WEBVTT

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 We're going to read from God's Word now, so please open your Bibles or unlock your devices.

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 Turn to Matthew chapter 9.

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 We're going to read from verse 18 through to verse 34.

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 Now while he was saying these things to them,

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 Then behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying,

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 My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live.

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 And Jesus rose and followed him with the disciples.

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 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years

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 came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment.

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 For she said to herself, If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.

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 Jesus turned and seeing her, he said,

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 Take heart, daughter.

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 Your faith has made you well.

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 And instantly the woman was made well.

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 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

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 he said, Go away, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.

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 And they laughed at him.

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 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand.

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 And the girl arose.

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 And the report of this went through all that district.

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 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud,

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 Have mercy on us, son of David.

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 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him.

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 And Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this?

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 And they said to him, Yes, Lord.

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 Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it done to you.

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 And their eyes were opened.

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 And Jesus sternly warned them, See that no one knows about it.

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 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

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 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man, who was mute, was brought to him.

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 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke.

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 And the crowds marveled, saying, Never was anything like this seen in Israel.

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 But the Pharisee said, He casts out demons by the prince of demons.

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 Well, good morning, everyone.

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 Well, let's pray as we come to God's word.

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 Father, I pray that whatever blindness to Jesus remains in our hearts,

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 or whether there are people here this morning or watching on Zoom

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 who are still completely blind to who you are,

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 I pray that your miraculous power that you worked that day,

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 that we just read about, that you would work it today.

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 So breathe life into us and open our eyes to see your son even more,

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 that we might have life in him.

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 In Jesus' name, amen.

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 Amen.

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 Well, when, you probably know this, but when entering a mosque,

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 there's a washing ritual you've got to do.

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 I think it's called hoodoo.

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 I don't know if I've said that right.

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 I probably haven't.

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 But before entering the holy place,

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 worshippers have to wash their hands and their feet.

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 They're stepping into sacred space.

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 It's not just in Islam that there's this external washing

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 as a requirement to enter the presence of the holy.

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 Anthropologists have found that in diverse cultures all over the world,

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 cultures where they don't seem to have any connection in history,

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 there's this distinction between unclean and sacred

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 in all these different cultures.

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 And it's the same in Jewish roots as well.

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 Have you ever tried to read the Bible from go to woe, from Genesis through?

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 Genesis is pretty interesting.

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 And then Exodus, the first half is just riveting with all those miracles.

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 And then the second half is you struggle a bit.

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 And then you get to Leviticus.

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 I mean, have you tried to read Leviticus?

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 It's just law after law after law of how to worship God.

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 People often stumble at that point.

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 And I think we can kind of have a canon of Scripture within the canon.

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 We kind of just put Leviticus to the side.

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 It's too difficult.

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 But if we leave Leviticus out,

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 we're going to miss a really big point about God and worshipping him.

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 The point of Leviticus, if I was going to summarise it,

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 is that God is completely holy.

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 You cannot approach him on your own terms.

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 He sets the terms.

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 He is completely clean.

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 You better be clean before entering his presence.

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 If you want the enjoyment of fellowship with God

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 and the blessings that flow from living with him,

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 that's the point of the temple,

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 you better be clean.

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 So let me just pick out a few verses from Leviticus

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 about those who are disqualified.

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 So in Leviticus 13,

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 the person with leprosy must wear torn clothing,

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 crying out,

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 unclean, unclean.

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 He shall live alone.

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 His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

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 He's outside the people of God.

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 Leviticus 20 says to Israel,

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 you shall be holy to me for I, the Lord, am holy

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 and have separated you from the nations that you shall be mine.

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 They've got to be different.

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 They've got to be distinct.

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 In chapter 21, God says to the priest,

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 no one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people

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 by touching them, in other words,

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 except in the case of a close relative.

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 In chapter 22,

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 the unclean are cut off from worshipping and eating

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 in God's temple, in God's house.

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 If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations

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 approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to the Lord,

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 while he has an uncleanness,

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 that person shall be cut off from my presence.

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 I am the Lord.

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 Do you get the picture?

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 It's, you must be clean.

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 If you were to enjoy God and his blessings,

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 you must be clean if you want to be part of God's people.

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 I think a non-religious Australian at this point

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 will be thinking that's the problem with Christianity.

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 That's the problem with religion.

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 It sets up these arbitrary rules

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 and those who believe in them will exclude and mistreat

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 anyone who doesn't fit with their view of the world.

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 It's exclusive.

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 It's oppressive.

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 So what's our current culture's alternative?

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 What's going to make for a society where everyone belongs

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 and can thrive?

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 A prosperous society.

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 I think we say this.

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 Our culture is trying to do this.

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 We let every individual person be their own ultimate standard of their life.

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 You have your standard.

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 I have my standard.

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 There is no great standard that we have to all meet.

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 You have your own.

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 As long as yours doesn't harm anyone else.

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 Does that sound about right?

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 In other words, I think our culture is trying to go,

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 everything is clean.

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 Every opinion, every lifestyle, every action, every choice is clean.

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 We're all clean.

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 We all belong.

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 Just don't harm anyone else.

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 It kind of sounds good.

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 But removing the ultimate standard creates a big, big problem.

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 Who decides what harms someone else?

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 Who makes that decision?

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 How do we decide where to draw the line between an individual exercising their freedom

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 and what's doing harm to others?

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 I'm going to suggest we have no idea.

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 There is no reference point.

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 We're groping around in the dark.

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 It sounds good, but it's making us blind.

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 Now, I'm not...

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 I didn't come up with this.

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 It's like listening to a podcast with Jonathan Haight.

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 Jonathan Haight, a social psychologist.

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 He's an atheist.

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 Just, I want to put that out there.

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 This is not a Christian.

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 This is an atheist social psychologist,

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 and he's done heaps of research into morality in cultures around the world.

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 This is his conclusion of our current time.

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 So he's saying that after social media came in,

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 and not social media...

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 Anyway, we won't get into that,

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 but after social media came in,

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 it creates this echo chambers where we just listen to people like us,

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 and it's fracturing us, he's saying.

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 We're not actually in community across the entire community.

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 We create our little subset of community.

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 So after social media have done that,

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 and journalism, instead of all this great journalism going on,

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 we need instant news.

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 So he says that for the New York Times,

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 he had a friend who worked in the New York Times,

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 and they sent out a memo saying,

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 every story has to have something to do with race.

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 That's not news.

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 That's not news.

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 They had to spin it to do with race,

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 because people will listen to that.

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 So he's saying before these happen,

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 social media, how we're using it at least,

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 and journalism,

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 here's what he says.

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 There was this period before that that grounded us to truth,

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 or rather gave us a process by which we could make progress towards truth

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 and weed out terrible ideas.

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 I see it fading away.

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 What controls our morals in our culture is an equality debate,

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 but intimidation.

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 So Jonathan goes on to say this.

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 The dynamics of social media allows a small group

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 to weaponise their moralism

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 and to intimidate others into silence.

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 We don't need a change of generation.

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 He's not blaming the generation.

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 We need to change the dynamics

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 so that bad ideas don't dominate and intimidate.

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 So I think Jonathan agrees.

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 The way we're doing things,

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 we just don't know how to work out what's good and bad.

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 We just try and intimidate each other.

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 So religious rules, that doesn't work.

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 It excludes.

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 You're in if you disobey, you're out.

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 But then everything is clean.

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 It's not working either.

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 It's fracturing us.

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 We have no idea what's right and what harms others.

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 We can't work it out.

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 We need a better way,

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 and I think we see that better way.

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 We see a glimpse of it in Matthew chapters 8 through 10.

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 This is the better way.

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 These chapters describe what Jesus' mission to save the world is all about.

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 So after the Sermon on the Mount,

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 where he says that you must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,

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 he doesn't lower the bar.

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 Do you notice something about all these people that encounter Jesus?

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 So in chapter 8,

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 who's the first person who is included in the kingdom?

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 It's a leper.

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 A cut off from community and temple worship.

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 It's the leper who's made clean.

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 And then we have a Roman,

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 not a Jew.

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 And Jesus says that many from all over the world will recline in the kingdom,

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 and many of the Jews are going to be outside.

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 Then we have a woman who could not enter the inner core of the temple.

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 Then we have demon-possessed men who are living outside in the tombs.

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 We have a paralytic who clearly was cursed by God for his sin.

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 And then he has dinner reclining with tax collectors and sinners,

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 disgusting, defiling in the eyes of the Pharisees.

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 And Jesus says,

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 I haven't come to call the righteous but sinners.

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 It's the unclean who are in the kingdom of God,

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 enjoying the blessings.

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 And this comes to a head in our passage today.

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 We get more uncleanness,

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 just receiving blessing.

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 So what happens if a person with COVID comes into contact with someone who is healthy?

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 Which direction does the transmission go?

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 Does the healthy person transmit their health to the COVID person and make them healthy?

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 Of course not.

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 That's why there's fear in the air at the moment.

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 It's the disease that transmits and contaminates the clean.

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 In Leviticus 15, a woman having an extended discharge of blood.

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 Every bed she lies on, everything she sits on is counted as unclean.

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 Whoever touches these objects, let alone touches her herself, will also be unclean.

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 And this miserable woman in her story has been bleeding for 12 years.

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 She's like the leper.

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 Cut off from people.

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 Cut off from community.

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 Cut off from worship in the temple.

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 The other Gospels talk about how she spent all she had.

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 The temple couldn't help her.

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 Doctors couldn't help her.

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 She's hopeless.

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 Hopeless.

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 Separate, you see.

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 Like the paralyzed man, she was probably tormented, not only by her condition, but fearing that she would be under the curse of God for her sin now and in the life to come.

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 Totally desperate, she does something according to the old law that I would call wrong.

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 If you're under the old law, what she does is wrong.

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 She comes up behind Jesus and touches his clothes.

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 She's just made him unclean.

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 Hasn't she?

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 Jesus turns and sees her.

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 And I wonder if that phrase, sees her, is just loaded with meaning.

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 He knows her.

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 He sees her pain, her anguish under the curse.

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 He sees her.

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 Take heart, daughter.

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 Your faith has made you well.

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 Instantly made whole.

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 She's clean.

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 Instantly made whole.

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 Instantly in the community of God.

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 Instantly able to worship God in his temple.

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 She's clean.

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 By the mercy of this man who touched her.

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 The curse of sin that the old covenant could just tell her, you are unclean.

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 By the touch of Jesus, the unclean is made holy.

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 It goes the other way around.

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 And then we've got a little girl who's just died.

00:16:19.179 --> 00:16:24.439
 If there's any sign of the curse of God on sin, it's death.

00:16:25.939 --> 00:16:29.139
 In Jewish culture then, they would hire professional mourners,

00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:31.620
 which is still the practice in some cultures today,

00:16:31.620 --> 00:16:36.840
 to just give expression to the depth of grief in the family.

00:16:37.820 --> 00:16:40.259
 Now, I think we try and hide death in our culture.

00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.779
 A lot of people try and call death natural.

00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:44.919
 It's just a part of life.

00:16:47.139 --> 00:16:48.580
 That doesn't comfort me much.

00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:53.139
 Death is horrible, the Bible says,

00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:56.899
 because we were made to enjoy life with the internal one.

00:16:58.620 --> 00:17:00.840
 It's the ultimate enemy to fellowship.

00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:03.399
 No longer any opportunity for connection.

00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:08.460
 Funerals are the greatest reminder of the curse on sin in this world.

00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:10.840
 We're faced with our own mortality,

00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:13.779
 that we will stand before God as judge one day.

00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:22.360
 I won't forget when I was a teenager in a night church service,

00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:29.240
 and the pastor makes an announcement that a 12-year-old girl in the church

00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:31.699
 had just been killed in a motorbike accident.

00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:36.439
 There was just silence in the room.

00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:38.599
 Some started to cry.

00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:39.859
 Most were just in shock.

00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:44.099
 Imagine someone standing up.

00:17:44.219 --> 00:17:44.699
 Go home.

00:17:44.700 --> 00:17:46.559
 The girl is just asleep.

00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:52.559
 I kind of don't understand why they laughed.

00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:54.500
 Why didn't someone punch him in the face?

00:17:56.059 --> 00:17:59.840
 That is such an inappropriate thing to say at a time like that.

00:18:00.980 --> 00:18:02.000
 The story, Don.

00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:10.079
 You might have the reputation of a great healer.

00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:13.119
 Only God could raise the dead.

00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:15.880
 And he took the lifeless girl by the hand,

00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.980
 and instead of death contaminating his holy hand,

00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:23.980
 his holy hand breathed life into her dead body,

00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:25.339
 getting her up.

00:18:25.339 --> 00:18:31.919
 As if a dad just waking his little girl up ready for school that day.

00:18:32.299 --> 00:18:33.299
 It was that simple.

00:18:40.699 --> 00:18:46.500
 I couldn't imagine the emotion of the parents.

00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:49.179
 It must be like,

00:18:49.679 --> 00:18:51.399
 I knew I wouldn't make it through today.

00:18:53.079 --> 00:18:53.939
 Cleo this week.

00:18:53.939 --> 00:18:54.599
 It must be,

00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:57.019
 you thought your daughter was dead.

00:18:57.219 --> 00:18:58.279
 It must be amazing.

00:18:59.980 --> 00:19:01.240
 This is an understatement,

00:19:01.379 --> 00:19:02.980
 but something new is here.

00:19:06.379 --> 00:19:08.859
 Someone new is here.

00:19:12.059 --> 00:19:14.539
 So what does this mean about who Jesus is

00:19:14.539 --> 00:19:16.059
 and what his mission is all about?

00:19:16.179 --> 00:19:17.679
 So far people have called him teacher.

00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:20.019
 Others have gone further and called him Lord,

00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:21.919
 but they probably don't recognise him as God,

00:19:22.019 --> 00:19:23.279
 but just master.

00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:26.399
 Jesus uses the phrase son of man,

00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:28.639
 the Daniel 7 figure,

00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:30.940
 but here we have two blind men

00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:33.639
 being the first to recognise him,

00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:35.319
 son of David,

00:19:35.420 --> 00:19:36.599
 the promised Messiah,

00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:38.940
 bringing all the kingdom blessings,

00:19:39.899 --> 00:19:40.980
 King and Saviour.

00:19:40.980 --> 00:19:43.079
 Now,

00:19:43.079 --> 00:19:45.220
 if you were to lose any of your five senses,

00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:47.740
 which is the last one you'd choose to lose?

00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:48.819
 For me,

00:19:48.900 --> 00:19:49.500
 it would be blind.

00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:50.519
 It would be sight.

00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:54.720
 If you want to cry,

00:19:54.860 --> 00:19:56.579
 then watch the Netflix show,

00:19:57.079 --> 00:19:59.180
 Notes on Blindness.

00:19:59.180 --> 00:19:59.560
 It's,

00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:01.279
 I do recommend it.

00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:02.960
 Just take some tissues with you.

00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:04.960
 But this professor,

00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:07.140
 it goes blind in his adulthood.

00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.060
 There was two moments that just struck me

00:20:11.060 --> 00:20:13.100
 that it's not just the difficulty

00:20:13.100 --> 00:20:14.340
 of getting through the day

00:20:14.340 --> 00:20:17.200
 that is so bad about blindness,

00:20:17.320 --> 00:20:20.279
 but actually it got in the road of relationships.

00:20:20.840 --> 00:20:21.600
 In a sense,

00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:23.940
 it cut him off from relationships.

00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:26.460
 So there's two things he talked about.

00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:27.820
 At Christmas time,

00:20:28.080 --> 00:20:29.380
 his kids were opening the presents,

00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:30.779
 but he,

00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:32.779
 dang it.

00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:38.299
 He had to walk out of the room.

00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:40.059
 He couldn't see the smiles on their faces.

00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:42.180
 It cut him off from his family.

00:20:45.340 --> 00:20:46.120
 There's another one.

00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:47.180
 I can't get it out.

00:20:47.180 --> 00:20:47.759
 But,

00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:51.480
 these two blind men

00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:54.039
 would have felt very much

00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:55.099
 under the curse of God.

00:20:56.180 --> 00:20:56.860
 Cut off.

00:20:57.539 --> 00:20:58.640
 Not just difficult life,

00:20:58.740 --> 00:20:59.500
 but cut off

00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:01.200
 from the relationship with God

00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:02.599
 and in community.

00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:06.339
 Unable to worship at the temple.

00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:07.440
 Leviticus 21.

00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:09.599
 No one who has a blemish

00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:10.640
 shall draw near

00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:12.539
 a man blind or lame.

00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:13.559
 They couldn't go in.

00:21:13.860 --> 00:21:15.500
 Cut off from relationship with God.

00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:17.120
 And in Jewish thinking,

00:21:17.120 --> 00:21:17.759
 they would have known,

00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:19.880
 this is curse on my sin.

00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:25.700
 And they cry out

00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:27.299
 to Jesus,

00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:29.059
 have mercy on us,

00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:30.000
 son of David.

00:21:30.620 --> 00:21:31.599
 And I just wonder,

00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:33.200
 are they saying more than

00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:33.880
 have mercy

00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:35.279
 as in take away our blindness?

00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.259
 Of course they want that.

00:21:36.339 --> 00:21:37.500
 But I wonder if they realise,

00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:39.400
 have mercy on me,

00:21:39.460 --> 00:21:39.860
 a sinner.

00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:43.380
 Again,

00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:44.599
 Jesus touched,

00:21:44.779 --> 00:21:46.299
 the curse is instantly

00:21:46.299 --> 00:21:47.759
 taken away.

00:21:49.539 --> 00:21:50.539
 What would they have known

00:21:50.539 --> 00:21:51.120
 in that moment?

00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:52.399
 One of the first things

00:21:52.399 --> 00:21:53.859
 their eyes would have seen

00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:55.679
 was Jesus' face.

00:21:58.179 --> 00:21:59.579
 Blessed are the pure in heart,

00:21:59.659 --> 00:22:01.039
 for they shall see God.

00:22:01.979 --> 00:22:03.019
 They knew in that moment

00:22:03.019 --> 00:22:05.199
 they were not under God's curse.

00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:06.419
 They knew in that moment

00:22:06.419 --> 00:22:07.739
 that the blessing they'd receive

00:22:07.739 --> 00:22:09.299
 was because of Jesus' mercy.

00:22:09.699 --> 00:22:10.599
 They knew in that moment

00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:11.299
 that calling him

00:22:11.299 --> 00:22:12.739
 the son of David,

00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:13.739
 the promised Messiah,

00:22:13.899 --> 00:22:14.859
 that they had been

00:22:14.859 --> 00:22:16.039
 seeing him correctly.

00:22:17.639 --> 00:22:18.719
 And I think that's why

00:22:18.719 --> 00:22:19.500
 Jesus tells them,

00:22:19.639 --> 00:22:20.279
 don't tell anyone.

00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:21.299
 He can't be saying,

00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:22.200
 don't tell anyone

00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:23.399
 that you can see again,

00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:24.759
 go around pretending

00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:25.839
 you're groping around.

00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:28.639
 They couldn't hide that.

00:22:29.639 --> 00:22:31.160
 I think he must be saying,

00:22:31.399 --> 00:22:32.259
 don't tell anyone

00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:34.000
 that you have seen me correctly,

00:22:34.139 --> 00:22:35.180
 that I am the Messiah.

00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:37.559
 But what do they do instead?

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:40.500
 Having received such mercy,

00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:43.160
 they can't help themselves

00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:44.180
 but spread his fame.

00:22:49.619 --> 00:22:50.880
 So as God promised

00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:51.940
 in Isaiah 42,

00:22:52.460 --> 00:22:53.339
 where Israel,

00:22:53.619 --> 00:22:54.500
 the nation of Israel,

00:22:54.500 --> 00:22:56.599
 had failed to obey God's law,

00:22:56.700 --> 00:22:58.859
 the law was loudly crying out

00:22:58.859 --> 00:22:59.720
 to all Israel,

00:23:00.259 --> 00:23:01.039
 unclean,

00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:02.720
 unclean.

00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:04.759
 But God promised

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:05.720
 a new servant,

00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:08.039
 a suffering servant.

00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:09.180
 Isaiah 42,

00:23:09.360 --> 00:23:10.160
 I will give you

00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:10.839
 as a covenant

00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:11.519
 for the people,

00:23:12.279 --> 00:23:13.600
 a light for the nations,

00:23:14.100 --> 00:23:15.360
 to open the eyes

00:23:15.360 --> 00:23:15.960
 that are blind,

00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:17.160
 to bring out the prisoners

00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:17.900
 from the dungeon,

00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:18.940
 from the prison

00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:20.259
 those who sit in darkness.

00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:21.640
 I am the Lord,

00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:22.960
 that is my name.

00:23:23.420 --> 00:23:24.420
 My glory I give

00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:25.140
 to no other,

00:23:25.660 --> 00:23:26.600
 nor my praise

00:23:26.600 --> 00:23:28.140
 to carved idols.

00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:31.880
 The unclean

00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:32.620
 are made holy,

00:23:33.300 --> 00:23:34.400
 mourning is turned

00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:35.180
 into joy,

00:23:36.600 --> 00:23:37.800
 the blind can see

00:23:37.800 --> 00:23:38.500
 God's face

00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:39.740
 at the touch of Jesus.

00:23:41.100 --> 00:23:42.500
 All the new wine

00:23:42.500 --> 00:23:43.080
 of the kingdom

00:23:43.080 --> 00:23:44.880
 is coming through

00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:46.560
 Jesus.

00:23:47.460 --> 00:23:48.500
 You won't find it

00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:49.140
 anywhere else.

00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:52.320
 So how do you belong

00:23:52.320 --> 00:23:53.080
 in God's house?

00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:54.180
 How do you thrive

00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:55.400
 in his presence

00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:56.400
 to receive all

00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:57.020
 his blessings?

00:23:57.300 --> 00:23:58.040
 It's not

00:23:58.039 --> 00:23:59.399
 our culture's way

00:23:59.399 --> 00:24:01.099
 of every person

00:24:01.099 --> 00:24:01.779
 for themselves.

00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:03.000
 Trying to convince

00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:03.680
 yourself that

00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:04.500
 everything you do

00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:06.059
 is clean and acceptable.

00:24:06.379 --> 00:24:07.500
 When you feel ashamed,

00:24:07.659 --> 00:24:09.039
 just accept who you are,

00:24:10.159 --> 00:24:10.899
 what you've done,

00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:11.899
 what you think.

00:24:12.859 --> 00:24:13.899
 That doesn't work.

00:24:15.720 --> 00:24:16.519
 But it's equally

00:24:16.519 --> 00:24:17.579
 not the religious way.

00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:20.359
 Trying to wash yourself

00:24:20.359 --> 00:24:21.680
 by obeying

00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:23.200
 an external set of rules

00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:25.539
 and then God owes you

00:24:25.539 --> 00:24:25.980
 blessing.

00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:28.279
 It's neither of those

00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:29.099
 two ways.

00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.180
 To belong in God's house

00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:33.220
 you must experience

00:24:33.220 --> 00:24:34.039
 Jesus' mercy

00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:35.339
 for yourself personally,

00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:37.579
 his touch in your life.

00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:38.620
 There's no bargaining

00:24:38.620 --> 00:24:39.400
 with Jesus,

00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:40.259
 there's only begging.

00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:52.660
 I think some here

00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:53.200
 this morning

00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:55.259
 are trying to downplay

00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:56.319
 the wrong things

00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:57.059
 you've done,

00:24:58.339 --> 00:24:59.759
 trying to accept yourself

00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:00.740
 on your own terms.

00:25:03.940 --> 00:25:05.200
 That's not the way to go.

00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:06.599
 Remember that

00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:07.519
 12-year-old girl.

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:09.720
 There will be a funeral

00:25:09.720 --> 00:25:10.599
 for you one day.

00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:14.139
 The curse on sin

00:25:14.139 --> 00:25:15.119
 is unavoidable.

00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.240
 But

00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:20.059
 if you are connected

00:25:20.059 --> 00:25:20.720
 to Jesus,

00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:21.879
 he will take you

00:25:21.879 --> 00:25:22.500
 by the hand

00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:24.920
 and make you rise up.

00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.420
 You can't avoid

00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:29.740
 the curse on sin.

00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:30.700
 You can't pretend.

00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:32.980
 It will catch up with us.

00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:36.799
 You need the touch

00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:37.240
 of Jesus

00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:37.980
 to save you.

00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.819
 I think others here

00:25:39.819 --> 00:25:42.019
 are probably feeling

00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:43.440
 incredibly ashamed

00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:44.079
 of themselves,

00:25:44.299 --> 00:25:45.319
 feeling incredibly

00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:46.000
 unclean,

00:25:46.120 --> 00:25:47.059
 unworthy to look

00:25:47.059 --> 00:25:47.860
 God in the face.

00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:49.720
 But

00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:51.819
 like the woman

00:25:51.819 --> 00:25:52.440
 who's bleeding,

00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:53.880
 if all the hope

00:25:53.880 --> 00:25:54.640
 you can muster

00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:55.579
 is just touch

00:25:55.579 --> 00:25:56.160
 the edge

00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:56.900
 of his garment,

00:25:56.900 --> 00:25:58.080
 thinking he's going

00:25:58.080 --> 00:25:59.380
 to be so angry

00:25:59.380 --> 00:25:59.860
 with you.

00:26:02.080 --> 00:26:03.120
 It doesn't matter

00:26:03.120 --> 00:26:03.960
 how confident

00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:04.360
 you are.

00:26:04.780 --> 00:26:05.300
 That's not

00:26:05.300 --> 00:26:06.160
 the important point.

00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:07.740
 The important point

00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:08.040
 is,

00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:08.780
 is Jesus

00:26:08.780 --> 00:26:09.380
 trustworthy

00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:10.300
 to save you?

00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:12.500
 And we see

00:26:12.500 --> 00:26:12.960
 clearly

00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:14.060
 that he is.

00:26:15.860 --> 00:26:16.940
 He sees you.

00:26:17.100 --> 00:26:17.640
 Take heart,

00:26:17.780 --> 00:26:17.960
 daughter.

00:26:18.580 --> 00:26:19.180
 Your faith

00:26:19.180 --> 00:26:20.019
 has made you well

00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:21.380
 because your faith

00:26:21.380 --> 00:26:21.900
 was in me.

00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:22.420
 It doesn't matter

00:26:22.420 --> 00:26:23.019
 how much faith

00:26:23.019 --> 00:26:23.320
 you got.

00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:24.800
 It's the direction

00:26:24.800 --> 00:26:25.660
 of your hope

00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:26.400
 that matters.

00:26:28.759 --> 00:26:29.500
 Then there might

00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:30.120
 be others here

00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:30.700
 feeling like

00:26:30.700 --> 00:26:31.460
 their situation

00:26:31.460 --> 00:26:31.920
 in life

00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:32.880
 is just cursed.

00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:33.740
 Every step

00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:34.200
 you take,

00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:34.860
 everything just

00:26:34.860 --> 00:26:36.400
 seems to

00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:37.640
 not go well.

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:40.380
 Is this passage

00:26:40.380 --> 00:26:40.720
 saying,

00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:41.580
 you just need

00:26:41.580 --> 00:26:42.340
 more faith

00:26:42.340 --> 00:26:42.940
 and then life

00:26:42.940 --> 00:26:43.400
 will be better?

00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:46.640
 I think the notion

00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:47.400
 in some Christian

00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:48.000
 circles is that

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:48.460
 if you have

00:26:48.460 --> 00:26:49.000
 enough faith,

00:26:49.100 --> 00:26:49.779
 God will heal

00:26:49.779 --> 00:26:50.720
 you and

00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:51.720
 prosper you.

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:53.140
 It's cruel.

00:26:54.060 --> 00:26:55.000
 It is cruel

00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:55.480
 teaching.

00:26:55.660 --> 00:26:57.720
 It says to

00:26:57.720 --> 00:26:58.220
 parents who

00:26:58.220 --> 00:26:58.620
 have lost

00:26:58.620 --> 00:26:59.360
 their child,

00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:00.540
 if only you

00:27:00.540 --> 00:27:01.240
 had more faith

00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:01.980
 your daughter

00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:02.420
 would live.

00:27:03.300 --> 00:27:04.240
 That is cruel.

00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:07.160
 It says to

00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:07.480
 those with

00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:08.220
 chronic illness,

00:27:08.680 --> 00:27:09.000
 God would

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:09.940
 ease your pain

00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:10.820
 if only you

00:27:10.820 --> 00:27:11.480
 had confidence

00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:11.940
 he would.

00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:14.840
 He's not,

00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:15.779
 some take

00:27:15.779 --> 00:27:17.019
 that phrase,

00:27:17.600 --> 00:27:18.560
 according to

00:27:18.560 --> 00:27:19.180
 your faith

00:27:19.180 --> 00:27:19.720
 be it done

00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:20.100
 to you.

00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:21.340
 It's not

00:27:21.340 --> 00:27:22.440
 saying according

00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:23.400
 to the strength

00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:24.000
 of your faith,

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:24.579
 if you

00:27:24.579 --> 00:27:25.460
 have 60%

00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:25.839
 faith,

00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:26.119
 I'll give

00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:26.880
 you 60%

00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:27.279
 blessing.

00:27:28.619 --> 00:27:29.259
 He's saying

00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:30.500
 because your

00:27:30.500 --> 00:27:31.339
 direction of

00:27:31.339 --> 00:27:31.920
 your hope

00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:32.500
 is in me,

00:27:32.660 --> 00:27:33.039
 your faith

00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:33.640
 is in me,

00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:36.059
 then all I

00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:36.740
 am is yours.

00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:41.940
 What actually

00:27:41.940 --> 00:27:42.640
 makes Jesus

00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:43.740
 look as great

00:27:43.740 --> 00:27:44.359
 as he really

00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:44.660
 is,

00:27:44.740 --> 00:27:45.119
 is those

00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:46.119
 times where

00:27:46.119 --> 00:27:49.000
 life is far

00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:49.900
 from blessed

00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.660
 on the outside.

00:27:50.660 --> 00:27:52.440
 but you

00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:53.120
 still know

00:27:53.120 --> 00:27:53.400
 that you

00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:53.980
 are fully

00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:54.620
 loved by

00:27:54.620 --> 00:27:55.200
 God and

00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:55.779
 will dwell

00:27:55.779 --> 00:27:56.100
 in his

00:27:56.100 --> 00:27:57.180
 house forever.

00:27:58.840 --> 00:27:59.720
 That kind

00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:00.220
 of hope,

00:28:00.420 --> 00:28:00.759
 that kind

00:28:00.759 --> 00:28:01.259
 of deep

00:28:01.259 --> 00:28:02.840
 joy that

00:28:02.840 --> 00:28:03.540
 can sustain

00:28:03.540 --> 00:28:04.100
 you through

00:28:04.100 --> 00:28:05.140
 just awfulness,

00:28:05.580 --> 00:28:07.180
 that makes

00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:07.700
 people around

00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:08.080
 you go,

00:28:09.400 --> 00:28:09.920
 Jesus must

00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:10.340
 be great.

00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:11.600
 Something

00:28:11.600 --> 00:28:13.259
 else is

00:28:13.259 --> 00:28:14.100
 your life.

00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:16.019
 That is

00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:16.759
 true sight,

00:28:18.060 --> 00:28:18.900
 seeing past

00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:19.720
 your circumstances

00:28:19.720 --> 00:28:20.200
 to see

00:28:20.200 --> 00:28:20.660
 Jesus.

00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:25.380
 So do

00:28:25.380 --> 00:28:25.759
 you see

00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:26.039
 him?

00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:28.440
 The blind

00:28:28.440 --> 00:28:28.779
 men,

00:28:29.059 --> 00:28:29.680
 simply by

00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:30.160
 what they've

00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:30.720
 heard about

00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:31.079
 Jesus,

00:28:31.420 --> 00:28:31.920
 were crying

00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:32.299
 out,

00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:33.860
 have mercy

00:28:33.860 --> 00:28:35.420
 on me,

00:28:35.579 --> 00:28:36.319
 have mercy

00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:37.559
 son of

00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:37.860
 David,

00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:38.299
 promised

00:28:38.299 --> 00:28:38.779
 Messiah.

00:28:39.779 --> 00:28:40.100
 And in

00:28:40.100 --> 00:28:40.519
 the face

00:28:40.519 --> 00:28:40.940
 of Jesus,

00:28:41.819 --> 00:28:42.380
 they saw

00:28:42.380 --> 00:28:42.940
 complete

00:28:42.940 --> 00:28:43.480
 acceptance

00:28:43.480 --> 00:28:44.160
 by God

00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:45.860
 and they

00:28:45.860 --> 00:28:46.140
 couldn't

00:28:46.140 --> 00:28:47.079
 help but

00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:47.620
 spread his

00:28:47.620 --> 00:28:47.940
 fame.

00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:51.180
 all of us

00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:51.799
 speak about

00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:52.120
 what we

00:28:52.120 --> 00:28:52.420
 love.

00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:52.920
 We can't

00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:53.299
 help it.

00:28:56.259 --> 00:28:56.839
 If you

00:28:56.839 --> 00:28:57.299
 talk to me

00:28:57.299 --> 00:28:57.720
 long enough,

00:28:57.799 --> 00:28:58.180
 I will

00:28:58.180 --> 00:28:58.539
 bring up

00:28:58.539 --> 00:28:58.900
 Liverpool,

00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:00.460
 soccer.

00:29:00.940 --> 00:29:01.839
 You can't

00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:02.539
 help but

00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:03.180
 talk about

00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:04.339
 the things

00:29:04.339 --> 00:29:04.759
 you love.

00:29:06.660 --> 00:29:07.299
 I think

00:29:07.299 --> 00:29:07.680
 Matthew

00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:08.480
 compares

00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:09.539
 the blind

00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:09.819
 men's

00:29:09.819 --> 00:29:10.660
 response to

00:29:10.660 --> 00:29:11.200
 the last

00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:11.660
 section of

00:29:11.660 --> 00:29:12.000
 the mute

00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:15.440
 man to

00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:15.819
 make us

00:29:15.819 --> 00:29:15.940
 think,

00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:16.480
 who else

00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:16.860
 should have

00:29:16.860 --> 00:29:17.319
 seen the

00:29:17.319 --> 00:29:17.680
 Messiah

00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:18.140
 clearly?

00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:18.420
 Who

00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:18.940
 should see

00:29:18.940 --> 00:29:19.120
 him

00:29:19.120 --> 00:29:19.480
 clearly?

00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:21.080
 First,

00:29:21.140 --> 00:29:21.299
 you've got

00:29:21.299 --> 00:29:21.779
 the Jewish

00:29:21.779 --> 00:29:22.420
 crowds.

00:29:24.279 --> 00:29:25.019
 They say

00:29:25.019 --> 00:29:25.980
 never was

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:26.640
 anything like

00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:27.039
 this seen

00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:27.460
 in Israel.

00:29:27.580 --> 00:29:27.820
 They are

00:29:27.820 --> 00:29:28.420
 seeing the

00:29:28.420 --> 00:29:29.200
 signs clearly.

00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:30.160
 They know

00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:30.860
 their history.

00:29:31.660 --> 00:29:32.259
 Moses did

00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:32.640
 miracles,

00:29:32.820 --> 00:29:33.640
 Elijah even

00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:34.560
 raised the

00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:34.820
 dead,

00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:35.840
 but nothing,

00:29:36.320 --> 00:29:37.080
 nothing is

00:29:37.080 --> 00:29:37.500
 like this

00:29:37.500 --> 00:29:37.759
 man.

00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:38.980
 Nothing is

00:29:38.980 --> 00:29:39.840
 what we're

00:29:39.840 --> 00:29:40.460
 seeing here.

00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.299
 Something new

00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:43.000
 has arrived,

00:29:43.259 --> 00:29:43.740
 but they

00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:44.240
 don't take

00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:44.960
 the obvious

00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:45.700
 next step.

00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:47.880
 surely the

00:29:47.880 --> 00:29:49.279
 king had

00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:49.759
 come.

00:29:53.180 --> 00:29:53.960
 A bow

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:54.580
 pointed this

00:29:54.580 --> 00:29:54.880
 out at

00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:55.240
 elders.

00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:56.200
 Why didn't

00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:56.620
 they say

00:29:56.620 --> 00:29:57.240
 never was

00:29:57.240 --> 00:29:58.480
 anyone like

00:29:58.480 --> 00:29:58.900
 this seen

00:29:58.900 --> 00:29:59.319
 in Israel?

00:29:59.500 --> 00:29:59.840
 They don't

00:29:59.840 --> 00:30:00.319
 take that

00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:01.740
 step from

00:30:01.740 --> 00:30:02.539
 seeing the

00:30:02.539 --> 00:30:03.160
 signs to

00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:03.660
 who is

00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:04.220
 this man.

00:30:06.220 --> 00:30:06.900
 The fact

00:30:06.900 --> 00:30:07.140
 that they

00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:07.559
 are blind

00:30:07.559 --> 00:30:08.140
 is confirmed

00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:08.660
 in the next

00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:08.980
 section,

00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:09.559
 which we'll

00:30:09.559 --> 00:30:09.880
 look at

00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:10.480
 next week,

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:11.380
 that Jesus

00:30:11.380 --> 00:30:12.279
 has compassion

00:30:12.279 --> 00:30:12.600
 on the

00:30:12.600 --> 00:30:13.360
 crowds because

00:30:13.360 --> 00:30:13.880
 they're like

00:30:13.880 --> 00:30:14.720
 harassed and

00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:15.000
 helpless

00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:15.580
 sheep without

00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:16.019
 a shepherd.

00:30:16.299 --> 00:30:16.759
 They need

00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:17.279
 the gospel

00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:17.720
 still.

00:30:17.879 --> 00:30:18.359
 They need

00:30:18.359 --> 00:30:19.079
 mission.

00:30:21.259 --> 00:30:21.779
 They're still

00:30:21.779 --> 00:30:22.319
 blind.

00:30:23.259 --> 00:30:23.639
 But then

00:30:23.639 --> 00:30:24.019
 you've got the

00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:24.740
 experts of

00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:25.039
 the things

00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:25.439
 of God.

00:30:25.699 --> 00:30:26.059
 They do

00:30:26.059 --> 00:30:26.599
 come to a

00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:27.399
 solid conclusion.

00:30:27.859 --> 00:30:28.419
 He casts

00:30:28.419 --> 00:30:29.000
 out demons

00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:29.399
 by the

00:30:29.399 --> 00:30:29.919
 prince of

00:30:29.919 --> 00:30:30.379
 demons.

00:30:32.279 --> 00:30:32.919
 They should

00:30:32.919 --> 00:30:33.179
 have at

00:30:33.179 --> 00:30:33.639
 least been

00:30:33.639 --> 00:30:34.099
 scared of

00:30:34.099 --> 00:30:34.259
 him.

00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:36.939
 I think

00:30:36.939 --> 00:30:37.240
 they come

00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:37.500
 to this

00:30:37.500 --> 00:30:37.879
 conclusion

00:30:37.879 --> 00:30:38.599
 because Jesus

00:30:38.599 --> 00:30:39.079
 has already

00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:39.699
 shown himself

00:30:39.699 --> 00:30:40.159
 to be an

00:30:40.159 --> 00:30:40.699
 unclean

00:30:40.699 --> 00:30:41.019
 man.

00:30:41.159 --> 00:30:41.839
 He eats

00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:42.279
 with tax

00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:42.919
 collectors and

00:30:42.919 --> 00:30:43.179
 sinners.

00:30:43.799 --> 00:30:44.179
 He's got

00:30:44.179 --> 00:30:44.359
 to be

00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:44.859
 unclean.

00:30:44.859 --> 00:30:45.719
 And so

00:30:45.719 --> 00:30:46.019
 if he's

00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:46.559
 unacceptable

00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:47.079
 to God

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:47.639
 and he's

00:30:47.639 --> 00:30:48.039
 doing all

00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:48.500
 these powerful

00:30:48.500 --> 00:30:49.000
 things,

00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:50.179
 he's deceiving

00:30:50.179 --> 00:30:50.500
 people.

00:30:52.500 --> 00:30:53.339
 He must be

00:30:53.339 --> 00:30:53.639
 evil.

00:30:56.059 --> 00:30:56.959
 To admit

00:30:56.959 --> 00:30:57.759
 he was the

00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:59.579
 Messiah would

00:30:59.579 --> 00:31:00.179
 be to admit

00:31:00.179 --> 00:31:01.000
 that he was

00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:01.619
 fulfilling the

00:31:01.619 --> 00:31:02.959
 law and to

00:31:02.959 --> 00:31:03.639
 admit that they

00:31:03.639 --> 00:31:04.500
 weren't fulfilling

00:31:04.500 --> 00:31:04.979
 the law,

00:31:05.879 --> 00:31:06.619
 that by his

00:31:06.619 --> 00:31:07.579
 mercy he was

00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:08.139
 fulfilling the

00:31:08.139 --> 00:31:09.319
 law and that

00:31:09.319 --> 00:31:10.019
 they needed

00:31:10.019 --> 00:31:10.619
 his mercy.

00:31:10.619 --> 00:31:10.739
 evil.

00:31:12.299 --> 00:31:13.099
 They weren't

00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:13.859
 willing to

00:31:13.859 --> 00:31:14.399
 admit that.

00:31:15.919 --> 00:31:16.879
 They are so

00:31:16.879 --> 00:31:17.619
 blind that

00:31:17.619 --> 00:31:18.199
 they call

00:31:18.199 --> 00:31:20.000
 good evil

00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:22.799
 because they

00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:23.379
 were unwilling

00:31:23.379 --> 00:31:24.219
 to admit that

00:31:24.219 --> 00:31:24.719
 they were

00:31:24.719 --> 00:31:26.419
 unclean and

00:31:26.419 --> 00:31:26.959
 needed him.

00:31:29.959 --> 00:31:31.299
 The experts

00:31:31.299 --> 00:31:32.139
 should have

00:31:32.139 --> 00:31:32.979
 known Isaiah

00:31:32.979 --> 00:31:34.979
 42 as the

00:31:34.979 --> 00:31:35.599
 Lord calls

00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:36.219
 out to his

00:31:36.219 --> 00:31:37.500
 people Israel,

00:31:37.500 --> 00:31:39.740
 hear you

00:31:39.740 --> 00:31:41.079
 deaf and

00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:41.720
 look you

00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:42.480
 blind that

00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:42.920
 you may

00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:43.359
 see.

00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:46.500
 I think

00:31:46.500 --> 00:31:46.799
 Matthew

00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:48.119
 connects these

00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:49.259
 verbal conclusions

00:31:49.259 --> 00:31:50.160
 with healing of

00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:50.900
 the mute man

00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:52.480
 to leave you

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:53.019
 and I with a

00:31:53.019 --> 00:31:54.200
 challenge at

00:31:54.200 --> 00:31:54.779
 this point in

00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:55.200
 the gospel.

00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:56.579
 What will we

00:31:56.579 --> 00:31:57.160
 say about

00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:57.460
 Jesus?

00:31:57.640 --> 00:31:58.059
 What is our

00:31:58.059 --> 00:31:58.720
 conclusion at

00:31:58.720 --> 00:31:59.119
 this point?

00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:04.000
 Will we say

00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:04.779
 son of David

00:32:04.779 --> 00:32:05.759
 have mercy on

00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:06.900
 me, make me

00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:07.259
 clean?

00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:11.200
 If you can

00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:12.400
 see him, you

00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:13.800
 will praise

00:32:13.800 --> 00:32:14.019
 him.

00:32:16.440 --> 00:32:17.160
 If your

00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:18.360
 mouth doesn't

00:32:18.360 --> 00:32:20.440
 praise him, you

00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:21.180
 must still be

00:32:21.180 --> 00:32:21.540
 blind.

00:32:30.820 --> 00:32:31.360
 And

00:32:31.360 --> 00:32:32.060
 unfortunately we

00:32:32.060 --> 00:32:32.580
 can't sing.

00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:37.560
 evil

00:32:37.560 --> 00:32:41.259
 as

00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:45.360
 as

00:32:45.360 --> 00:32:46.140
 as

00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:46.340
 said,

00:32:46.340 --> 00:32:46.420
 you

00:32:46.580 --> 00:32:47.440
 don't

00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:47.640
勝re

00:32:47.640 --> 00:32:48.440
 can't

00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:49.580
 Had they

00:32:49.580 --> 00:32:50.220
 tell me

00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:50.519
��

00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:51.240
 might

00:32:51.240 --> 00:32:51.300
 because

00:32:51.300 --> 00:32:52.220
 they

00:32:52.220 --> 00:32:53.240
 hear you

00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:53.380
 want no

00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:54.660
 to

00:32:54.660 --> 00:32:55.380
 want no

00:32:55.380 --> 00:32:59.080
 equity

00:32:59.080 --> 00:32:59.420
 man

00:32:59.420 --> 00:32:59.960
 could

00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:00.519
 he

00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:01.200
 But

00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:01.240
 everyone

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:02.160
 for

00:33:02.160 --> 00:33:03.140
 to

00:33:03.140 --> 00:33:04.360
 work