Mary & Martha; Teaching on Prayer
A house divided between serving and listening, and one sister told that the other has chosen better. Then, asked how to pray, he gives them the prayer, and follows it with a man banging on a neighbor’s door at midnight until he gets what he came for.
Note. The Joseph Smith Translation will not let the petition stand as “lead us not into temptation.” In Luke it becomes “let us not be led unto temptation,” and in Matthew “suffer us not to be led”, while the Book of Mormon keeps the King James wording.
? How to read this edition
The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
38Now it came to pass as they went that he they entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. 40But Martha was encumbered with much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. 41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is needful and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
1And it came to pass as he Jesus was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2And he said unto them, When you pray, say, Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done as in Heaven, so in earth. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; let us not be led unto temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and power. Amen. And he said unto them, Your Heavenly Father will not fail to give unto you whatever you ask of him.
5And he said unto them, Which spoke a parable, saying, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves, 6for a friend of mine has come to me in his journey, and I have nothing to set before him; 7and he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed, and I cannot rise and give to you? 8I say unto you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity shameless persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For everyone who asks, receives, and he that seeks, finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you who is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that good gifts through the holy spirit to them who ask him?