February 12, 2026

Studying the flood and the tower of Babel, I think of Matthew 22 and the parable of the wedding feast. Starting with the people in Noah's day, they were all invited into the ark, but when they refused and even sought to kill the Lord's prophet, they chose to separate themselves from God - a state we know as spiritual death.

This also makes me see the parable slightly different. When they master was angry at the response of those invited to the wedding the how they mistreated and killed the messengers, he had them killed. However, we know that the spiritual death that accompanies denying the Lord's instruction, is more a result of us separating ourselves from God rather than Him leaving us. The people choose not to get on the ark, and they chose not to attend the wedding. Both separated themselves from God resulting ultimately, and most importantly, in spiritual death.

After the master in the parable gathered others for the feast, he noticed someone not wearing the traditional wedding garment and asked how he got there. When he couldn't answer, he was cast out. The wedding garment was traditionally given to guests as they entered the house. Like the people of Babel, this man, without proper attire, attempted to enter by some other way than the way provided.

Christ is the way, and there is no other way, to joy and eternal life. In His magnanimous and infinity love, God has given us His plan and instructions to attend the wedding. He has given prophets, scripture, prayer, and even His Only Begotten Son to point the way to return to Him. If we, in our pride, think there is a different way, think that this plan is pretty good but just doesn't apply to us, we will find ourselves without the wedding garment.

We get to use the great gift of agency to choose to attempt another path, or follow Him. Our choice will lead to liberty and eternal life through the great mediator of all men, or captivity and death according to the captivity and power of the devil, for he seeketh that all man might be miserable like into himself.

Something else I noticed was the similarity in the language and events when comparing the creation to the flood. Animals, new start, offering sacrifices, the commandment to multiply and replenish the Earth. If you read chapter 8 and 9 of Genesis, it's neat to see the similarities in comparison to the creation, which points us to Christ.

Fortunately, I don't think I'll ever have true enemies, people that want to kill me or do real harm to me, but then the question arises - who is my enemy? Jesus asks me to love them - what does that look like in practice today in a first world country? Perhaps it's people at work that make life harder or make it easier to complain. Maybe it's someone who cuts us off on the road. If you are political, it's surely the person with opposing political views - including politicians and public figures. Does what we say to, and how we treat, these individuals reflect our Savior's teaching to love our enemy?