Latest / Eurasia Region Podcast / S1-E95 | Everyday Eurasia | Sabine Wielk

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S1-E95 | Everyday Eurasia | Sabine Wielk · Eurasia Region Podcast

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Hello and welcome to the Everyday Eurasia podcast,
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Inspiring Faith for Every Day. Each day we are on a journey
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with Jesus in our churches, our homes, our workplaces, and in so
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many different places around the world.
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Is it beautiful that no matter where we are, we can walk with
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him every single day? Jesus is the one who connects us
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all and stands at the very center of our lives day after
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day. Through this podcast, you'll
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hear voices from across the region sharing devotionals that
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reminds us of God's presence in our everyday moments.
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This week on the Everyday Eurasia podcast, we are joined
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by the Northern Europe field. Each day we hear stories and
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devotionals from across the field, offering a glimpse into
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the life and ministry of the church in this part of the
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region. Today we will listen to Sabina
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Wilk. She is married to Young, living
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in Hamburg and pestering the local Church of the Nazarene in
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the Germany district. She loves reading and
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discovering the big white world. On the church calendar we find
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ourselves in the season of Lent. The gospels describe Jesus and
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the disciples journey to Jerusalem, and we read in Luke
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chapter 18 beginning at verse 31.
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As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the
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roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by.
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He asked what was happening. They told him Jesus of Nazareth
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is passing by. Then he shouted, Jesus, son of
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David, have mercy on me. Those who were in front sternly
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ordered him to be quiet, but he shouted even more loudly, Son of
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David, have mercy on me. Jesus stood still and ordered
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the man to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked
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him, What do you want me to do for you?
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He said, Lord, let me see again. Jesus said to him, Receive your
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sight, your faith has saved you. Immediately he regained his
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sight and followed him, glorifying God.
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And all the people, when they saw it, praised God.
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Right before read of this meeting, Luke tells us that
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Jesus was once again trying to prepare the disciples for what
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lay ahead once they would complete the difficult journey
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upwards to Jerusalem. They had listened but did not
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understand. And there also was no
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understanding for the beggar by the roadside disrupting Jesus
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and their own journey. Couldn't somebody else care for
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that man and stop the noise? Luke doesn't tell us how the man
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by the roadside knew about Jesus identity, but surely news
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travelled ahead and he would spend a miserably long time by
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the side of the road, surely with plenty of opportunities to
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be disillusioned by passersby. He calls out to the Son of
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David, but not to one who comes as a majestic ruler, but to one
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who comes caring for the needs of people.
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Jesus responds as puzzling. At first.
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He asked a man, What do you want me to do for you?
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Seriously, Jesus, it's obvious what he needs, isn't it?
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Well, maybe not so much. Jesus doesn't meet him with an
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attitude of I know what's best for you.
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Instead, he takes time to connect with a person.
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He listens and then acts. The blind beggar can see again,
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and Jesus remarks that it's the man's faith that saved him.
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian, once called Jesus a
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Mensch for under a human, a person for others.
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Over and over we read in the Gospels about Jesus as a person
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who encounters people at eye level, who listens and looks
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closely and encourages people to voice their need, and by doing
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so, their hope, their faith in Jesus ability to meet their
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request. It makes me wonder, what is it
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that you and I would request from Jesus?
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What we dare to call out from the side of the road and
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publicly confess both our need and our faith?
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And at the same time, as followers of Jesus, do we have
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the ability to meet people reaching out for help and
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reaching out for Him? Do we have the ability to meet
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them at eye level? Do we take time to look and
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listen rather than assume we know what it is others need?
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What motivates us to follow Jesus and what helps us to care
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for the people around us? The Apostle Paul writes to the
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believers in Corinth. If I have all faith so as to
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remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
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As this year's season of Lent will soon be ending, it is my
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hope that our attitude, our posture towards the people we
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meet on our many roads, it will be 1 of love, bearing in mind
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the challenge of Paul's words in the same chapter.
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Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not envious or boastful
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or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own
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way. It is not irritable or
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resentful. It does not rejoice in
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wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.
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I hope that through our faith we have the courage to listen and
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care for people with this kind of love.
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So may faith, hope, and love abide.
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Let us pray, Lord Jesus, to live.
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Love, as Paul describes. It is a daily challenge, and so
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I pray that you would help us as those who seek to follow you, to
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practice loving people around us with patience and kindness.
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May we live in a way that helps people to find faith and hope in
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You. Amen.
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Thank you for listening to the Everyday Eurasia podcast,
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Inspiring Fate for everyday. For more Everyday Stories,
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For our newsletter and further information about the Eurasia
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region, visit our website, eurasiaregion.org.