you and not want to run to Him for healing! No one is excluded.
 10 And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did ^akiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears. We can be whole. There must have been some in the group who were healthy in body and mind. How did they protect themselves from affliction of every kind? Their love for Him is replete, as He again, does for them what they cannot do themselves--be healed.  Even though Christ's power is far above anything we can do, we can still offer those in our sphere of influence, our talents and gifts, to help bless them.
 11 And it came to pass that he commanded that their ^alittle children should be brought. I don't know if it's significant, but it says "should be brought" instead of "send". The picture is that of adults bringing children instead of children being sent. Were the children timid? Did they know what was happening? Would it be harder for adults to approach the Savior, knowing who He was? Would they feel unworthy? Was it an act of faith to bring the children instead of sending them? I think the children would have suffered so much trauma having gone through the destruction that preceded this. 
 12 So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him. Not one is excluded or left out!
 13 And it came to pass that when they had all been brought, and Jesus stood in the midst, 2nd time saying he was "in the midst". Jesus is the center! he commanded the multitude that they should ^akneel down upon the groung. Kneeling is a posture of reverence. Is He asking them to look with reverence on their own children? Or was it for about what they were going to witness? Or to prepare for what was coming? Is there something important about kneeling when we pray? He commands that all the little ones be brought up to Him and set around Him on the ground, and then tells them to kneel down. Even though there is a large mass of people, this seems like such an intimate thing--your child, your grandchild is sitting at the feet of the Savior!
 14 And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am ^atroubled because of the    wickedness of the people of the house of Israel. Christ's first thing that He says to Father is that He's troubled by the wickedness of the House of Israel--that's us.  I don't want to be a cause of concern for Him. These people were of the House of Israel. Was he troubled by their wickedness? Was He thinking of the wickedness of others? Why would He think about that right now in the midst of the little children? Was He thinking about how they all started innocent like these little children but had been corrupted by the devil? Was He worried about these innocents?  We know that all the wicked and their children were destroyed in the Flood in Noah’s day because the children had no chance to choose righteousness because of the wickedness of the adults. We think. We forget all those children will received the Celestial Kingdom. Is this part of what Jesus was thinking when He said this surrounded by these children? Generational iniquity is such a curse for children...
 15 And when he had said these words, he himself also ^aknelt upon the earth; and behold he ^bprayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him. If Jesus kneels to pray to the Father, how much more need have we to kneel before Him? 
 16 And after this manner do they bear record: The ^aeye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
 17 And no ^atongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.  The things that He said to Father were so sacred, they couldn't be recorded, and then a remarkable observance: "The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father; And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak;"--3 times, it refers to SEEING things as Jesus prayed.  I have pondered if this was vision of the Heavenly realm, vision of future and past world events, at the sound of His voice, did things open up to the eyes of their understanding about themselves? At the end of verse 17, it does say "and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father."
 18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the ^ajoy of the multitude that they were  overcome.Jesus knelt for His entire prayer. Another example of joy being so great as to overpower you.
 19 And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.
 20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And ^anow behold, my joy is full. Jesus just prayed because He was troubled but by the end of the prayer His joy was full. What was the difference?  Was it about the prayer or just seeing the faith of those present? Understandably, after Jesus arose, they were still so overcome, they remained on their knees, and He had to bid them rise. He was also aware of their faith, which pleased Him. Maybe His joy was full because the Father had told Him that His prayer for the children would be answered and the following gifts would be given them...
 21 And when he had said these words, he ^awept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and ^bblessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. We minister one by one. We bless others one by one. We pray for them one by one. What protection to be blessed by God Himself! Was His joy full because He saw the faith of their parents and knew they would be safe and not corrupted? 
 22 And when he had done this he wept again; When I picture the Savior weeping I think of when he said, “O Jerusalem, how oft would I have gather you, but ye would not”...It must break His heart to have suffered so much and still be rejected.
 23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
 24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and ^aencircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them. What did that look like? How did they minister? As we minister, we can also gather others and 'encircle' those we are ministering to. 
 25 And the multitude did see and ^ahear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children. This can be a pattern in our ministering. We see. We hear. We bear record. This is my favorite part of scripture, where Jesus took the time to minister one by one, to each of the little ones, visiting with and blessing each one. Then the continued glory of this marvelous event happens as the heavens open and angels come down and surround the children with fire, and also minister to them, as a second witness to each person present, of the majesty of this experience. I am pretty sure we're in for a similar spectacular experience when He comes again. If we're living, we'll see it through mortal eyes, and if we are in the next realm, and we've lived righteously, maybe we will have the opportunity to see it as we come down and encircle the little ones with fire! What great things we have to anticipate!!! I will always wonder how they got to be chosen in the pre-existence to be these special children. A thought that is just coming to me, is that these children just lived through a terrifying destruction and darkness. Perhaps this miracle for them was in accordance with the law of opposition. If they had to live through such destruction and fear, then God would not match that, but exceed it with His love and mercy and healing and light. Little children don't know how to process such trauma. Perhaps that is what the Savior was perceiving that moved Him to tears. He had just healed all the physical wounds, but what about the unspoken, even not understood wounds of trauma upon the children...Will this play out again with His Second Coming? Certainly children will have endured much trauma...