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Jesus Teaches Us About the Power of Discernment - How to Recognize Divine Signs in Your Life · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: In a world full of noise, distractions, and diverging paths,
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Speaker 1: how can we recognize the voice of God among so
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Speaker 1: many others? How do we discern the divine signs that
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Speaker 1: manifest in our daily lives. Hello, dear brothers and sisters.
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Speaker 1: Today we're going to dive into one of the most
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Speaker 1: precious skills Jesus taught us, spiritual discernment. This ability isn't
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Speaker 1: a gift reserved only for prophets or religious leaders. It's
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Speaker 1: a gift offered to anyone who sincerely seeks God's will.
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Speaker 1: Throughout Scripture, we see Jesus demonstrating perfect discernment. He understood
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Speaker 1: the true intentions of hearts, sensed unspoken needs, and could
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Speaker 1: always distinguish between wheat and weeds. And the most amazing
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Speaker 1: part is that he didn't keep this gift to himself.
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Speaker 1: Through his parables, encounters, and teachings, Jesus gave us a
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Speaker 1: road map to develop our own discernment. In today's journey,
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Speaker 1: we'll explore how Jesus's life lessons on discernment can transform
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Speaker 1: our lives, shape our choices, and deepen our relationship with God.
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Speaker 1: Prepare your heart to discover how to recognize the divine
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Speaker 1: signs that surround you, often hidden in the simplicity of
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Speaker 1: every day life. Let's learn together how to see through
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Speaker 1: the eyes of faith. Jesus loved using every day stories
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Speaker 1: to teach deep spiritual truths. On one occasion, while speaking
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Speaker 1: to a crowd by the Sea of Galilee, he shared
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Speaker 1: the story of a farmer in Matthew thirteen twenty four thirty.
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Speaker 1: He said, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man
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Speaker 1: who sowed good seed in his field, But while everyone
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Speaker 1: was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the
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Speaker 1: wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads,
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Speaker 1: then the weeds also appeared. The workers quickly noticed the problem.
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Speaker 1: They ran to the landowner and asked, Sir, didn't you
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Speaker 1: sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
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Speaker 1: weeds come from? The landowner replied, clearly, an enemy did
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Speaker 1: this Naturally. The workers wanted to act fast. Do you
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Speaker 1: want us to go and pull them up? They asked,
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Speaker 1: eager to fix the issue, But the landowner was wise.
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Speaker 1: He knew that acting hastily would do more harm than good. No,
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Speaker 1: he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you
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Speaker 1: may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together
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Speaker 1: until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters,
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Speaker 1: first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to
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Speaker 1: be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it into
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Speaker 1: my barn. The weeds mentioned in this parable refer to
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Speaker 1: a plant called darnel, which looks almost identical to wheat
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Speaker 1: while growing. Only when the heads of grain appear can
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Speaker 1: you clearly tell them apart. Pulling up the weeds too
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Speaker 1: soon would risk damaging the wheat, whose roots are intertwined
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Speaker 1: with the weeds. The farmer in the parable showed wisdom
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Speaker 1: and patience. He didn't act on impulse, but waited for
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Speaker 1: the right moment to make the separation. In life, we
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Speaker 1: often want to solve everything instantly, make quick decisions, judge
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Speaker 1: people and situations without all the facts. But true discernment
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Speaker 1: takes time, patience, and wisdom, the ability to see beyond
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Speaker 1: what our eyes perceive. Through this parable, Jesus taught that
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Speaker 1: good and evil coexist in the world, and it's not
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Speaker 1: always easy to tell them apart right away. The landowner
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Speaker 1: knew there would be a proper time for separation the harvest.
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Speaker 1: In the same way we need to cultivate patients to
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Speaker 1: discern people and situations without jumping to conclusions. Acting in
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Speaker 1: haste might lead us to pull up the wheat thinking
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Speaker 1: it's a weed. How many friendships, opportunities, and relationships have
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Speaker 1: we lost due to a lack of patient discernment. The
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Speaker 1: farmer waited for the right time, trusting in the natural
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Speaker 1: process of growth that would reveal the true nature of
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Speaker 1: each plant. Another powerful lesson on discernment comes through the
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Speaker 1: parable of the ten virgins in Matthew twenty five one thirteen,
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Speaker 1: Jesus said, the kingdom of Heaven will be like ten
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Speaker 1: virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet
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Speaker 1: the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
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Speaker 1: The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take
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Speaker 1: any oil with them. The wys, however, took oil in
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Speaker 1: jars along with their lamps. In that culture, it was
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Speaker 1: common for bridesmaids to wait for the bridegroom's arrival for
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Speaker 1: a wedding celebration. Since the exact time of arrival was unpredictable,
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Speaker 1: they needed to be prepared to wait even through the night,
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Speaker 1: Hence the need for lamps with enough oil. The bridegroom
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Speaker 1: was a long time in coming, and they all became
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Speaker 1: drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, the cry rang out,
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Speaker 1: here's the bridegroom come out to meet him. Then all
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Speaker 1: the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. This is
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Speaker 1: where the difference between them became clear. The foolish ones
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Speaker 1: said to the wise, give us some of your oil.
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Speaker 1: Our lamps are going out. No, they replied, there may
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Speaker 1: not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go
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Speaker 1: to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.
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Speaker 1: Jesus continued, But while they were on their way to
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Speaker 1: buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins, who were
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Speaker 1: ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and
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Speaker 1: the door was shut. Later the others also came, Lord Lord.
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Speaker 1: They said, open the door for us, but he replied, truly,
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Speaker 1: I tell you, I don't know you. The end of
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Speaker 1: the story carries a serious warning about discernment and preparation. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: keep watch because you do not know the day or
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Speaker 1: the hour. This parable is all about being alert and prepared.
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Speaker 1: The five wise virgins discerned the possibility of a long
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Speaker 1: wait and prepared for it. They didn't just bring their lamps,
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Speaker 1: they brought extra oil. The foolish ones weren't adequately prepared.
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Speaker 1: Maybe they assumed the bridegroom would come quickly, or thought
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Speaker 1: they could improvise later. Discernment allows us to read the
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Speaker 1: signs and prepare for life's crucial moments. We don't know
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Speaker 1: when challenges will arise, when opportunities will appear, or when
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Speaker 1: we'll have to make important decisions. The person with discernment,
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Speaker 1: like the wise virgins, prepares even when others see no
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Speaker 1: reason to. Every day is an opportunity to store oil
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Speaker 1: in our lives, knowledge, relationships, spiritual growth, resilience, resources that
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Speaker 1: will sustain us in defining moments. These moments rarely announce
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Speaker 1: their arrival. They come, like the bridegroom in the parable,
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Speaker 1: when we least expect them. Jesus continued his teachings on
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Speaker 1: discernment with another powerful story, the Parable of the Talents.
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Speaker 1: In Matthew twenty five fourteen thirty, he said, for the
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Speaker 1: kingdom of Heaven is like a man going on a
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Speaker 1: journey who called his servants and intrusted his wealth to them.
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Speaker 1: To one, he gave five talents to another two and
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Speaker 1: to another one each according to his ability. Then he
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Speaker 1: went on his journey. In this story, a talent was
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Speaker 1: a large sum of money, But more important than its
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Speaker 1: monetary value is the principle Jesus was teaching. The Master
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Speaker 1: intrusted different amounts to each servant according to his ability.
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Speaker 1: The shows he knew each of them well their strengths,
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Speaker 1: character and potential. The man who had received five talents
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Speaker 1: went at once and put his money to work and
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Speaker 1: gained five more. So also the one with two talents
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Speaker 1: gained two more. But the man who had received one
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Speaker 1: talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and
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Speaker 1: hid his master's money. The first two servants showed discernment
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Speaker 1: by understanding the purpose of what had been entrusted to them.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't to be stored away, but to be multiplied.
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Speaker 1: They recognized the trust placed in them and responded with action.
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Speaker 1: The third servant, however, buried his talent out of fear.
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Speaker 1: After a long time, the master of those servants returned
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Speaker 1: and settled accounts with them. The man who had received
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Speaker 1: five talents brought the other five. Master. He said, you
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Speaker 1: entrusted me with five talents. See I have gained five more.
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Speaker 1: His master replied, well done, good and faithful servant. You
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Speaker 1: have been faithful with a few things. I will put
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Speaker 1: you in charge of many things. Come and share your
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Speaker 1: master's happiness. The second servant had a similar experience. The
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Speaker 1: man with two talents also came master. He said, you
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Speaker 1: entrusted me with two talents. See I have gained two more.
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Speaker 1: His master replied, well done, good and faithful servant, you
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Speaker 1: have been faithful with a few things. I will put
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Speaker 1: you in charge of many things. Come and share your
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Speaker 1: master's happiness. But the third servant's response revealed what was
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Speaker 1: in his heart. Then the man who had received one
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Speaker 1: talent came master. He said, I knew that you are
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Speaker 1: a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown, and
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Speaker 1: gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was
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Speaker 1: afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.
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Speaker 1: See here is what belongs to you. The master responded harshly,
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Speaker 1: you wicked, lazy servant. So you knew that I harvest
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Speaker 1: where I have not sown and gather where I have
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Speaker 1: not scattered seed, Well, then you should have put my
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Speaker 1: money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I
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Speaker 1: returned I would have received it back with interest. So
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Speaker 1: take the talent from him and give it to the
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Speaker 1: one who has ten. This parable teaches us the importance
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Speaker 1: of discerning the gifts and resources we've been given in life.
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Speaker 1: We all have talents, abilities, and opportunities that have been
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Speaker 1: entrusted to us. Discernment helps us recognize these resources, understand
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Speaker 1: their purpose, and develop the best plan to multiply them.
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Speaker 1: The first two servants had the discernment to see the
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Speaker 1: talents as an opportunity, not merely a responsibility. They understood
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Speaker 1: that the Master's trust deserved an active response. The third servant,
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Speaker 1: on the other hand, saw only the risk. His fear
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Speaker 1: and narrow view of the Master led him to bury
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Speaker 1: his potential. Discernment isn't just about seeing what's in front
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Speaker 1: of us, it's about understanding its purpose and value. Each
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Speaker 1: person has unique gifts, some more visible than others. The
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Speaker 1: amount matters less than our ability to discern the best
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Speaker 1: use of what we've received. Jesus's discernment went beyond words.
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Speaker 1: He demonstrated it through his encounters with people. One of
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Speaker 1: the most striking examples happened as he passed through Samaria,
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Speaker 1: a region avoided by most Jews because of an old
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Speaker 1: rivalry between the two peoples. In John four one forty two,
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Speaker 1: we read now he had to go through Samaria. So
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Speaker 1: he came to a town in Samaria called Psykha, near
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Speaker 1: the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
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Speaker 1: Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired from the journey,
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Speaker 1: sat down by the well. It was about noon. It
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Speaker 1: was in this ordinary setting beside a well that an
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Speaker 1: extraordinary encounter took place. When a Samaritan woman came to
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Speaker 1: draw water, Jesus said to her, will you give me
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Speaker 1: a drink? This simple request surprised the woman. You are
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Speaker 1: a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can
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Speaker 1: you ask me for a drink? The writer notes, for
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Speaker 1: Jews do not associate with Samaritans. But Jesus saw beyond appearances.
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Speaker 1: If you knew the gift of God and who it
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Speaker 1: is that asks you for a drink, Jesus replied, you
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Speaker 1: would have asked him and he would have given you
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Speaker 1: living water. The conversation continued, with the woman questioning how
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Speaker 1: Jesus could offer water without a bucket. Jesus explained, everyone
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Speaker 1: who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever
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Speaker 1: drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: the water I give will become in them a spring
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Speaker 1: of water welling up to eternal life. Intrigued, the woman
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Speaker 1: asked for that water. Then Jesus revealed his extraordinary discernment.
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Speaker 1: Go call your husband and come back. I have no husband,
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Speaker 1: she replied. Jesus said, you are right when you say
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Speaker 1: you have no husband. The fact is you have had
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Speaker 1: five husbands, and the man you now have is not
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Speaker 1: your husband. What you have just said is quite true.
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Speaker 1: That moment revealed the woman's heart. She wasn't just seeking
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Speaker 1: physical water. She had a deep spiritual thirst. Her life
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Speaker 1: had likely been marked by broken relationships and social rejection.
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Speaker 1: It was unusual for a woman to come to the
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Speaker 1: well alone at the hottest time of day. Jesus discerned
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Speaker 1: that inner thirst. He saw beyond her nationality, gender, and
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Speaker 1: social status. He recognized her real need and offered exactly
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Speaker 1: what she was missing. Not judgment, but living water. The
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Speaker 1: woman felt seen and understood. Sir, I can see that
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Speaker 1: you are a prophet, she said, opening up to a
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Speaker 1: deeper conversation about worship and spirituality. By the end of
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Speaker 1: their encounter, Jesus revealed his identity. I the one speaking
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Speaker 1: to you. I am he. He was the Messiah. She
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Speaker 1: and her people had been waiting for. The impact of
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Speaker 1: that conversation was profound. The woman left her water jar
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Speaker 1: went back to the town and said to the people,
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Speaker 1: come see a man who told me everything I ever did.
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Speaker 1: Could this be the Messiah? Jesus's discernment turned a casual
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Speaker 1: meeting into a moment of revelation and redemption. He saw
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Speaker 1: the thirsty heart behind the surface, offered acceptance instead of condemnation,
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Speaker 1: and pointed to the true source of spiritual satisfaction. Many
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Speaker 1: Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the
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Speaker 1: woman's testimony, and after spending time with him, they declared,
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Speaker 1: now we no longer believe just because of what you said.
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Speaker 1: We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this
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Speaker 1: man truly is the savior of the world. Jesus discernment
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Speaker 1: was also powerfully evident in his encounter with Nicodemus, a
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Speaker 1: man quite different from the Samaritan woman. In John three
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Speaker 1: one to twenty one, we read now there was a pharisee,
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Speaker 1: a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the
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Speaker 1: Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, Rabbi,
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Speaker 1: we know that you are a teacher who has come
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Speaker 1: from God, for no one could perform the signs you
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Speaker 1: are doing if God were not with him. Nicodemus was
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Speaker 1: a respected Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the
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Speaker 1: Jewish religious council. He came at night, possibly to avoid
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Speaker 1: being seen by other religious leaders who were hostile to Jesus.
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Speaker 1: His approach was respectful. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher
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Speaker 1: sent from God. But Jesus cut straight to the heart
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Speaker 1: of the matter, discerning the real longing within Nicodemus, truly, truly,
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Speaker 1: I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of
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Speaker 1: God unless they are born again. This response caught Nicodemus off. God,
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Speaker 1: how can someone be born when they are old, he asked,
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Speaker 1: surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's
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Speaker 1: womb to be born. Jesus explained, very truly, I tell you,
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Speaker 1: no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they
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Speaker 1: are born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth
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Speaker 1: to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. Do
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Speaker 1: not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.
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Speaker 1: Using the imagery of the wind, Jesus illustrated the nature
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Speaker 1: of the spirit. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You
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Speaker 1: hear it sound, but you cannot tell where it comes
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Speaker 1: from or where it is going. So it is with
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Speaker 1: every one born of the spirit. Still confused, Nicodemus asked,
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Speaker 1: how can this be? Jesus replied, you are Israel's teacher,
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Speaker 1: and you do not understand these things. Jesus discernment revealed
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Speaker 1: that despite all his religious knowledge, Nicodemus needed a profound
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Speaker 1: spiritual transformation. He needed to be born again, not in
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Speaker 1: a physical sense as he initially assumed, but through a
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Speaker 1: spiritual renewal that would reshape his perception and understanding. Jesus continued,
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Speaker 1: If I have told you about earthly things and you
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Speaker 1: do not believe, how then will you believe if I
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Speaker 1: speak of heavenly things. He then shared one of the
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Speaker 1: most well known passages in the Bible. Just as Moses
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Speaker 1: lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the
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Speaker 1: Son of Man be lifted up, that every one who
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Speaker 1: believes in him may have eternal life. For God so
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Speaker 1: loved the world that he gave his one and only son,
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Speaker 1: that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
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Speaker 1: eternal life. Jesus discernment allowed him to see beyond Nicodemus's status, knowledge,
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Speaker 1: and initial questions. He recognized a sincere search for spiritual
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Speaker 1: truth and responded not only to the spoken question, but
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Speaker 1: to the deeper need of his soul. The conversation ends
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Speaker 1: with a powerful reflection on light and darkness. This is
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Speaker 1: the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people
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Speaker 1: love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
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Speaker 1: Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not
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Speaker 1: come into the light for fear that their deeds will
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Speaker 1: be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into
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Speaker 1: the light so that it may be seen plainly that
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Speaker 1: what they have done has been done in the sight
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Speaker 1: of God. This night time meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus
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Speaker 1: shows us that true discernment goes beyond appearances. Nicodemus was respected, educated,
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Speaker 1: and sincere in his search, but Jesus saw his need
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Speaker 1: for total transformation for a new birth. This new perspective
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Speaker 1: would not only change his intellectual understanding, but his entire
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Speaker 1: view of spiritual reality. Jesus discernment also shone brightly in
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Speaker 1: his encounter with Zacheus, a tax collector in Luke nineteen
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Speaker 1: one to ten. Then we rid Jesus entered Jericho and
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Speaker 1: was passing through. A man was there by the name
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Speaker 1: of Zachaus. He was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
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Speaker 1: He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he
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Speaker 1: was short, he could not see over the crowd. Determined
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Speaker 1: to see Jesus, Zachaus found a solution, so he ran
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Speaker 1: ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree to see him,
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Speaker 1: since Jesus was coming that way. What happened next revealed
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Speaker 1: the extraordinary discernment of Jesus. When Jesus reached the spot,
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Speaker 1: he looked up and said to him, Zachaus, come down immediately.
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Speaker 1: I must stay at your house today. This moment is
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Speaker 1: striking for several reasons. First, Jesus called Zachius by name,
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Speaker 1: even though it seems they had never met. Second, Jesus
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Speaker 1: took the initiative to stay at his house, a significant
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Speaker 1: gesture in a culture where sharing a meal meant acceptance
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Speaker 1: and fellowship. So he came down at once and welc
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Speaker 1: him gladly. Zacchius responded immediately and joyfully. But not everyone
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Speaker 1: was pleased. All the people saw this and began to mutter,
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Speaker 1: he has gone to be the guest of a sinner.
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Speaker 1: As a tax collector, Zacchius worked for the Romans and
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Speaker 1: was viewed as a traitor by his own people. Tax
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Speaker 1: collectors were known for overcharging and pocketing the difference. They
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Speaker 1: were deeply despised, but Jesus discerned something in Zacchius's heart
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Speaker 1: that others couldn't see, a genuine desire for change. Zacchius's
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Speaker 1: response confirmed it. Look Lord, here and now I give
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Speaker 1: half of my possessions to the poor, and if I
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Speaker 1: have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back
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Speaker 1: four times the amount. Jesus celebrated this transformation to day.
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Speaker 1: Salvation has come to this house because this man too
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Speaker 1: is a son of Abraham, For the son of Man
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Speaker 1: came to seek and to save the lost. Jesus discerned
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Speaker 1: allowed him to see pass the sinner label and Zachius's reputation.
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Speaker 1: He saw a heart ready for transformation, a man willing
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Speaker 1: to climb a tree, ignoring the dignity his position demanded,
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Speaker 1: just to catch a glimpse of him. Jesus didn't wait
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Speaker 1: for Zakius to prove his repentance before offering acceptance. His
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Speaker 1: discernment moved him to offer grace first, creating a safe
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Speaker 1: space where real transformation could take place. Zachius's generous response,
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Speaker 1: giving back four times what he had taken, was the
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Speaker 1: fruit not of condemnation, but of having experienced acceptance and
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Speaker 1: being seen as worthy. Discernment doesn't always lead to peaceful encounters.
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Speaker 1: Sometimes it reveals situations that demand confrontation and decisive action.
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Speaker 1: A powerful example of this was when Jesus confronted the
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Speaker 1: money changes in the Temple. In Matthew twenty one, twelve seventeen,
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Speaker 1: we read, Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out
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Speaker 1: all who were buying and selling. There. He overturned the
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Speaker 1: tables of the money changes and the benches of those
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Speaker 1: selling doves. It is written he said to them, my
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Speaker 1: house will be called a house of prayer, but you
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Speaker 1: are making it a den of robbers. This episode reveals
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Speaker 1: a side of Jesus that many find surprising, his righteous
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Speaker 1: anger in the face of the temple's desecration. The temple
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Speaker 1: was the center of Jewish religious life the place where
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Speaker 1: God dwelled among his people. The court of the Gentiles,
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Speaker 1: where the selling was taking place, was the only space
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Speaker 1: where non Jews could come and worship the God of Israel.
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Speaker 1: Jesus perceived the issue on multiple levels. First, the presence
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Speaker 1: of commerce and currency exchange was turning a sacred space
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Speaker 1: into a noisy market place. Second, many of the merchants
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Speaker 1: were exploiting pilgrims by charging out rages prices for animals
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Speaker 1: needed for sacrifices. Third, by occupying the court of the
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Speaker 1: Gentiles with this trade, they were effectively blocking non Jews
23:10
Speaker 1: from worshiping God. Jesus discernment moved him to act. He
23:16
Speaker 1: didn't just express indignation. He physically intervened to correct the situation,
23:21
Speaker 1: flipping tables and driving out the merchants. He quoted scripture
23:26
Speaker 1: merging Isaiah fifty six seven My house will be called
23:30
Speaker 1: a house of prayer for all nations and Jeremiah seven eleven.
23:35
Speaker 1: But you have made it a den of robbers. The
23:38
Speaker 1: reaction to jesus actions was mixed. The blind and the
23:42
Speaker 1: lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
23:46
Speaker 1: But when the chief priests and the teachers of the
23:48
Speaker 1: law saw the wonderful things he did, and the children
23:51
Speaker 1: shouting in the temple courts Hosanna to the son of David.
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Speaker 1: They were indignant. Do you hear what these children are saying?
24:00
Speaker 1: They asked him. Yes, replied Jesus, have you never read
24:06
Speaker 1: from the lips of children and infants? You Lord have
24:09
Speaker 1: called forth your praise. While the religious leaders were offended,
24:14
Speaker 1: the needy, the blind, and the lame came to Jesus
24:18
Speaker 1: and were healed. Children praised him with spontaneous joy. Jesus
24:23
Speaker 1: defended their worship by quoting Psalm eight to two. Jesus
24:27
Speaker 1: discernment enabled him to distinguish between what was sacred and
24:31
Speaker 1: what was profane, between authentic worship and religious exploitation. His
24:38
Speaker 1: love for the Father and for people moved him beyond
24:42
Speaker 1: passive judgment to corrective action. This incident teaches us the
24:46
Speaker 1: true discernment sometimes requires the courage to confront evil and injustice,
24:52
Speaker 1: especially when it's done in the name of religion. Jesus
24:55
Speaker 1: did not remain silent out of fear of offending the
24:58
Speaker 1: powerful or creating discomfort. His example shows that discernment without
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Speaker 1: appropriate action is incomplete. After the confrontation, Jesus left them
25:10
Speaker 1: and went out of the city to Bethany, where he
25:13
Speaker 1: spent the night, a reminder that even after intense confrontations,
25:18
Speaker 1: we need time for rest and renewal. One of the
25:22
Speaker 1: most striking examples of jesus discernment was his ability to
25:27
Speaker 1: see through the outward religiosity of the Pharisees and expose
25:31
Speaker 1: the hypocrisy often hidden behind it. In Matthew twenty three
25:36
Speaker 1: we find his most direct speech on the matter. Then,
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Speaker 1: Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, the
25:42
Speaker 1: teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat,
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Speaker 1: So you must be careful to do everything they tell you,
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Speaker 1: but do not do what they do, for they do
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Speaker 1: not practice what they preach. Jesus began by acknowledging the
25:56
Speaker 1: Pharisees authority as interpreters of the law of men Moses.
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Speaker 1: The issue wasn't their teaching, but the gap between their
26:04
Speaker 1: words and their actions. His discernment allowed him to make
26:08
Speaker 1: this critical distinction. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and
26:13
Speaker 1: put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are
26:17
Speaker 1: not willing to lift a finger to move them. Jesus
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Speaker 1: saw how the religious leaders imposed strict rules on others
26:25
Speaker 1: without offering help or mercy. Everything they do is done
26:28
Speaker 1: for people to see. They make their philacteries wide, and
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Speaker 1: the tassels on their garments long. They loved the place
26:35
Speaker 1: of honor at banquets and the most important seats in
26:39
Speaker 1: the synagogues. They loved to be greeted with respect in
26:43
Speaker 1: the market places, and to be called rabbi by others.
26:46
Speaker 1: Philacteries were small boxes containing scripture passages, worn on the
26:51
Speaker 1: forehead and armed during prayer. Tassels were meant to remind
26:55
Speaker 1: the wearer of God's commandments. These practices were not inherently wrong.
27:01
Speaker 1: In fact, they were based on biblical commandments, but the
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Speaker 1: Pharisees had turned them into symbols of spiritual status. Jesus
27:10
Speaker 1: discerned the motivation behind these outward signs a desire for
27:15
Speaker 1: human recognition rather than genuine devotion to God. He contrasted
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Speaker 1: that with true humility. But you are not to be
27:25
Speaker 1: called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are
27:28
Speaker 1: all brothers. The greatest among you will be your servant.
27:32
Speaker 1: For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those
27:36
Speaker 1: who humble themselves will be exalted. Jesus speech continues with
27:40
Speaker 1: a series of woes strong denunciations of specific hypocritical practices.
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Speaker 1: Woe to you, teachers of the law and pharisees, you hypocrites.
27:50
Speaker 1: You shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in
27:52
Speaker 1: people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you
27:56
Speaker 1: let those enter who are trying to. Jesus discerned that
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Speaker 1: the religious leaders, instead of guiding people toward God, were
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Speaker 1: actually creating barriers. They didn't experience the reality of God's
28:09
Speaker 1: kingdom themselves, and they prevented others from doing so. Woe
28:14
Speaker 1: to you, teachers of the law and pharisees, you hypocrites.
28:18
Speaker 1: You give a tenth of your spices mint, dill, and cumin,
28:22
Speaker 1: but you have neglected the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy,
28:27
Speaker 1: and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting
28:30
Speaker 1: the former. Jesus didn't condemn their careful adherence to the law,
28:35
Speaker 1: even tithing garden herbs. The issue was doing that while
28:40
Speaker 1: ignoring far weightier values like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. His
28:45
Speaker 1: discernment allowed him to see this imbalance in priorities. One
28:49
Speaker 1: of the most striking comparisons Jesus made was blind guides
28:54
Speaker 1: who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. This
28:58
Speaker 1: vivid image illustrates how the Pharisees were meticulous about minor issues,
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Speaker 1: straining gnats from their drinks to avoid ingesting them accidentally,
29:08
Speaker 1: yet careless when it came to far greater transgressions. Woe
29:13
Speaker 1: to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites. You clean the outside
29:18
Speaker 1: of the cup and dish, but inside they are full
29:20
Speaker 1: of greed and self indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first clean the
29:26
Speaker 1: inside of the cup, so that the outside also may
29:28
Speaker 1: become clean. Jesus used this household analogy to show that
29:33
Speaker 1: outward purity without inner transformation is insufficient. His discernment allowed
29:39
Speaker 1: him to see beyond appearances into the reality of the heart.
29:45
Speaker 1: The harshest metaphor followed, woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites,
29:52
Speaker 1: You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside,
29:56
Speaker 1: but inside are full of the bones of the dead
29:59
Speaker 1: and every kind impurity. In the same way, on the
30:02
Speaker 1: outside you appear righteous to others, but on the inside
30:07
Speaker 1: you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. In Jewish culture,
30:11
Speaker 1: touching a tomb brought ritual impurity. Tombs were often whitewashed
30:16
Speaker 1: to make them easily identifiable and thus avoided. Jesus used
30:21
Speaker 1: this familiar image to illustrate how the Pharisees, despite their
30:25
Speaker 1: appearance of holiness, were filled with spiritual impurity. Jesus's discernment
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Speaker 1: regarding the Pharisees did not lead him to reject the
30:34
Speaker 1: law or Jewish traditions. In fact, in Matthew five seventeen,
30:40
Speaker 1: he clearly stated, do not think that I have come
30:43
Speaker 1: to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not
30:46
Speaker 1: come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. His discernment
30:49
Speaker 1: allowed him to distinguish the truth of God's commandments from
30:53
Speaker 1: human distortions and additions. Jesus concluded his discourse with a
30:59
Speaker 1: moving lament over Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the
31:05
Speaker 1: prophets and stone those sent to you. How often I
31:08
Speaker 1: wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers
31:12
Speaker 1: her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
31:16
Speaker 1: Look your house is left to you, desolate, For I
31:19
Speaker 1: tell you you will not see me again. Until you say,
31:24
Speaker 1: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
31:28
Speaker 1: Even in the midst of a strong rebuke of hypocrisy,
31:32
Speaker 1: Jesus heart revealed compassion. His discernment did not just identify
31:36
Speaker 1: the problem. It felt deep sorrow over the rejection of
31:40
Speaker 1: his love and truth. Jesus insight into religious hypocrisy challenges
31:45
Speaker 1: us to examine our own lives. It's easy to condemn
31:48
Speaker 1: hypocrisy in others, but Jesus calls us to honest self examination.
31:54
Speaker 1: Is our religiosity merely external, concerned with appearances, or does
32:00
Speaker 1: it flow from a heart that has been truly transformed?
32:03
Speaker 1: Is our attention to the details of religious life balanced
32:07
Speaker 1: by the foundational values of justice, mercy, and faith. Jesus
32:13
Speaker 1: was not opposed to religion or piety. His sharp discernment
32:17
Speaker 1: distinguished between true and false worship, between genuine devotion to
32:21
Speaker 1: God and religious self promotion. He invites us to seek
32:25
Speaker 1: that same discernment in our spiritual lives. Amid the busyness
32:30
Speaker 1: of his ministry, Jesus always found time to be alone
32:35
Speaker 1: with the Father. Luke tells us in his gospel that
32:38
Speaker 1: even when crowds were pressing in on him, for healing
32:40
Speaker 1: and teaching. Jesus kept a consistent practice, but Jesus often
32:45
Speaker 1: withdrew to lonely places in prayd Luke five sixteen. This
32:51
Speaker 1: wasn't something he did only occasionally or in moments of
32:55
Speaker 1: tough decision making. It was a habit, a necessity, a
32:59
Speaker 1: vital sorel of connection with the Father. Jesus sought out
33:03
Speaker 1: quiet places far from the crowds, deserted mountains, tranquil gardens, shorelines.
33:10
Speaker 1: At dawn, after feeding more than five thousand people, when
33:14
Speaker 1: the crowd tried to make him king, Jesus withdrew alone
33:18
Speaker 1: to the mountain to pray. Before choosing the twelve apostles,
33:22
Speaker 1: he went out to a mountainside to pray and spent
33:25
Speaker 1: the night praying to God Luke six twelve. On the
33:29
Speaker 1: night before his crucifixion, he sought the solitude of the
33:33
Speaker 1: garden of Gethsemone to pour out his heart before the Father.
33:37
Speaker 1: In these moments of silence and solitude, away from human
33:41
Speaker 1: voices and opinions, Jesus cultivated a clarity of purpose and
33:46
Speaker 1: a sharp sensitivity to the Father's voice and will. The
33:49
Speaker 1: son of God who could claim constant direct access to
33:53
Speaker 1: the Father, still prioritized these times of quiet communion. For Jesus,
33:58
Speaker 1: silence wasn't empt it was space filled with the presence
34:03
Speaker 1: of God. In our noisy world, full of notifications, social media, opinions,
34:09
Speaker 1: and constant distractions, silence has become almost rare, something many
34:14
Speaker 1: even fear. But it is precisely in that silence that
34:18
Speaker 1: we can begin to distinguish God's gentle voice from all
34:22
Speaker 1: the others. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he
34:27
Speaker 1: began with our Father a personal, intimate relationship. Prayer was
34:33
Speaker 1: not just about asking for things, but about connecting with
34:37
Speaker 1: the Father's heart. But when you pray, go into your room,
34:41
Speaker 1: close the door and pray to your father, who is unseen.
34:46
Speaker 1: Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret,
34:50
Speaker 1: will reward you Matthew six six. Contemplative prayer is not
34:56
Speaker 1: about saying a lot, but about listening deeply, Jesus warned,
35:00
Speaker 1: and against vain repetitions in prayer Matthew six seven. Instead,
35:05
Speaker 1: prayer is about creating a space where we can tune
35:08
Speaker 1: our hearts to Gods, where we can receive more than
35:11
Speaker 1: we ask. It was in these silent moments of communion
35:15
Speaker 1: that Jesus found clarity for his ministry, strength to face opposition,
35:20
Speaker 1: and discernment for every situation he encountered. Prayer was the
35:25
Speaker 1: foundation of his perfect discernment, not a religious act, but
35:29
Speaker 1: a vital connection that fueled every word and action. But
35:34
Speaker 1: Jesus responded with scripture, it is written, man shall not
35:39
Speaker 1: live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
35:44
Speaker 1: from the mouth of God Matthew four four, quoting Deuteronomy
35:48
Speaker 1: eight to three. In the second temptation, the devil took
35:52
Speaker 1: Jesus to the highest point of the temple and challenged him,
35:56
Speaker 1: if you are the son of God, throw yourself down,
36:00
Speaker 1: for it is written he will command his angels concerning you,
36:05
Speaker 1: and they will lift you up in their hands, so
36:07
Speaker 1: that you will not strike your foot against a stone
36:11
Speaker 1: Matthew four to six. Notably, the tempter also quoted Scripture
36:16
Speaker 1: Psalm ninety one eleven to twelve, but in a distorted,
36:20
Speaker 1: out of context way. Here jesus true discernment shone through.
36:25
Speaker 1: He didn't just know the words of Scripture, he understood
36:28
Speaker 1: their spirit and purpose. Jesus answered him, it is also written,
36:33
Speaker 1: do not put the Lord your God to the test
36:36
Speaker 1: Matthew four seven, quoting Deuteronomy six sixteen. Finally, in the
36:41
Speaker 1: third temptation, the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of
36:45
Speaker 1: the world and offered them in exchange for worship. Jesus
36:49
Speaker 1: stood firm away from me, Satan, for it is written,
36:53
Speaker 1: worship the Lord your God, and serve him only Matthew
36:57
Speaker 1: four ten, again quoting Deuteronomy six thirteen. In each of
37:02
Speaker 1: these temptations, Jesus demonstrated that true discernment is rooted in
37:07
Speaker 1: a right understanding and faithful application of scripture. He didn't
37:12
Speaker 1: quote God's word as if it were a magical formula,
37:15
Speaker 1: but as an expression of deep truths that shaped his
37:19
Speaker 1: choices and priorities. Throughout his ministry. Jesus often began his
37:25
Speaker 1: explanations with it is written or have you not read?
37:30
Speaker 1: Scripture was his constant reference point, the light guiding his
37:34
Speaker 1: path on the road to Emmaus. He explained to the
37:38
Speaker 1: disciples everything the scripture said concerning him, beginning with Moses
37:43
Speaker 1: and all the prophets Luke twenty four to twenty seven.
37:47
Speaker 1: Jesus didn't use the scriptures selectively, picking only the parts
37:51
Speaker 1: that suited him. He saw the scriptures as a coherent whole,
37:56
Speaker 1: revealing the character and purposes of God and Earth pass away.
38:01
Speaker 1: Not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,
38:05
Speaker 1: will by any means, disappear from the law until everything
38:09
Speaker 1: is accomplished Matthew five eighteen. Jesus knowledge of scripture gave
38:14
Speaker 1: him discernment to answer the pharisees tricky questions, to explain
38:19
Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God through parables, and to understand his
38:23
Speaker 1: own role in the plan of redemption. Scripture was the
38:26
Speaker 1: lens through which he interpreted the events around him and
38:30
Speaker 1: discerned his father's will. Although Jesus had a unique and
38:34
Speaker 1: direct relationship with the Father, he didn't walk alone. From
38:38
Speaker 1: the very beginning of his ministry, he gathered around himself
38:41
Speaker 1: a community of disciples who shared in his journey. This
38:45
Speaker 1: deliberate choice shows us the importance of community in the
38:49
Speaker 1: process of discernment. In Luke ten one, we read after this,
38:55
Speaker 1: the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them two by
38:58
Speaker 1: two ahead of him to every day town and place
39:01
Speaker 1: where he was about to go. Jesus knew the mission
39:05
Speaker 1: would be challenging, and he sent his disciples out in pairs,
39:09
Speaker 1: not alone. There was wisdom in this approach. Together, they
39:13
Speaker 1: could better discern the challenges they would face. By sending
39:18
Speaker 1: the disciples two by two, Jesus established an important principle.
39:23
Speaker 1: Discernment is strengthened in community. Two people see more than one.
39:29
Speaker 1: They can confirm each other's experiences, test impressions, and support
39:34
Speaker 1: one another when one is confused or discouraged. Jesus also
39:39
Speaker 1: gathered twelve apostles who formed his inner circle. They witnessed
39:43
Speaker 1: his miracles, listened to his teachings, and observed how he
39:48
Speaker 1: interacted with different people. Jesus invested special time in them,
39:53
Speaker 1: explaining the meaning of the parables in Private Mark four
39:56
Speaker 1: thirty four and preparing them to carry on his miss
40:01
Speaker 1: In the most crucial moments of his earthly life, Jesus
40:04
Speaker 1: sought companionship. On the Mount of Transfiguration. He took Peter, James,
40:10
Speaker 1: and John in the garden of Gethsemone. He asked his
40:14
Speaker 1: closest disciples to keep watch and pray with him. Jesus
40:18
Speaker 1: valued the presence of those who shared in his journey.
40:22
Speaker 1: This community of disciples was far from perfect. They often
40:27
Speaker 1: failed to understand jesus teachings, argued among themselves about who
40:31
Speaker 1: was the greatest and would eventually abandon him in his
40:35
Speaker 1: hour of greatest need. Yet Jesus continued to invest in them,
40:40
Speaker 1: knowing that the Holy Spirit would ultimately guide them into
40:43
Speaker 1: all truth. John sixteen thirteen. After the Resurrection, the disciples
40:48
Speaker 1: remained together. In Acts one fourteen, we read that they
40:53
Speaker 1: all joined together constantly in prayer. When the Holy Spirit
40:57
Speaker 1: came at Pentecost, they were all together in one place,
41:01
Speaker 1: Acts two point one. Major decisions in the early Church
41:04
Speaker 1: were made in community, as seen in Acts fifteen, where
41:09
Speaker 1: the apostles and elders met to discern how gentile believers
41:13
Speaker 1: should be welcomed into the church. Jesus affirmed the value
41:17
Speaker 1: of community for discernment, not just through his teachings, but
41:21
Speaker 1: through his example. He could have fulfilled his mission alone,
41:25
Speaker 1: but he chose to share it with others, inviting them
41:28
Speaker 1: to discern with him the unfolding purposes of God. At
41:33
Speaker 1: the most important moments of his earthly life, Jesus sought companionship.
41:38
Speaker 1: On the Mount of Transfiguration. He took Peter, James, and
41:42
Speaker 1: John with him in the garden of gethsemone, he asked
41:46
Speaker 1: his closest disciples to watch and pray with him. Jesus
41:50
Speaker 1: valued the presence of those who shared in his journey.
41:53
Speaker 1: This community of disciples was far from perfect. They often
41:57
Speaker 1: failed to understand his teachings, argued, viued among themselves about
42:01
Speaker 1: who was the greatest, and eventually abandoned him in his
42:05
Speaker 1: time of deepest need. Yet Jesus continued to invest in them,
42:11
Speaker 1: knowing that the Holy Spirit would one day lead them
42:14
Speaker 1: into all truth. John sixteen thirteen. After the Resurrection, the
42:19
Speaker 1: disciples remained together. In Acts one fourteen, we read that
42:23
Speaker 1: they all joined together constantly in prayer. When the Holy
42:27
Speaker 1: Spirit came at Pentecost, they were all together in one place.
42:31
Speaker 1: Acts two twe major decisions in the early Church were
42:35
Speaker 1: made in community, as we see in Acts fifteen, when
42:39
Speaker 1: the apostles and elders gathered to discern how gentiles should
42:43
Speaker 1: be included in the church. Jesus established the value of
42:47
Speaker 1: community for discernment, not only through his teachings, but also
42:52
Speaker 1: by his example. He could have carried out his mission alone,
42:56
Speaker 1: but he chose to share it with others, inviting them
42:59
Speaker 1: to dis discern with him the unfolding of God's purposes.
43:04
Speaker 1: One of the greatest obstacles to spiritual discernment is attachment
43:08
Speaker 1: to material possessions, something Jesus clearly demonstrated in his encounter
43:13
Speaker 1: with the rich young man. Mark tells us, as Jesus
43:17
Speaker 1: started on his way, a man ran up to him
43:20
Speaker 1: and fell on his knees before him, Good Teacher, He asked,
43:24
Speaker 1: what must I do to inherit eternal life? Mark ten seventeen.
43:29
Speaker 1: It was a sincere question from someone genuinely seeking spiritual direction.
43:34
Speaker 1: Jesus first reminded him of the commandments. You shall not murder,
43:38
Speaker 1: you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you
43:41
Speaker 1: shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor
43:44
Speaker 1: your father and mother Mark ten nineteen. The young man replied, confidently, teacher,
43:50
Speaker 1: all these I have kept since I was a boy
43:53
Speaker 1: Mark ten twenty. He was a religious man, obedient to
43:57
Speaker 1: the law from a young age. Then Mark adds a
44:01
Speaker 1: touching detail, Jesus looked at him and loved him Mark
44:05
Speaker 1: ten twenty one. There was something genuine in this young
44:08
Speaker 1: man that moved Jesus's heart. Then, with perfect discernment, Jesus
44:13
Speaker 1: identified the real spiritual barrier in the man's life. One
44:17
Speaker 1: thing you lack. Go sell everything you have and give
44:21
Speaker 1: to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
44:24
Speaker 1: Then come follow me Mark ten twenty one. The man's
44:29
Speaker 1: reaction revealed the power of that obstacle. At this, the
44:33
Speaker 1: man's face fell. He went away sad because he had
44:38
Speaker 1: great wealth. Mark ten twenty two. Jesus saw what no
44:43
Speaker 1: one else could, that this young man, despite his sincere religiosity,
44:49
Speaker 1: was bound by his possessions. His heart was divided. Jesus
44:54
Speaker 1: then looked around and said to his disciples, how hard
44:57
Speaker 1: it is for the rich to enter the king Kingdom
45:00
Speaker 1: of God Mark ten twenty three. The disciples were amazed
45:05
Speaker 1: at his words, so Jesus clarified, children, how hard it
45:10
Speaker 1: is to enter the Kingdom of God. It is easier
45:13
Speaker 1: for a camel to go through the eye of a
45:15
Speaker 1: needle than for someone who is rich to enter the
45:18
Speaker 1: Kingdom of God Mark ten twenty four to twenty five.
45:23
Speaker 1: This statement stunned the disciples even more, and they asked,
45:27
Speaker 1: who then, can be saved Mark ten twenty six. Jesus
45:32
Speaker 1: replied with a fundamental truth. With man, this is impossible,
45:36
Speaker 1: but not with God. All things are possible with God
45:40
Speaker 1: Mark ten twenty seven. Attachment to wealth cloud's spiritual discernment
45:46
Speaker 1: in several ways. First, it creates a false sense of security.
45:50
Speaker 1: We begin trusting in our resources instead of trusting in God. Second,
45:56
Speaker 1: it divides our heart. No one can serve two masters.
46:01
Speaker 1: You cannot serve both God and money Matthew six twenty four. Third,
46:08
Speaker 1: it distorts our priorities. We begin to value what the
46:12
Speaker 1: world values rather than what God values. Jesus didn't condemn
46:17
Speaker 1: wealth itself, but he warned against being attached to it.
46:21
Speaker 1: On another occasion, he said, where your treasure is there,
46:24
Speaker 1: your heart will be also Matthew six twenty one. Our
46:28
Speaker 1: ability to discern the voice and will of God is
46:32
Speaker 1: directly tied to where we place our heart. The rich
46:36
Speaker 1: young man walked away sorrowful because he had many possessions.
46:40
Speaker 1: What was meant to be a blessing had become an
46:43
Speaker 1: obstacle that kept him from fully following Jesus. He had
46:47
Speaker 1: asked the right question, how to inherit eternal life, but
46:50
Speaker 1: couldn't accept the answer because his heart was bound to
46:54
Speaker 1: his riches. Another powerful obstacle to spiritual discernment is fear.
47:02
Speaker 1: One of the clearest examples of this occurred when Peter
47:05
Speaker 1: tried to walk on water. Matthew tells us that after
47:08
Speaker 1: feeding more than five thousand people, Jesus made the disciples
47:13
Speaker 1: get into the boat and go on ahead of him
47:16
Speaker 1: to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd Matthew
47:21
Speaker 1: fourteen twenty two. Jesus then went up on a mountain
47:24
Speaker 1: side by himself to pray. Meanwhile, the disciple's boat was
47:28
Speaker 1: already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves
47:33
Speaker 1: because the wind was against it Matthew fourteen twenty four.
47:38
Speaker 1: During the fourth watch of the night, between three and
47:41
Speaker 1: six a m. Jesus went out to them walking on
47:45
Speaker 1: the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake,
47:48
Speaker 1: they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said, and cried
47:52
Speaker 1: out in fear Matthew fourteen twenty six. Fear instantly distorted
47:58
Speaker 1: their perception. They couldn't reck recognized that it was Jesus,
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Speaker 1: even though they knew him well. Jesus immediately said to them,
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Speaker 1: take courage, it is I. Don't be afraid Matthew fourteen
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Speaker 1: twenty seven. He directly addressed the root of the problem, fear,
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Speaker 1: and clearly identified himself. Peter, always impulsive, responded, Lord, if
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Speaker 1: it's you, tell me to come to you on the
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Speaker 1: water Matthew fourteen twenty eight. Jesus simply said, come, Matthew
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Speaker 1: fourteen twenty nine, and Peter got out of the boat,
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Speaker 1: walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. It was
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Speaker 1: an extraordinary moment of faith and courage. But then something changed.
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Speaker 1: But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and
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Speaker 1: beginning to sink. Cried out, Lord, save me, Matthew fourteen
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Speaker 1: thirty What happened? Peter took his eyes off Jesus and
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Speaker 1: focused on the storm. Fear replaced faith, and he immediately
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Speaker 1: began to sink. His discernment was clouded by fear, and
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Speaker 1: he could no longer perceive the supernatural reality he had
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Speaker 1: been experiencing, that he could walk on water as long
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Speaker 1: as he kept his eyes on Jesus. Immediately, Jesus reached
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Speaker 1: out his hand and caught him, You of little faith,
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Speaker 1: He said, why did you doubt? Matthew fourteen thirty one.
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Speaker 1: Jesus didn't rebuke Peter for trying. Rather, he pointed out
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Speaker 1: the cause of his failure, doubt born from fear. When
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Speaker 1: they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then
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Speaker 1: those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, truly
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Speaker 1: you are the Son of God Matthew fourteen thirty two
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Speaker 1: thirty three. Interestingly, despite Peter's failure, the episode led to
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Speaker 1: a moment of clarity and worship for all the disciples.
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Speaker 1: They finally discerned who Jesus truly was. Fear often keeps
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Speaker 1: us from discerning God's presence and activity in our lives.
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Speaker 1: Like Peter, we may start well, taking steps of faith,
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Speaker 1: but then fear causes us to fix our eyes on
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Speaker 1: our circumstances instead of Jesus. Our perception becomes distorted. We
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Speaker 1: see danger instead of possibility, and we begin to sink
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Speaker 1: into the very waters we were meant to walk across.
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Speaker 1: Jesus often told his disciples do not be afraid. He
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Speaker 1: knew that fear is one of the greatest enemies of
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Speaker 1: spiritual discernment. Fear makes us see ghosts where Jesus is.
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Speaker 1: Fear makes us question God's promises. Fear makes us give
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Speaker 1: up when we should persevere. One of the most subtle
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Speaker 1: obstacles to spiritual discernment is pride. This becomes painfully evident
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Speaker 1: in Peter's experience. On the night Jesus was arrested at
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Speaker 1: the Last Supper, Jesus warned his disciples. You will all
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Speaker 1: fall away, Jesus told them, for it is written, I
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Speaker 1: will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
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Speaker 1: Mark fourteen twenty seven. Peter, full of self confidence, declared,
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Speaker 1: even if all fall away, I will not Mark fourteen
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Speaker 1: twenty nine. Jesus then made a specific prediction. Truly, I
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Speaker 1: tell you, Jesus answered to day, yes to night. Before
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Speaker 1: the rooster crows twice, you yourself will disown me three times,
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Speaker 1: Mark fourteen thirty. Peter, offended by the suggestion, insisted emphatically,
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Speaker 1: even if I have to die with you, I will
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Speaker 1: never disown you, and all the others said the same
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Speaker 1: Mark fourteen thirty one. The issue wasn't Peter's loyalty to Jesus,
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Speaker 1: it was real. The issue was his over confidence in
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Speaker 1: his own strength and commitment. Luke gives us more insight
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Speaker 1: into this conversation. Jesus said to Peter Simon, Simon, Satan
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Speaker 1: has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But
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Speaker 1: I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may
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Speaker 1: not fail. And when you have turned back strengthen your
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Speaker 1: brothers Luke twenty two thirty one thirty two. Jesus foresaw
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Speaker 1: what was coming and gave Peter a specific warning, but
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Speaker 1: Peter failed to discern his own vulnerability. But he replied, Lord,
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Speaker 1: I am ready to go with you to prison and
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Speaker 1: to death Luke twenty two thirty three. A few hours later,
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Speaker 1: Jesus was arrested. Peter followed at a distance to the
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Speaker 1: courtyard of the High Priest. Luke recounts when some there
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Speaker 1: had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard
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Speaker 1: and had sat down together. Peter sat down with them.
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Speaker 1: A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight.
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Speaker 1: She looked closely at him and said this man was
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Speaker 1: with him, but he denied it. Woman, I don't know him,
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Speaker 1: he said, Luke twenty two fifty five to fifty seven.
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Speaker 1: Shortly after, some one else saw him and said, you
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Speaker 1: also are one of them. Man, I am not, Peter
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Speaker 1: replied Luke twenty two fifty eight. And finally, about an
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Speaker 1: hour later another asserted, certainly this fellow was with him,
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Speaker 1: for he is a Galilean. Peter replied, man, I don't
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Speaker 1: know what you're talking about. Just As he was speaking,
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Speaker 1: the rooster crowed Luke twenty two fifty nine sixty That
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Speaker 1: was the moment reality hit Peter. The Lord turned and
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Speaker 1: looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the
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Speaker 1: Lord had spoken to him before. The rooster crows. Today
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Speaker 1: you will disown me three times, and he went outside
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Speaker 1: and wept bitterly. Luke twenty two sixty one sixty two.
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Speaker 1: Peter's pride, his excessive confidence in his own loyalty and courage,
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Speaker 1: kept him from discerning his vulnerability. He didn't prepare for
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Speaker 1: temptation because he didn't believe he could fall. Had he
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Speaker 1: taken Jesus's warning seriously, perhaps he would have been more watchful,
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Speaker 1: more prayerful, and more careful in followowing Jesus from afar.
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Speaker 1: Pride blinds us to our weaknesses and limitations. It makes
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Speaker 1: us think we're stronger, wiser, and more faithful than we
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Speaker 1: really are. Pride leads us to rely on our own
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Speaker 1: understanding instead of seeking God's guidance. As Proverbs sixteen eighteen warns,
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Speaker 1: pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
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Speaker 1: Peter eventually learned this lesson in his first letter, written
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Speaker 1: many years later, he advised to the elders among you
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Speaker 1: be shepherds of God's flock. In the same way, you
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Speaker 1: who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of
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Speaker 1: you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God
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Speaker 1: opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble. First
54:49
Speaker 1: Peter five one five. Peter's painful fall became a springboard
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Speaker 1: for deeper discernment. He learned the hard way that true
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Speaker 1: strength doesn't come from self confidence, but from humble dependence
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Speaker 1: on God. One of the clearest signs that we are
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Speaker 1: discerning rightly is the presence of inner peace. Jesus promised
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Speaker 1: this fruit specifically to his disciples the night before his
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Speaker 1: crucifixion in John fourteen twenty seven. He said, peace, I
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Speaker 1: leave with you. My peace I give you. I do
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Speaker 1: not give to you as the world gives. Do not
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Speaker 1: let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.
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Speaker 1: This was not a peaceful moment. Jesus had just revealed
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Speaker 1: that he would be betrayed, that Peter would deny him,
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Speaker 1: and that he was about to leave them. The disciples
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Speaker 1: were confused and troubled. Yet Jesus offered peace, not the
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Speaker 1: world's version, which is fleeting and dependent on circumstances, but
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Speaker 1: his own peace, which surpasses human understanding. The peace Jesus
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Speaker 1: offers isn't the absence of conflict or difficulty. It's an
56:00
Speaker 1: inner calm that remains steady even in the middle of
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Speaker 1: the storm. Jesus slept peacefully in a boat during a
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Speaker 1: violent storm Mark four thirty five forty one, not because
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Speaker 1: he was ignoring reality, but because he fully trusted the Father.
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Speaker 1: This inner piece is a fruit of the spirit Galatians
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Speaker 1: five twenty two, and a natural consequence of right discernment.
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Speaker 1: When we correctly discern God's will and act accordingly, we
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Speaker 1: experience peace even when the path is difficult. Paul wrote
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Speaker 1: to the Philippians, do not be anxious about anything, but
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Speaker 1: in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
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Speaker 1: request to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses
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Speaker 1: all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds In
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Speaker 1: Christ Jesus Philippians four six seven. This peace is not
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Speaker 1: just a pleasant feeling. It's a sentinel that guards our
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Speaker 1: hearts and minds. When we make a decision and lose
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Speaker 1: our inner peace, it can be a warning from the
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Speaker 1: Holy Spirit that something is not aligned with God's will.
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Speaker 1: Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace,
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Speaker 1: and joy in the Holy Spirit Romans fourteen seventeen. In
57:16
Speaker 1: a peace is not a spiritual luxury. It's part of
57:19
Speaker 1: the essence of the kingdom. It is the natural state
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Speaker 1: of a soul in harmony with God. At the Last Supper,
57:27
Speaker 1: Jesus said to his disciples, I have told you these
57:30
Speaker 1: things so that in me you may have peace. In
57:34
Speaker 1: this world you will have trouble, But take heart, I
57:37
Speaker 1: have overcome the world. John sixteen thirty three. The peace
57:42
Speaker 1: Jesus offers does not deny the troubles of the world,
57:45
Speaker 1: but enables us to face them with confidence, knowing that
57:49
Speaker 1: He has already overcome. When the Holy Spirit guides us
57:53
Speaker 1: in our discernment, the resulting peace is more than the
57:57
Speaker 1: absence of anxiety. It's a car confidence that we're on
58:01
Speaker 1: the right path, even when that path is difficult. It
58:05
Speaker 1: is the assurance that all things work together for the
58:08
Speaker 1: good of those who love God Romans eight twenty eight.
58:12
Speaker 1: Another powerful fruit of true discernment is growing love for others.
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Speaker 1: At the Last Supper Jesus gave his disciples a command
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Speaker 1: that was meant to define their community. A new command.
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Speaker 1: I give you love one another as I have loved you,
58:29
Speaker 1: so you must love one another. By this, everyone will
58:33
Speaker 1: know that you are my disciples. If you love one another.
58:36
Speaker 1: John thirteen thirty four to thirty five. Jesus called it
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Speaker 1: a new command, even though love for one's neighbor was
58:44
Speaker 1: already present in the Old Testament. What made it new
58:47
Speaker 1: was the standard as I have loved you, and its
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Speaker 1: central role as the distinguishing mark of Christ's followers. True
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Speaker 1: spiritual discernment always leads us to deeper love for others.
58:59
Speaker 1: As Paul wrote to the Philippians, and this is my
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Speaker 1: prayer that your love may abound more and more in
59:05
Speaker 1: knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be
59:08
Speaker 1: able to discern what is best and may be pure
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Speaker 1: and blameless for the day of Christ Philippians one nine
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Speaker 1: to ten. Note the connection Paul makes Love grows alongside
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Speaker 1: knowledge and insight discernment, which in turn enables us to
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Speaker 1: approve what is excellent. Love and discernment grow together, feeding
59:29
Speaker 1: one another. Jesus repeatedly demonstrated how true spiritual discernment leads
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Speaker 1: to love in action. When he saw the crowds, he
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Speaker 1: had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless,
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Speaker 1: like sheep without a shepherd Matthew, nine thirty six. His
59:48
Speaker 1: discernment of people's spiritual condition stirred his compassion. When the
59:53
Speaker 1: sinful woman washed his feet with her tears, Jesus discerned
59:57
Speaker 1: her repentant heart and defended it her against Simon the
1:00:01
Speaker 1: Pharisees judgment Luke seven thirty six to fifty. When Zachius,
1:00:07
Speaker 1: the tax collector, showed signs of repentance, Jesus welcomed him joyfully,
1:00:13
Speaker 1: ignoring the crowd's disapproval Luke, nineteen one ten. Jesus taught
1:00:19
Speaker 1: that the second greatest commandment is love your neighbor as
1:00:22
Speaker 1: yourself Matthew twenty two thirty nine. But he expanded our
1:00:27
Speaker 1: understanding of who our neighbor is through the parable of
1:00:31
Speaker 1: the good Samaritan Luke ten twenty five thirty seven, showing
1:00:35
Speaker 1: that true love crosses social, ethnic, and religious boundaries. The
1:00:39
Speaker 1: apostle John, who identified himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved,
1:00:45
Speaker 1: deeply understood the connection between discernment and love. In his
1:00:49
Speaker 1: first letter, he wrote, anyone who claims to be in
1:00:52
Speaker 1: the light but hates a brother or sister is still
1:00:55
Speaker 1: in the darkness. Whoever loves their brother and sister lives
1:00:59
Speaker 1: in them light, and there is nothing in them to
1:01:02
Speaker 1: make them stumble First John two nine two ten. John
1:01:08
Speaker 1: goes even further. We know that we have passed from
1:01:11
Speaker 1: death to life because we love our brothers and sisters.
1:01:14
Speaker 1: Any One who does not love remains in death First
1:01:18
Speaker 1: John three fourteen. And finally, dear friends, let us love
1:01:23
Speaker 1: one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves
1:01:27
Speaker 1: has been born of God and knows God first John
1:01:30
Speaker 1: four seven. When our spiritual discernment is aligned with God's heart,
1:01:36
Speaker 1: the natural result is greater love for others, not just
1:01:39
Speaker 1: for those who are easy to love, but also for
1:01:42
Speaker 1: the difficult, the different, and the marginalized. As Jesus challenged us,
1:01:47
Speaker 1: if you love those who love you, what reward will
1:01:51
Speaker 1: you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
1:01:54
Speaker 1: Matthew five forty six. True discernment leads us to see
1:01:59
Speaker 1: people as God sees them, not by appearance, status, or
1:02:04
Speaker 1: outward behavior, but by their intrinsic value as beings created
1:02:09
Speaker 1: in God's image and loved by him. A third fruit
1:02:13
Speaker 1: of true discernment is the ability to persevere in faith
1:02:17
Speaker 1: even in the face of adversity. Paul, who endured countless
1:02:22
Speaker 1: hardships for the Gospel, wrote to Timothy near the end
1:02:25
Speaker 1: of his life, I have fought the good fight. I
1:02:27
Speaker 1: have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now
1:02:30
Speaker 1: there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
1:02:33
Speaker 1: which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me
1:02:37
Speaker 1: on that day, and not only to me, but also
1:02:40
Speaker 1: to all who have longed for his appearing tewod Timothy
1:02:44
Speaker 1: four seven eight. These words are even more powerful when
1:02:49
Speaker 1: we consider what Paul had endured throughout his ministry. In
1:02:53
Speaker 1: her Corinthians eleven twenty three twenty eight, he lists some
1:02:56
Speaker 1: of his trials beatings, imprisonment, dangers of death five times,
1:03:02
Speaker 1: receiving thirty nine lashes from the Jews three times, beaten
1:03:06
Speaker 1: with rods, once stoned three times, shipwrecked, dangers from rivers, bandits,
1:03:12
Speaker 1: his own people, gentiles in the city, in the wilderness,
1:03:15
Speaker 1: at sea, among false brothers, toil and hardship, sleepless nights,
1:03:19
Speaker 1: hunger and thirst, frequent fasting, cold and exposure. How did
1:03:24
Speaker 1: Paul manage to persevere through so many hardships. His spiritual
1:03:28
Speaker 1: discernment helped him see beyond immediate circumstances and keep his
1:03:32
Speaker 1: eyes fixed on a greater purpose. He wrote to the Corinthians,
1:03:37
Speaker 1: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
1:03:40
Speaker 1: but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary,
1:03:44
Speaker 1: but what is unseen is eternal, say sec. Corinthians four eighteen.
1:03:50
Speaker 1: Paul had rightly discerned that present suffering was part of
1:03:54
Speaker 1: a bigger picture. I consider that our present sufferings are
1:03:58
Speaker 1: not worth comparing with the gloe glory that will be
1:04:00
Speaker 1: revealed in us Romans otlys in Utton. He also said,
1:04:06
Speaker 1: for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us
1:04:09
Speaker 1: an eternal glory that far outweighs them all Second Corinthians,
1:04:14
Speaker 1: four seventeen. This discernment didn't deny the reality of suffering.
1:04:19
Speaker 1: It simply placed it in proper perspective. Paul wasn't just
1:04:23
Speaker 1: enduring difficulties, he was seeing through them to something greater.
1:04:28
Speaker 1: Jesus also demonstrated this kind of perseverance rooted in proper discernment,
1:04:34
Speaker 1: the author of Hebrew's rites, fixing our eyes on Jesus,
1:04:38
Speaker 1: the pioneer and perfector of faith, for the joy set
1:04:43
Speaker 1: before him. He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and
1:04:47
Speaker 1: sat down at the right hand of the throne of
1:04:49
Speaker 1: God Hebrews twelve two. Jesus saw beyond the cross to
1:04:53
Speaker 1: the joy set before him, and that gave him strength
1:04:57
Speaker 1: to endure. Jesus also prepared his decay disciples to persevere, saying,
1:05:02
Speaker 1: if the world hates you, keep in mind that it
1:05:04
Speaker 1: hated me first. If they persecuted me, they will persecute
1:05:09
Speaker 1: you also. John fifteen, eighteen twenty. He didn't promise an
1:05:14
Speaker 1: easy road, but he gave them discernment to understand that
1:05:18
Speaker 1: hardships were expected and meaningful. In Revelation, the Seven Letters
1:05:24
Speaker 1: to the Churches contain repeated calls to perseverance. To the
1:05:28
Speaker 1: Church in Ephesus, yet I hold this against you. You
1:05:32
Speaker 1: have forsaken the love you had at first repent to
1:05:37
Speaker 1: the one who is victorious. I will give the right
1:05:39
Speaker 1: to eat from the tree of life Revelation two four
1:05:42
Speaker 1: to seven. To the church in Smyrna. Be faithful even
1:05:46
Speaker 1: to the point of death, and I will give you
1:05:49
Speaker 1: life as your victor's crown. Revelation two ten to the
1:05:54
Speaker 1: church in Philadelphia. Since you have kept my command to
1:05:58
Speaker 1: endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour
1:06:03
Speaker 1: of trial that is going to come on the whole
1:06:05
Speaker 1: world Revelation three ten. Right discernment allows us to see
1:06:09
Speaker 1: trials in their proper context, as temporary tests within an
1:06:13
Speaker 1: eternal journey. As James wrote, consider it pure joy, my
1:06:19
Speaker 1: brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
1:06:23
Speaker 1: because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
1:06:27
Speaker 1: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be
1:06:30
Speaker 1: mature and complete, not lacking anything James one two to four.
1:06:36
Speaker 1: Peter also understood the link between discernment and perseverance. He
1:06:42
Speaker 1: wrote to Christians facing persecution, in all this you greatly rejoice,
1:06:48
Speaker 1: though now for a little while you may have had
1:06:51
Speaker 1: to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have
1:06:54
Speaker 1: come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of
1:06:57
Speaker 1: greater worth than gold, which Peri wishes, even though refined
1:07:01
Speaker 1: by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when
1:07:05
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ is revealed first Peter one six two seven.
1:07:10
Speaker 1: True spiritual discernment enables us to see the unseen, to
1:07:15
Speaker 1: trust what hasn't yet come to pass, and to persevere
1:07:18
Speaker 1: even when everything seems to be against us, like Moses,
1:07:22
Speaker 1: who persevered because he saw him who is invisible Hebrews
1:07:26
Speaker 1: eleven twenty seven. This is the essence of faith informed
1:07:30
Speaker 1: by discernment, seeing beyond what is visible to the deeper
1:07:34
Speaker 1: reality of God's purposes in our lives. We've now reached
1:07:37
Speaker 1: the end of our journey through jesus teachings on discernment.
1:07:42
Speaker 1: We've seen how the Master, through parables, personal encounters, and
1:07:46
Speaker 1: bold confrontations, showed us the way to develop this precious
1:07:50
Speaker 1: ability in our spiritual walk. Discernment isn't a gift reserved
1:07:56
Speaker 1: for a select few. It's something God desires to develop
1:07:59
Speaker 1: in each of us. As we've seen, Jesus taught that
1:08:03
Speaker 1: we can cultivate discernment through contemplative prayer, studying the scriptures,
1:08:07
Speaker 1: and fellowship with other believers. We've also learned to recognize
1:08:11
Speaker 1: the common obstacles that cloud our discernment attachment to wealth,
1:08:15
Speaker 1: fear and anxiety, pride and self reliance. When we practice
1:08:20
Speaker 1: true discernment, we reap beautiful fruits inner peace, even in
1:08:24
Speaker 1: turbulent times, a growing love for others, and unwavering perseverance
1:08:29
Speaker 1: in the face of life's challenges. These fruits aren't just
1:08:33
Speaker 1: for our personal benefit. They also bless those around us
1:08:37
Speaker 1: and bring glory to God. In a world filled with
1:08:40
Speaker 1: competing voices, conflicting messages, and divergent paths, discernment acts like
1:08:46
Speaker 1: a compass keeping us on course. Jesus didn't leave us
1:08:51
Speaker 1: to navigate these complex waters alone. He gave us his example,
1:08:55
Speaker 1: his teachings, and his spirit to guide us. So from
1:08:58
Speaker 1: this day forward, may we seek to grow in discernment
1:09:02
Speaker 1: in our daily lives. May we create moments of silence
1:09:05
Speaker 1: to hear God's voice, dive deeply into scripture, and cherish
1:09:10
Speaker 1: the wisdom of the faith community. May we remain alert
1:09:13
Speaker 1: to the obstacles that cloud our spiritual vision and celebrate
1:09:18
Speaker 1: the fruits of true discernment whenever they appear in our lives.
1:09:22
Speaker 1: If this video touched your heart and helped illuminate your
1:09:25
Speaker 1: path in any way, don't keep that blessing to yourself.
1:09:29
Speaker 1: Click the subscribe button to keep receiving content that nourishes
1:09:33
Speaker 1: your soul and deepens your faith, and please share this
1:09:38
Speaker 1: video with friends and family who might also be seeking
1:09:42
Speaker 1: greater discernment in their spiritual journey. Together, we can build
1:09:46
Speaker 1: a community that values and lives out the discernment Jesus
1:09:50
Speaker 1: taught us. Until the next video, may the Lord perfect
1:09:54
Speaker 1: in each of us the precious gift of spiritual discernment.