Personal Example in callings- 1 Corinthians 9

In a few weeks, I am in charge of talking to our primary teachers for five minutes about what import our example has on our teaching. We all know that "do as I say, not as I do," works miserably. I hear my own kids disciplining each other or dealing with frustration in the same way I do, and often, it makes me hang my head and wish I were better. Other times, I see them deal well with their problems and I feel proud of them and think, "Aren't they clever?"

This week, I was re-reading 1Nephi 20, and found the word declare used many times. I thought I'd follow the scriptures references for declare and came to some great verses in 1 Corinthians 9. Now, one worry our bishop has is that many people are coming to fulfill their callings, but skip sacrament all together (we have 9:00 church. After a full Saturday night, 9:00 is pretty difficult. I don't have full Saturday nights anymore. And I still have a hard time with 9:00, so I'm not trying to get on my high horse.) Here is the scripture I was led to in 1 Corinthians where Paul is speaking:

13Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

14Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

What a great image- those beautiful old people (no offense intended to anyone who is "old"- if you were offended, you're probably old), shining with the joy of living the fullness of gospel, working at the altars of the temple. They have learned to sacrifice and faithfulness to God and family. I was thinking that to"live of the things of the temple" meant to do the things we covenant to in the temple. The next day, I went back to read it again, and found it had dual meaning. Paul meant that the priests of his day literally lived of the sacrifices of the temple, or ate the meat from the sacrifices. (I would like to go back in time and do a study of the cardiovascular systems of Levites versus other Israelite tribes.) It means a full internalization or consumption of the things of the temple. They which preach the gospel should live of the gospel- on a superficial and a profound level.

Then, I was led to this scripture in 2 Corinthians 3:2:

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.

Since we see ourselves so seldom, I think we trick ourselves into thinking that everyone sees us as we see ourselves. But we are so merciful to ourselves, and think we see others clearly. We are epistles of our lives, known and read of all men whether we like it or not. And when we teach, there is nothing more telling than this epistle. Especially children. Bishop Burton has said in General Conference (Oct. 2001, but I think more recently as well because I remember it very clearly,)

. . . remember, young people can detect hypocrisy as easily as they can smell the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread.

It leaves us empty and hungry to say one thing and do another, (cognitive dissonance, for all of those psychologists out there.) And it leaves our children empty and confused when they hear one thing and see another.

Continuing on the theme of food as a deep, fulfilling sustenance coming from doing what is right, Paul continues to quote part of the law of Moses to help us understand:

9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

The Lord's character is revealed through the Law of Moses- if an animal is serving us, we are to allow it to eat freely as it does the work. Doth God take care for the oxen? No, Paul says, he just cares about teaching us. Though I'm sure the Lord does care for the oxen, an ox can't read; he wants to teach us that when we do his work, he will feed us. As we tread out the corn, we are to eat freely! We are taught the same thing by the way the Lord provided for the Levite priests of old. He taught the law of sacrifice while feeding his servants as well. The next verse, 1 Corinthians 9:10 says,

Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

We can go about "smelling" the blessings of the gospel without eating them, or we can fully partake of the feast the Lord has prepared for us through our callings and full church activity. As teachers , we plow in hope, and those who thresh, or listen, should be partakers of our hope. As we feed them, we feed ourselves.