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The Tax and The Great Warning - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go
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  Speaker 1: thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take
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  Speaker 1: up the fish that first cometh up, and when thou
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  Speaker 1: hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money.
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  Speaker 1: Take that, and give unto them for me and thee.
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  Speaker 1: Matthew 17.27 When I get caught up in the race
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  Speaker 1: to determine who is greater, When the creature of comparison
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  Speaker 1: tries to creep into my everyday life, I will remember
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  Speaker 1: your words, Jesus, in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9.
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  Speaker 1: Instead of fighting for who is going to be greater,
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  Speaker 1: my fight will be a personal one for how I'm
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  Speaker 1: going to serve others. You spoke and declared that the
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  Speaker 1: least shall be the greatest in your kingdom. you spoke
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  Speaker 1: and declared, Jesus, that the last shall be the first.
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  Speaker 1: And because it came from your mouth, I take this
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  Speaker 1: as truth. And through this truth, I can rest and
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  Speaker 1: know that just because it appears I'm in the last
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  Speaker 1: place in my life, in my dreams and in my goals,
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  Speaker 1: it doesn't mean that that's my final outcome. Through you, God,
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  Speaker 1: I acknowledge that in just 24 hours, you can change everything.
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  Speaker 1: You can lift me to a place that no one
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  Speaker 1: saw coming because I'm focused on me and what I'm
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  Speaker 1: called to do. I pray that this mindset will reach
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  Speaker 1: the minds of our children so they won't stumble and
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  Speaker 1: fall to the lie of comparing. Let them understand that
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  Speaker 1: the only comparison that matters is comparing our heart and
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  Speaker 1: actions with you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for
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  Speaker 1: making prayer a priority in your life. To hear the
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  Speaker 1: Bible come to life, stay tuned for The Bible in
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  Speaker 1: a Year, brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The Tax and the Great Warning In our last story,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain. There
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  Speaker 2: he revealed a part of his glory. He was transfigured
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  Speaker 2: before them, and a blinding light emanated from his very body.
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  Speaker 2: Beside him were Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest
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  Speaker 2: figures in human history. However, they paled in comparison to Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: Now we learn about Jesus' provision for Peter during the
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  Speaker 2: time of taxes. and the disciples receive a stiff rebuke
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  Speaker 2: and warning about what it means to be great in
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  Speaker 2: the kingdom of God, inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year. The last time we were together, we
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  Speaker 3: heard how Jesus revealed His glory to Peter, James, and
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  Speaker 3: John in a mountaintop experience that was both amazing and terrifying.
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  Speaker 3: Those three disciples caught a glimpse of Jesus, the true
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  Speaker 3: light of the world, as He was transfigured before them.
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  Speaker 3: And they heard once again God the Father affirming that
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  Speaker 3: Jesus is His Son. Today we'll hear about God's provision
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  Speaker 3: and protection for His own. We'll discover the special place
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  Speaker 3: children have in God's heart and learn how serious He
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  Speaker 3: is about their care and well-being. Let's hear now the
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  Speaker 3: reading of God's Word.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus took His disciples to Capernaum. It was tax season,
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  Speaker 2: and everyone in the town was on edge. Tax collectors
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  Speaker 2: and Roman guards walked the city streets like gods, stirring
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  Speaker 2: the city and causing fear among men and women. Peter
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  Speaker 2: was particularly vexed by the tax collectors. He was a
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  Speaker 2: poor fisherman, therefore always wary of being stripped of what
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  Speaker 2: little income he had. Peter's eyes darted sideways as he
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  Speaker 2: saw a tax collector approaching him. He wore a crooked
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  Speaker 2: smile and his eyes were full of ill intent. The
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  Speaker 2: tax collector walked beside Peter. Tell me, does your teacher
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  Speaker 2: pay the tax? Yes, Peter said impassively, doing his best
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  Speaker 2: to avoid eye contact. The collector could not get a
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  Speaker 2: rise out of Peter, so he left to go bother
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  Speaker 2: someone else. However, there was still a looming need. Peter
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  Speaker 2: had no money to pay the tax and time was
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  Speaker 2: running out. When the disciples arrived at the home they
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  Speaker 2: were staying in, Jesus sat beside Peter. He could tell
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  Speaker 2: that Peter was lost in thought, worrying about how he
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  Speaker 2: was going to pay. He had given up most of
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  Speaker 2: what he had to follow Jesus, and whatever else he
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  Speaker 2: made from fishing was spent on providing for his family.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus nudged Peter and asked, From whom do the kings
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  Speaker 2: of the earth take their taxes? Is it their sons
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  Speaker 2: or the citizens? No doubt they take from the citizens,
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  Speaker 2: Peter answered. They would not want to take from their
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  Speaker 2: beloved princes. Jesus nodded. Sons are free, Peter. Remember this
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  Speaker 2: for later. However, for now you must pay the tax.
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  Speaker 2: There was a pause in Jesus' sentence. He smiled and
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  Speaker 2: stood to his feet. Go out to fish. Cast your
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  Speaker 2: line and see what you catch. Be sure to open
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  Speaker 2: up its belly. Peter had learned at this point to
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  Speaker 2: not question Jesus' odd requests. Excited, he boarded his boat
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  Speaker 2: and let out his line. It was dusk and Peter
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  Speaker 2: enjoyed the quiet and still sea. He breathed in the
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  Speaker 2: gentle breeze and closed his eyes. Peter found great solace
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  Speaker 2: near the water. It was the place he grew up near.
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  Speaker 2: He watched the sunset reflect off the glassy water. Then
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  Speaker 2: his line began to tug. Peter quickly reeled in the catch.
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  Speaker 2: A large fish flopped on his boat. Peter took out
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  Speaker 2: the hook and gutted the fish. In its belly was
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  Speaker 2: a shiny shekel, enough to pay the tax of Peter,
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  Speaker 2: his family, and Jesus. Alone on the water, Peter laughed
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  Speaker 2: with joy. Jesus had once again provided. The next day
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  Speaker 2: the disciples were trailing behind Jesus, arguing to themselves. Jesus
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  Speaker 2: could hear their silent quarreling. They were disputing among themselves,
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  Speaker 2: but did not want Jesus to hear. It was amusing
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  Speaker 2: that they had seen so many miracles from Jesus, yet
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  Speaker 2: still believed they could keep a small conversation from him.
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  Speaker 2: They finally arrived at the home they were staying in.
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  Speaker 2: The house was filled with friends and family. They ate, drank,
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  Speaker 2: and laughed with one another. Men, women, and children all
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  Speaker 2: sat around the table sharing stories. Children ran around the table,
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  Speaker 2: causing laughter and glee among Jesus and his disciples. Jesus
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  Speaker 2: turned to his disciples and picked up his drink.' Tell me,
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  Speaker 2: what were you all arguing about this afternoon? I noticed
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  Speaker 2: some ruckus behind me.' The disciples were silent. They were
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  Speaker 2: embarrassed to tell Jesus, for they had been arguing about
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  Speaker 2: who among them was the greatest of his disciples. They
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  Speaker 2: fought on who Jesus loved more and who was more
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  Speaker 2: gifted and useful for God's kingdom. Jesus knew this and
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  Speaker 2: used the opportunity to teach his friends on what it
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  Speaker 2: meant to be great. Whoever desires to be first must
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  Speaker 2: be a servant of all, Jesus said. He saw one
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  Speaker 2: of the children running around the table and playfully picked
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  Speaker 2: him up and swung him around the room. The child
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  Speaker 2: laughed and Jesus placed him on his lap. The children
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  Speaker 2: loved Jesus. His tender voice and playful presence brought them
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  Speaker 2: great joy and comfort. Jesus looked at the disciples and said,
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  Speaker 2: Whoever receives a little child like this receives me as well.
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  Speaker 2: And whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus set the child down and he ran off to
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  Speaker 2: go play. Jesus watched all the children run around and
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  Speaker 2: play with one another. Then his face became intense. His
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  Speaker 2: brows furrowed and his eyes locked in on the disciples.
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  Speaker 2: Temptations are everywhere, Jesus explained. But woe to the one
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  Speaker 2: who would hurt one of these little ones. Then the
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  Speaker 2: disciples heard something they never expected Jesus to say. He
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  Speaker 2: spoke with a frightening intensity. Whoever causes one of these
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  Speaker 2: little ones to stumble should be afraid. It would be
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  Speaker 2: better if a stone was wrapped around his neck and
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  Speaker 2: he was thrown into the bottom of the ocean. In this,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus revealed the heart of God. He would not take
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  Speaker 2: the harm of children lightly. All those who prayed on
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  Speaker 2: or hurt one of his children would not go unpunished.
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  Speaker 3: We open today's reading with Peter being questioned by those
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  Speaker 3: who came to collect the temple tax in Capernaum. This
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  Speaker 3: was not a government tax levied by Rome. It was
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  Speaker 3: a Jewish tax paid by Jews for the upkeep of
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  Speaker 3: the temple. As we have already seen, Jesus often went
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  Speaker 3: against convention. much to the displeasure of religious leaders of
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  Speaker 3: the time. And so the tax collector, likely knowing Peter
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  Speaker 3: is one of the followers of this man named Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: asked if his rabbi pays the temple tax. Peter replied
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  Speaker 3: that yes, Jesus pays the tax. He then went on
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  Speaker 3: into the house where Jesus and the disciples were staying.
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  Speaker 3: The Lord, knowing what had just happened and surely perceiving
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  Speaker 3: some of the questions swirling around Peter's mind, asked Peter
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  Speaker 3: a question. From whom do earthly kings take taxes? Is
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  Speaker 3: it from strangers or their own children? The answer was obvious.
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  Speaker 3: Kings tax those outside of their household strangers, not their sons.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus replied that this meant that the sons of the
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  Speaker 3: king are free. What he was saying was that if
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  Speaker 3: earthly kings did not require their children to pay taxes,
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  Speaker 3: why would God require it? It is important to remember
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  Speaker 3: that this was a Jewish tax, so Jesus was saying
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  Speaker 3: that some Jews, those who believed in Jesus, were free,
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  Speaker 3: and those who rejected him were strangers to God. He
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  Speaker 3: was making a very important point about the freedom that
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  Speaker 3: we have in him. Nevertheless, Jesus said that in order
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  Speaker 3: to keep the peace and not offend, they would pay
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  Speaker 3: the temple tax. Some years later, the Apostle Paul would
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  Speaker 3: write something similar to the Jews and Gentile believers in Rome,
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  Speaker 3: advising those of strong faith to limit their freedom for
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  Speaker 3: the sake of the weaker brothers and sisters. This is
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  Speaker 3: a very important truth to understand as we navigate our liberty,
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  Speaker 3: our freedom in Christ. Jesus then told Peter to go
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  Speaker 3: catch a fish. Peter was quick to obey, knowing Jesus
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  Speaker 3: had a plan in order to provide to pay the
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  Speaker 3: temple tax. And sure enough, inside the fish he caught,
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  Speaker 3: Peter found one shekel, precisely enough to pay his temple
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  Speaker 3: tax and that of Jesus. It is a reminder that
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  Speaker 3: God will never tell us to do something that he
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  Speaker 3: will not provide the means by which to do it
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  Speaker 3: when we are faithful to obey his word. Next, we
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  Speaker 3: learn how the disciples were debating who was the greatest
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  Speaker 3: in the kingdom of God. After all they'd seen from
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  Speaker 3: their humble master, their own interests still loomed large in
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  Speaker 3: their minds. This wasn't a matter of simple conversation and
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  Speaker 3: wondering who was great. Surely they wanted to be sure
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  Speaker 3: that they were the most important and that they would
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  Speaker 3: have a place of honor in the kingdom of heaven.
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  Speaker 3: So Jesus in Mark 9.35 says this, And he sat
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  Speaker 3: down and called the twelve, and he said to them,
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  Speaker 3: If anyone would be first, he must be last of
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  Speaker 3: all and servant of all. In their minds, this didn't
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  Speaker 3: make any sense. And if we're honest, it may not
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  Speaker 3: make sense to us as well. Importance and prominence we
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  Speaker 3: often reason is given to those who are served by others,
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  Speaker 3: those who have people who will do their bidding. But
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  Speaker 3: the kingdom of God is upside down. Those who wish
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  Speaker 3: to be great must become low and humbly served. It
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  Speaker 3: is an example that Jesus lived out in his life
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  Speaker 3: to the very end of his ministry, and one we're
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  Speaker 3: called to follow as we serve others with a humble heart.
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  Speaker 3: Jesus then called a child into his arms and continued
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  Speaker 3: teaching that anyone who receives a child receives him. And
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  Speaker 3: in this moment, we see God's tender heart towards children.
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  Speaker 3: God is serious about protecting children and we must be
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  Speaker 3: as well. Greatness in God's kingdom means to humble ourselves,
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  Speaker 3: to serve others, and to fiercely and faithfully protect the
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  Speaker 3: most vulnerable, the precious children among us. Dear God, Thank
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  Speaker 3: you for the liberty that we have in Christ, that
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  Speaker 3: in him we are not strangers but children of the King.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for today's reading, that it teaches us about greatness,
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  Speaker 3: true greatness, that is to humble ourselves before you. We
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  Speaker 3: thank you for your grace that modeled this kind of love.
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  Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 3: as possible. And if you want to know more about
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: what it means to be a Christ follower, what it
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  Speaker 3: means to be a disciple of Jesus, then go to JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org.
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  Speaker 3: And we have many resources that are available for you there.
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  Speaker 3: God bless you.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
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