When we say we want to be more like Jesus that also means 'forgiving' and sometimes, walking away. Let's go over a handful of scenarios in which I know we can ALL relate to our Lord.

All right, everyone, welcome back

to another episode of I Can, he Can.

2

My name is Saray.

3

I'm your host, and today we are going to

be talking about something that I know.

4

Every single one of you have dealt with.

5

Not only is this something that

we deal with as Christians and

6

followers of Christ, but we deal

with situations and people like

7

this every single day of our lives,

8

So if you are a follower and if you are

not a follower and you just happen to

9

be listening to this, this is for you.

10

You are not excluded.

11

We live in a world where we face judgment.

12

We face harsh comments, we face

negativity, toxicity, you name it.

13

All of these situations that are super,

super uncomfortable are things that

14

we have to deal with, unfortunately.

15

And you know what?

16

Praise the Lord that we are not

dealing with what Jesus dealt with.

17

Praise the Lord that we are not

living in a country where we are being

18

persecuted for our faith because

19

unfortunately There are people being

killed just for what they believe in.

20

So for the past few months, there

have been a lot of changes in my life.

21

And of course, when you make certain

decisions, when you make certain changes,

22

the people that are closest to you are

not going to take well into some of

23

these situations, understandably so,

if you have children and your children

24

start acting differently or do things

that are out of the norm, you are

25

going to wanna ask questions, however.

26

Always remember that there

are ways to ask things.

27

There are ways to approach things.

28

People react differently

to different situations.

29

However, in.

30

My experience and after reading several

parts of the Bible, the more that I

31

read, the more that I understand and

see that sometimes no response or

32

simply walking away is the best answer.

33

in today's episode, I'm going to read

a few verses from Matthew and from Luke

34

that pertain to situations that Jesus

dealt with and how he responded to them.

35

I hope that these actually serve us all

as amazing examples because of course,

36

what better example to follow than that

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

37

But we can actually.

38

Retain these and keep these in the

bank of our hearts we know that we

39

are going to come up with one of

these situations, whether it's five

40

days from now or a year from now, we

have to deal with difficult people.

41

Really at every point of our life,

not just family, sometimes friends,

42

but for the most part at our jobs.

43

and what better way to handle

those people and those situations

44

than by mimicking our Lord.

45

It's honestly what he would

want is what I'm thinking.

46

So for today's episode, I broke this

down into three different categories

47

and in these different categories.

48

I'm going to read some of the scriptures.

49

The first one that I noted was

leaving or staying away from

50

unreceptive people and or places.

51

So me, for example, I have a particular

family member who unfortunately I have

52

just been clashing with so, so, so much.

53

We went from having an amazing

relationship to, for some reason just

54

having it being very strained and

as unfortunate as that is, and as

55

much as I love this person for our

sanity just to keep stress at bay

56

and not have to make things worse.

57

Sometimes it's better to just.

58

walk away.

59

And if you see that a person is not seeing

eye to eye with you, you cannot want

60

to spoonfeed every single opinion that

you have to that person because until

61

a person is ready to listen and ready

to accept what you are telling them.

62

They're not going to be receptive to it.

63

They're not going to respond to it.

64

People need to be ready to hear words,

and that goes the same for the gospel.

65

Unfortunately, all we can do is

plant seeds and then walk away.

66

So this is a perfect, perfect

scripture to start off with.

67

I'm going to read from this

particular scenario, Jesus is

68

sending out the 12 disciples to heal

people and to preach the gospel.

69

They're going to be doing

many, many different things.

70

However, Jesus was adamant and telling

them that if there is somewhere

71

and they are not welcome to just

continue plant a seed and move on.

72

we can find this specific instruction to

just shake the dust off and continue in

73

Matthew chapter 10, verse 14, and it says.

74

And whoever will not receive

you, nor hear your words when you

75

depart from that house or city,

shake off the dust from your feet.

76

assuredly I say to you, I will

be more tolerable for the land

77

of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day

of judgment than for that city.

78

Jesus is essentially saying, if

someone is not listening to you

79

and not being receptive, it's okay.

80

Walk away.

81

Dust off your feet and continue, move on.

82

It's okay to do that.

83

Also, in today's day and age, we

don't have to fight tooth and nail

84

with people to really understand us.

85

We are all allowed to have

our opinions, our beliefs.

86

As nice as it would be for everyone

to agree and get along, that's

87

just not the way that it works.

88

So in this particular scenario, dust off

your feet and continue walking my friends.

89

The next portion of scripture I'm going to

read is from Matthew chapter 14, verse 13.

90

In this part, Jesus and the disciples

have fed a multitude of about 5,000

91

people, and this is just very simple

and very plainly put in this portion of

92

scripture, Jesus simply just steps away

and takes time away from all the people.

93

Verse 13 says, when Jesus heard it,

he departed from thereby boat to

94

a deserted place by himself, but

when the multitudes heard it, they

95

followed him on foot from the cities.

96

So.

97

Yeah.

98

Jesus was used to being around thousands

and hundreds of people at all times.

99

People followed him everywhere he went,

and even in times like this where he was

100

healing people and listening and preaching

and feeding them and just working

101

and doing miracles, he always found a

moment for himself and he stepped away.

102

He prayed, he fasted,

and he just received.

103

And loved having that time with the

father, and he needed that silence.

104

I assure you it is okay for us to

do the same and it's really more

105

than, okay, we need that sometimes.

106

Continuing on to Matthew chapter 15,

verse 37 through 39, And it says,

107

so they all ate and were filled and

they took up seven large baskets

108

full of the fragments that were left.

109

Now those who ate were 4,000 men.

110

Besides women and children, and he

sent away the multitude, got into the

111

boat and came to the region of Magdala.

112

It doesn't matter what is going

on around you, it doesn't matter

113

sometimes how many people are there.

114

Sometimes we just need a minute.

115

Jesus sometimes stepped away

for days and days on end.

116

I know that's not really

something that we can all do

117

However, we need our silence.

118

We need our time away from

people in general that.

119

Not just healthy for us, but it

is needed for us spiritually.

120

And when we have that quality time

with the Lord and we are praying and we

121

are talking to him, and we are reading

the word, we can truly understand

122

what it is that we're doing because we

are not focused on things around us.

123

So just how Jesus would need a minute to

step away and to just kind of recollect

124

himself after dealing with so much.

125

We need that for ourselves.

126

So get up, stay away from these people

that are sometimes unreceptive, and even

127

if they're not being unreceptive, just

situations that are too much for us.

128

we need to have that peace.

129

the next section that I am going

to read scriptures from have more

130

to do with dealing with hostile

people or even toxic environments.

131

Sometimes the best thing to do

obviously is avoid them, but if you

132

can't avoid them, The best hand that

you can play is just to not answer.

133

So let's read a few scriptures that I have

highlighted here for you guys and let's

134

see how it is that Jesus handled these.

135

So in this part of the Bible, Jesus

is being arrested by the Pharisees

136

and he is being handed over to Pilate.

137

Pilate is not really sure what to do.

138

He's looking for a way out because

he knows that Jesus is innocent.

139

But in this particular part of the

scripture, it's called Jesus Faces

140

Pilate, and we are going to see what

Jesus does when Pilate is questioning him.

141

Matthew chapter 27 verses 11 through

14, and it says, now Jesus stood before

142

the governor and the governor asked him

saying, are you the king of the Jews?

143

Jesus said to him.

144

It is, as you say, and while he was

being accused by the chief priests

145

and elders, he answered nothing but

he answered him not one word, so

146

that the governor marveled greatly.

147

My friends, It is, as you say.

148

So he didn't answer him.

149

He simply just, if you say

so, you said it, not me.

150

That's exactly what I'm taking from that.

151

And that's what he said to Pilate.

152

However, despite everything that Jesus

was being accused of by the priest and by

153

the elders, he didn't say a single word.

154

Sometimes the best thing to do

in scenarios like this is just

155

to stay quiet, refuse to answer.

156

Next, I'm going to be sharing with you

Luke chapter four, verse 16 through 30,

157

I'm sure that this is going to resonate

with everyone because even if you're

158

not a follower of Christ, I know that

there are so many people that have

159

tried to start a new venture, a new

business, a new side hustle, whatever

160

it is, and the people that least respond

that usually are the least supportive

161

for some reason are your closest friend

and family, this section of my Bible

162

is called Jesus Rejected at Nazareth.

163

and if you know Jesus Christ was

born in Nazareth and in this part

164

of scripture, he is rejected in

such a way that he is almost thrown

165

off a cliff by his own people.

166

So please understand that just like

Jesus, his own people gave him the

167

hardest time, probably even worse than

the Pharisees just like Jesus, our

168

families and our friends are typically

the first people to reject us, especially

169

when we are walking with Christ.

170

I still have it with that one

particular person in my family.

171

Every single thing I do,

there is always a critique.

172

There is always a question mark.

173

There is always something that

does not seem right, People

174

do not need to understand us.

175

The only person that needs to understand

us and know our heart is our Lord.

176

So that's why I wanted to share this with

you in its entirety because it is just

177

so powerful how it's written in scripture

that even his own townsmen were willing

178

to throw this perfect man over a cliff.

179

So let's go ahead and read Luke chapter

four, verses 16 through 30, and it says,

180

So he came to Nazareth where he had

been brought up and his custom was he

181

went into the synagogue on the Sabbath

day and stood up to read, and he was

182

handed the book of the prophet Isaiah,

and when he had opened the book, he

183

found the place where it was written.

184

The spirit of the Lord is upon

me because he has anointed me to

185

preach the gospel to the poor.

186

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives And

187

recovery of sight to the blind to set

at liberty those who are oppressed, to

188

proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

189

Then he closed the book and gave

it back to the attendant and sat

190

down and the eyes of all who were

in the synagogue were fixed on him.

191

And he began to say to them, today, the

scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

192

So all bore witness to him and marvel

at the gracious words, which proceeded

193

out of his mouth and they said.

194

is this not Joseph's son.

195

He said to them, You will surely say this

proverb to me, physician, heal yourself.

196

Whatever we have heard done in

Capernaum, do also hear in your country.

197

Then he said, assuredly I say to you, no

profit is accepted in his own country.

198

That is very true, you guys.

199

No profit is accepted in his own country.

200

Verse 25.

201

But I tell you truly many widows were

in Israel in the day of Elijah when the

202

heaven was shut up, three years and six

months, and there was a great famine

203

throughout the land, but to none of

them was Elijah sent except to Raf in

204

the region of Sidon, to a woman who was

a widow and many lepers were in Israel

205

in the time of Alicia, the prophet.

206

and none of them was cleanse

except Naman, the Syrian.

207

So all those who in the

synagogue, when they heard these

208

things were filled with wrath

209

And rose up and thrust him out of the

city, and they led him to the brow of the

210

hill on which their city was built, that

they might throw him down over the cliff.

211

Then passing through the mis of them.

212

He went his way.

213

So guys right there on verse 28

is where you can easily read.

214

That the people despised him

just for what he was saying.

215

Of course, he was reading from the

book of Elijah and he was making

216

prophecy come true because he was there

reading those very words and all the

217

things that were written that he was

doing, he was explaining it to them.

218

So once, it finally dawned on them,

that's when they became enraged.

219

But wouldn't you think that the people.

220

Who grew up with him in the same

town, who knew him his entire

221

life, who knew his mom and dad?

222

Wouldn't you think that those would

be the first people to cheer him on?

223

I don't know.

224

I would think yes, but in reality,

those are the people that always

225

judge and persecute first.

226

And unfortunately for Jesus, it

was the same thing that happens

227

to us all the time as well.

228

So we can all relate to our Lord in many,

many ways, but especially in this one.

229

I wanted to read one more thing from Luke.

230

this section, I named it

ignore, forgive, and Move on.

231

And I know that forgiveness is

something that is extremely difficult

232

for many, many, many people.

233

However, sometimes all we can do

is ignore the words and actions

234

of those people around us.

235

It may hurt.

236

And of course it doesn't feel

good, but not everything deserves

237

a response, and you've already

listened to the things that I read.

238

You already listened to

the things that I said.

239

You know, from your own experience

that sometimes a response isn't

240

going to lead to anything better.

241

It can sometimes make things worse.

242

We don't always have to be right.

243

We don't always have

to have the last word.

244

the healthiest thing is for us to forgive.

245

And to not burden ourselves with the

emotional load of other people, we have

246

to learn how to forgive and move on.

247

this part of my Bible is named the King

on the Cross, I'm going to read Luke.

248

Chapter 23 verses 26 through 43.

249

And it says,

250

Now, as they let him away, they laid hold

of a certain man, Simon, a Ceridian, who

251

was coming from the country and on him,

they laid the cross that he might bear

252

it after Jesus, and a great multitude

of the people followed him and women

253

who also mourned and lamented him.

254

But Jesus turning to them said, daughters

of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but

255

weep for yourselves and for your children.

256

For indeed, the days are coming in,

which they will say, blessed are

257

the barren women's that never bore

and breast, which never nursed.

258

Then they will begin to say to the

mountains, fall on us and to the hills.

259

Cover us

260

For if they do these things in the

Greenwood, what will be done in the dry?

261

there were also two others.

262

Criminals led with him to be put

to death, and when they had come

263

to the place called Calvary there.

264

They crucified him and the

criminals One on the right

265

hand and the other on the left.

266

Then Jesus said, father, forgive them

for they do not know what they do,

267

and they divided his garments and cast

lots and the people stood looking on.

268

but even the rulers with them

sneered saying he saved others.

269

Let him save himself if he

is Christ the chosen of God?

270

The soldiers also mocked him coming and

offering him sour wine and saying, if you

271

are the king of the Jews, save yourself.

272

And an inscription also was

written over him in letters

273

of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.

274

This is the king of the Jews.

275

Then one of the criminals who

were hanged blasphemed him.

276

Saying If you are the

Christ, save yourself and us.

277

But the other answering

rebuked him saying,

278

Do you not even fear God?

279

Seeing you are under

the same condemnation?

280

And we indeed justly for we

receive the do reward of our deed.

281

But this man has done nothing wrong.

282

Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember

me when you come into your kingdom.

283

And Jesus said to him, assuredly

I say to you today, you

284

will be with me in paradise.

285

Jesus was being hanged,

he was being crucified.

286

He was already beaten.

287

People could not even

recognize what he looked like.

288

And even then he addressed the

women that were following him.

289

Even then, he said to God to forgive

the people who were mocking him,

290

to forgive the people who were

saying all of these nasty things.

291

He ignored all of the guards who were

offering him the sour wine, who were again

292

saying horrible, horrible things to him.

293

He ignored the criminal.

294

that was next to him.

295

He did not have time,

296

he ignored, he forgave and he moved on.

297

And I say that in those words.

298

Because I want everyone to just

understand it as simply as possible.

299

There was a lot more going on, obviously

something very dark, very serious.

300

This is the worst, the worst

part of his entire life, and the

301

part that I will never understand

why anyone did that to him.

302

However, in this part.

303

He forgave and he moved on.

304

Jesus knew where he was going.

305

he was going to be with the father so

I'm pretty sure that that gave him the

306

power to just continue on because he

already knew where he was gonna be.

307

And us, us Christians, us

believers of followers of Christ,

308

we know where we're going to.

309

The knowledge of that alone, that we

will one day also be with a father.

310

That should be enough for us.

311

So I challenge you, I challenge you

to not deal with these people, don't

312

deal with these scenarios on your own.

313

Instead, deal with these

things the way that Jesus did.

314

The righteous way, turn away.

315

Do not answer, ignore, forgive.

316

I thank you for listening my friends.

317

I pray that I will be up for some video

content pretty soon, but until then, I

318

will see you here again next Monday for

another podcast episode of I Can He Can.

319

I love you all.

320

God bless you and take care.