The Good Shepherd and His Daughters

This is the talk I gave in Sacrament on Mothers’ Day.

The Good Shepherd and His Daughters

In Mosiah 18 we read:

8 ...as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death...

10 ...ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you.

On this day intended to bestow honor many women and men think of their interactions with their mothers, daughters, sisters, friends or children with sorrow, grief,  pain, and shame. All too often the sermons intended to lift and fortify our sisters increase the weight of spiritual and social burdens on women as Satan whispers "you are not enough." I have often left a Mother's Day sacrament meeting feeling broken instead of healed. Today as we reflect on mothers, motherhood, and womanhood the desire of my heart is that we will ponder how we can share our burdens, mourn with our sisters and brothers, provide comfort, and exemplify Christ in our interactions with His daughters. I pray that we as women may treat ourselves with compassion as daughters of God, loved and accepted by Him just as we are.

In Galatians (3:26, 28) it says "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus...There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

In the time of Christ a woman's role and freedom were severely restricted.  Women were considered by Jewish men to have value only in their capacity to bear children and provide for men's physical needs and desires.  Even in that role women were considered ritually unclean during menstruation and after childbirth and could only be seen by men after they had been ritually cleansed.  Women were not permitted to have conversation with any man, and were discouraged from conversing even with their husband. They were expected to remain out of the sight of men as much as possible, even in the home, so that they would not cause men to become unclean or to ignite lustful thoughts into the minds of men.  Women in a household without men were extremely vulnerable, on the absolute outer fringes of society.

In contrast to the way in which Jewish men treated women, Christ treated all women with gentleness, dignity, compassion, and respect.  He refused to treat women as inferior, incapable, or unclean. "Jesus [was] not... seeking to modify the feminine role prevalent within Judaism; rather, Jesus ignored it altogether as he called women to public ministry and affirmed them in the face of male opposition."  It would be difficult to overstate the radical nature of Christ's interaction with women.

Christ treated sinful women with dignity and forgiveness.

Christ taught women the mysteries of the kingdom, feeding them spiritually when they were expected to prepare food for Him.

Christ healed Peter's mother-in-law, the woman with the issue of blood, and the daughter of the Caananite woman.

Christ brought Lazarus and the son of the widow of Nain back to life, saving their sisters and mother from seclusion and absolute poverty.

Christ took a girl by the hand and raised her from the dead.

Jesus Christ first announced his identity as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman.

He sent angels to proclaim his resurrection to his female disciples.

The risen Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene, commissioning her to testify of His resurrection to His apostles.

In John 10 Christ teaches His relationship with humankind through the parable of the good shepherd.

John 10: 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Christ calls us to come into the fold of God.

John 10:2 ...he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  3 To him the porter openeth;

Mary the mother of Christ

Luke 2:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

Luke 2:6 And so it was, that...the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger…

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Our shepherd knows his sheep; he has attended their births.

The Samaritan woman at the well

Luke 10:3... he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

John 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria.

6 Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well...

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what…

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He.

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

39  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified.

Our shepherd knows His sheep; He leadeth them gently as they learn to recognize His voice.

Jairus' daughter and the unnamed woman with the issue of blood

Luke 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 ...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Matthew 9:21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things…

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Our shepherd knows his sheep; under His care we are healed and live to find pasture.

Mary Magdalene and Christ's female disciples

Luke 10: 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Luke 19:25 ¶ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciples standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother,Woman, behold thy son!

27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Matthew 17:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

50 ¶ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

Mark 15: 42 ¶ And now when the even was come, because it was the day before the sabbath,

43 Joseph of Arimathæa, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

Luke 23:55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; andrested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices,that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away thes tone from the door of the sepulchre?

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

Matthew 28

6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7 But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you.

8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

John 20:11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I  know not where they have laid him.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where  thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Master.

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Our shepherd knows His sheep; he has cared for them in their death.