This week’s readings: Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18
Don’t forget to record your impressions and read the ideas outlined in the new Come, Follow Me manuals on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Related Video
Scripture Insight
This scriptural insight comes from Verse by Verse: Volume 1 by Andrew C. Skinner and D. Kelly Ogden.
The Greek word for needle, raphis, means “a sewing needle.” In the Hebrew translation of this passage, the word hamakhat is used, which is also the ordinary word for a sewing needle. To make his point, Jesus was using a purposefully extreme exaggeration, a literary device common to Hebrew tradition called hyperbole . . . When he illustrated the difficulty for rich men to earn the blessing of celestial glory, Jesus adopted a common literary device of his time to stress the hazards and challenges of having great riches. Knowing how wealth and prosperity generally work on the human personality, Jesus could appropriately and perceptively say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Study Ideas
These ideas and topics are compiled from Come, Follow Me and have been adapted for specific situations. Check out the manuals online for more ideas, or come up with your own as you study!
For couples:
While any week is a good week to focus some study and discussion time on marriage, this week might be an especially good time as you read one of the few places Christ speaks about marriage and divorce. Depending on your personal situation, you could take this study topic a couple of different directions, from studying why marriage between a man and a woman is important, talking about what you can do to strengthen your own marriage, or taking a deeper look at what Christ is actually teaching about divorce in Matthew 19:3–9 and Mark 10:2–12. Find more resources and suggestions in Come, Follow Me.
For singles:
This week, consider focusing your study on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican. What do the two parables teach about humility? Or about the way Jesus Christ views us equally as children of God? As you think about these questions, you might evaluate judgmental attitudes you might have about different people and think of one or two ways that you can think about them more like Christ this week.
For families with young children:
In this week’s readings in Mark, we find the story of the apostles rebuking the people for bringing their children to the Savior. You might focus your family study on why Jesus Christ loves children and asks us all to be like children. You could even watch the Bible video at the beginning of this lesson help and take a minute to either bear your testimony or let your children bear theirs about Christ’s love for them.
For families with teens:
If your family discussed heavenly and earthly treasures last week, the story of the rich young man might be a complementary study topic for this week. You might talk about some of the treasures your family sacrificed or focused on this past week and talk about how it relates to the story of the rich young man. Then you could discuss how we need to not only ask the Lord what we are missing and can work on but also be prepared to act on what He tells us we need to do. Then you can challenge your family to focus their prayers on asking this question and responding to the answer.
Stay in the loop on Come, Follow Me discussions and insights throughout the week by following the Brightly Beams Instagram account, or check out this week's related Come, Follow Me FHE lesson: Then Jesus Beholding Him Loved Him.