The Sermon on the Mount Matt 7 Readiness: Optional - as students arrive, put a sticker on them, choose between 2-3 different types of colored stickers. And as you do say something to the effect of “Oh, i think you’re a red, orange or yellow. Canned food: Prior to class take a couple of cans of canned fruit or veggies and take the labels off the cans - have the cans sitting on the table as a visual display prior to class starting. Refer to the cans without labels - ask them if they know what it inside the cans - Are they sure? How can you be sure? - Open them up and look inside - What’s the problem with Labels on people? The labels that we apply to people - are put on by how we judge others or judge ourselves - they are not an accurate representation of what is inside. The Sermon on the Mount Matt 7

The Wemmicks were small wooden people The Wemmicks were small wooden people. All of the wooden people were carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Each Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats and others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.

And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people spent their days sticking stars or dots on one another. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.

Others, though, could do little. They got dots. The talented ones got stars too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good! It made them want to do something else and get another star. Others, though, could do little. They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, his wood got scratched, so the people would give him more dots. Then he would try to explain why he fell, he would say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots.

After a while he had so many dots that he didn’t want to go outside After a while he had so many dots that he didn’t want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and given him one for no reason at all.

He felt better around them. “He deserves lots of dots,” the wooden people would agree with one another. “He’s not a good wooden person.” After a while Punchinello believed them. “I’m not a good Wemmick,” he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.

One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he’d ever met One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he’d ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lucia. It wasn’t that people didn’t try to give her stickers, it’s just that the stickers didn’t stick. Some of the Wemmicks admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Others would look down on her for having no stars, so they would giver her a dot. But it wouldn’t stay either.

That’s the way I want to be, thought Punchinello. I don’t want anyone’s marks. So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it. “It’s easy,” Lucia replied. “Every day I go see Eli.”

“Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him. “Why?” “Why don’t you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He’s there.” And with that the Wemmick who had no stickers turned and skipped away. “But will he want to see me?” Punchinello cried out. Lucia didn’t hear. So Punchinello went home.

He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. “It’s not right,” he muttered to himself. And he decided to go see Eli.

He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. “I’m not staying here!” and he turned to leave.

“Punchinello?” The voice was deep and strong. Then he heard his name. “Punchinello?” The voice was deep and strong. Punchinello stopped. “Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you.” Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. “You know my name?” the little Wemmick asked. “Of course I do. I made you.”

Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. “Hmm,” the maker spoke thoughtfully as he looked at the gray dots. “Looks like you’ve been given some bad marks. “I didn’t mean to, Eli. I really tried hard.” “Oh, you don’t have to defend yourself to me, child. I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think.”

“No, and you shouldn’t either. Who are they to give stars or dots? “You don’t?” “No, and you shouldn’t either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They’re Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.”

Punchinello laughed. “Me, special? Why? I can’t walk fast. I can’t jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?” Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. “Because you’re mine. That’s why you matter to me.” Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this -- much less his maker. He didn’t know what to say.

“Every day I’ve been hoping you’d come,” Eli explained. “I came because I met someone who had no marks,” said Punchinello. “I know. She told me about you.” “Why don’t the stickers stay on her?”

“I’m not sure I understand.” The maker spoke softly. “Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them.” “What?” “The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Eli lifted Puchinello off the bench and set him on the ground. Eli smiled. “You will, but it will take time. You’ve got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care.” Eli lifted Puchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.

Punchinello didn’t stop, but in his heart he thought, “Remember,” Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door, “you are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.” Punchinello didn’t stop, but in his heart he thought, I think he really means it. And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.

Judge not, that ye be not Judged In Matt 7 the Savior taught us about the principle of Judging. How would you have liked it if those stickers I put on you as you arrived, had actually meant something? Some sort of judgment on my part? As it was they were purely random. Read Matt 7:1-2 Is that an absolute statement? Aren’t we to use good judgement in who we associate with or where we go? What’s the difference? Matt 7:1-2 Judge not, that ye be not Judged JST - Judge not unrighteously

I have been puzzled that some scriptures command us not to judge and others instruct us that we should judge and even tell us how to do it. But as I have studied these passages I have become convinced that these seemingly contradictory directions are consistent when we view them with the perspective of eternity. The key is to understand that there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles. I will speak about gospel judging. Dallin H. Oaks

Righteous Judgement 1st - It must by definition be intermediate 2nd - It must be guided by the Spirit of the Lord 3rd - It must be within our Stewardship Depending upon the time - you can go thru these quickly or in depth 1st - It must be intermediate. It will refrain from declaring that a person has been assured of exaltation or from dismissing a person as being irrevocably bound for hellfire. It will refrain from declaring that a person has forfeited all opportunity for exaltation or even all opportunity for a useful role in the work of the Lord. 2nd - It must be guided by the Spirit of the Lord - It must not be guided by Anger, Revenge, Jealousy, or Self-Interest “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.” Moroni 7:16 3rd - It must be within our Stewardship - We should not presume to act upon judgment that are outside our personal responsibilities. 4th - Wait until you have all the facts - We should, if possible, refrain from judging until we have adequate knowledge of the facts. Someone once said that you cannot slice cheese so thin that it doesn’t have two sides. While Some personal decisions must be made before we have access to all of the facts. In such circumstances we do the best we can, relying ultimately on the teaching in modern scripture that we should put our “trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously” (D&C 11:12). 5th - Refrain from judging people and only judge situations. - This is essential whenever we attempt to act upon different standards than others with whom we must associate - at home, at work, or in the community. We can set and act upon high standards for ourselves or our homes without condemning those who do otherwise. Righteous Judgement 4th - Wait until you have all the facts 5th - Refrain from judging people and only judge situations

Illustrating the Principle: Matt 7:3-5 Matt 7:6 Matt 7:12 Depending upon the time - you can go thru these quickly or in depth Matt 7:13-14 Matt 7:7-11 Matt 7:15-20

Choose to be Wise Matt 7:24-27 - This was his conclusion to the entire Sermon. (if possible bring a medium/large rock to class and have it sitting as a visual aid throughout the lesson) May we be Wise & visit with Our maker a little each day & care more about He thinks of us than what the World thinks of us. Optional: Have class sing Wise Man - Primary song to close lesson. Visit with Our Maker a little each day & care more about what He thinks of us than what the world thinks of us!