WEBVTT 00:00:00.380 --> 00:00:07.459 Father, we ask that you would gently but powerfully continue to pour out the Holy Spirit upon us. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:14.280 We thank you, Father, that we can meet together, whether it's in person or online, 00:00:14.900 --> 00:00:16.780 that we can be in your presence. 00:00:17.460 --> 00:00:23.300 Father, we acknowledge that you, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, three persons, one God, 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:26.900 that you are the true and living God, the creator and sustainer of all things. 00:00:27.759 --> 00:00:33.979 And we give you thanks and praise that we can be in your presence through what Jesus has done for us on the cross. 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:41.140 And we ask now, Lord, that you would minister to us, that you would give to us, 00:00:41.500 --> 00:00:47.519 that we would receive grace from your hands in a worthy manner, and that we would respond in a worthy manner. 00:00:47.939 --> 00:00:50.219 And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:51.480 Please be seated. 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:57.619 I just realized I forgot my Mikey thing. That's fine. 00:01:02.239 --> 00:01:14.019 People considering the Christian faith today have a lot of extra type of issues which we have to face. 00:01:14.019 --> 00:01:23.659 I mean, obviously, people who might first hear about some of the, actually hear what Christianity really is, 00:01:23.739 --> 00:01:30.359 and have that shared with them, they're going to have intellectual objections as to why the Christian faith isn't true, 00:01:30.479 --> 00:01:32.399 and why they couldn't possibly believe it. 00:01:33.259 --> 00:01:38.439 But whether it's acknowledged or not, there's a profound emotional and personal reason 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:40.640 that might make becoming a Christian very difficult. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:48.200 And that is that we feel that to become a Christian would mean, well, we'd have less friends rather than more, 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:52.760 that we will actually face rejection if we were to become a Christian. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.319 Many people in our culture think that Christianity is toxic, 00:01:58.019 --> 00:02:03.640 that rather than being part of a solution or just maybe one neutral option amongst many, 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:06.879 that in fact the Christian faith is part of the problem, 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:10.900 that it has to be rejected, that it's actually literally toxic. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:14.879 In our country, churches could be burned. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:20.759 It was just about a year ago that almost 50 churches were either burned or seriously defaced, 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:25.080 and many of the leading lights in our culture just thought that that was fine. 00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:26.759 It hardly got any outrage whatsoever. 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:30.899 And so we're sort of familiar with that as part of the issue in our culture, 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:36.679 that if they were to rewrite the book today, How to Win Friends and Influence People, 00:02:36.819 --> 00:02:39.259 the first chapter wouldn't say become a Christian. 00:02:40.659 --> 00:02:45.120 That in fact would be the opposite of being able to influence people and win friends. 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:48.739 And those of us who are Christians, we feel this in our bones as well. 00:02:48.740 --> 00:02:52.580 And so we wrestle with whether or not it's required to, 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:56.180 maybe we should just leave the Christian faith or we should rewrite it 00:02:56.180 --> 00:03:00.219 in a way that doesn't get us rejected or put down. 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:05.180 The text that we're going to look at today speaks directly into this issue. 00:03:05.260 --> 00:03:08.760 Whether you're a Christian or you're on the outside of the Christian faith looking in, 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:13.300 trying to figure it out, the text that we're looking at today speaks directly to this issue. 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:17.620 So it would be a great help if you were to look with me at the Bible for yourselves 00:03:17.620 --> 00:03:19.039 as we go sort of through it. 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:23.159 And it's Mark chapter 6, verses 1 to 13. 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:26.219 And we're preaching through the gospel of Mark. 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:33.099 And so what, just to remind us, Mark is one of the ancient eyewitness biographies of Jesus. 00:03:34.140 --> 00:03:36.920 Mark would have been an eyewitness of some of the things here, 00:03:37.099 --> 00:03:40.340 but he would have drawn upon the actual eyewitnesses. 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:45.300 And this biography was written when the eyewitnesses were all still alive 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:48.420 and kicking, so to speak. 00:03:48.880 --> 00:03:50.980 And so this is an ancient eyewitness biography. 00:03:51.620 --> 00:03:54.100 And what's just happened before this, 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:59.939 two Sundays ago we looked at Jesus going to the pagan side of the Sea of Galilee, 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:02.740 and he met a man who was possessed by a legion of demons, 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:04.900 and he cast the demons out. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:09.900 But one of the results of that is that the people of that region wanted Jesus to leave. 00:04:10.040 --> 00:04:12.100 They didn't want him to stay there anymore, so he left. 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:15.659 And then he comes to the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee, 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:19.680 and what we just looked at last week, he's met by a man whose daughter was dying. 00:04:20.899 --> 00:04:23.560 And so Jesus agrees to go with the man to heal his daughter. 00:04:24.060 --> 00:04:29.100 But on the way, he gets sort of interrupted by a woman who's had a very profound, 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:34.420 and I guess in that cultural time, 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:39.879 embarrassing and weakening medical condition that's impoverished her. 00:04:39.879 --> 00:04:42.920 She's had it for 12 years, and he heals her. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:48.219 But while he pauses, the daughter dies of the synagogue ruler, Jairus. 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:51.459 But Jesus still goes anyway, and he's raised the daughter from the dead. 00:04:51.540 --> 00:04:53.139 That's what's just happened before this. 00:04:53.500 --> 00:04:56.300 And now the story continues, and here's how it goes. 00:04:57.860 --> 00:05:03.040 Jesus went away from there and came to his hometown, which is Nazareth. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:11.480 We know that Nazareth, archaeologists guess that, or estimate, I guess. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:15.020 I guess if I did it, it would be a guess, if an archaeologist does it, it's an estimate. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.820 And he estimate that probably at its most it had about 500 people living there. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:25.300 And anyway, he goes to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:34.060 And on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, 00:05:34.460 --> 00:05:36.620 Where did this man get these things? 00:05:37.340 --> 00:05:40.480 Now, just to pause here before we go any further. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:53.319 Sometimes it's impossible in one language to capture all the significant nuances in another language. 00:05:53.420 --> 00:05:59.220 And there's a very significant nuance that's going to happen right here, which isn't really captured with this man. 00:06:00.520 --> 00:06:07.900 If you were to see me at a public gathering, and we had somebody there maybe who was a professor 00:06:07.899 --> 00:06:13.019 at the University of Ottawa or Carleton or University of Toronto, and they had a couple of PhDs, 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:17.299 and they had a very prestigious position, and if I came up and talked about this guy, 00:06:17.799 --> 00:06:19.399 you'd all know that I was putting him down. 00:06:20.339 --> 00:06:25.459 If I didn't introduce him as Professor, you know, Bob or Professor Sue, 00:06:25.899 --> 00:06:30.620 and, you know, PhD from Oxford, another PhD from Harvard, 00:06:30.979 --> 00:06:34.519 if I didn't introduce them like that but just referred to them as this guy, 00:06:34.859 --> 00:06:37.639 every single one of you would know that I've just put them down. 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:40.739 And that's what's happening here with this word, this man. 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.579 In the original language, it's a dismissive term. 00:06:47.479 --> 00:06:53.620 And literally, given that Jesus is right there, it is like a public dismissiveness, 00:06:54.739 --> 00:06:58.079 which not only is it a public dismissiveness, 00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:03.919 it's a public dismissiveness, as we'll see later on in the story, that's accepted. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:07.759 In other words, it would be as if we had somebody here, a professor, 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:10.960 and I was to say we're going to hear this guy say a few words, 00:07:11.259 --> 00:07:13.819 and all of you folks out there are going like this. 00:07:14.520 --> 00:07:15.740 Way to go, George. 00:07:15.740 --> 00:07:18.360 This is a good thing to dismiss. 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:20.240 This is a good way to dismiss this guy. 00:07:20.379 --> 00:07:20.920 Way to go. 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:22.060 Two thumbs up. 00:07:23.420 --> 00:07:25.860 And so just, I'll read it again from verse 2. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:30.360 That's the context here, right off the bat. 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:34.220 So, and on the Sabbath, Jesus began to teach in the synagogue, 00:07:34.520 --> 00:07:36.439 and many who heard him were astonished, saying, 00:07:36.819 --> 00:07:39.639 where did this guy get these things? 00:07:40.840 --> 00:07:43.020 What is the wisdom given to him? 00:07:43.019 --> 00:07:46.939 How are such mighty works done by his hands? 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:52.959 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, 00:07:53.180 --> 00:07:59.139 and I don't know how to pronounce that word, Joseph, and Judas, and Simon? 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:01.779 And are not his sisters here with us? 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:03.599 And they took offense at him. 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:10.199 So, just a couple of other things that the put-downs continue. 00:08:10.199 --> 00:08:13.500 One of them is by referring to Jesus as son of Mary. 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:19.800 The normal Jewish way of referring to a man would be to refer to him as Jesus, son of Joseph. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:23.120 In fact, there's a bit of debate among scholars, 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.680 but most of them would agree that, in fact, it's also a bit of a dig 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:29.819 that he was born illegitimately. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:34.559 And that, in our culture right now, isn't a bad thing. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:45.159 But for old people like me, there would be girls in high school who would miss a term, a year. 00:08:46.419 --> 00:08:49.819 And everybody would know they missed a year because they got pregnant and had a baby. 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:55.539 They sent the family, sent the girl away completely to another place to have the baby. 00:08:56.059 --> 00:08:58.019 And then the baby would be put up for adoption 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:01.960 because it was a shameful thing to have a child out of wedlock. 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:05.419 Some families far more than others, but it was a shameful thing. 00:09:05.460 --> 00:09:07.340 It's not a shameful thing in our culture right now, 00:09:07.939 --> 00:09:09.819 but in many, many cultures in the world, 00:09:09.899 --> 00:09:12.240 it's a shameful thing to have a child out of wedlock. 00:09:13.079 --> 00:09:17.579 And once again, if I had a person here and I was introducing them 00:09:17.579 --> 00:09:19.460 and there was something shameful in our culture, 00:09:19.460 --> 00:09:22.079 and I pointed it out in public to everybody, 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:25.080 and you all went like this, 00:09:25.940 --> 00:09:28.440 you can get a sense of what's going on here with Jesus. 00:09:30.740 --> 00:09:35.440 There is, in a sense, a very public dismissing of him, 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:39.000 put down, and rejection of him. 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:44.560 And just one other thing about this put down of him 00:09:44.560 --> 00:09:48.540 is that in the Jewish culture, 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.259 it's not a shameful thing to be a carpenter. 00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:54.439 In fact, it would have been considered an honorable thing. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:59.100 It wouldn't have made him eligible to really be a rabbi. 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:03.059 It didn't mean he had high-level qualifications, 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:05.080 but it wouldn't be a put down necessarily. 00:10:05.319 --> 00:10:07.299 But in the other world, 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.500 and Mark, the original writer of this ancient biography, 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:12.819 is writing it not in Hebrew or Aramaic, 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:14.559 but is writing it in Greek, 00:10:14.659 --> 00:10:16.679 so it's designed for the wider culture. 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:22.379 And Nazareth itself is actually only four, 00:10:23.219 --> 00:10:25.699 I can't remember now if it's four kilometers or four miles, 00:10:26.139 --> 00:10:29.819 but just from a very, very significant Gentile city. 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:32.819 And in the Gentile or the pagan world, 00:10:32.979 --> 00:10:36.479 a carpenter would be like a real put down. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:38.719 You know, it would be like in our day 00:10:38.719 --> 00:10:40.279 at the University of Ottawa, 00:10:40.359 --> 00:10:42.819 if they were introducing somebody and they said a janitor. 00:10:42.820 --> 00:10:45.180 And everybody in the University of Ottawa, 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:46.240 well, just a janitor. 00:10:46.620 --> 00:10:48.400 Like, just a janitor. 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:52.140 Not somebody with even a BA or an MA or a PhD. 00:10:53.260 --> 00:10:56.660 So there's multiple putting down of Jesus 00:10:56.660 --> 00:10:59.740 here in this particular story. 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:02.160 So the interesting thing then 00:11:02.160 --> 00:11:04.280 is he's been publicly put down, 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:06.700 publicly dismissed, publicly rejected. 00:11:06.700 --> 00:11:08.600 And he's been, 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:12.400 this is done in a context where people know him. 00:11:14.680 --> 00:11:17.800 And they feel they have the sufficient social power 00:11:17.800 --> 00:11:19.160 to get away with it, and they do. 00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:21.520 So how does Jesus react? 00:11:22.640 --> 00:11:23.620 Like, how does he react? 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:27.520 Like, let's just be honest here for a second. 00:11:28.660 --> 00:11:31.200 Like, you'll notice that over the last few weeks, 00:11:31.259 --> 00:11:33.200 I often say that the Gospels act 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:34.700 as both a mirror and a window. 00:11:34.700 --> 00:11:37.700 It's a mirror in the sense that it helps you, 00:11:37.780 --> 00:11:39.200 if you think about it, to see yourself. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:43.300 It's a window in the sense that it actually helps you 00:11:43.300 --> 00:11:44.640 to understand a little bit about 00:11:44.640 --> 00:11:47.200 what the true and living God is actually like, 00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:48.960 what the universe is actually like. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.320 It's a window into understanding the real world. 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:54.560 But, you know, 00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:59.580 you guys are probably all vastly more holy than me. 00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:01.840 But I would, 00:12:01.980 --> 00:12:03.560 I probably would sulk. 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:09.100 And inwardly, I would storm and rage. 00:12:10.940 --> 00:12:12.240 And I would pout. 00:12:12.800 --> 00:12:15.780 And I would alternate internally between self-pity 00:12:15.780 --> 00:12:22.860 and murderous revenge fantasies. 00:12:22.860 --> 00:12:25.539 But as I said, that's probably just me. 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:27.460 None of you would feel the same way 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:30.180 to be publicly rejected, dismissed, and humiliated. 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:33.580 And I also might, of course, 00:12:33.659 --> 00:12:36.180 feel severe self-doubt as well 00:12:36.180 --> 00:12:38.879 after actually being put down in such a way. 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:40.899 Because we are social creatures, 00:12:40.899 --> 00:12:42.519 and to be treated in such a way 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:43.840 often creates within us these, 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:45.960 if you're at all like me, 00:12:46.019 --> 00:12:47.000 you can go back and forward 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.360 between self-pity, anger, and doubt, 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:51.279 all going back and forward 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:52.879 in the face of this type of thing. 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:53.840 So what does Jesus do? 00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:55.960 What does Jesus do? 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:57.399 Well, let's look. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:58.379 Verse 4. 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:00.960 We see the first bit of his response. 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:01.680 In some ways, 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:03.740 what we see from verses 4 00:13:03.740 --> 00:13:04.639 right through to 13 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:07.639 is how Jesus responds 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:09.320 to this particular situation 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:12.159 and how his disciples react 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:13.680 to Jesus' response. 00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:15.139 And so in verse 4, 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:16.320 you see the first part of it. 00:13:16.420 --> 00:13:17.680 You see he makes a comment. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:19.559 And Jesus said to them, 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:20.719 to them, 00:13:21.459 --> 00:13:22.799 not only to his disciples, 00:13:22.979 --> 00:13:24.699 but to the people of Nazareth, 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:26.979 a prophet is not without honor 00:13:26.979 --> 00:13:28.299 except in his hometown 00:13:28.299 --> 00:13:29.739 and among his relatives 00:13:29.739 --> 00:13:31.319 and in his own household. 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:34.059 So the first bit he does 00:13:34.059 --> 00:13:37.659 is he actually names it. 00:13:38.299 --> 00:13:39.659 He names it in public. 00:13:39.819 --> 00:13:42.759 He uses a common type of a parable 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:44.359 or saying that was both common 00:13:44.359 --> 00:13:45.459 in the pagan world 00:13:45.459 --> 00:13:46.939 and common in the Jewish world. 00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:49.460 And he says that this is just, 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:50.780 this is what you've actually, 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:51.900 this is what's happening. 00:13:52.020 --> 00:13:52.800 I'm not being honored. 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:55.120 And it's actually very, 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:55.880 very interesting 00:13:55.880 --> 00:13:57.820 that this helps to show 00:13:57.820 --> 00:13:58.500 that the people 00:13:58.500 --> 00:13:59.540 who are saying these things 00:13:59.540 --> 00:14:00.320 about Jesus, 00:14:00.980 --> 00:14:02.120 obviously not all of it, 00:14:02.160 --> 00:14:03.040 but in some ways, 00:14:03.460 --> 00:14:04.080 his family, 00:14:04.420 --> 00:14:06.240 his own family is involved 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:07.800 in this put down of Jesus. 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:12.379 It would be as if his brother 00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:13.859 or his half-brother James 00:14:13.859 --> 00:14:14.899 says, 00:14:15.259 --> 00:14:16.219 like, 00:14:16.259 --> 00:14:17.479 this guy's just a carpenter. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:17.959 Like, 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:18.419 come on, 00:14:18.519 --> 00:14:19.359 I'm his brother. 00:14:19.599 --> 00:14:19.779 Like, 00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:21.559 we're his brothers and sisters. 00:14:21.719 --> 00:14:21.819 Like, 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:22.179 who does, 00:14:22.319 --> 00:14:22.519 like, 00:14:22.579 --> 00:14:23.620 who does he think he is 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:24.620 to do all this stuff? 00:14:28.719 --> 00:14:29.639 And so he, 00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:30.439 he names it. 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:32.580 Now, 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:36.100 the next thing that he does 00:14:36.100 --> 00:14:36.840 is actually very, 00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:37.560 very interesting, 00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:38.800 although often what we, 00:14:39.260 --> 00:14:40.620 when we read the next bit, 00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:42.320 we miss what he's done 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.320 because we get confused 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:45.300 by what happens. 00:14:45.900 --> 00:14:47.260 And so we ask ourselves, 00:14:47.400 --> 00:14:47.760 in a sense, 00:14:47.820 --> 00:14:49.160 a different type of question 00:14:49.160 --> 00:14:50.040 than really noticing 00:14:50.040 --> 00:14:50.640 what happens 00:14:50.640 --> 00:14:51.600 with the flow of it. 00:14:52.420 --> 00:14:53.520 So just look what happens 00:14:53.520 --> 00:14:54.220 in verse five 00:14:54.220 --> 00:14:55.320 in the first bit of six. 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:56.960 And he could do 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:58.040 no mighty work there. 00:14:58.140 --> 00:14:58.820 That means he couldn't 00:14:58.820 --> 00:14:59.400 do a miracle. 00:14:59.640 --> 00:15:01.100 He could do no mighty work there 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:02.780 except that he laid his hands 00:15:02.780 --> 00:15:03.820 on a few sick people 00:15:03.820 --> 00:15:04.540 and healed them. 00:15:05.040 --> 00:15:06.600 And he marveled 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:07.879 because of their unbelief. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:09.100 He marveled. 00:15:09.140 --> 00:15:11.220 He was gobsmacked, 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:12.780 to use an Irish expression, 00:15:13.400 --> 00:15:14.500 at their unbelief. 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:16.320 Now, 00:15:16.420 --> 00:15:18.080 what often happens with us 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:19.220 is we start to go off 00:15:19.220 --> 00:15:20.380 in a bit of a different direction 00:15:20.380 --> 00:15:21.920 as to why Jesus couldn't heal. 00:15:23.300 --> 00:15:25.100 But the fundamental thing 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:26.320 to notice first, 00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:27.139 I'll talk a little bit 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:28.639 about why he couldn't heal 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:29.779 in quotation marks, 00:15:29.920 --> 00:15:30.259 couldn't. 00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:33.000 But the really interesting thing 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:34.000 is that even though 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.580 he's been publicly rejected, 00:15:35.820 --> 00:15:36.759 publicly dismissed, 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:38.440 publicly put down, 00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:39.600 publicly shamed, 00:15:40.180 --> 00:15:41.620 he's still willing to heal. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:43.620 You'll notice that. 00:15:43.659 --> 00:15:44.460 That's actually the really 00:15:44.460 --> 00:15:45.680 important thing to notice. 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:49.019 He's still willing to heal. 00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:51.360 Like, in a sense, 00:15:52.040 --> 00:15:53.620 what this is just saying to us 00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:55.419 is that if Jesus is put down, 00:15:55.560 --> 00:15:56.000 dismissed, 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:56.600 rejected, 00:15:56.700 --> 00:15:57.240 and shamed, 00:15:57.399 --> 00:15:58.340 so will you, 00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:00.259 if you have him 00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:01.379 as your Savior and Lord. 00:16:02.500 --> 00:16:03.419 But love 00:16:03.419 --> 00:16:05.060 and speak the truth anyway. 00:16:06.379 --> 00:16:06.580 I mean, 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:07.039 in some ways, 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:08.200 that's actually the big message 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:09.000 of this text. 00:16:09.980 --> 00:16:11.100 Jesus was rejected. 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:12.379 Jesus was dismissed. 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:13.639 Jesus was shamed. 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:14.620 But his response 00:16:14.620 --> 00:16:15.480 was to continue 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:16.080 to bear witness 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:16.779 to the truth 00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:17.960 and to seek 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:18.500 to be a, 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:19.340 and to heal 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:20.139 and deliver. 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:22.379 And the lesson is, 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:23.460 we're going to have 00:16:23.460 --> 00:16:24.800 the same thing happen to us. 00:16:24.920 --> 00:16:25.860 And our response 00:16:25.860 --> 00:16:26.980 shouldn't be proud, 00:16:27.259 --> 00:16:27.660 anger, 00:16:28.280 --> 00:16:28.800 attacking, 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:30.500 but our response 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:31.379 should be 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:32.139 to continue 00:16:32.139 --> 00:16:32.580 to witness 00:16:32.580 --> 00:16:33.300 to the truth 00:16:33.300 --> 00:16:34.980 and to continue 00:16:34.980 --> 00:16:36.300 to seek 00:16:36.300 --> 00:16:37.220 to be an agent 00:16:37.220 --> 00:16:38.879 or to be healing 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:41.460 and act 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:42.620 towards deliverance. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.280 So Jesus 00:16:44.280 --> 00:16:44.860 is willing 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:45.540 to heal. 00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:47.559 The problem here, 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.019 and here's where 00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:50.199 people get confused, 00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:51.860 it's not 00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:52.639 that Jesus, 00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:53.360 let's say, 00:16:53.419 --> 00:16:54.339 let's say Matt 00:16:54.339 --> 00:16:55.159 here is Jesus 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:56.319 and he comes up to me 00:16:56.319 --> 00:16:56.860 because he wants 00:16:56.860 --> 00:16:57.379 to heal me 00:16:57.379 --> 00:16:58.240 because I'm sick. 00:16:58.959 --> 00:17:00.879 And so he comes up 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:01.480 on the stage 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:01.719 and says, 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:01.899 okay, 00:17:01.899 --> 00:17:02.559 I'm going to heal you. 00:17:02.959 --> 00:17:03.419 And, you know, 00:17:03.459 --> 00:17:04.079 he, I don't know, 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:04.960 closes his eyes. 00:17:05.059 --> 00:17:05.799 If this was Hollywood, 00:17:05.980 --> 00:17:06.920 he'd close his eyes, 00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:08.180 maybe put his hands up, 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:08.379 you know, 00:17:08.379 --> 00:17:09.279 do a little bit of this 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:09.879 or a quivering. 00:17:10.399 --> 00:17:11.240 And then he all of a sudden 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:12.259 stops and says, 00:17:12.619 --> 00:17:13.079 okay, George, 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:13.960 you got to work with me 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:14.700 here a bit. 00:17:15.539 --> 00:17:15.799 Okay, 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:17.000 you got to work with me. 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:17.819 Don't just sort of 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:18.799 stand there 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:19.639 like you're, 00:17:19.639 --> 00:17:20.139 you're the, 00:17:20.259 --> 00:17:21.319 a horizontal, 00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:23.259 a vertical version 00:17:23.259 --> 00:17:24.319 of a couch potato 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:25.920 just saying whatever. 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:27.059 You got to work with me. 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:27.299 Okay, 00:17:27.339 --> 00:17:27.700 try to, 00:17:27.779 --> 00:17:29.339 try to get a little bit pumped. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:30.639 I need you to get a bit pumped 00:17:30.639 --> 00:17:31.379 and a little bit of energy 00:17:31.379 --> 00:17:31.920 and then I, 00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:32.159 then, 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:32.619 and then I, 00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:33.359 and goes back 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:33.539 and, 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:34.039 oh no, 00:17:34.099 --> 00:17:34.299 George, 00:17:34.339 --> 00:17:34.879 you got to work with, 00:17:34.879 --> 00:17:35.019 no, 00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:36.059 that's not what's happening at all. 00:17:36.539 --> 00:17:36.980 What's happening 00:17:36.980 --> 00:17:37.619 is they don't come. 00:17:41.659 --> 00:17:41.960 I mean, 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:42.839 you read the gospel, 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:44.019 Jesus doesn't need 00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:45.359 people to believe him 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:46.639 to heal them, 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:48.159 but they don't come. 00:17:49.299 --> 00:17:50.740 It would be as if I have 00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:52.019 a couple of sick people 00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:54.000 or in my household, 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:55.000 but I don't want to bring 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:55.740 them out to Jesus 00:17:55.740 --> 00:17:56.399 and I don't want to ask 00:17:56.399 --> 00:17:57.379 Jesus to come to me. 00:17:57.579 --> 00:17:57.719 Why? 00:17:57.859 --> 00:17:58.240 Because I, 00:17:58.359 --> 00:17:58.519 you know, 00:17:58.599 --> 00:17:59.519 who is this guy? 00:18:00.699 --> 00:18:00.899 Yeah, 00:18:00.939 --> 00:18:01.079 yeah, 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:01.259 yeah, 00:18:01.259 --> 00:18:01.419 yeah, 00:18:01.419 --> 00:18:01.579 yeah, 00:18:01.579 --> 00:18:01.619 yeah, 00:18:01.619 --> 00:18:02.500 he does miracles. 00:18:02.699 --> 00:18:02.819 Yeah, 00:18:02.859 --> 00:18:03.000 yeah, 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:03.159 yeah, 00:18:03.159 --> 00:18:03.279 yeah, 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:04.159 he has lots of wisdom, 00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:04.839 but good grief, 00:18:04.899 --> 00:18:05.899 he's just a carpenter. 00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:06.259 Like, 00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:06.859 we know him, 00:18:06.940 --> 00:18:07.079 like, 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:08.000 he's nothing special, 00:18:08.099 --> 00:18:09.460 his mom is nothing special, 00:18:09.579 --> 00:18:11.079 his dad was nothing special, 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:11.740 oh, 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:12.559 if we even know 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.640 who his dad was, 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:14.379 and, 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:15.200 you know, 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:16.799 and his family's nothing special. 00:18:16.879 --> 00:18:17.000 Like, 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:17.839 why do we want to have him 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:18.599 come to our house? 00:18:18.660 --> 00:18:18.819 Like, 00:18:18.859 --> 00:18:19.059 you know, 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:19.339 just, 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:19.740 you know, 00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:20.559 forget about it. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:20.759 Like, 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.079 they don't actually even want 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:22.799 to have him come. 00:18:23.879 --> 00:18:24.099 So, 00:18:24.159 --> 00:18:25.539 it's not as if their faith 00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:27.039 is in any type of way, 00:18:27.099 --> 00:18:28.099 or their lack of faith 00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:29.919 is a barrier to Jesus' healing, 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:30.899 because all of the healing 00:18:30.899 --> 00:18:31.799 comes from him, 00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:33.500 none of it comes from them. 00:18:34.659 --> 00:18:36.519 But they're uninterested. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:38.839 They have no belief, 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:41.139 and they just want to reject him. 00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:42.599 Well, 00:18:42.619 --> 00:18:43.819 how does Jesus continue 00:18:43.819 --> 00:18:46.700 to react to it? 00:18:47.139 --> 00:18:47.759 Once again, 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:48.960 does he pout, 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:49.480 sulk, 00:18:49.639 --> 00:18:50.000 rage, 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:50.680 revenge, 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:51.940 or attack? 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:53.980 We already see 00:18:53.980 --> 00:18:55.119 that he was willing 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:56.220 to continue to heal, 00:18:56.339 --> 00:18:57.420 but they didn't want him to heal. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:18:59.299 And this next bit 00:18:59.299 --> 00:19:01.960 of how he responds to it 00:19:01.960 --> 00:19:03.019 is actually a very, 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:05.119 very profound meditation 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:07.000 upon the difference 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:08.700 between Christianity and Islam, 00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:10.119 and the difference 00:19:10.119 --> 00:19:11.160 between Christianity 00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:11.920 and Buddhism 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:13.220 and Hinduism as well. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:16.359 The difference between 00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:17.559 Buddhism and Hinduism 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:18.099 and Christianity 00:19:18.099 --> 00:19:19.299 is a little bit hard. 00:19:19.299 --> 00:19:19.740 In fact, 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:20.659 a lot of people, 00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:21.919 when they read this text, 00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:23.759 don't actually read the text 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:24.599 or understand it 00:19:24.599 --> 00:19:25.460 in a Christian way. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:26.319 They actually 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:28.399 bring in Buddhist 00:19:28.399 --> 00:19:29.619 and Hindu categories 00:19:29.619 --> 00:19:32.539 and think that the text 00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:34.220 is justifying their categories, 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:34.759 but actually, 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:36.440 it's a rejection. 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:41.500 rejection of the errors 00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:42.539 in Buddhism 00:19:42.539 --> 00:19:43.440 and Hinduism, 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:47.539 but a deep fulfillment 00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:49.759 of the deep desires 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:50.320 of Buddhism 00:19:50.320 --> 00:19:51.380 and Hinduism. 00:19:53.380 --> 00:19:55.180 And it is a clear rejection 00:19:55.180 --> 00:19:57.420 of Islam, 00:19:58.080 --> 00:19:59.860 but it is, 00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:00.279 in fact, 00:20:00.320 --> 00:20:00.900 a fulfillment 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:02.259 of the deeper desire 00:20:02.259 --> 00:20:03.900 of those who follow 00:20:03.900 --> 00:20:04.600 Islam. 00:20:05.340 --> 00:20:06.180 So what do I mean? 00:20:06.300 --> 00:20:07.180 Well, let's look. 00:20:08.740 --> 00:20:10.500 Look at 6B. 00:20:11.120 --> 00:20:12.060 And he went out about, 00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:13.280 he went about 00:20:13.280 --> 00:20:14.180 among the villages 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:14.880 teaching, 00:20:15.340 --> 00:20:17.420 and he called the twelve 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:19.600 and began to send them out 00:20:19.600 --> 00:20:20.340 two by two 00:20:20.340 --> 00:20:22.240 and gave them authority 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:23.920 over the unclean spirits. 00:20:24.140 --> 00:20:24.980 He charged them 00:20:24.980 --> 00:20:25.640 to take nothing 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:26.440 for their journey 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:27.560 except a staff, 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:28.620 no bread, 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:29.160 no bag, 00:20:29.220 --> 00:20:30.220 no money in their belts, 00:20:30.220 --> 00:20:32.079 but to wear sandals 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:33.279 and not put on 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:34.380 two tunics. 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:35.519 A tunic is a, 00:20:36.220 --> 00:20:37.860 there's just a long, 00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:39.079 it would be like a t-shirt, 00:20:39.259 --> 00:20:40.259 but it would be like 00:20:40.259 --> 00:20:40.819 that you wear 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:41.839 right next to your skin, 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:42.819 but it would go down 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:44.900 past the knees. 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:46.059 Now, 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:47.980 here's the first thing. 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:48.220 So, 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.000 Jesus has been rejected. 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:51.140 His disciples have been, 00:20:51.360 --> 00:20:52.700 seen him rejected 00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:53.400 and shamed 00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:54.079 and put down, 00:20:54.180 --> 00:20:55.059 but his response 00:20:55.059 --> 00:20:56.900 is he's still willing 00:20:56.900 --> 00:20:57.400 to heal. 00:20:58.360 --> 00:20:59.319 And his response 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:00.259 is that he's going to go out 00:21:00.259 --> 00:21:01.779 and continue to teach 00:21:01.779 --> 00:21:03.799 and he's going to continue 00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:05.599 to deliver people 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:06.159 from demons. 00:21:06.399 --> 00:21:07.319 He's going to continue 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:08.619 to offer to heal. 00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:10.759 And not only does he do this, 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:12.559 he now authorizes 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:14.339 and calls the twelve 00:21:14.339 --> 00:21:15.919 to do the exact same thing. 00:21:16.939 --> 00:21:17.079 So, 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:18.279 how is this, 00:21:19.179 --> 00:21:20.079 if you think about it 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:20.679 for a second, 00:21:21.899 --> 00:21:23.059 Muhammad was a warrior. 00:21:25.259 --> 00:21:26.500 Muhammad was a warrior. 00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:26.579 warrior. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:28.880 And, 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:29.839 and in the Quran 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:31.140 and in the Hadiths, 00:21:32.500 --> 00:21:32.839 I mean, 00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:33.339 there's a, 00:21:33.339 --> 00:21:34.579 the consistent message 00:21:34.579 --> 00:21:34.920 of, 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:36.279 of Muhammad 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:38.220 from Allah 00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:40.200 is that if you're 00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:40.799 in a minority 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:41.359 and you don't have 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:41.960 any power, 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:42.240 then, 00:21:42.339 --> 00:21:43.019 then you can sort of 00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:43.279 just, 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:44.160 you know, 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:44.799 be like this. 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:45.599 But once you begin 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:46.559 to get some power, 00:21:46.680 --> 00:21:47.019 then you, 00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:48.019 you need to be a warrior. 00:21:48.019 --> 00:21:48.559 You need to, 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:49.700 to arm yourself. 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:50.220 You need to, 00:21:50.339 --> 00:21:51.240 you need to attack. 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:52.339 You need to take control 00:21:52.339 --> 00:21:53.259 of the situation. 00:21:54.460 --> 00:21:55.460 Muhammad was a warrior. 00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:57.319 and we see here 00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:58.460 the exact opposite 00:21:58.460 --> 00:21:59.759 message. 00:22:00.380 --> 00:22:00.900 In fact, 00:22:00.940 --> 00:22:01.779 what we see here 00:22:01.779 --> 00:22:02.500 is rather than 00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.440 when the time is right, 00:22:03.539 --> 00:22:04.440 grab your sword, 00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:06.660 is don't even have a staff. 00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:08.420 Don't have any money. 00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:09.960 Be completely 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:11.460 and utterly powerless 00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:14.539 as you go out 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:15.059 to bear witness 00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:15.759 to the truth. 00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:17.799 And the, 00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:19.200 the message about the, 00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:20.420 and the contrast 00:22:20.420 --> 00:22:21.120 with Buddhism 00:22:21.120 --> 00:22:21.980 and Hinduism 00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:22.220 is, 00:22:22.340 --> 00:22:22.480 you see, 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:23.100 on one hand, 00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:24.000 often when people 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:24.799 read this thing, 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:26.160 they think, 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:26.420 okay, 00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:27.059 now we're getting 00:22:27.059 --> 00:22:27.539 to something 00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:28.339 very familiar 00:22:28.339 --> 00:22:29.099 because this is 00:22:29.099 --> 00:22:30.319 a familiar category 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:30.799 to us. 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:31.640 This is the category 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:32.359 of religion. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:33.779 In fact, 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:34.420 you know, 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:36.160 what we know 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:37.200 about religious people 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:37.819 is that they like 00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:38.660 to dress funny 00:22:38.660 --> 00:22:40.480 if they dress at all 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:40.799 and, 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:42.359 and that real religious people, 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:43.359 they often don't like 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.500 to eat very much 00:22:44.500 --> 00:22:45.140 and they often 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:45.599 don't want to have 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:46.220 any possessions 00:22:46.220 --> 00:22:46.720 and, 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:47.640 and they want to, 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:47.900 you know, 00:22:47.900 --> 00:22:48.859 do these odd types 00:22:48.859 --> 00:22:49.539 of rituals 00:22:49.539 --> 00:22:50.000 and they, 00:22:50.059 --> 00:22:50.440 they want to, 00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:50.660 you know, 00:22:50.680 --> 00:22:51.460 they're just very, 00:22:51.579 --> 00:22:52.079 very odd 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:52.519 and that's sort 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:52.919 of how you know 00:22:52.919 --> 00:22:53.480 that they're very 00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:53.960 religious 00:22:53.960 --> 00:22:55.299 and, 00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:55.879 in fact, 00:22:55.919 --> 00:22:56.439 one of the problems 00:22:56.439 --> 00:22:56.859 I have 00:22:56.859 --> 00:22:57.639 when I talk 00:22:57.639 --> 00:22:58.259 to friends 00:22:58.259 --> 00:22:58.740 who are, 00:22:59.259 --> 00:22:59.779 you know, 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:01.159 enamored with, 00:23:01.259 --> 00:23:02.119 or would be Buddhists 00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:03.019 or would be Muslim 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:03.879 or come from 00:23:03.879 --> 00:23:04.740 a Jewish background 00:23:04.740 --> 00:23:06.419 is that when I try 00:23:06.419 --> 00:23:07.179 to talk to them 00:23:07.179 --> 00:23:07.859 and I try to, 00:23:07.859 --> 00:23:08.740 to communicate 00:23:08.740 --> 00:23:09.480 that I'm actually 00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:10.579 like a very serious 00:23:10.579 --> 00:23:11.019 Christian 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:12.059 or a devout Christian, 00:23:12.199 --> 00:23:12.359 I mean, 00:23:12.539 --> 00:23:13.119 that doesn't mean 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:14.039 I'm always a good Christian 00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:15.039 but I try to be devout, 00:23:15.639 --> 00:23:16.319 is that I know 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:17.079 that in their mind 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:17.439 they don't really 00:23:17.439 --> 00:23:18.619 have a category for it 00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:19.599 because if they're Jewish, 00:23:20.059 --> 00:23:20.519 well then, 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:21.639 I should be having 00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:22.320 like something 00:23:22.320 --> 00:23:23.400 that's very distinctive 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:24.320 in my dress 00:23:24.320 --> 00:23:24.600 or, 00:23:25.060 --> 00:23:25.520 you know, 00:23:25.540 --> 00:23:26.180 I should be more 00:23:26.180 --> 00:23:26.900 emaciated 00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:27.380 or I, 00:23:27.380 --> 00:23:28.160 you know, 00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:29.060 I should have a, 00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:29.560 like, 00:23:29.780 --> 00:23:31.320 and often when people 00:23:31.320 --> 00:23:32.020 say that they want 00:23:32.020 --> 00:23:32.620 to be spiritual 00:23:32.620 --> 00:23:33.380 but not religious 00:23:33.380 --> 00:23:34.340 is they want to say 00:23:34.340 --> 00:23:34.900 we don't want to have 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:35.340 anything to do 00:23:35.340 --> 00:23:35.740 with all that 00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:36.220 like really, 00:23:36.360 --> 00:23:37.320 really weird behavior 00:23:37.320 --> 00:23:37.980 but we want to, 00:23:38.340 --> 00:23:39.180 we still understand 00:23:39.180 --> 00:23:40.000 that there should still 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:40.780 be something like 00:23:40.780 --> 00:23:41.880 religious and spiritual 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:43.280 longings and yearnings 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:45.299 and so on one hand 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:45.759 you see 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:48.480 this text looks like 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:49.559 it's putting Jesus 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:50.359 and the Christians 00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:51.859 in a familiar type of thing 00:23:51.859 --> 00:23:52.539 and people can say 00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:52.799 okay, 00:23:52.879 --> 00:23:53.619 I understand that 00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:54.700 although the next thing 00:23:54.700 --> 00:23:55.139 that will go on 00:23:55.139 --> 00:23:55.680 in their mind 00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:56.220 is Jesus, 00:23:56.539 --> 00:23:57.019 George, 00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:57.660 if you say you're 00:23:57.660 --> 00:23:58.539 a serious Christian 00:23:58.539 --> 00:24:00.359 how come you're not like that? 00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:00.559 Like, 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:01.460 how come you're sitting here 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:02.240 having a coffee 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:03.299 in the coffee shop 00:24:03.299 --> 00:24:04.279 and how come you don't look 00:24:04.279 --> 00:24:05.359 like you've starved yourself 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:05.819 to death 00:24:05.819 --> 00:24:06.000 or, 00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:06.859 you know, 00:24:06.899 --> 00:24:08.019 you're not dressed like that 00:24:08.019 --> 00:24:08.980 and there's probably 00:24:08.980 --> 00:24:09.759 a little bit of a, 00:24:10.119 --> 00:24:10.720 they're trying to get 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:11.619 their mind around it 00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:12.599 but what's going on 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:13.359 in this text here 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:14.279 isn't that Jesus 00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:15.059 is telling them 00:24:15.059 --> 00:24:15.959 that they have to learn 00:24:15.959 --> 00:24:18.199 detachment from the world 00:24:18.199 --> 00:24:20.619 and non-attachment 00:24:20.619 --> 00:24:21.759 for the world. 00:24:22.179 --> 00:24:22.779 In fact, 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:24.000 it's the complete opposite 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:24.459 of that 00:24:24.459 --> 00:24:26.039 because he's sending them 00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:27.479 in to the world 00:24:27.479 --> 00:24:28.739 and he's sending them 00:24:28.739 --> 00:24:29.319 into the world 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:30.319 to heal people 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:32.019 and he's sending them 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:32.539 into the world 00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:33.679 not only to heal people 00:24:33.679 --> 00:24:34.519 but to deliver 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.919 and he's sending them 00:24:35.919 --> 00:24:36.419 into the world 00:24:36.419 --> 00:24:37.259 to heal people, 00:24:37.379 --> 00:24:38.179 to deliver people 00:24:38.179 --> 00:24:39.519 and to teach the truth 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:41.720 so he's not at all 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:42.440 telling them 00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:43.920 to practice detachment 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:45.000 or non-attachment 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:46.279 or to be some type 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:47.079 of an ascetic 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:48.500 and to be a beggar. 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:50.039 The heart of what 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:50.660 he's telling them 00:24:50.660 --> 00:24:51.519 is I'm going to give you 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:52.119 this mission, 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:53.480 I'm calling you 00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:54.160 to bear witness 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:54.859 to the truth, 00:24:55.180 --> 00:24:56.559 to tell people about me, 00:24:56.700 --> 00:24:57.480 to tell people 00:24:57.480 --> 00:24:58.180 about the fact 00:24:58.180 --> 00:24:59.220 that I have come, 00:24:59.579 --> 00:25:00.440 I am the Messiah, 00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:01.519 I am the one 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:02.599 who will reconcile 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:04.319 not only the Jewish people 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:05.359 but eventually they'll hear 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:05.920 that I've come 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:06.879 to reconcile all 00:25:06.879 --> 00:25:07.859 who put their faith 00:25:07.859 --> 00:25:08.539 and trust in me 00:25:08.539 --> 00:25:09.200 to reconcile 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:11.080 them to the true 00:25:11.080 --> 00:25:12.660 and living triune God 00:25:12.660 --> 00:25:14.220 and that I want you 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:15.120 to heal people 00:25:15.120 --> 00:25:15.880 and I want you 00:25:15.880 --> 00:25:17.019 to deliver people 00:25:17.019 --> 00:25:17.620 and I want you 00:25:17.620 --> 00:25:18.100 to do that 00:25:18.100 --> 00:25:19.420 not because it's 00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:20.340 going to be popular, 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:21.319 not because everybody 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.299 wants to be your friend, 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:23.519 not because it's accepted 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:25.160 but because that's just 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:25.440 who, 00:25:25.860 --> 00:25:26.920 that's just the way 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:28.259 to be properly human 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:29.000 and I am trying 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:29.519 to form you 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:30.720 to be properly human 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.420 and to be properly human 00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:33.279 you are a person 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:33.819 of the truth 00:25:33.819 --> 00:25:34.500 not a person 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:35.100 of the lie 00:25:35.100 --> 00:25:36.360 and you are a person 00:25:36.360 --> 00:25:38.000 who values healing 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.539 and you are a person 00:25:39.539 --> 00:25:40.920 who wants to deliver people 00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:41.859 and you do that 00:25:41.859 --> 00:25:42.519 whether or not 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:43.519 people accept you 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:44.140 or not. 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:46.079 That's just what you do 00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:47.920 if you follow me. 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:50.740 And so the message 00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:51.160 of, you know, 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:51.819 not the money 00:25:51.819 --> 00:25:52.559 and not that 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:53.619 and even this next 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:54.000 little bit 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:54.480 which we're going 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:54.900 to go you, 00:25:55.140 --> 00:25:55.940 what they're actually 00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:56.579 saying is 00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:57.640 just trust me. 00:25:59.059 --> 00:26:00.079 Like, trust me. 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:02.019 Like, George, 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:03.420 if you trust me 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:05.879 that I can fit you 00:26:05.879 --> 00:26:06.539 for heaven, 00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:09.220 if you trust me 00:26:09.220 --> 00:26:13.180 that when you die 00:26:13.180 --> 00:26:15.920 death is not the end, 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:18.660 neither is hell, 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:21.119 but if you trust me 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:22.720 you will awake 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:23.460 in a new heaven 00:26:23.460 --> 00:26:24.200 and new earth. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.720 You will be reconciled 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:27.240 to God 00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:28.359 and spend eternity 00:26:28.359 --> 00:26:29.240 with the triune. 00:26:29.299 --> 00:26:30.279 If you can trust me 00:26:30.279 --> 00:26:30.759 on that, 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:33.139 if you trust me 00:26:33.139 --> 00:26:33.500 on that, 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:34.399 can you trust me 00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:35.019 to care for 00:26:35.019 --> 00:26:35.920 some of your needs? 00:26:38.899 --> 00:26:40.180 It's a whole other thing 00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:41.059 that even if it means 00:26:41.059 --> 00:26:41.500 that you end up 00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:42.059 being martyred, 00:26:42.299 --> 00:26:42.859 it's still 00:26:42.859 --> 00:26:44.039 because you're 00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:44.519 bearing witness 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:45.079 to the truth, 00:26:45.180 --> 00:26:45.500 but for now, 00:26:45.579 --> 00:26:46.599 can you just trust me 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:48.920 that I can provide 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:50.440 financially for you? 00:26:52.980 --> 00:26:53.559 You see, 00:26:53.639 --> 00:26:54.139 in a sense, 00:26:54.420 --> 00:26:55.259 for the average 00:26:55.259 --> 00:26:56.019 Christian today, 00:26:56.119 --> 00:26:56.759 that's part of 00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:57.299 the whole thing 00:26:57.299 --> 00:26:58.019 about financial 00:26:58.019 --> 00:26:58.700 generosity 00:26:58.700 --> 00:26:59.500 and tithing. 00:27:01.139 --> 00:27:01.539 Nobody, 00:27:01.899 --> 00:27:03.359 I can't ever tell you 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:03.940 that if you give 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:05.039 10% of your money 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:06.599 to the furtherance 00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:07.259 of the gospel 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:09.339 and the glorification 00:27:09.339 --> 00:27:09.879 of God 00:27:09.879 --> 00:27:10.539 that you'll get 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:11.839 more money back 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:12.720 and anybody who says 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:13.139 that to you 00:27:13.139 --> 00:27:13.660 is lying, 00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:15.099 they're speaking 00:27:15.099 --> 00:27:15.819 out of their butt, 00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:18.200 not out of the Bible. 00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:20.779 But the fact of the matter 00:27:20.779 --> 00:27:21.039 is, 00:27:21.059 --> 00:27:21.740 is that by doing 00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:22.460 something like that, 00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:22.960 you're trusting 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:23.879 that God can continue 00:27:23.879 --> 00:27:24.720 to meet your needs, 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:28.640 that you won't 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:29.400 go hungry, 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:31.880 you won't be 00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:32.539 homeless, 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:34.339 but God will 00:27:34.339 --> 00:27:34.940 care for you. 00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:37.339 And so what this 00:27:37.339 --> 00:27:38.299 is actually teaching 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.259 is, in a sense, 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:40.259 the deepest longing 00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:41.500 of Hinduism 00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:42.079 and Buddhism, 00:27:43.079 --> 00:27:46.660 that there's a God 00:27:46.660 --> 00:27:47.339 who loves you, 00:27:47.400 --> 00:27:48.360 who cares for you, 00:27:48.359 --> 00:27:52.959 like he cares for you. 00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:57.199 And not that you 00:27:57.199 --> 00:27:57.659 have to learn 00:27:57.659 --> 00:27:58.500 non-attachment, 00:28:00.219 --> 00:28:04.519 but you have to learn 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:05.519 not to make idols 00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.059 of things 00:28:06.059 --> 00:28:06.699 and think that 00:28:06.699 --> 00:28:07.740 all of the things 00:28:07.740 --> 00:28:08.299 have to be 00:28:08.299 --> 00:28:09.500 under your control. 00:28:10.199 --> 00:28:11.059 It's not an issue 00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:12.299 of attachment, 00:28:12.479 --> 00:28:13.199 but control. 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:15.900 And so will you 00:28:15.900 --> 00:28:16.640 trust me 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:18.299 to have me 00:28:18.299 --> 00:28:19.620 send you out 00:28:19.620 --> 00:28:20.200 into the world, 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:21.299 even if you're rejected, 00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:23.039 even if you're shamed, 00:28:24.360 --> 00:28:25.059 even if people 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:25.920 embarrass you, 00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:27.700 even if people 00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:28.640 unfriend you, 00:28:29.019 --> 00:28:30.019 stop following you 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:30.660 on Instagram. 00:28:31.580 --> 00:28:32.380 And when they 00:28:32.380 --> 00:28:33.340 stop following you, 00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:34.000 they also say 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:34.500 a whole pile 00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:35.360 of nasty things 00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:36.480 to all of their followers. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:38.240 And when those 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:39.120 things happen to you 00:28:39.120 --> 00:28:40.100 because you love me, 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:42.200 continue to trust me. 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:44.980 Pray for your persecutors. 00:28:46.019 --> 00:28:47.380 Pray for their healing. 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:49.440 Pray for their deliverance. 00:28:50.100 --> 00:28:50.519 Bear witness 00:28:50.519 --> 00:28:51.259 to the truth. 00:28:52.600 --> 00:28:53.460 Bear witness 00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:54.180 to the truth. 00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:56.180 I am calling you 00:28:56.180 --> 00:28:57.759 to join me 00:28:57.759 --> 00:28:59.400 as people of the truth, 00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:00.660 not people of the lie, 00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:03.240 and people of life, 00:29:04.120 --> 00:29:06.140 not people of death. 00:29:08.900 --> 00:29:09.740 That is who 00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:10.799 I am calling you to be 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:12.000 because I am 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:12.880 the God of truth. 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:13.900 I am true. 00:29:14.340 --> 00:29:15.380 I am the God of life. 00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:16.600 I am life. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:18.740 I am the God of light. 00:29:19.019 --> 00:29:19.940 I am light. 00:29:21.019 --> 00:29:22.000 I am the God of love. 00:29:22.420 --> 00:29:23.160 I am love. 00:29:24.420 --> 00:29:25.440 I am the God of goodness. 00:29:25.559 --> 00:29:26.200 I am good. 00:29:26.860 --> 00:29:27.940 I am the God of mercy. 00:29:28.860 --> 00:29:29.700 I am mercy. 00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:31.340 I am the God of justice. 00:29:31.700 --> 00:29:32.799 I am just. 00:29:34.180 --> 00:29:35.420 Bear witness to it. 00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:41.060 And that is partly 00:29:41.060 --> 00:29:41.820 what is going on here 00:29:41.820 --> 00:29:43.140 in verses 10 and following. 00:29:43.140 --> 00:29:43.880 Verse 10, 00:29:43.960 --> 00:29:44.640 and he said to them, 00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:45.600 whenever you enter a house, 00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:47.240 stay there until you depart from there. 00:29:48.060 --> 00:29:49.120 What that means is, 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:50.080 don't sort of, 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:51.900 I am going to stay at this person's house 00:29:51.900 --> 00:29:53.480 and I am going to milk them for money 00:29:53.480 --> 00:29:54.259 and then I am going to stay 00:29:54.259 --> 00:29:55.360 at another person's house, 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:56.700 I am going to milk them for money 00:29:56.700 --> 00:29:58.240 and I am going to stay at another person's house, 00:29:58.320 --> 00:29:59.640 I am going to milk them for money. 00:30:00.100 --> 00:30:01.220 That's what the talk is. 00:30:01.600 --> 00:30:03.259 Just be content that your needs are met. 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:05.320 And verse 11, 00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:06.900 and if any place will not receive you 00:30:06.900 --> 00:30:07.960 and they will not listen to you 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:08.460 when you leave, 00:30:08.580 --> 00:30:10.180 shake off the dust that is on your feet 00:30:10.180 --> 00:30:11.460 as a testimony against them. 00:30:11.840 --> 00:30:13.500 This is a type of prophetic act 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:15.280 where they go into a Jewish, 00:30:15.840 --> 00:30:17.480 in the culture of the day, 00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:19.080 many Jewish people, 00:30:19.160 --> 00:30:20.680 if they left the pagan town, 00:30:20.800 --> 00:30:22.660 they would shake the dust off of their feet. 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:24.320 And Jesus is saying here, 00:30:24.380 --> 00:30:25.259 you go into a Jewish town 00:30:25.259 --> 00:30:25.940 and they reject you, 00:30:26.020 --> 00:30:27.040 shake the dust off your feet. 00:30:27.140 --> 00:30:28.360 But the point of that is not, 00:30:28.359 --> 00:30:31.179 the point of it is actually to be noticed 00:30:31.179 --> 00:30:31.839 and people say, 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:32.599 whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, 00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:33.159 what are you doing? 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:34.740 Right? 00:30:35.339 --> 00:30:35.919 Because you see, 00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:36.959 any time in the Bible 00:30:36.959 --> 00:30:38.319 that sin is mentioned, 00:30:38.879 --> 00:30:41.199 it's never mentioned to push you away, 00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:43.659 it's mentioned to connect with you. 00:30:44.599 --> 00:30:46.539 It's mentioned so that you want, 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:47.619 you go, what? 00:30:47.679 --> 00:30:48.139 What's happening? 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:48.819 Like, what? 00:30:49.139 --> 00:30:49.359 Like, 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.259 Jesus confronts to connect. 00:30:54.699 --> 00:30:56.039 He confronts in the hope 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:56.959 that you will repent. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:59.100 That's why he confronts. 00:30:59.600 --> 00:31:00.600 Never to shame, 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:01.420 never to belittle, 00:31:01.559 --> 00:31:02.640 never to put you down, 00:31:03.259 --> 00:31:04.500 never to humiliate you. 00:31:04.600 --> 00:31:07.100 He confronts to connect. 00:31:10.360 --> 00:31:11.140 Verse 12, 00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:12.539 so they went out and proclaimed 00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:13.700 that people should repent 00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:15.120 and they cast out many demons 00:31:15.120 --> 00:31:16.220 and anointed with oil, 00:31:16.680 --> 00:31:17.600 many who were sick. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:18.819 And he healed them. 00:31:18.819 --> 00:31:20.720 So, 00:31:21.980 --> 00:31:27.159 this little picture 00:31:27.159 --> 00:31:28.960 of how Jesus reacts 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:30.480 is only going to go deeper 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:31.460 as you continue to read 00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:32.419 the rest of the gospel. 00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:35.819 And the fact that this is actually 00:31:35.819 --> 00:31:37.119 what the gospel is all about 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.099 is made more and more and more clear. 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:39.759 It's not as if, 00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:39.960 you know, 00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:41.220 sometimes you watch a movie. 00:31:41.220 --> 00:31:43.120 I was just watching, 00:31:43.240 --> 00:31:43.880 you know, 00:31:43.940 --> 00:31:44.960 something and 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:47.140 it was actually sort of 00:31:47.140 --> 00:31:48.079 a very, 00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:48.880 very good thing, 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:50.279 a British production 00:31:50.279 --> 00:31:52.220 and about a man 00:31:52.220 --> 00:31:54.299 whose son is kidnapped 00:31:54.299 --> 00:31:56.019 and he comes back 00:31:56.019 --> 00:31:56.660 from abroad 00:31:56.660 --> 00:31:58.059 and these things 00:31:58.059 --> 00:31:58.500 that he does 00:31:58.500 --> 00:31:59.299 to help him. 00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:00.759 But part of the problem 00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:01.200 with it 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:02.620 is there's all these 00:32:02.620 --> 00:32:03.600 little plot ends 00:32:03.600 --> 00:32:04.839 that never get, 00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:05.920 it's sort of brought up 00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:06.960 to create some tension, 00:32:07.120 --> 00:32:08.680 but it never gets tied 00:32:08.680 --> 00:32:09.799 into other types of things. 00:32:09.799 --> 00:32:10.680 There's all these things 00:32:10.680 --> 00:32:11.159 that happen 00:32:11.159 --> 00:32:13.019 that don't get tied up. 00:32:13.099 --> 00:32:14.019 And so the movie's all right, 00:32:14.099 --> 00:32:15.099 but it's not as good a movie 00:32:15.099 --> 00:32:15.899 or as good a story 00:32:15.899 --> 00:32:16.619 as it could be 00:32:16.619 --> 00:32:18.440 if things were tied up. 00:32:18.659 --> 00:32:20.740 Important sort of avenues 00:32:20.740 --> 00:32:22.019 of tension 00:32:22.019 --> 00:32:23.180 or sort of somehow 00:32:23.180 --> 00:32:24.899 rather than just being ignored 00:32:24.899 --> 00:32:27.099 or it's almost as if 00:32:27.099 --> 00:32:28.359 occasionally the writer, 00:32:28.559 --> 00:32:29.259 it looked as if he, 00:32:29.379 --> 00:32:30.919 I'll throw this little bit in 00:32:30.919 --> 00:32:31.779 because it will create 00:32:31.779 --> 00:32:32.519 lots of tension 00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:33.119 in the viewer 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:34.559 and then I'll just hope 00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:35.779 that the viewer is so stupid 00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:36.559 they don't notice 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:37.779 that we never deal with it 00:32:37.779 --> 00:32:38.680 for the rest of the movie. 00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:40.140 But that's not what happens 00:32:40.140 --> 00:32:40.840 in the gospel. 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:42.740 In the gospel, 00:32:42.860 --> 00:32:43.779 what we see is that 00:32:43.779 --> 00:32:45.920 this insight about Jesus 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:47.120 loving people 00:32:47.120 --> 00:32:48.100 and speaking the truth 00:32:48.100 --> 00:32:49.400 even after they reject him, 00:32:49.779 --> 00:32:50.500 that rather than it 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:51.180 just being something 00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:52.799 that's a bit of a plot device 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:53.779 to make you tense 00:32:53.779 --> 00:32:54.519 and then forgotten, 00:32:54.820 --> 00:32:56.380 it actually gets deeper 00:32:56.380 --> 00:32:57.700 as the whole story goes. 00:32:57.900 --> 00:32:59.100 As the story goes, 00:32:59.220 --> 00:33:00.560 Jesus will begin to predict 00:33:00.560 --> 00:33:01.380 that people are going 00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:02.160 to reject him. 00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:04.440 And yet after he predicts 00:33:04.440 --> 00:33:05.460 that people are going 00:33:05.460 --> 00:33:06.100 to reject him, 00:33:06.140 --> 00:33:06.580 that they're actually 00:33:06.580 --> 00:33:07.660 going to crucify him, 00:33:07.660 --> 00:33:08.840 you don't see him 00:33:08.840 --> 00:33:09.460 then raging, 00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:10.120 sulking, 00:33:10.300 --> 00:33:10.580 pouting, 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:11.779 you see him continuing 00:33:11.779 --> 00:33:12.900 to speak the truth 00:33:12.900 --> 00:33:13.880 and you see him 00:33:13.880 --> 00:33:15.440 continuing to heal. 00:33:16.420 --> 00:33:17.700 And by the end of the story, 00:33:18.060 --> 00:33:18.960 the end of the story, 00:33:19.080 --> 00:33:19.420 in a sense, 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:21.100 the whole climax of the story 00:33:21.100 --> 00:33:22.100 is that Jesus dies 00:33:22.100 --> 00:33:22.740 on the cross. 00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:23.700 He's predicted 00:33:23.700 --> 00:33:24.340 he's going to die 00:33:24.340 --> 00:33:24.840 on the cross 00:33:24.840 --> 00:33:26.320 and he dies on the cross. 00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:27.820 And the message is, 00:33:28.540 --> 00:33:29.840 with the bit that goes around it, 00:33:29.900 --> 00:33:30.600 who is he dying 00:33:30.600 --> 00:33:31.340 on the cross for? 00:33:31.600 --> 00:33:32.840 Is he dying on the cross 00:33:32.840 --> 00:33:34.240 for the 11 disciples 00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:34.960 that haven't, 00:33:35.700 --> 00:33:36.460 that loved him 00:33:36.460 --> 00:33:37.220 and trusted him 00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:38.059 and maybe his mother 00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:38.660 at the end 00:33:38.660 --> 00:33:39.460 and that's it 00:33:39.460 --> 00:33:41.240 because I don't like 00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:41.900 anybody else? 00:33:42.019 --> 00:33:43.079 No, he dies 00:33:43.079 --> 00:33:44.319 for the people in Nazareth. 00:33:44.579 --> 00:33:45.960 He dies for the people 00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:46.740 who reject him. 00:33:46.779 --> 00:33:48.440 He dies for the Roman soldiers 00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:49.420 who crucify him. 00:33:49.640 --> 00:33:50.980 He dies for Pilate. 00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:52.299 He dies for Herod. 00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:54.120 He dies for the people 00:33:54.120 --> 00:33:54.660 who mock him. 00:33:54.660 --> 00:33:56.480 He dies for every single 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:57.360 human being. 00:33:58.600 --> 00:33:59.440 His response 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:00.460 to being rejected 00:34:00.460 --> 00:34:03.100 isn't hatred, 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:05.100 violent revenge. 00:34:08.099 --> 00:34:09.260 It isn't 00:34:09.260 --> 00:34:10.599 that as he sees 00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:13.220 our gobsmacking 00:34:13.220 --> 00:34:14.440 unbelief 00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:16.699 that he rejects us. 00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:18.079 But the story ends 00:34:18.079 --> 00:34:18.579 with him dying 00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:19.400 upon the cross 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:21.659 for the unworthy, 00:34:22.260 --> 00:34:23.320 for his enemies, 00:34:24.099 --> 00:34:25.260 for the people 00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:26.179 who shame him. 00:34:27.220 --> 00:34:28.559 He dies on the cross 00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:28.960 for them. 00:34:29.059 --> 00:34:29.920 He dies on the cross 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:30.480 for me. 00:34:31.940 --> 00:34:33.019 That's what he does 00:34:33.019 --> 00:34:38.199 because he is love. 00:34:39.159 --> 00:34:39.980 And the truth 00:34:39.980 --> 00:34:40.719 of the matter is 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:41.480 is that we can't 00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:42.480 make ourselves right 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:42.880 with God 00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:43.699 on our own effort. 00:34:44.199 --> 00:34:45.380 The fact of the matter 00:34:45.380 --> 00:34:46.559 is that we need 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:47.079 a savior, 00:34:48.599 --> 00:34:52.320 that we get things wrong 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:53.719 and we can't fix ourselves. 00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:58.779 And so this little window 00:34:58.779 --> 00:35:00.500 into the love of Jesus, 00:35:00.959 --> 00:35:01.699 even in the face 00:35:01.699 --> 00:35:02.379 of rejection, 00:35:03.139 --> 00:35:04.579 that little window 00:35:04.579 --> 00:35:06.019 that we might not 00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:06.679 even notice 00:35:06.679 --> 00:35:07.719 that a window is 00:35:07.719 --> 00:35:08.959 as the story progresses 00:35:08.959 --> 00:35:09.839 becomes bigger 00:35:09.839 --> 00:35:10.279 and bigger 00:35:10.279 --> 00:35:10.739 and bigger 00:35:10.739 --> 00:35:11.219 and bigger. 00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:14.059 He dies 00:35:14.059 --> 00:35:15.119 for the unlovely 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:15.919 that we might 00:35:15.919 --> 00:35:16.579 lovely be. 00:35:16.839 --> 00:35:17.480 He dies 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:18.339 for the unworthy 00:35:18.339 --> 00:35:19.199 that we might 00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:19.879 worthy be. 00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:21.259 He dies 00:35:21.259 --> 00:35:21.839 for the people 00:35:21.839 --> 00:35:22.379 of the lie. 00:35:23.719 --> 00:35:24.559 We might become 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:25.500 people of the truth. 00:35:26.579 --> 00:35:27.139 He dies 00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:27.779 for the dead 00:35:27.779 --> 00:35:28.619 that we might 00:35:28.619 --> 00:35:29.279 be alive. 00:35:30.879 --> 00:35:31.699 He dies 00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:32.699 for the unjust. 00:35:37.879 --> 00:35:38.659 He pays 00:35:38.659 --> 00:35:39.239 the price 00:35:39.239 --> 00:35:40.439 of our injustice. 00:35:42.939 --> 00:35:43.419 Injustice 00:35:43.419 --> 00:35:44.819 that we might 00:35:44.819 --> 00:35:45.539 be reconciled 00:35:45.539 --> 00:35:45.879 to God. 00:35:45.959 --> 00:35:46.699 That's what he does. 00:35:46.839 --> 00:35:48.000 That's who Jesus is. 00:35:49.419 --> 00:35:50.339 So all I can say 00:35:50.339 --> 00:35:50.659 to you, 00:35:50.739 --> 00:35:51.099 friends, 00:35:51.099 --> 00:35:53.900 it is always 00:35:53.900 --> 00:35:54.579 a good time 00:35:54.579 --> 00:35:55.279 to be a follower 00:35:55.279 --> 00:35:55.900 of Jesus. 00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:00.699 It is just 00:36:00.699 --> 00:36:01.380 as good a time 00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:02.079 to be a follower 00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:02.659 of Jesus 00:36:02.659 --> 00:36:03.480 if we face 00:36:03.480 --> 00:36:04.179 persecution 00:36:04.179 --> 00:36:05.839 than if we are 00:36:05.839 --> 00:36:06.739 sort of well-liked 00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:07.319 or accepted. 00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:08.119 It is always 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:08.799 a good time 00:36:08.799 --> 00:36:09.440 to be a follower 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:09.940 of Jesus. 00:36:09.940 --> 00:36:11.460 It is the end 00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:12.219 of our longings 00:36:12.219 --> 00:36:12.920 and our yearnings 00:36:12.920 --> 00:36:13.619 and the deep need 00:36:13.619 --> 00:36:14.279 of our soul. 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:16.059 And all I can say 00:36:16.059 --> 00:36:16.639 to any of you 00:36:16.639 --> 00:36:17.259 who are watching 00:36:17.259 --> 00:36:17.839 or any of you 00:36:17.839 --> 00:36:18.440 who are here, 00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:20.920 yes, 00:36:21.639 --> 00:36:23.679 people might not 00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:24.240 like you 00:36:24.240 --> 00:36:25.760 if you are a Christian, 00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:28.559 but Jesus is calling 00:36:28.559 --> 00:36:29.380 and inviting you 00:36:29.380 --> 00:36:30.480 to know him 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:31.119 as your Savior 00:36:31.119 --> 00:36:31.780 and your Lord. 00:36:37.019 --> 00:36:38.480 He was rejected 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:40.059 so you could be accepted. 00:36:42.240 --> 00:36:43.380 And his acceptance 00:36:43.380 --> 00:36:44.360 is worth it. 00:36:45.659 --> 00:36:46.599 His acceptance 00:36:46.599 --> 00:36:47.440 is worth it. 00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:49.240 Please stand. 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:01.039 Father, 00:37:01.099 --> 00:37:01.539 we give you 00:37:01.539 --> 00:37:02.519 thanks and praise 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:03.659 that we can come together 00:37:03.659 --> 00:37:04.599 to be recharged, 00:37:05.559 --> 00:37:06.740 to recommit. 00:37:08.260 --> 00:37:08.659 Father, 00:37:08.720 --> 00:37:09.800 to hear your word, 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:11.480 to come before you 00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:11.880 and say, 00:37:11.980 --> 00:37:12.220 Father, 00:37:12.360 --> 00:37:13.099 so much, 00:37:13.220 --> 00:37:13.880 we thank you 00:37:13.880 --> 00:37:14.420 for Jesus. 00:37:15.260 --> 00:37:17.079 I confess before you, 00:37:17.200 --> 00:37:17.360 Father, 00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:18.559 I've had a crappy week. 00:37:18.660 --> 00:37:19.140 I haven't been 00:37:19.140 --> 00:37:20.099 a very good Christian 00:37:20.099 --> 00:37:21.539 and I've maybe denied you 00:37:21.539 --> 00:37:23.420 or I'm having this big trouble 00:37:23.420 --> 00:37:24.380 or this big doubt 00:37:24.380 --> 00:37:25.400 and that we can come 00:37:25.400 --> 00:37:25.880 and know 00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:27.059 that it's not 00:37:27.059 --> 00:37:28.380 because of our worthiness 00:37:28.380 --> 00:37:29.180 that you don't weigh 00:37:29.180 --> 00:37:29.760 our merits, 00:37:29.760 --> 00:37:30.539 that you pardon 00:37:30.539 --> 00:37:31.160 our offenses. 00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:32.500 It's not because 00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:33.940 of our great accomplishments 00:37:33.940 --> 00:37:35.120 that you always see 00:37:35.120 --> 00:37:35.900 our deep need 00:37:35.900 --> 00:37:36.519 and you are 00:37:36.519 --> 00:37:38.760 God's great provision 00:37:38.760 --> 00:37:40.099 for our deep need. 00:37:41.140 --> 00:37:42.260 You are God's 00:37:42.260 --> 00:37:43.180 true provision 00:37:43.180 --> 00:37:44.320 for our great need. 00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:44.960 and we give you 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:45.840 thanks and praise 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:46.519 so we can meet 00:37:46.519 --> 00:37:47.600 with brothers and sisters, 00:37:47.780 --> 00:37:48.700 so we can be 00:37:48.700 --> 00:37:49.400 in your presence, 00:37:49.539 --> 00:37:50.260 so we can meet 00:37:50.260 --> 00:37:50.840 with those 00:37:50.840 --> 00:37:52.000 who are curious 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:52.680 or mocking 00:37:52.680 --> 00:37:53.840 and were skeptical 00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:54.980 and yet have come 00:37:54.980 --> 00:37:55.620 to hear more 00:37:55.620 --> 00:37:56.600 and that we can be 00:37:56.600 --> 00:37:57.420 and we can be fed 00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:58.200 by your word 00:37:58.200 --> 00:37:59.600 and we can pray to you 00:37:59.600 --> 00:38:01.180 and pour out our heart, 00:38:01.380 --> 00:38:01.519 Father, 00:38:01.620 --> 00:38:02.340 for the world, 00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:03.640 for healing, 00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:06.000 and that we can gather 00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:07.340 around the table 00:38:07.340 --> 00:38:07.940 of the Lord 00:38:07.940 --> 00:38:09.480 to receive grace, 00:38:09.700 --> 00:38:09.940 Father, 00:38:09.940 --> 00:38:10.780 as we remember 00:38:10.780 --> 00:38:11.740 Jesus and his 00:38:11.740 --> 00:38:13.420 death upon the cross 00:38:13.420 --> 00:38:14.519 and his mighty resurrection 00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:15.679 and his coming again. 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:15.960 Father, 00:38:16.039 --> 00:38:16.579 we thank you 00:38:16.579 --> 00:38:17.800 that we can gather again 00:38:17.800 --> 00:38:19.220 to be fed 00:38:19.220 --> 00:38:20.240 and to be nurtured 00:38:20.240 --> 00:38:21.039 and to recharge 00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:22.579 and once again 00:38:22.579 --> 00:38:23.099 to say 00:38:23.099 --> 00:38:24.780 we commit to you, 00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:27.119 we follow you. 00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:28.940 Lord, 00:38:29.220 --> 00:38:30.139 work in us 00:38:30.139 --> 00:38:30.840 that we might be 00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:31.700 people of love, 00:38:31.780 --> 00:38:32.740 not people of hate, 00:38:33.519 --> 00:38:34.480 people of justice, 00:38:34.619 --> 00:38:35.720 not people of injustice, 00:38:36.579 --> 00:38:37.440 people of good, 00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:38.480 not of evil, 00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:40.059 people of the truth, 00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:41.019 not of the lie. 00:38:42.039 --> 00:38:43.179 Form us more and more 00:38:43.179 --> 00:38:44.079 and more in this 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:45.820 as we keep our eyes 00:38:45.820 --> 00:38:46.400 and our hearts 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:47.119 fixed on you, 00:38:47.179 --> 00:38:47.460 Jesus. 00:38:48.639 --> 00:38:49.840 We ask all these things 00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:50.900 in the name of Jesus, 00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:52.320 God's Son 00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:53.219 and our Savior. 00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:54.159 Amen.