Constable = a peace officer with limited policing authority, typically in a small town
Rector = a member of the clergy who has charge of a parish
Parish = an area that has its own local church and priest or minister
Introduction
Jeffrey R. Holland - I
wish to speak of the Savior’s parable in which a householder “went out
early in the morning to hire labourers.” After employing the first group
at 6:00 in the morning, he returned at 9:00 a.m., at 12:00 noon, and at
3:00 in the afternoon, hiring more workers as the urgency of the
harvest increased. The scripture says he came back a final time, “about
the eleventh hour” (approximately 5:00 p.m.), and hired a concluding
number. Then just an hour later, all the workers gathered to receive
their day’s wage. Surprisingly, all received the same wage in
spite of the different hours of labor. Immediately, those hired first
were angry, saying, “These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast
made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the
day.”
When reading this parable, perhaps you, as well as those workers, have
felt there was an injustice being done here. Let me speak briefly to
that concern.
First of all it is important to note that no one
has been treated unfairly here. The first workers agreed to the full
wage of the day, and they received it. Furthermore, they were, I can
only imagine, very grateful to get the work. In the time of the Savior,
an average man and his family
could not do much more than live on what they made that day. If you
didn’t work or farm or fish or sell, you likely didn’t eat. With more
prospective workers than jobs, these first men chosen were the most
fortunate in the entire labor pool that morning.
Indeed, if there is any sympathy to be generated, it should at least initially be for the men not
chosen who also had mouths to feed and backs to clothe. Luck never
seemed to be with some of them. With each visit of the steward
throughout the day, they always saw someone else chosen.
But
just at day’s close, the householder returns a surprising fifth time
with a remarkable eleventh-hour offer! These last and most discouraged
of laborers, hearing only that they will be treated fairly, accept work
without even knowing the wage, knowing that anything will be
better than nothing, which is what they have had so far. Then as they
gather for their payment, they are stunned to receive the same as all
the others! How awestruck they must have been and how very, very
grateful! Surely never had such compassion been seen in all their
working days.
It
is with that reading of the story that I feel the grumbling of the
first laborers must be seen. As the householder in the parable tells
them (and I paraphrase only slightly): “My friends, I am not being
unfair to you. You agreed on the wage for the day, a good wage. You were
very happy to get the work, and I am very happy with the way you
served. You are paid in full. Take your pay and enjoy the blessing. As
for the others, surely I am free to do what I like with my own money.” Then this piercing question to anyone then or now who needs to hear it: “Why should you be jealous because I choose to be kind?”
Brothers
and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else
gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I
plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when
good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone
else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who
is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the
most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.
Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone
we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle
juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing
of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and
merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”2 as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your
standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So
be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live.
Background
David quickly became a hero after he killed Goliath.
1 Samuel 18
How did King Saul feel about David after the slaying of Goliath? (v.2,5)
Saul took David into his home and set him over his armies
Who was Jonathan and how did he feel about David? (v.1,3)
*** Why would it have been easy for Jonathan to feel jealous of David?
- As Saul’s son, Jonathan was next in line to be king. However, the prophet Samuel had anointed David to become the next king (1 Samuel 16:6–13).
- Jonathan received little attention for his own success on the battlefield, whereas David was honored greatly (1 Samuel 14:1–16).
*** Why do you think Jonathan was not jealous of David or threatened by him?
What prompted Saul to turn against David? (v.6–9.)
*** Why is it sometimes difficult to be happy about the success of others?
*** How do jealousy and pride affect our spiritual well-being?
President Ezra Taft Benson said: "Saul became an enemy to David through pride. He was jealous because the crowds of Israelite women were singing that Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. What will men think of me? weighs heavier than What will God think of me? Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval. The proud love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Our motives for the things we do are where the sin is manifest. Jesus said He did always those things that pleased God. Would we not do well to have the pleasing of God as our motive rather than to try to elevate ourselves above our brother and outdo another? Some prideful people are not so concerned as to whether their wages meet their needs as they are that their wages are more than someone else’s. Their reward is being a cut above the rest. When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment. The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod."
Saul offered to let David marry one of his daughters if David would fight the Philistines.
What was Saul’s real motive in doing this? (v.20–25)
He hoped David would be killed by the Philistines
1 Samuel 19
How was Jonathan a true friend when Saul sought to kill David? (v.1–7.)
Jonathan, Saul’s son, was one of the most noble men of ancient Israel. He could have seen David as a threat, as Saul did, since the oldest son generally succeeded to the kingship. But instead, Jonathan assisted David, even helping him to escape from Saul. Truly Jonathan loved David “as his own soul”
*** Who can share an experience of what it means to be a true friend?
Despite Jonathan’s efforts to change Saul’s feelings toward David, Saul continued to seek David’s life
How did Michal, David’s wife, show that she was true to her husband? (See 1 Samuel 19:11–18)
What does company of the prophets mean? (v.18-24)
After David escaped from Saul through the help of his wife, Michal, Saul sent messengers to kill him. But David had sought refuge with Samuel in what scholars called “Schools of the Prophets”. These scholars showed that such prophets as Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha conducted special schools that were called here “the company of the prophets. Elsewhere, the men who attended these schools were called “sons of the prophets” (1 Kings 20:35). This fact is of interest to Latter-day Saints because Joseph Smith set up a similar school in Kirtland, Ohio, to help teach priesthood holders their special duties. When the messengers from Saul and finally Saul himself came, they came under the influence of the Spirit, and thus David’s life was spared. The fact that the people said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” is explained this way: Saul “threw off his royal robes or military dress, retaining only his tunic; and continued so all that day and all that night, uniting with the sons of the prophets in prayers, singing praises, and other religious exercises, which were unusual to kings and warriors; and this gave rise to the saying, Is Saul also among the prophets? By bringing both him and his men thus under a Divine influence, God prevented them from injuring the person of David.”
This remarkable event has a parallel in latter-day Church history. During his mission to Great Britain, Elder Wilford Woodruff was delivered from the hands of government authorities through the influence of the Spirit.
“When I arose to speak at Brother Benbow’s house, a man entered the door and informed me that he was a constable, and had been sent by the rector of the parish with a warrant to arrest me. I asked him, ‘For what crime?’ He said, ‘For preaching to the people.’ I told him that I, as well as the rector, had a license for preaching the gospel to the people, and that if he would take a chair I would wait upon him after meeting. He took my chair and sat beside me. For an hour and a quarter I preached the first principles of the everlasting gospel. The power of God rested upon me, the spirit filled the house, and the people were convinced. At the close of the meeting I opened the door for baptism, and seven offered themselves. Among the number were four preachers and the constable. The latter arose and said, ‘Mr. Woodruff, I would like to be baptized.’ I told him I would like to baptize him. I went down into the pool and baptized the seven. We then came together. I confirmed thirteen, administered the Sacrament, and we all rejoiced together.
“The constable went to the rector and told him that if he wanted Mr. Woodruff taken for preaching the gospel, he must go himself and serve the writ; for he had heard him preach the only true gospel sermon he had ever listened to in his life. The rector did not know what to make of it, so he sent two clerks of the Church of England as spies, to attend our meeting, and find out what we did preach. They both were pricked in their hearts, received the word of the Lord gladly, and were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The rector became alarmed, and did not venture to send anybody else.”
1 Samuel 20
David and Jonathan renew their covenant of friendship, and Jonathan saves David’s life.
David was blessed with continued success on the battlefield
Why did David have to leave the city of Keilah after he had saved its people from the Philistines?
When Saul learned that David was in Keilah, he prepared his armies to destroy the entire city.
What changed Saul from a righteous king to someone who was willing to destroy an entire city in order to kill one person?
It's fascinating in v.7 that Saul is so misguided that he thinks God is delivering David into his hands.
Why are jealousy and hatred so consuming?
*** How can we rid ourselves of jealousy or hatred?
What Does “David Exceeded” Mean? (.v41)
Both men were tearful at their parting, but David’s distress exceeded that of Jonathan. Saul had taken David’s wife Michal and given her to another, and David was now banished from access to the tabernacle and the rituals of sacrifice because he was forced to hide from Saul. He had to live among the Philistines and send his parents to live among the Moabites for protection. Thus, “David’s distress must, in the nature of things, be the greatest. Besides his friend Jonathan, whom he was now about to lose for ever, he lost his wife, relatives, country; and, what was most afflictive, the altars of his God, and the ordinances of religion.”
1 Samuel 23-24
Saul continues to pursue David to kill him. During another attempt to find and kill David, Saul stopped to rest in a cave.
What did David do? (v.4–5). Footnote 4a, explains that David cut off the hem of Saul’s robe—the portion of the robe that symbolized authority.
Why did David refuse to harm Saul?
This chapter exhibits an aspect of David’s character that is much to be admired. Although anointed by God’s prophet to be king of Israel, and although Saul constantly sought his life, this chosen servant of the Lord still would not lift his hand against Saul so long as Saul lived. David understood an important priesthood principle, that is, that one has loyalty to those called by the Lord to preside even when they may not function perfectly in their calling. Saul was failing miserably, but David knew that it was the Lord’s responsibility to remove Saul, not his.
*** What does David’s example teach us about revenge and about responding to those who do evil to us?
What did Saul say when David spared his life? (v.16–19.)
The story of Jonathan and David reminds us that true friendship and love bring us closer to our friends and to God. The story of Saul reminds us that jealousy and hatred can consume us and lead us away from our friends and from God
