Latest / Scripture Central / Come Follow Me Insights (May 8 - May 14)Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18

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Come Follow Me Insights (May 8 - May 14)Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18 · Scripture Central

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Hello everyone. Thanks for listening to come.
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Follow me, insights with Taylor and Tyler, presented by
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scripture Central. We use a lot of visuals in our
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videos. So, if you want to see the
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visuals, we invite you to find us on YouTube.
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Thanks for listening and enjoy. I'm Taylor and I'm Tyler.
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This is scripture Central's. Come follow me, insights this
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week, Matthew 19 and 20 Mark 10, and Luke chapter 18, we begin in
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Matthew 19, verse 1. It came to pass that when Jesus
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Had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee and came
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into the coasts of judaea Beyond.
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Jordan, just for context. Historically timeline purposes
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here. This is the last time Jesus will
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be in Galilee, he departs from Galilee for the final time to
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come down to Judea and he's going to begin in the coasts of
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judaea Beyond Jordan. So he's down there.
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On the other side of the Jordan River and he the next time he's
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going to be in, Galilee will be after his resurrection and the
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word Coast here. You could think about the word,
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a border. Now a coast like a beach is a
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border between land and water. But what we're talking about
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here is like, these are political boundaries, even
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though you do have a river there, the River Jordan.
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He's probably down near Jericho. That's right.
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So verse 2, tells us there were great multitudes following him
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and he healed them there. So he heals them where they are.
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I like this word healing. It comes from the Greek word,
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there Apollo which means therapy.
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Our word therapy comes from this.
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So therapy means to serve or to heal.
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And I think about the invitation, all of us are given
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to receive the healing from God and in, turn to serve and seek
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to heal others. So we follow the master and we
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seek to do what? He has done.
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I love the contrast of this, this idea of therapy and healing
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and lifting and blessing, and verse 28 Jesus.
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Entire life seems to be turned outward and upward to God and to
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the people around him. Now look at the contrast in
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verse 3, the Pharisees also came unto him But they don't come to
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be healed by him. They don't come to connect with
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him and to make covenants with him they come tempting him.
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They're trying to trap him. What an amazing irony here that
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they're coming to the creator of Worlds Without End.
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They're coming to to the god of the Old Testament, who is now in
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the flesh, God With Us, and they're tempting him instead.
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Ed of listening to him. Instead of following him instead
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of allowing him to heal them, they're tempting him.
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And what is their temptation? Is it lawful for a man to put
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away his wife for every cause? Now we need to pause here and
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give some historical setting. So you understand the situation
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of why? They're even asking this
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question. There is a debate within the
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different schools of thoughts in Judaism at the time.
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The the two schools are shammai and Halal shamaya is very
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conservative. Halal is very liberal in their
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interpretation of the laws, in the Old Testament, in the Torah.
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The five books of Moses keep in mind, there were 613 laws and
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the law of Moses. And in Deuteronomy chapter 24,
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verse 1 through 4. It's the one place where Moses
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gives this provision for divorce.
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The school of shammai the very conservative side is saying no.
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The only reason a man can give a writing of divorcement to his
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wife is for the cause of adultery the school of hilal
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interprets. Those verses in Deuteronomy very
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openly, very liberally and says no a man can give a writing of
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divorcement Fort any cause so Philo of Alexandria Josephus.
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Our most prolific Eric first century Jewish historian, who we
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have many of his writings today, he'll tell you that he himself,
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was divorced and he said, we can give a writing of divorcement
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for any cause then they even list off some examples.
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She doesn't please me anymore. She salted the soup too much.
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She talked ill of my family, or of her In-laws in my presence.
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Another. Woman, pleased me more.
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Any cause you can give a writing of divorcement.
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And so, you've got this this debate going on.
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And now they bring the debate to Jesus.
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To trap him. They want him to take sides.
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That's right. And they're missing the whole
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point. You see their focus is on?
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The dividing the divorcing, the separating of people, and
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Christ's whole mission is on the unifying, the bringing together,
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The Binding Together of people, especially in the marriage,
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covenant context. So it's interesting, the word
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that's used here for divorce in the Greek.
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It here in Matthew. It's one word the same story in
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Mark. Mark uses a different word.
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So before I tell you what those Greek words are, let's just talk
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about the English word divorce. You've heard the word divert, or
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even the word die, which means to.
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So, divorce just means a part in the way going in different
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directions turning away from one another, that's literally what
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it means. So, the two Greek words that we
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find at least two different stories.
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So, Matthew uses this word APA luo, which essentially means to
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set somebody free from a bond or an agreement.
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Mark uses a different word. Uses a word that you're familiar
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with. He uses the word apostasy or
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apostasy as we call it in Greek. That there is a part of the ways
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is a falling away on a sundering.
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And it dawned on me, as I was looking at this, that when we
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think about apostasy, it's actually divorcing ourselves
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from God. We are moving in a different
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direction from God. We are diverting ourselves from
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him. So it's interesting these
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stories just use two different words of both have similar
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outcomes. That people are leaving one
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another, and we should also make it clear that the principle that
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Jesus is teaching is about binding people together.
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Other and some people have looked at Jesus teaching.
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And we today almost have people debating like shammai and Halal
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about Jesus words and missing. The principal about Jesus is
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inviting us to be bonded together with God.
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It's fascinating to me that Jesus was asked this question in
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a tempting, sort of Away by these Pharisees.
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It's interesting to watch how he responds because once again
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their intent isn't to learn truth, they're trying to trap
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him so he doesn't teach them much of the higher law.
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He sends them back to the Old Law back to the Old Testament
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book of hers for and he answered and said unto them.
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Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning.
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Made them male and female and said for this, cause shall a man
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leave father, and mother and shall cleave to his wife.
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And they Twain shall be one flesh.
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Yeah there's underlying word of being cleaved or United, the
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Greek word is related to our English word glue.
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So think about what glue does it Barnes things together.
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So the principal Jesus is teaching is Covenant albino gene
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and a marriage relationship should be symbolizing.
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The relationship that we have with God which is interesting to
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go back to this word, apostasy That the word for divorce in
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Greek meant to kind of fall away from somebody.
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So, I find that compelling that our marriages should be a
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reflection of how we are Covenant, Lee connected to God?
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So, look at verse 6, wherefore they are no more Twain but one
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flesh, what? Therefore God hath joined
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together. Let not man put asunder So he's
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he's telling them, this is this is not your purview to separate
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things that God has brought together, especially this clause
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for any cause isn't it? Fascinating to look at the
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symbolism of a marriage altar. In the temple of our God.
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When you have a man and a woman kneeling across that altar,
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notice how they begin marriage, notice the position, they're in
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there, kneeling there at an altar what happens at an altar
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usually sacrifice, you have to pardon the the play on words,
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you have to alter your behavior. You have to sacrifice.
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Give up some things. You offer some things to the
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person and to the Lord and you peel back layers of symbolism
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for what that altar represents. It's more than Old Testament,
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and it's even more than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
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You can peel back that layer of the atonement itself of Jesus
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Christ. And it's a beautiful symbol for
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the Savior himself key, who sacrificed everything, he who
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built the earth on, which he could be sacrificed, it all of
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these symbols. Those point to Christ at the
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center of that marriage experience in a temple ceiling.
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Well, now think about what Taylor, just shared of glue that
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which binds together. The only thing to come between a
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man and a woman when they're pronounced, man and wife legally
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and lawfully, wedded for time and for all of eternity Is this
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symbol representing Jesus Christ, it's the Savior who
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brings them together. It's God who's joining them
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together and there's this beautiful symbol of what God has
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joined together. Let no man.
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Divide asunder. I love the fact that Jesus is
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emphasizing the unity in the Oneness and The Binding power of
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this marriage covenant that people enter into.
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And how Flippantly people. In the first entry are treating
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that Covenant and breaking it for any.
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Cause I want to add to this. This is amazing, Tyler, this is
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super helpful. When you kneel is the Hebrew
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word for kneeling is related to the to the word for blessing
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that come from the same root word.
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So, if you want a blessing, you're in a kneeling posture.
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And that's what happens when we are in these covenants,
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relationships. We are kneeling, think about How
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often were asked to kneel before the Lord?
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It's so that we can receive His blessings and what an amazing
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thing to consider going into marriage and enduring years and
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years and years of the trials of Life as a partner and equal
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partner in that marriage. Covenant, I love the talk given
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in October 20, 22, General Conference, by Elder Ulysses.
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Suarez on marriage and that Covenant and the equal
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partnership, it would be worth studying deeply.
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Again what this, what this marriage contract, Covenant
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connection looks like in the ideal and so you now look at
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them, he's answered their question.
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He's avoided their trap and now look at verse 7, they say unto
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him, you Can see the argumentative you can almost
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hear the argumentative tone coming off of the page here.
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Then they're missing the principal, missing the whole
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principle in this happens. Today we often miss core
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principles because we want to fight over interpretation.
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Yeah, or as Elder, Lawrence Corbridge, shared in a BYU
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devotional years ago, there are primary questions, primary
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concerns and then there are secondary questions.
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And these Pharisees. In this instance, they are
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getting so caught up in secondary questions that they're
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missing the primary point, the critical issue here, the core
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Doctrine. So look over 7, they say unto
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him, why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement
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and to put her away. So if you're saying, this is
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such a bad thing. Why did Moses in the law?
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Give us that provision. Well, it wasn't Moses.
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Who gave the provision there talking to the guy who gave The
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provision, the irony is so thick.
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Look at verse 8. He saith unto them Moses because
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of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your
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wives. But from the beginning, it was
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not. So he's reminding them that
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Moses had given them or that he through Moses had given the
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people a preparatory law, because when Adam Enoch and Noah
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are on the earth and Abraham after them.
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They all according to Joseph Smith are giving the people.
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The higher law, the law of the Gospel, faith in the Lord, Jesus
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Christ, repentance baptism gift of the Holy Ghost, they're
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they're getting the gospel. Then they fall into that
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Egyptian apostasy for 400 years approximately and and when Moses
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tries to get them out of that trough of apostasy bringing them
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out into the Wilderness. You'll remember from our Study
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last year in the Old Testament in the book of Exodus and
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numbers. He brings them to Mount Sinai.
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He gets all of these amazing experiences and then tells the
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people prepare yourselves, you're going to be brought into
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the presence Lord. He's going to speak to you,
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you're going to get his law and the response was.
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No, we don't want to talk to him.
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Directly you go talk to Um and tell us what he wants.
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So we end up getting a stepper law a preparatory law, it would
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be an amazing thing. If all of us who are in,
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marriages can recognize that it's difficult, their sacrifices
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to be made there. There's things that are going to
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have to be given up. You place on that altar more
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than your hand, you're giving your spouse and the Lord, your
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whole soul. Your heart and they're going to
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be times when it's hard and you have to work through things but
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that that's part of the process of growing to become one and
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it's a beautiful Covenant, 'l process, not just in marriage,
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but in our connection was God, as well, there will be things
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that are hard, but we work through them and we become
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unified in the process. Then were there brought unto him
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little children that he should put his hands on them and pray
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and his disciples rebuked them. And if the look of adjustment
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translation, it says, saying there is no need for Jesus has
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said such shall be saved. It's almost as if they're saying
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no, no, no, don't don't waste Jesus time because Jesus Saves
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the little children so they don't need to come to him.
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You don't need to waste any of his time because Already saved
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them. A beautiful cross reference.
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There would be Moroni 8:18 Book of Mormon.
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We're Mormons sends this letter to his son, Moroni about how
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little children are alive in Christ.
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They can't sin. They are redeemed, and it
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connects with that Joseph Smith. Translation idea that yes, that
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is true. Jesus has already saved little
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children. But it doesn't mean that he
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doesn't want little children to come unto him.
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If you look at verse 14, his line here is is so beautiful,
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but Jesus said, suffer little children and forbid them not to
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come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.
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If we're not careful, what will happen in a?
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Ward setting is a ward councillor.
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A bishopric, may think. Ah, let's let's Is get the
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really powerful and important people working with the adults,
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and maybe the youth, because they really need our very best
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that we can put forth. I love something that my wife
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has repeatedly shared in those kinds of settings.
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The children are of primary importance.
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In other words, if we can put some of our finest teachers and
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leaders in with those little children and teach them and
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connect them with the Savior, that early age, what a multitude
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of problems will avoid as they continue to grow through the
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youth and the young single adult and into their adult phases of
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life. And Discipleship, I love this
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story as I can picture Jesus. Inviting children and in my
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mind's eye, I picture him inviting my own children to come
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unto him, and I don't know about you, but it makes me feel very
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nice and very good when people do nice things for me.
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And to me, Oh, how it? Warms my heart, even more.
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When I see people doing nice things, kind things, going out
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of their way to bless the life of my child or of my children.
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I can picture being there watching Jesus, take one of one
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of my children or a couple of my children into his arms.
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How that how that feels, and what an amazing thing, as
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parents. For those of you who have
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children to be able to recognize the Fact that you weren't there
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first parents, they have Heavenly parents and then the
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Savior. Jesus Christ, came down on a
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mission from from those first parents to save these children
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and to redeem them. It's beautiful.
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When you can see him doing his work with children, now, this
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next group of people that comes to him.
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So so have you noticed this pattern?
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Here's Jesus. The first group that came to
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him, he healed them Second group that came to him the Pharisees,
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they tempted him. He, he worked through that
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process with them. Then they left the third group,
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these little children came. He loved them.
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He blessed them. Now, we get a fourth group,
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that's a group of one, an audience of one verse 16 behold,
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one came and said unto him. Good Master, what good thing
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shall? I do that?
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I may have eternal life. Isn't this interesting?
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That he didn't come up and say, what, what should I believe that
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I may have eternal life or what should I think or how should I
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feel that? I should have eternal life.
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These these Jewish people. They have this very clear idea
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that there's a requirement a set of record.
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What do I need to do to have eternal life and remember
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culturally when they got that law of Moses, God was giving
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them a set of instructions for how to show Covenant, 'l, love
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and loyalty. Loyalty.
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And so the question fundamentally isn't necessarily
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bad if there truly is sincerity in understanding how to be
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better, but if you just think there's like one single thing,
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he says, what good thing it's like.
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Is there just one thing I can do is just check it off and kind of
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be done. And I this is a really
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interesting exchange. This is fascinating now before
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we get to Jesus's answer, I find verse 17 to be incredibly
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instructive he saith unto him. Why?
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Callest thou me good. there is none, good but one and that is
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God Did you notice that he won't even let you call him good?
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Good master, and before he even gets to the questions as wait a
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minute. Why are you calling me good?
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There's only one. Good brothers and sisters if
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Jesus himself won't absorb that little compliment.
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That little Praise of, oh, good Master, if he even deflects that
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compliment and gives the credit, At the glory the honor to
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Heavenly Father if we want to be more like Jesus than will
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probably spend less time seeking for and absorbing the praised,
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the honors and the glories that this world has to offer.
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Even if their well-deserved, there's nobody who's ever walked
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this planet? Who's more deserving of the
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title, good Master than Jesus and he wouldn't even, he
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wouldn't even take that, and it Orbit.
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So whenever success comes in our life perhaps we could graciously
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follow the savior's example and just quietly and in a dignified
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way, acknowledge the fact that we've done nothing on our own
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without the help of and the grace of God, and I just love
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that little intro to the rest of the story that often gets
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skipped over it. I appreciate you say that
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because sometimes we jump into stories and we miss little
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details that are purposely put in there.
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It's interesting again. What happens?
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That Jesus says, in that verse 17, but if that will enter into
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life you want eternal life, be loyal to God by keep the
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Commandments. And then this guy.
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What does he say? Which one like did he not
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understand? When Jesus said Commandments,
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that's a plural. It's not a multiple choice.
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It's not a buffet you're like, I'll Pick that one and that one,
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I'll leave everything else out. And so Jesus and has to
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summarize for him. The Core Essence of the law of
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Moses has revealed. Its, I know what we call the Ten
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Commandments. Like he says, Verse 18, do no
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murder, do not commit adultery, don't steal, don't don't lie.
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Don't bear false witness, don't say things about people aren't
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true honor, thy father, and mother and of course, verse 20,
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the young man, saith unto him, all these things have.
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I kept from my youth, what lack I yet?
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Yeah, but then we get to the heart of the matter of what
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Jesus truly invites. All of us to do at some point in
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our lives that we have to dedicate all to him and not hold
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anything back. Did you see a pattern by the
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way? In Jesus response?
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There, if you look closely at Verse 18, he picked up with
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commandment number 6. Gave number seven, number eight,
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number nine, and then went back to number 5, and then added kind
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of, this overview of the second half of the Ten Commandments,
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which could all be summarized in how you treat people.
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The first four Commandments are how you treat God, and how you
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love God, and stay stay in this Covenant to loyalty with him and
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then five through 10. He didn't mention that thou
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shalt not covet here number 10, but he gave all the Of the
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second half which is how you interact with people, how you
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love your neighbor as yourself. And I think as Taylor mention,
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isn't it fascinating that this young man's response was all
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these things? Have I kept from my youth up as
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if to say. Yeah I'm perfect.
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A loving my neighbor as myself. I have no issues there and maybe
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that's true. I would guess that he's probably
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not been absolutely perfect 100% of the time in that.
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But his question his forward question is still extremely
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profound. What Lac?
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I yet. I can't picture and in a single
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instance, for anybody kneeling down to the Lord saying, I've
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done my best to try to do these things.
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And now, the next step in my life, what lack I yet?
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I can't picture the Lord saying to anyone nothing, you've
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arrived, you're good in this life.
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There's nothing you can do to be better at how you love your
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neighbor, or if we could Dad, how you love?
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God. But in this case, notice Jesus
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is response to him verse 21. Jesus saith unto him or said
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unto him. If thou Wilt be perfect go and
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sell that thou Hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have
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treasure in heaven and come and follow me.
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Let go of everything that this world has given you your very
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rich. Let It Go and come follow me.
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He just got invited to be a disciple, a very close.
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Follower of Christ and that word disciple is interesting.
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This is an interesting word. The word is month.
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A 0, in fact, our word math and Mathematics relates the same
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word and it literally means to be a learner.
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So imagine every time you read the word disciple throughout the
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scriptures, what if you inserted the word learner?
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How does that enhance? Or magnify your understanding of
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what God is asking you to do? Think about the atonement of
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Jesus Christ is an invitation for you.
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To learn the atonement of Jesus Christ is an invitation to
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change learning requires change. The only way to become like God
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is to change and the atonement of Jesus Christ.
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Gives you the power, the strength and the Forgiveness to
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change. So these disciples our Learners
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are seeking to learn, it's interesting here.
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This guy he has these great possessions the underlying Greek
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word seems to suggest. Just that, it's property.
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And you think in the ancient world, people didn't have
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pension plans, and stock market access, like, your land was
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often the way that you provided a living for yourself, and if
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you didn't have land, you were dependent upon a landowner
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hiring you or to study this by the parable of the laborers, who
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are dependent on land owners to hire them, it would be a massive
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sacrifice to let go of your property.
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And it was a hard for him. He wasn't going to do it in one
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of the lessons I take away from this is what possessions do.
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I have may not be property but is there some habits or some sin
28:08
that I have become very comfortable with and I'm not
28:12
willing to let go, I'm not really willing to learn, I'm not
28:15
really willing to change. I'm not really willing to fully
28:19
embrace the totality of the tone of Jesus Christ in my life.
28:24
Not don't want to be a real disciple.
28:26
I'll be disciple here but not in this way.
28:29
Jesus asks for total devotion. And what I love is that his
28:36
grace is sufficient. To give us the time to get there
28:40
is even right now is much as I want to be fully devoted to God.
28:44
I am not yet perfect. As he said, if you are going to
28:48
be completely devoted to me, here's what you need to do.
28:51
So this is a very sobering Exchange. when I read this
28:56
because I look at my own life and I realize, I still have a
28:59
lot that I need to let go so I can be more perfect and
29:02
following Jesus, So he concludes this, this interchange with
29:09
verse 22, but when the young man had heard that saying he went
29:12
away sorrowful for he had great possessions.
29:17
Can I just ask the simple question?
29:20
What do you think? That rich young man would say if
29:27
he were standing here today. What if he were, what if he were
29:31
here talking to us today? Do you think he would say, oh,
29:35
let me tell you about all my land Holdings.
29:37
Let me tell you about all my fine clothes.
29:39
Let me tell you about the foods. And, and the Banquets that I
29:43
could put on, let me tell you about my fine decorations and
29:47
furniture that I was able to buy.
29:50
Oh, it was amazing. What I I was was in charge of
29:55
and these possessions that I had during my lifetime.
29:59
Do you think he would say that? Do you think anyone from the
30:02
past if they were standing here would go on and on and on about
30:06
how amazing it was all the gold and silver and precious things
30:10
and cars or houses or lands that they had, isn't it ironic, how
30:16
powerful those things are when we're here in this setting of
30:21
mortality. But when we die and go on into
30:26
the next life, all those things pass on to other people and
30:32
they're not ours anymore. I can picture that young men
30:37
standing here saying to us today.
30:40
Please learn from my experience here.
30:45
You can gain the entire world for a season.
30:50
You can absolutely enjoy. All the pleasures, all of the
30:53
Power and Prestige that may come from all of these things for a
30:58
season, but if you don't learn how to love God, and love your
31:03
neighbor as yourself and recognize The those things were
31:06
given to you by God as a means to build up his kingdom and
31:10
build up other people, then they are going to die with you.
31:14
So to speak. The rich young man is not
31:18
benefiting from those riches today.
31:21
Unless at a later point, he made a shift in his decision, to be a
31:28
disciple, a follower of Christ. Anyway, that's a, that's a
31:32
consideration for each of us to make.
31:34
Make as we move forward in life is to stop seeing these riches.
31:41
As as being the end, all powerful things that the world
31:45
tries to make them out to be there.
31:47
A means to a glorious end if we let them be.
31:52
Can you picture Peter, James, John Andrew, Philip Bartholomew.
31:56
These Apostles standing there. Listening to this teaching, it's
31:59
too much for Peter. He has to jump in at this point
32:02
verse 27, then answered Peter, and said unto him.
32:04
Behold we have forsaken, all and followed thee.
32:07
What shall we have thereafter? It's almost as if to say, okay,
32:11
we've given up everything. So, so what great rewards are we
32:14
getting in heaven? And his answer is verily.
32:17
I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the
32:21
Regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the Throne of his
32:24
glory, he shall also sit upon twelve Thrones judging the
32:28
Twelve Tribes of Israel. And everyone that has forsaken
32:32
houses or Brethren or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife or
32:37
children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an
32:41
hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life.
32:47
Can you picture now what? Peter James, John Andrew, any of
32:51
those men or their families would say if they were now
32:56
standing here, he think they would say, let me tell you about
33:00
what I had to sacrifice. Let me tell you about that boat
33:03
that I had to give up and those Nets and that career.
33:08
And the prestige is having caught the biggest catch in the
33:11
history of the Sea of Galilee. It was so painful to have to
33:15
give that up. You think this point two
33:17
thousand years later? Any of them are focused at all
33:22
on anything that was sacrificed or if they are focused on it,
33:26
perhaps it's in the context of, oh, I wish, I had Ten Thousand
33:31
Lives to be able to sacrifice all these things over and over
33:34
and over again, for the joy that comes in.
33:38
Giving one's whole soul. Your heart, your money, your
33:44
goods, your talents, You give it all to the Lord and say Here I
33:49
Am use me, I'll serve anyway I possibly can as an instrument in
33:55
my hands. What a privilege it is to be
33:59
able to pay tithes and offerings to be able to serve in callings
34:03
to be able to go and bless the lives of other people.
34:06
This is not about giving things up.
34:10
This is about loving God and him being able to then, give us more
34:18
to be able to continue to build up his kingdom on the Earth.
34:23
So let's return to where we began verse 2 and great
34:27
multitudes, followed him and he healed them there.
34:31
And all of us are trying to follow him and he finds us where
34:36
we are and he heals us. Has there ever been a time when
34:42
you felt like you were unfairly treated in that?
34:46
You didn't receive as much as you thought you deserved, based
34:50
on what you see, other people receiving based on what they've
34:54
done, see we human beings, we have this really keying Justice
34:59
ohmmeter in our in our nature. Many of us, at least, when it
35:05
comes to comparing what we get with what others are.
35:09
Irving and Jesus is really getting at that point here.
35:13
So before we even dive into this Parable, I think it's safe for
35:18
us to start by saying, Our Father in Heaven is the most
35:25
intelligent, most powerful, most all loving, being that we can
35:31
imagine and he knows how to give the right kind of gifts at the
35:38
right time in the right proportion, to the right people,
35:43
we have to trust that. And so let's jump into the
35:46
actual Parable here. Verse 10 before he actually read
35:51
verse 1. Look at what preceded, the
35:55
parable. It was the story of the the rich
35:58
man who couldn't give everything up.
36:01
And then this idea of verse 30, but many there are first shall
36:07
be last and the last shall be first.
36:10
Sometimes we think, hey, we deserve more and we're going to
36:14
go first and sometimes, it's actually the last Who get to go
36:18
into the Kingdom of Heaven first.
36:20
So that's kind of the, the key that just miss would say, look
36:25
at what brought on the parable. Look at the setting and then
36:27
you'll be able to interpret the parable better.
36:30
Look at verse 14, the Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man.
36:32
That is an householder which went out early in the morning to
36:36
hire labourers into his Vineyard.
36:39
So common laborers, would go to a designated location in the
36:42
city or the village waiting for the people to come and hire
36:46
them. These would be Temporary
36:48
laborers and they're waiting to be hired out and if they don't
36:53
get hired out, they're not going to be able to have the means to
36:58
provide for themselves and their family that day.
37:02
So it's early in the morning verse 2 and when he had agreed
37:05
with the labourers for a penny a day he sent them into his
37:08
Vineyard so that is one penny is the common price paid to a
37:14
laborer for a full day's work? It's a Denarius.
37:17
It's one Denarius. So there's this whole group that
37:21
goes in to the vineyard and begins working and then he went
37:25
out about the third hour and he saw others standing idle in the
37:29
marketplace. They don't have work.
37:32
It's the third hour of the day and he goes and he agrees with
37:35
them and they went their way. He also does say whatsoever is,
37:41
right? I will give you he doesn't tell
37:44
them how much he's going to pay them, which is very interesting
37:47
because We get inverse to the very first group.
37:50
I am going to pay you the fair daily wage which is a penny.
37:55
Everybody knew it. It's one Denarius, no questions.
37:58
So here these guys are verse 4, they realize that they probably
38:02
don't deserve a Denarius because it's not a full day's labor.
38:07
And so when he says I will give you whatever is right there
38:10
agreed to it. They realize it's probably some
38:12
kind of discount on our labor today.
38:14
That's right now, keep in mind, we're in many.
38:17
A of our culture's today in the modern world were used to
38:20
working in eight hour day in Antiquity.
38:24
They would, they would make hay while the sun shines its sunup
38:28
to sundown. So, approximately depending on
38:31
the time of year Sunrise, somewhere in or around 6, a.m.
38:37
that's your first group. And then that second group was
38:41
in the third hour of the day about the third hour.
38:46
Well, three hours. after Sunrise is approximately 9 a.m. so then
38:52
you pick up verse five again, he went out about the sixth and
38:56
ninth hour and did likewise so the sixth hour of the day this
39:00
third group is going to be at around 12 noon and then the the
39:09
ninth hour of the day will be our fourth group which would be
39:13
3 p.m. And you think we're done?
39:17
No, he says verse 6 and about the eleventh hour, he went out
39:23
and found others standing idle and saith unto them.
39:25
Why stand ye here, all the day idle, the 11th Hour, this fifth
39:31
group, you're talking 5 p.m. there's only one more, one more
39:37
hour to work in the day before the 12th hour before Sunset and
39:44
notice the response. They say unto him.
39:47
Because no man has hired us. We're standing idle because we
39:52
can't hire ourselves. We can't go and force ourselves
39:56
into a working agreement with anyone.
40:00
We don't have that power. We have to sit back and wait for
40:03
somebody to come and say, come labor in my Vineyard.
40:08
And so, he said unto them, go ye also into the vineyard and
40:13
whatsoever, is right? That shall you receive?
40:17
I can picture these, these men in the five PM group thinking,
40:22
there's one hour left, we might be able to get, just a pittance
40:26
of a Denarius of the pay, but it's better than nothing.
40:32
And so they go and they work now verse 8.
40:34
So when even was come, when the evening, so, The sun's ready to
40:39
say here, the Lord of The Vineyard saith unto his Steward,
40:42
call the labourers, and give them their hire beginning from
40:45
the last unto. The first.
40:48
Remember, what preceded? This Parable 19:30.
40:53
The first shall be last, and the last shall be first, so the
40:56
steward calls this group. Now first the last group, now
41:03
becomes the first to get called, and can you picture them all
41:07
lining up? A up in this queue ready to
41:10
receive their pay and they're watching.
41:14
And verse 9 when they came that were hired about the eleventh
41:18
hour. They received Every Man, a
41:20
penny, I don't know about you but I can picture being some of
41:25
these earlier groups. Looking at that thinking.
41:28
Wow, he got a and he did too and he did that group got one penny
41:33
for one hour now, can you picture in in the natural man's
41:38
brain? The the math starting to kick
41:42
into gear, huh? So if he gets a penny, a full
41:45
day's pay for one hour, then those of us who came at 3 p.m.
41:51
we're going, To get three pennies and this group they're
41:55
thinking we're going to get we must be getting sixpenny this
41:57
was a great day at the vineyard and their expectation for reward
42:03
is is growing as you go up this list.
42:06
Now Watch What Happens, verse 10 but when the first came they
42:11
suppose that they should have received more and they likewise
42:14
received Every Man, a penny And when they had received it they
42:19
murmured against the good man of the house.
42:22
I like how it says the good man of the house, it's not just the
42:27
guy who owns the land. He's a good man, he is just and
42:31
righteous and he is a man of his word.
42:34
He has a very righteous agreement.
42:36
I'm going to pay you guys a penny and he fulfills the
42:39
bargain. And that's what they'd agreed to
42:41
12 hours before in the markets and they were happy about it
42:45
then. But now they're not happy about
42:47
it. Why what's happened here?
42:51
This brings us back to president Ezra Taft Benson stalk on Pride.
42:56
The problem with pride is it. It's rooted in this Spirit of
43:00
comparison. It's a spirit of of I want more
43:06
than what you have because I deserve it.
43:11
I've earned it. Yeah, it's such an interesting
43:14
word. The root word for Pride.
43:17
Also comes from the same word for being first in front and
43:21
these guys are like, we should be the first.
43:23
We should be out front, we're better than everybody.
43:25
Buddy else and Jesus is like you were first but your last so
43:33
Elder Jeffrey are Holland. Gave a talk in general
43:36
conference, many years ago using this Parable as the foundation
43:41
for his talk it was April 2012. In my opinion, this is the best
43:48
interpretation I have ever heard anywhere in this Parable.
43:52
I have spent a lot of time listening to lots of Scholars on
43:55
the scriptures and Elder Holland's talk on.
43:57
This is the best one I've ever seen.
43:59
It's beautiful. We follow living day, prophets.
44:02
We thank thee. O God for for prophets, seers
44:05
and revelator's. So let's dive in now to what is
44:09
their complaint against the good man of the house and what is his
44:12
response? Verse 12, these men are saying
44:15
to him These last have wrought but one hour and now has made
44:19
them equal unto us which have borne the burden and the Heat of
44:22
the day. We have worked like crazy for 12
44:25
hours and you're treating us the same but he answered one of them
44:30
and said friend I do thee. No wrong.
44:33
It's not though agree with me for a penny.
44:36
Take that thine is and go thy way.
44:39
I will give unto thee this last even as unto thee.
44:43
Is it not lawful for me to do what I I will with mine own is
44:49
thine eye evil because I am good brothers and sisters.
44:54
The point is Jesus was being the the good man of the house was
45:01
being merciful to these people who came.
45:04
He came into the market at 6 a.m. and he gave them
45:07
employment. They didn't have to spend all
45:09
day, wondering, and worrying and fretting stressing about if
45:13
they're going to be able to provide for their family and for
45:16
their needs, they were given an opportunity to work in the
45:19
vineyard and each group after that was given similar
45:24
opportunities. And it was a Read.
45:27
I'm going to give you. I'm going to be fair to you, but
45:31
God's idea of fairness isn't always the same as the world's
45:34
idea of fairness. And his point of, I know what
45:40
I'm doing. And I know how to give my gifts
45:45
to people or the rewards to people.
45:48
I'll never forget my My wife's grandmother Grandma Ruby.
45:56
She was not a member of the church.
45:58
She was in her late 80s. She was living with my mother
46:02
and father-in-law. And we were visiting doing a
46:06
scripture study with the family and and Grandma, Blackmore
46:10
happened to be there participating as she always did.
46:13
And we were reading second, EFI 31 and it was talking about the
46:17
baptism of Jesus and here's kiplyn's grandma.
46:22
Who said I've never been baptized the way.
46:25
Jesus was baptized, is that something I need to do and that
46:29
opened up a whole conversation. And before you know, it she was
46:34
taking missionary discussions and she got baptized Late 80s
46:41
went to the temple a year later and passed away.
46:46
Not not long after that and it would be easy for somebody born
46:52
in the church to say, well how fair is that, is she going to be
46:56
given Celestial reward when she didn't?
46:59
She didn't serve in the church. She didn't pay tithing for all
47:01
those years. She didn't go on a mission.
47:04
She didn't do any of these things that I've been doing in
47:07
the vineyard my whole life. How is it fair?
47:09
That she could get the same reward as I get.
47:13
What us, what a sad question to even ask, because what it's
47:18
implying is, I want more exaltation.
47:23
I want more Celestial Kingdom than somebody who gets baptized
47:28
late in life, or serves the Lord or engages in the gospel later
47:33
in life than I engaged in the gospel.
47:36
Brothers and sisters, that whole point is, rooted in the idea
47:41
that being in the gospel and being in the Lord's, Vineyard
47:47
doing the Lord's work. Isn't Pleasant that it's
47:52
miserable and that I want to do is very little as possible and
47:57
still receives the full reward. When in reality the greatest joy
48:01
in life comes to those who find joy in serving the lord and
48:08
serving others standing idle in the marketplace is not
48:13
happiness, it's not peace and thank heaven for a god who's
48:18
willing to keep coming. Into the marketplace through the
48:21
efforts of his missionaries and Prophets, seers and revelator's
48:25
and parents. And keep inviting people to come
48:28
and labor in his Vineyard and trust that he is a giver of all.
48:35
Good gifts. So let's continue on and hear
48:38
the words of Elder Holland in his glorious interpretation of
48:43
this Parable. It is against that reading of
48:46
the story. That I feel the grumbling of the
48:50
first laborers. Must be seen.
48:53
As the householder in the parable, tells them and I
48:56
paraphrase, really only slightly my friends.
49:01
I'm not being unfair to you. You agreed on the wage for the
49:05
day. A good wage.
49:07
You were very happy to get the work and I'm very happy with the
49:11
way. You served your paid in full,
49:15
take your pay and enjoy the blessing as for the others.
49:22
Surely, I am free to do what I like with my own money.
49:29
Then this piercing question to anyone then or now who may need
49:35
to hear it. Why should you be jealous?
49:40
Because I choose to be kind. Brothers and sisters, there are
49:48
going to be times in our lives, when someone else gets an
49:53
unexpected blessing or receives, some special recognition, may I
50:00
plead with us not to be hurt and certainly not to feel envious.
50:07
When Good, Fortune comes to another person.
50:12
We are not diminished when someone else is added upon.
50:17
We're not in a race against each other to see who's the
50:21
wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful, or even
50:25
the Most Blessed the race we are really in is the race against
50:32
sin and Shirley Envy is one of the most universal of those.
50:39
Furthermore She is a mistake that just keeps on giving.
50:47
Obviously, we suffer a little, when some Misfortune befalls us,
50:54
but Envy requires us to suffer all good, fortune that befalls
51:00
everyone. We know.
51:02
So let's shift over now to Mark chapter 10, to pick up one more
51:08
story but before we jump to that story right at the end, let's
51:12
let's pick up one variation that Mark gives in that experience.
51:18
Dealing with the little children that we talked about in the
51:21
first episode this week and you'll see a subtle change in
51:26
how Mark talks about Jesus interaction with the children,
51:29
compared to what we've already covered in episode 1 with math.
51:32
His version of that story. So, let's look particularly at
51:35
verse 16 in Mark, 10, and Jesus, Took up the little children in
51:41
his arms, put his hands upon them and blessed them.
51:45
So that idea of taking them into his arms, is a new insight.
51:49
We get from Mark's perspective, it doesn't show up in Matthew
51:52
and the underlying Greek word means to enfold.
51:55
It makes you think about Nephi talking about being encircled in
51:59
the Robes of God's righteousness.
52:02
And what's interesting about how this word is used in Greek, the
52:06
arms, it means arms are bent ready and willing to carry a
52:11
burden or something that has some hefter.
52:14
Wait, all of us actually are little children.
52:17
And what is God doing? He is bending his arms, so that
52:21
we are in his Embrace and he is carrying this burden.
52:25
And I don't mean that in a negative way, I just mean it is
52:27
a descriptor that we weigh something and he is carrying us.
52:31
This is such Great little phrase that Mark uses to help us
52:36
understand what Jesus does for us.
52:38
He enfolds us, Embraces us and he carries us.
52:42
So as we begin this story in verse 46, Mark 10:46 is says,
52:48
and they came to Jericho and as he went out of Jericho with his
52:54
disciples, so let's pause there. So remember that Jericho to
53:01
Jerusalem. So Jerusalem on the other side
53:04
of the Mount of Olives. Here's Jericho down near the
53:08
Jordan River in the Dead Sea region, you're gaining.
53:13
This hike would be approximately 4000 FT elevation gain spread
53:20
over about approximately. 14 miles, that would be an intense,
53:28
a difficult long hike in that, in that day.
53:33
And remember that in Mark's gospel, Jesus, only goes to
53:36
Jerusalem, one time. This is it.
53:38
He's come down from Galilee into the Jordan River Valley.
53:42
Now, he's coming up into Jerusalem and his final day his
53:45
assent. In fact, if you look at chapter
53:48
11, The Heading the very first line is says Christ rides into
53:51
Jerusalem, amid shouts of hosanna.
53:55
So, it kind of orient's you on where we are.
53:58
This is probably the week or a few days before.
54:02
Before his triumphal entry on Palm Sunday.
54:05
At that point in Jesus ministry. Do you think he has a few items
54:10
on his to-do list? Do you think there's a little
54:12
bit of pressure weighing down on him?
54:15
Realizing that when he goes into Jerusalem, if you look Turn the
54:19
Page back and look at verse 33, he told his disciples again in
54:26
chapter 10 that he's going to go into Jerusalem and he says the
54:31
he's going to be delivered unto the chief priests and unto the
54:34
scribes and they shall condemn him to death and they shall
54:38
deliver him to the Gentiles. So Jesus told them that in Mark
54:42
10. He told them that in Mark 9 and
54:45
in Margate in this gospel. Fascinating to me that Jesus is
54:51
giving three prophecies to his disciples when I go to
54:56
Jerusalem. I'm this is the end.
54:59
I'm I'm not going to escape this but he still goes to Jerusalem.
55:06
I love that willingness to keep a covenant, keep a promise, even
55:10
if it's extremely hard. So it's in that setting.
55:14
It's in that context that we get this miracle.
55:18
Oil that finds itself in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
55:22
All of the synoptic writers, talk about this in Matthew's
55:25
gospel. He actually tells the story as
55:28
two Blind Men near Jericho and we would assume that it's
55:31
probably the same story that he's telling it with two men.
55:36
Luke also tells a story, but just with one man and Mark gives
55:40
you the added detail of telling you his name If you stop and
55:46
think about that for a moment, just mentally make a list of all
55:51
of the people you can think of that received a miracle from
55:55
Jesus by name. Can you list off a really long
56:02
set of people by name? For most of you are probably
56:07
thinking, well, he raised Lazarus from the dead.
56:10
He is he cast out, Seven Devils from Mary Magdalene.
56:16
So we know her name some would say, well he raised Jairus
56:21
daughter, he calls her talitha from the dead.
56:27
But you're going to find that your list doesn't get populated
56:32
quite as quickly as you maybe had supposed because most of the
56:36
Miracles, say things, like a man who was born, blind or the Widow
56:41
of names, son, or unnamed 10 lepers among the Samaritans, or
56:48
a man who had the palsy or a father with a son but we don't
56:53
know any of the names. Now, some of you are probably
56:56
wondering so why? Why should we care about this
56:59
name? Sing?
57:02
It's fascinating that the gospels are being written by
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Matthew Mark, Luke and John not in the real time.
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Not as things are happening. They're not sitting there
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writing their gospel, as a journal entry that day, that
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things are happening. It seems that they're written
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after the fact, and there's an oral tradition.
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They've shared these stories and then some time at a later date,
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they're writing down these stories.
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And since we don't have the names, we would assume.
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Yeah, I remember that story when he healed the blind, man, or the
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man with the withered hand, or the woman who was bent over.
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I don't remember her name or his name.
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So whenever you do get a name it might be significant because for
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that particular gospel writer, he remembered the name, he knows
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who that person is and it's almost as if to say oh this is
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the story of that. Now that my audience is going to
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connect with and know something about now, why do I say that?
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Because I personally am holding out, hope that because Mark
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actually gives us the name of this blind, man.
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None of the others do that somehow, Mark knew who this man
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was, and his audience knows who this man is, and I'm holding out
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hope that this is the story of Bartimaeus has Version.
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That is going to last for years to the point where when mark is
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telling the story of Jesus making his Ascent up to
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Jerusalem, to begin his triumphal entry and open up the
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week of the atoning sacrifice that the last event that Jesus
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is going to or the last miracle. Rather that Jesus is going to
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perform before, beginning, the ultimate Miracle of all, which
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is infinite atonement of been Jerusalem.
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This coming week. Week is with a man by the name
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of Bartimaeus. Okay?
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So here we have a verse 46. They came to Jericho and as he
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went out of Jericho with his disciples, remember the word
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disciples means learner and a great.
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Number of people blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus
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set by the highway side begging. So you have the named Bartimaeus
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given and then there's a translation.
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It's interesting that the name is the lesson.
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It's a very interesting Because you have the first element of
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the name is Aramaic. Bar means, son, and the second
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one is Greek to meais the word to Emmaus cease to be connected
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to an ancient. Greek philosophical story told
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by Plato about people who are stuck in a cave in darkness and
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don't understand reality until white is received.
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If that's the case, you have the son of Timaeus, meaning the son
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of the story about, Covering light and discovering reality.
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And here, we have this man who is the embodiment of that
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experience, taking this Nick maybe this is his real name or
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maybe it's given to him afterwards by Mark as a signal,
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that this is. What Jesus does everybody who
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follows him and receives his atoning sacrifice will be
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brought into full reality and see light and truth and no
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longer be blind. It's pretty powerful.
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So you'll notice where it is Maness is located.
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Jesus is went out of Jericho. He's on that road up to
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Jerusalem and to Emmaus Sat by the highway side begging.
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Remember if we look at Jericho as a symbol a type, a shadow of
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mortality of our fallen mortal condition and Jerusalem, being a
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representation of Heaven of salvation of coming into the
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Since of God because that's where the temple, and the holy
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of holies is if you picture that how far has blind Bartimaeus,
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made it on that Journey from Earth to Heaven.
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He's just outside the city by the highway side begging.
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That's the best he can do. He can't get to heaven.
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This is a long difficult journey of discipleship if you will, and
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he can't do it alone and he knows it.
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So he stuck by the highway side in his Beggars, clothing in the,
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this dirty environment, relying completely on everybody else for
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his sustenance to keep him alive.
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And and I love his enthusiasm. His he is unwilling to be kept
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mute by the crowd. I love this verse 47 when he
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heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth that was passing by, he
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began to cry out and say Jesus thou son of David have mercy on
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me, can't you see? He doesn't ask for healing.
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Although the phrase son of David is used very specifically in
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scriptures to Signal one of the characteristics of God of Jesus.
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A Healer. So when you hear that phrase,
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one of the things, son of David means is this is someone who
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brings healing beautiful. Can you imagine what the name
1:02:23
Jesus of Nazareth would have meant among people in the
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disabled communities of the first century Judea and Galilee,
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and regions, the stories have been shared to the point where,
1:02:36
if you find out that Jesus of gas of Nazareth, is there?
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He's the one who is healed, all these people.
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So, when Bartimaeus finds out, that's who it is, that's walking
1:02:46
by In This Crowd, he's crying out at which point verse 48 says
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many. Aged him that he should hold his
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peace. Once again, can you picture the
1:02:55
to-do list that Jesus has in front of him knowing that he's
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ascending to Jerusalem and were right at the end of his life?
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This is entering this final week and so people are telling him be
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quiet but he cried the more a great deal that was son of David
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have mercy on me. Can I ask a really simple
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question? Would any of you be offended if
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Jesus considering everything that's on his mind, Weighing on
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his soul, all the way, all the people and places to go and
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things to do and things to still accomplish, would any of you be
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offended? If in that point of the story,
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Jesus had simply thought, Bartimaeus, be healed, but he
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kept walking, he wouldn't even need to break stride.
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He could have kept going with everything that He was trying to
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accomplish, and all of a sudden Bartimaeus, has healed.
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Would any, any of you be frustrated with that?
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I don't think so. Or perhaps, maybe without
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breaking stride, he could have stretched forth his hand and
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looked back and said, Bartimaeus, yes, your faith has
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made you whole you're healed, but he didn't break stride, none
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of us. I think would have been offended
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by that. But look at what Jesus does
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considering what he has on his to-do list.
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Look at verse 49 s, first, forwards, and I have them marked
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in my wow, color. And Jesus Stood, Still, I want
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to be more like Jesus. It was President, Thomas S
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Monson. Who taught the doctrine.
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There is no problem to be solved.
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That's more important than a person to be loved and nobody
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models that better than Jesus. The master Jesus Stood Still.
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And he commanded him to be called and they called the blind
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man, saying unto him be of good Comfort rise.
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He calleth fee. Now, notice the sequence here
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verse 50, he casting away His Garment, he throws off his
1:05:09
Beggars cloak Heroes and he came to Jesus, he's blind.
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But Heroes and you can Picture People kind of guiding him as he
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comes to Jesus and verse 51 says Jesus answered and said unto
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him. What wilt thou that I should do
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unto thee, do any of you find it?
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Odd that Jesus asks a question the answer to which is painfully
1:05:35
obvious. Everyone in the crowd, knows
1:05:38
what this man wants. So why is Jesus asking him, such
1:05:41
an obvious question. I don't know, the ultimate
1:05:45
answer that question but I do know that there's a principle of
1:05:49
agency involved at every phase of our life that the Lord's
1:05:53
command to ask and you shall receive seems to hold true, even
1:05:59
in situations, where it's very obvious what we can't go through
1:06:02
life. Thinking to ourselves, why isn't
1:06:04
God blessing me with this thing that he knows I need.
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Sometimes it's because we're not asking and we're not putting
1:06:13
ourselves in a position to humbly and meekly, go to the
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Lord counsel with him and make those petitions.
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So this man, the blind man said unto him.
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Lord, that I might receive my sight.
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I want to come into the light. I want to see and 52 says, and
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Jesus said unto him, go thy way, thy faith, hath, Hath made thee
1:06:39
whole and immediately he received his sight and followed
1:06:45
Jesus in the way. Can I just point out that the
1:06:50
word way was used to times in verse 52?
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Jesus told the man go thy way. And what did the men end up
1:07:02
doing? He followed Jesus in the way.
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Well, you know what Jesus is Way?
1:07:10
Was that day? It was a serious long steep
1:07:16
difficult climb. And the man who could have gone
1:07:20
his way chose to go Jesus's way because at the end of the day,
1:07:28
the man recognized more than just the light of being able to
1:07:33
see Is standing in front of him but he can see spiritually that.
1:07:38
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
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And there is no other way, that really matters, but following
1:07:48
Jesus, in the way was a steep uphill climb.
1:07:51
I love Bartimaeus someday. I can't wait to meet him and
1:07:56
thank him for following Jesus. And I'm assuming again, I'm
1:08:00
holding out hope until I find out otherwise.
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This is the conversion of blind Bartimaeus.
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The becomes now brother Bartimaeus.
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That years later Mark when he's writing his gospel says, oh yes
1:08:15
and this is where Bartimaeus are good.
1:08:18
Brother was healed by the Lord and he has been following him in
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the way ever since on his journey of life.
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So full of my concluding thoughts today, are I hope we
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all can be like, Bartimaeus a child of seeking the light that
1:08:37
we will get ourselves out of the world, get on the path shed, the
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close of this world, whatever burdens have been placed upon us
1:08:46
and cry out. To Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
1:08:48
David who has Mercy to heal us to Enlighten our eyes and then
1:08:53
we follow scene. We represent in our person.
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In our name, the way we conduct ourselves, that we are children
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of the light, we are no longer stuck in darkness.
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We see reality because her eyes have been opened by Jesus.
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I love this story because Taylor is pointing out here.
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Ultimately, it's our story. I'm Bartimaeus. you're
1:09:21
Bartimaeus, we're all blind to a degree, we've done our best, but
1:09:26
the best we can do just gets us outside of the city and we're
1:09:30
stuck by the highway side begging and as Jesus passes by
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if he's willing to stand still for Bartimaeus, on that day,
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with that set of things in front of Jesus, he has all the time in
1:09:48
the universe for you today to stand still, as you seek to come
1:09:55
to him, and ask to be able to see.
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And then, to be able to follow him on that journey of
1:10:03
discipleship. I love the Lord.
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I love his perfect example. I love him for his perfect,
1:10:11
Mercy for his perfect love and grace for his perfect knowledge.
1:10:18
But most of all for his perfect willingness to stand still for
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me. And for you today, and I want to
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be more like him in the way I treat others as well.
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May the Lord bless us in those efforts.
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We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
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Amen. Know that you're loved and
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spread light and goodness.