Road to Jericho

In my home hangs a copy of a beautiful painting showing Jesus standing near a peaceful stream, holding a staff, watching over grazing sheep. I love this image, which depicts Him visually according to His parabolic self-reference as the Good Shepherd (John 10). He truly is our Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures by the still waters, and restores our souls. (Psalm 23)

The more I learn of the mortal Jesus, during His most completely documented phase, the less I see Him as He appears in much of the beautiful art and illustrations that portray a kind of staged elegance, meant to reflect the divine perfection He embodies.

Jesus wasn't a shepherd. The best idea we have of His earthly occupation was as a carpenter, the trade practiced by Joseph, his earthly step father. It may be that the word translated as carpenter is actually a more general reference as an artisan or contractor, such as a stone mason. This is not particularly important; the main idea is that Jesus never really tended sheep as far as we know. He learned about sheep and shepherds by watching.

This is only one small example of something very important I've come to realize. The more I've become acquainted with Him, the more I understand how much like us He is. He didn't get any free passes. He had to learn everything He knew. His life was hard.

Jesus walked a lot. He got tired. He got hungry, and thirsty. His feet became dirty. His brow crusted with sweaty salt. We might be surprised by seeing Him as He truly was. The power of His purpose and dauntless drive to determine His destiny may be overshadowed by how outwardly ordinary He would seem if we really saw Him during His mortal life.

I treasure the times I came to know Jesus Christ as I walked with Him on the streets and sidewalks of southern California, as His emissary. I felt close to Him there, walking beside me.

I saw many fallen by the wayside. Some I stopped to help. Others I passed by, in favor of "more important" things already scheduled.

I encourage you to read Luke 10: 25-37. Feel free to do it again if you've recently reviewed it.

One of the times I read that story, something impressed me about the way He says it was "a certain" man who fell among the thieves. In that reading, this phrase clearly suggested to my mind that Jesus knew who it was, and that it was not a parable only. Then, a moment of stunning conjecture. Was Jesus the man in the story who was beaten by robbers, and helped by the Samaritan?

The truth is, I don't know. I do not positively assert such. But that question has led me to many uplifting ponderings.

Others of Jesus's comments and teachings, and incidents regarding Samaritans are more interesting for me to ponder as I consider the possibility that it was Jesus who was helped. It would have certainly been quite a teaching moment for Him had this been so. What clearer method could the Father have devised to give Jesus a powerful conviction of the worth of every soul? How direct would be the lesson on the indispensable necessity for personal righteousness, and how easily it supersedes claims of divine favor made on the basis of race, culture or national pride! It is my personal belief that someone closely known to the Savior was the man in the story, and that the account records a literal reality. I believe it is not only a parable illustrating an extreme love that supersedes cultural expectations or traditional propriety. I think it really happened.

Jesus's powers of discernment by His sinless state allowed Him freer access to the truth by the power of the Holy Ghost. This would allow such knowledge to be given without direct experience, but I think our Father in Heaven mainly operates by letting us discover truth by our everyday experiences, as far as direct revelation from Him is not necessary to gain such knowledge. He teaches us constantly, which may or may not involve speaking directly. He delights in showing, more than in telling.

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Consider this insight from Alma, an ancient prophet and teacher in the Book of Mormon:

"But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.

And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."

Alma 7: 9-13, emphasis added

That's Alma's testimony, and I share in it. Jesus could have learned by revelation how we feel when we sin and cut ourselves off from our Father's sustaining presence. He could have learned from the Holy Ghost what all our pains, sicknesses, and every other imaginable infirmity feels like. Nevertheless, He willingly experienced each of them, "according to the flesh." More than merely knowing, He really understands.

Unlike the rest of us, even those who have experienced similar events, and say they know how you feel, He is the only other person ever to live who really knows what it is like to truly experience what you endure. He knows exactly what it is like. He is able to offer a unique kind of empathetic help, since He has already descended below all things and has overcome the world. Seek to know how He overcame your specific challenge. He has actually walked your path before. He will kindly share insights with you as you draw closer to Him by learning of Him and emulating His example.

Being a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," (Isaiah 53: 3) by coming to know pains, afflictions and temptations of every kind occupied His whole life, in addition to the infinite Atonement He worked out during His last few days among us on Earth. He had passed through a veil that removed from Him the memory of His premortal identity, exalted standing, and creative history. He was born as we were, needing everything to be provided for Him. He grew up as others do. He learned to follow God and to fulfill His unique mission by study, by faith, by prayer, and by righteous teachers who helped Him become who He needed to be. We are the same. (See Mark 14: 36 — If Jesus was omniscient during His mortal life, He wouldn't have asked His Father to work out some other way to Atonement. He would have known that His personal suffering was the only way it could be done. He knew He was to be the Savior, but He didn't know all the details of how it would be accomplished.)

Take time to notice how the Lord teaches you. You speak a unique language, which is perfectly known to God. He is fluent in your peculiar way of thinking and speaking. As I've sought to hear Him, He has shared wonderful things with me. Most of the time, these moments happen while alone, studying His words.

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Another story of Jericho holds an important takeaway for you. This one's in Luke, chapter 19.

Like Zacchaeus, you may find yourself struggling among the crowd, yearning to see the Savior, wondering if He notices you. I assure you that He does notice you. He sees you. He knows your name. He wants to visit you in your house. He wants to share His joy with you, even if you're misunderstood, overlooked, or even reviled by others. He recognizes you. Don't be afraid to climb a tree of repentance to reach above the world. This kind of repentance is more about abandoning harmful attitudes, traditions, and other limitations placed upon us as a group by our cultural misgivings, and less about your individual sins.

As I've taken intentional steps to repent by reducing the amount of secular screaming I hear, I've become much better able to hear the voice of God. Turn off the TV. Get away from your social media accounts. Rise above the world. Refuse to believe that some group of "others," some opposing political tribe or ideological identifier, is causing you to be miserable. Take responsibility for the kinds of worldly media you consume. You may be surprised to learn that the voices you hear convincing you to be anxious, edgy and defensive about those "other" voices in the world, might really be the only voices causing you to feel that way.

I've learned to be careful of who I give my attention, whether they call themself by one particular ideologic label or another.

Are there real evil forces in the world? YES. I'm not saying it's best to bury your head in the sand. It's so easy just to hear the negative—the negative in the world, and the negative in my encouragements to forsake the world. In all my dislike of social media and so-called "news," I have a powerful positive antidote:

Truly listen to people.

I've found that authentic conversations, if you can achieve them, defy the imposed expectations and prejudice of having any certain label attached to a person by being a member of one group or another. Just because someone believes in some idea or policy, does not allow you to responsibly assume other things about them. Get to know them. Talk with them. Most people truly want to be happy. Most people truly want to help make the world a better place. Some are actively using the best ideas they have to bring this about. Some of these ideas are harmful to individuals, communities, and to our society. This doesn't mean the people advocating for them are themselves actually acting out of a malicious vision for the future. All of us are led "as a sheep before shearers." (Isaiah 53: 7) Some of us just have better shepherds to follow than those others have been offered, or have chosen. Most people are trying to do what they think is right. Remember Saul, on another road, his leading toward Damascus. He really thought he was right. The Lord helped him see differently, and channel his passion into righteous work for good. (Acts 8-9)

There are some few who just want to watch the world burn. The vast majority, however, are simply doing the best they can with what they have. Let them add to the good you have. Add to the good they have. Deemphasize divisive differences when talking with people. Of course, continue to firmly reject false teachings from your own life, including the belief that there is only darkness in the world. Be a peacemaker, not the world's idea of a peacekeeper.

See for yourself how much good is in the world.

Walk the road to Jericho.

"And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:

For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

Luke 10: 23-24

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See also:

Your Jericho Road, by Thomas S. Monson

Adversity, by Henry B. Eyring

Peacemakers Needed, by Russell M. Nelson

Welcome to the 24/7 Anxiety Machine, by William Wynne