00:00 Introduction and Women's Retreat Week

01:03 Photographic Memory and Memory Musings

03:15 Theological Reflections on Memory and Heaven

04:59 Exploring New Technologies

06:01 Diving into Matthew Chapter 8

09:44 Understanding the Centurion's Faith

13:39 The Cost of Discipleship

14:56 Calming the Storm: A Lesson in Faith

15:46 The Messiah's Identity: A Literary Exploration

16:10 Demons and Pigs: A Theological Inquiry

16:57 Modern-Day Demon Possession: Questions and Reflections

17:58 Animals and Demonic Influence: A Curious Case

20:46 The Value of Human Life Over Animals

22:28 Mark Chapter 2: The Paralytic and the Power of Preaching

23:14 The Call of Levi and Questions of Discipleship

24:01 Fasting, Sabbath, and Jesus' Authority

25:16 Competing Commands: Navigating Biblical Priorities

28:11 Concluding Thoughts and Prayer

Hey, everybody happy Monday

and welcome to another edition

2

of the daily Bible podcast.

3

Hey.

4

Uh, it's women's retreat week is upon us.

5

It is here.

6

Officially.

7

Yeah, that's gotta be tough

weekend without my bread.

8

It is.

9

And so, uh, pray for us, pray

that we, uh, make it through.

10

No, we will.

11

Um, yeah, we, uh, We are capable of that.

12

I w I remember, and they were

well-meaning, but in California

13

I made it would go on a woman's

retreat or something like that.

14

And.

15

And these ladies would come

up there and be like, who.

16

Who's going to come in and help

your husband with the kids.

17

And she was like, uh, Nope, nobody.

18

And now they want.

19

He's going to be able to handle

all those kids by himself.

20

And she was like, he's their dad.

21

Yes, this is part of like,

he, he had a hand in this.

22

He can handle the kids.

23

So we're happy to do it to free up

our ladies to go away for the week a

24

weekend, just an overnight actually,

but it's going to be a great time.

25

At Kelly Atterbury coming in

from compass in California.

26

And she's going to be bridging on

anxiety should be a great retreat.

27

I heard she has photographic memory.

28

I heard that too.

29

I'm I'm curious about that.

30

Now I'd like to, I'd like to

quiz her and see if it's really

31

that we kicked that around.

32

Would you want that?

33

Yeah, I don't think I would.

34

I w I want it for specific parts

of my life, but I definitely

35

don't want it for most of my life.

36

Like, I don't care about other things.

37

I don't want it taking

up space in my brain.

38

I'd rather have it for areas

where I really, really want.

39

Of course you think about it

as far as hard drive capacity.

40

Like there's things.

41

Let me just think about there's things

in your brain that you don't want to

42

remember, but you remember anyway, right?

43

Like.

44

One, a 77 cars for kids.

45

Yeah, one, a set and you just, you

just do that and you never realize

46

that there's more than seven numbers.

47

In that phone number.

48

Did you ever realize that.

49

Cars for kids because it's

more than seven numbers, but

50

you're only, but it's 1 8, 7, 7.

51

So that's four.

52

And then cars for kids

is another three things.

53

So mnemonics.

54

You're still at seven.

55

What do you mean?

56

Like as far as memorization

because, oh yeah, yeah.

57

Yes.

58

One of the reasons why our phone numbers

are seven digits is because this is

59

the most, you can remember that's

the most of it plus, or minus three.

60

Yeah.

61

Well, and it's a jingle to you.

62

You're never going to forget

that jingle, but if I could

63

eradicate that from my brain.

64

And instead put more

verses in there instead.

65

I think I preferred that.

66

I don't want even the

regular human memory.

67

I want my memory to be trained, to do

the things I wanted to do, as opposed to

68

having something like photographic memory,

which I know I'm sure it's useful on

69

regular occasions and I'd rather have it.

70

You want clean my Mac for

your brain is what you want.

71

And be like scrub it all purge.

72

The old files remove all

the things I don't need.

73

Yeah, just take it all away.

74

I want, I want good stuff in there.

75

That would be funny.

76

That'd be funny.

77

But there are moments that I'm like, okay,

it might be worth it to have the photo.

78

The memory of your wedding day, right?

79

Your kids being born, like th those,

those first that you have in your

80

mind, the first steps, like seeing

your wife for the first time.

81

Like, I, I, I re recall that I recall,

you know, our, our first date there.

82

There's there's glimpses.

83

But to be able to have that and

go back and play that over again.

84

I mean, that'd be, that'd

be sweet to have that.

85

Yeah, I could see that, you know,

for the sake of reminiscing and just

86

treasuring some special memories.

87

I, yeah, I wonder.

88

And I have reason to believe that

when we get to heaven, That God will.

89

I don't know.

90

Maybe let us go back in time and see

some things that we might've missed.

91

And.

92

Uncover some of the ways that he

was working, that we never knew with

93

like an apple vision pro headset.

94

Exactly.

95

That exactly that like they

got, somehow they got it.

96

The angel Gabriel was like, Hey

Tim, I got something for you, buddy.

97

I reverse engineer this thing,

you're going to love it.

98

Yeah.

99

Something like that.

100

Maybe not exactly that,

but wouldn't it be cool.

101

And wouldn't it seem

fitting in God's character?

102

Not that he's got to do this, obviously.

103

He's got, he's gonna

do what he wants to do.

104

But forgot to say like, Hey, let me walk

you through your life and show you some

105

really pivotal moments that you missed.

106

You.

107

You knew that the thing

happened, but let me tell you

108

what happened behind the scenes.

109

How cool would that be?

110

Yeah, except for the part where he's

like, okay, we can just you're like,

111

dad, can we just fast forward this part?

112

Like, I know you, we

know what happens here.

113

It's just not, it's not

a good moment in time.

114

And unless you move on.

115

We'll see, but if we're unable

to cry and feel pain, right.

116

Then we must have some

sanctified awareness to say, I

117

can look at this and not paint.

118

But for the coverage.

119

And what you did there.

120

I mean more than that.

121

Yeah.

122

Well, cause we're going to feel

that sense of forgiveness more.

123

Uh, more, I guess, more

deeply, profoundly.

124

And Lee than we ever had before.

125

But on top of that, being able to look at

our lives, not as a dispassionate third

126

party observer, but as someone who says,

man, I know what God did in my life.

127

And I'm only experiencing 1% of it.

128

And now he's going to show me my whole

life and the ways that he worked and

129

I'll get to glorify him at a hundred

percent because of what he did.

130

Yeah, like hindsight's 2020 being

able to look back and see all that.

131

Yeah, exactly.

132

That sanctified refurbished made new

and through the lens of the glory of

133

God, I can't see how that wouldn't be

something that wouldn't just be incredibly

134

valuable for us and glorifying him.

135

Yeah.

136

Yeah.

137

It would be cool.

138

Speaking of.

139

Uh, apple vision pro did you see

that medic quest just released

140

their whole like newest line of VR?

141

They're doing.

142

Your glasses now where you can kind of

see some blue light in there because it's

143

projecting on these clear lenses now.

144

Screens up there.

145

So before long, you're going to have

to look at people that wear glasses

146

Sadat and be like, dude, are you.

147

I did see that they're

like regular glasses.

148

Right.

149

Okay.

150

I did see something about that.

151

Yeah.

152

Yeah.

153

Technologies.

154

Just flying fine restaurant idea.

155

I will.

156

I'm waiting, man.

157

Wait for the price point to be right.

158

At some point, I want it.

159

I'm going to wear it everywhere.

160

I'll be on stage leading worship,

wearing the, the apple vision pro.

161

So I'll see you guys and I'll have

my music right in front of me.

162

It'll be so non-distracting that,

or he'll change the audience to be

163

like a massive crowd, like 10 million

people, angels, angelic choirs.

164

He's playing a U2 concert and he's Bano.

165

Yeah, that'll do that.

166

It would be fun.

167

David Rapido being the edge,

playing guitar would be great.

168

Hey, let's set.

169

Let's get into things that are different.

170

Let's get into the Bible

because it's better.

171

Because it's God's word.

172

Matthew.

173

Chapter eight.

174

Matthew chapter eight

opens with a familiar text.

175

We've covered it twice already.

176

Here we go again.

177

And it's the cleansing of the leper.

178

Um, again, read this though.

179

Uh, we have, we seen it.

180

Yes.

181

We've we've seen it, but read it again and

feel the things like in verse three, Jesus

182

stretched out his hand and touched him.

183

Um, saying I will be

clean even that, right?

184

Like that just jumped out at me this time.

185

Just glancing down at it.

186

Did Jesus communicating.

187

It's my desire, my will.

188

To clean you.

189

To cleanse you.

190

He didn't, he wasn't obligated to do that.

191

This is Jesus.

192

Moving towards this need and choosing to.

193

Heal this man.

194

Um, God did that for us.

195

He wasn't obligated to us

as, as sinful human beings.

196

He.

197

He sent the son to come after us.

198

Like Paul says in Romans five when we

were weakened godly sinful enemies.

199

And how amazing is that?

200

We see a glimpse of that here,

even in this interaction.

201

Yeah.

202

Maybe one thing that you may not see at

the top, because we're reading it out of

203

order here is that the beginning of it?

204

Eight one says he came

down from the mountain.

205

Um, when did he go up to the mountain?

206

Well, you have to go back several chapters

and it's what we call the beatitudes.

207

So he's up there preaching for

an extended period of time.

208

And now he's finishing

piece finished preaching.

209

He's coming down and the crowds are

following him and here comes the wiper.

210

So Matthew had some context

that you might easily miss.

211

No, unless you're paying

attention again, the mountain

212

motif, huge in Matthew's gospel.

213

Pay attention to that.

214

So.

215

And that gets to our chronological

plan because obviously the editors

216

think that this took place.

217

Right earlier than that.

218

Yeah, because we haven't covered

the sermon on the Mount yet.

219

Right.

220

In fact, we haven't even covered the

sermon on the plane yet in Luke's gospel.

221

And that's where I think it's important

to remember that the gospels are not

222

as concerned with chronology as we are.

223

Yeah, they're just not, they're

concerned of making a theological point.

224

Yes.

225

And they're using the details of Jesus

life, real details and saying, how do I

226

compose this in a way that communicates

the message I'm trying to bring?

227

And they're not being dishonest.

228

They're just not.

229

Ah, you know, the 21st century

mind is, is so concerned with

230

precision in our truth-telling.

231

Um, That's different than what

they would have experienced.

232

It's not that they're being untrue.

233

It's not that there are liars.

234

But that there are loosey goosey.

235

It's just a gospel is not a novel, right?

236

It's not a newspaper story.

237

It's not, it's not trying to convince

the reader of the same things that

238

a newspaper, a newspaper article

out of the daily Tribune or the

239

New York times is trying to do.

240

The reporting on this.

241

There's a reporting element.

242

But it's a very specific kind of genre.

243

That's intending to

communicate a larger message.

244

It kind of gets Hagi.

245

Hagia graph graphical, but it's not that

it's like that it's bio it's it's oh man.

246

There's a lot of this.

247

There's a lot of different genres that

the gospels are taking advantage of.

248

So when you see this and you see, oh,

there's chronological differences.

249

Um, your Western mine is going to

say, well, that must not be true.

250

Dan Barker's rights.

251

Um, Yeah.

252

Don't don't don't feel that way.

253

Don't run there.

254

Don't go there.

255

And probably those are the two that are

more like that are Matthew and John.

256

Um, Matthew.

257

Again, has an agenda.

258

Behind him.

259

Uh, to demonstrate Christ as the

Messiah, as the king of the Jews.

260

Uh, John has an agenda

behind it, behind him.

261

That is theological in nature.

262

When he says I'm writing these

things that you might believe that

263

Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.

264

And that believing you might have life.

265

And so John even says, look,

there's plenty of other things

266

that I'm choosing not to record.

267

John chooses what he's

going to put in there.

268

Right.

269

And so does Matthew, I think Luke and mark

are probably more chronological because

270

Luke being the physician, being the, the,

the doctor being detailed oriented would

271

have been more attentive to those things.

272

And then mark being so rapid paced, rapid

fire, Peter going, and then this, and

273

then this, and then this, and then this

probably is more in, in keeping with

274

the, the actual turn of events than,

than Matthew and John might be sure.

275

Not that the turn of events,

meaning time-wise not whether

276

or not they happened yet.

277

All right.

278

Matthew 8 5, 2 13.

279

The centurion's servant.

280

I, we talked yesterday about the

son of the, the official Centurion,

281

servant, different people, both though

Jesus heals from a long way away.

282

Uh, this is interesting though,

because the Centurion comes

283

up to Jesus and implores him.

284

And then he says to Jesus, at one point,

he says, I too am a man under authority.

285

So PR your thoughts on that.

286

Uh, Matthew eight, nine.

287

What do we do with the statement that

he's comparing Jesus in, in alluding

288

to the fact that Jesus is somehow under

authority, because he says to Jesus,

289

you and I are similar or the same.

290

We are both under authority.

291

If I speak it happens.

292

So how do we understand what

he's saying here to, to Christ?

293

So I I've always understood it

as the, again, you, you said it

294

before, I liked the way you say it.

295

You speaking better than he knew.

296

Um, so Tyrian servant is assuming that

Jesus is like what a typical rabbi.

297

He's responding to the leadership of

some other authority in this case.

298

I think it's true that he's responding

to the authority of the father.

299

So the, the father is the one

who commands Jesus' life and

300

he's made no secret about that.

301

He's he says that I do my father's will.

302

So I, I think that's the best way

to read it, although what, whether

303

he intended for that same meaning.

304

I don't know about that.

305

I'm not sure, but I do think

it still fits regardless.

306

What's your stance on that?

307

Yeah, I agree.

308

That's what I had written down too.

309

In the incarnation, Jesus authority was

derived from the father, John five 19.

310

I do nothing on my own accord, but

only what the father has sent me to do.

311

Do I, do I accomplish those things?

312

Yeah.

313

So I would agree.

314

I don't think the sensory necessarily

had that in mind, but yeah.

315

I'd be curious to know

what he was thinking.

316

Right.

317

Maybe he's thinking, oh, he must be

a rabbi from another rabbi, perhaps.

318

I don't know.

319

Right.

320

Matthew eight, 10.

321

Uh, this is interesting.

322

Jesus marveled at the man's faith.

323

That would Marvel means to

be astounded, to be amazed.

324

Uh, how can God be astounded or

amazed at anything that, that.

325

I ponder that one for a minute.

326

Um, And I just think it is more about

the, the quality of the man's faith than

327

it is about the reaction of Jesus here.

328

I think it's more about

the uniqueness of how.

329

Much of a statement of, of trust.

330

This was then it was the

fact that Jesus was amazed.

331

Like, whoa, I never saw this coming.

332

I don't, we're not to go there with this.

333

But he does make that statement.

334

He says, I haven't found

faith like this anywhere else.

335

And meaning not that he hasn't found any

faith, but this is faith par excellence.

336

This is faith.

337

Unlike any that he'd ever found.

338

Amongst anyone else, including

his own followers at this point.

339

Uh, in the, the, the, from

the mouth of this Gentile.

340

Centurion.

341

Yeah, I I've heard the phrase before.

342

Have you, has it ever occurred to you

that nothing has ever occurred to God?

343

Right.

344

Um, I, I mean, I take

this at his word here.

345

I think it's, I wonder.

346

Uh, maybe I'll put it that way.

347

I wonder if what's happening here is

the humanity of Christ on display.

348

We talk about the deity of Christ

and it's, and it's hard for the human

349

mind to put those two pieces together.

350

Um, but we talk about, he was truly

and fully man and truly, and fully God.

351

And therefore we should expect.

352

We should expect analogies to our human

existence and we should expect that there

353

are, or would be the opposite of analogy.

354

Disanalogies on analogies.

355

Whatever that is.

356

I'm going to look up.

357

What's the opposite of that,

but that's the idea here.

358

You should expect things that don't.

359

Uh, don't correspond things

that aren't consistent with our

360

experience, but this is something

that we could say, oh yeah, I.

361

I'm excited when I see strong faith.

362

I'm excited when I see it.

363

I think the unexpected element is

the fact that he's a, he's a Gentile

364

of course, and that's part of it.

365

But Jesus is I think sincerely

marveling because he was truly

366

in fully human, which would mean.

367

And Jesus experienced a range of emotions.

368

Not too, unlike us very different

from us in a lot of ways, but

369

not too unlike us in other ways.

370

Yeah.

371

Yeah.

372

Uh, speaking of Gentiles verses

11 through 13, he basically says,

373

Hey, this is going to happen.

374

The Gentiles are going to be the ones

that are going to come to the kingdom

375

and some in the kingdom, aren't

going to be included in the kingdom.

376

And so that would have been a statement

that would have ruffled quite a few

377

feathers in the immediate context.

378

There.

379

Uh, verses 14 through 17.

380

We've seen this before, again, this

is the healings that took place

381

at Peter's mother-in-law's house.

382

And, and so he's healing

people late into the night.

383

Um, and so he's doing that

here in Matthew as well.

384

He's teaching.

385

Uh, doing all of these things

cost of discipleship, then

386

Matthew eight, 18 through 22.

387

Uh, people come and say, Hey, we want to

follow you, but first, can we go do this?

388

And Jesus says, basically, no,

you, you, you can't go do that.

389

The time to follow me is now.

390

Um, there's going to be time

to, to deal with that later, but

391

right now you need to be with me.

392

Being with me is the best

place to be so understand.

393

Um, put your hand to the plow.

394

Don't look back.

395

Uh, T to follow me means you're willing

to surrender everything to come after me.

396

So when the guy says, look,

I need to go bury my dad.

397

Is it that his dad just died?

398

And he's sitting in the living

room right now and he's like,

399

dude, I gotta go back and bury him.

400

What's going on there?

401

No, I think he's probably saying,

Hey look, my dad is he's elderly.

402

Yeah.

403

I have to care for him.

404

If he, if I'm not there,

who's going to care for him.

405

And she's saying, no, dude.

406

Did it leave the dead to bury the dead.

407

Come follow me.

408

Dude.

409

That's big.

410

That's hard.

411

Cause huge.

412

Right.

413

Again, it goes back to that.

414

That's what I brought up with Peter

and his mother-in-law and his wife.

415

I guess his family, right?

416

This again is one of those confrontational

statements that I think in our minds,

417

in our Western minds, we have an

idea about family and balance, but

418

I think there's times, and Jesus is

like, dude, Your allegiance is to me

419

first and foremost, and that's going

to have implications for your family

420

and the way that you treat people.

421

I'm not saying that you should

leave your family at all.

422

Of course.

423

I'm just saying Jesus

violates my expectations.

424

I love that.

425

Yeah.

426

Because that constantly challenges

me to think more deeply about what,

427

about things that I often take

for granted, like family life.

428

Yup.

429

Yup.

430

Verse 23 through 27, the calming

of the storm, which is just

431

a cool scene because he, he.

432

Th the storms happened.

433

Jesus is asleep.

434

They wake him up.

435

He says, Hey, why, why are you panicking?

436

He stands up.

437

He rebukes the wind and the waves.

438

The sea is still.

439

So that that's, that's

the thing to note here.

440

It's not like everything kind of gradually

comes to a calm the way a pool does after

441

somebody jumped into it or a bathtub after

you've been splashing around in there.

442

Now it's just immediately Placid.

443

It's just immediately calm.

444

And that's what causes these

disciples to say, who is this?

445

That even the wind and the waves of beam.

446

And it's a brilliant question because

that's, that's the question they,

447

they need to be asking who is this?

448

Uh, that the conclusion is

going to be what's important.

449

How do they conclude that answer?

450

And what is the, what

is the answer to that?

451

And Matthew invites us to

answer that question too.

452

That's why he leaves it there.

453

You know, he doesn't answer it.

454

Jesus.

455

Isn't like, Hey, I'll tell you who I am.

456

Right.

457

And Matthew doesn't say, Hey, by the

way, we know that he's the Messiah.

458

Matthew.

459

I love the way he writes because

he puts the ball in your court.

460

Like, who is this man?

461

Yeah.

462

You think about what just happened,

ponder what you just read and you

463

think about what just happened.

464

Of course, for the Jew.

465

And they would have read it and said, oh,

I could think of all the passages that

466

speak about the Lord is stilling the seas,

he rides on the way, that kind of thing.

467

And they would have been excited by the

prospect of, is this really the Messiah?

468

It's a brilliant writing.

469

Yep.

470

Yep.

471

Well, the chapter ends with a story of.

472

The demons and the pigs.

473

Uh, Jesus has met by these two

Demani acts that come out after

474

him and they begin to confront him.

475

You've got demon theology there

and they even make this comment.

476

Are you.

477

Are you here to harass us before the time?

478

Which he even shows us the resignation

that the demons know their ultimate

479

judgment is going to count your sting.

480

And yet they're like, are

you here to, to make our life

481

miserable before that happens?

482

And Jesus basically says yes, get

out of the, get out of the men.

483

Oh woman.

484

Yeah.

485

And they're, they're going,

Hey, put us in the pigs.

486

And so Jesus says, okay,

so he puts the demons in.

487

Clean animal.

488

Right?

489

Right.

490

And they run off the edge of

the cliff and they drowned.

491

The C.

492

Okay.

493

So, so many things there.

494

We have questions.

495

Yes.

496

We all have questions.

497

I'm going to, I'm going

to ask them on our behalf.

498

Who all who are reading and listening.

499

Okay.

500

Number one, our demon still doing this.

501

Yeah.

502

Possessing.

503

Yes.

504

Yes.

505

Okay.

506

How do we know?

507

Because there's, there's nothing.

508

This is not a dispensational thing.

509

Sorry, let me, let me clarify.

510

Um, how do we know when it's

a demon possession versus some

511

kind of psychological sickness?

512

Yeah.

513

Good question.

514

That's.

515

That's a good question.

516

I don't think we did question audience.

517

Don't go.

518

Don't go up to your, your

mother-in-law, um, and do okay.

519

Listen, I think.

520

I think he might be.

521

Demon possessed that would

not go well, probably not.

522

Um, unless there's a demon.

523

There's a demon.

524

Unless there's a demon.

525

I mean, it's, it's hard to say

that you've, we've heard of

526

the super, the feats of super

strength and things like that.

527

And there's, there's sometimes

where you look at, and it's almost

528

the weeping gnashing of teeth

with somebody and you go, okay.

529

If you tell me they're demon possessed.

530

I wouldn't, I wouldn't doubt you.

531

I can see that, but then there's other.

532

Forms of it that are less obvious that

are difficult for us to, to know for sure.

533

Right.

534

Okay.

535

So the demons inhabited an animal.

536

Okay.

537

Um, That's probably something

that we don't think about that

538

the demons inhabited a flock.

539

What do you call it?

540

What you call a lot of

peppered, a herd of pigs.

541

I'm going to go with luck.

542

And habit, a flock of pigs.

543

And they run them off the cliff.

544

Now a herd of many pigs was

feeding at some distance from.

545

When the demons had habited the flock and

they threw them off the side of the cliff.

546

Yeah.

547

Should we expect.

548

Okay.

549

Is that a demonic strategy to,

to have animals kill themselves?

550

And we see this kind of

weird behavior in animals.

551

Should, should we have an anticipation

or expectation that there's

552

some kind of demonic activity?

553

When, when my dog is running

laps around the backyard.

554

An example.

555

I saw a video of.

556

Yeah, a herd of animals.

557

I don't know what animal it

was, but it was an animal.

558

Uh, and they were all doing

like this circle together.

559

And they were just walking

like that for days.

560

Like they never stopped.

561

They were walking in circles

and they just kept on doing it.

562

And it almost seemed

like a perfect circle.

563

At least the video suggested

that demonic activity yay or nay.

564

Ah, man, I think we would have to ask

what's what's the, what's the why?

565

Why would it be demonic

activity there here?

566

I think there's a reason because the

reaction of the crowds, when the, when

567

the crowds come back out and they, they

see the, the pigs have run into the ocean.

568

Or the sea there.

569

They turn and they say, Hey

Jesus, we want you to leave us.

570

Um, and I think there's

a couple of reasons.

571

I think there's a fear.

572

But I also think there's,

they're, they're perturbed.

573

The pigs were the livelihood

for somebody there.

574

Right?

575

Those are, those are food, right?

576

Is there shelter.

577

It was their money.

578

Right?

579

Exactly.

580

And Jesus, because of Jesus in their eyes.

581

And he just cost them, who knows how much

money and time and, and all these things.

582

So I think there was a strategy

there even by the enemy to cause

583

the crowds to be angry at you jaded.

584

Jaded towards Jesus and

not want him to be there.

585

And so I, there, I think it

makes sense that they, they took

586

possession of these pigs and they

sent the pigs over the cliff.

587

If there's animals in the middle of

the Sahara desert that are walking in

588

circles and a satellite catches that

and there's like, look at these animals.

589

Do.

590

It was more like a, it

was a farmer and okay.

591

They're animals.

592

Similar.

593

Yeah.

594

Similar.

595

Yeah possible.

596

Katz a hundred percent.

597

Yes.

598

Every cat is demon possessed.

599

We were pretty clear on that.

600

Yes.

601

We don't disagree, bro.

602

Okay, good.

603

This is one of the few areas where

we're like, you know, lock and step.

604

Correct.

605

Katz.

606

Yeah.

607

I mean, if there were cats there, they

would have chosen the cats and sent

608

them over the cliff into the water.

609

But they didn't have them because they

were a more evolved society than we

610

are because we've devolved to own cats.

611

Like there's something.

612

And not evil about that.

613

Let's pray for these people.

614

Yeah.

615

So one quick observation.

616

I could ask them any questions about this.

617

Cause I know this is an area of, oh, it's

an area probably of neglect in our camp.

618

It's fascination for others.

619

And CS Lewis says like, you

can have one of two responses.

620

You could be over interested in

them or just ignore them altogether.

621

Yep.

622

And we don't want to do

either one of those things.

623

The last thing I wanna point

out here, at least on my part.

624

And maybe you have another thing

that's repeated before we jumped to

625

mark chapter two is that Jesus is

willing to, he knows what he's doing.

626

He's willing to sacrifice the

flock of pigs to save the man.

627

How many pigs were there?

628

I don't know.

629

There's a flock of pigs.

630

How many is in a flock?

631

I don't know.

632

More than one.

633

The flock of pigs for the one man.

634

In our culture.

635

We're so confused.

636

W people are.

637

I saved my dog or, well,

I saved my neighbor.

638

I don't know.

639

Both of them are in a burning building.

640

Who do I save?

641

I don't know.

642

It's a really tough question.

643

Probably my dog.

644

People don't get it.

645

People matter more than animals.

646

Can we just agree with that?

647

Yes.

648

In the gospels people take center

stage, God cares about people

649

more than he cares about your pet.

650

And I hope you do too.

651

Yes.

652

We love our pets.

653

We love the animals that

God has given us, man.

654

I don't like running animals over.

655

So when I see a squirrel, I'd be the

guy that I will do everything again to.

656

To go around him or stop and place.

657

Cause I don't want to run

them over that bothered me.

658

But if it's between a squirrel

and a neighbor that I don't even

659

like, I'm still gonna, I'm going

to have to run over the squirrel.

660

Oh, yeah, for sure.

661

For sure.

662

Right?

663

Yeah.

664

I it's funny.

665

I feel like we have to say

it though, because I think a

666

lot of people are confused.

667

Animals are a blessing, but

people are the greater blessing,

668

protect honor and love people.

669

I agree, by the way, I asked the question,

how many pigs make up a flock of pig?

670

And I wanted to see if Google

could interpret this nonsense.

671

And it kicked back.

672

The first.

673

Result was from Reddit.

674

And the heading is what is

the minimum number of pigs?

675

That's it.

676

No context for that.

677

What is the minimum number of pay to cause

you need a mommy and daddy, you nailed it.

678

Like I.

679

That's the majority of the answer

says to, yeah, we have two.

680

So the minimum number

of pigs you need is two.

681

Okay.

682

That's why you come here.

683

That's the riveting.

684

Intellectual stimulation that

you can get nowhere else.

685

Yup.

686

Yup.

687

In our podcast.

688

And trashing cats.

689

That's what we're here to do.

690

All right, mark.

691

Chapter two.

692

Uh, opens with the paralytic and the roof.

693

We've seen this story before, but

one thing that I noticed this time

694

in reading it in this account is

mark two to the emphasis on the fact

695

that the crowds are there because

he was preaching the word to them.

696

There was something not just about the

miraculous, but also about his power

697

in the content of the words that he was

preaching that drew people to Jesus.

698

And so the crowds are

there pressing in on him.

699

Such that people can't get in because

of the sermon that he's preaching.

700

So.

701

Uh, pretty cool to, to be there, to think

about listening to Jesus, preach a sermon.

702

We get to do that by curiously through

Matthew five through seven and in

703

Luke with the sermon on the plain.

704

But.

705

I wonder what he was preaching on here.

706

Um, as they go up and dig the hole in

the roof and lower the man down again.

707

Do you remember the story?

708

Hey.

709

Your sins are forgiven.

710

Ah, thanks.

711

But how about my, my legs?

712

Can you heal them too?

713

Uh, mark to then the

call of Levi or Matthew.

714

Uh, this is picked up in Matthew

nine, nine through 13, Luke five a.

715

So we've seen this before, but again,

Levi and Matthew, same name, not

716

uncommon to have two names there.

717

Uh, something that's interesting

though, James and Levi are both

718

referred to as sons of Alpheus.

719

And so PR.

720

Are they brothers, do you think,

or do you think that there were

721

multiple, multiple alpha, alpha.

722

Yeah.

723

I don't know, man.

724

This is that there's, there are so many

questions in the Bible that I have.

725

I'm like, I gotta research that.

726

Um, the names of the disciples.

727

There's, there's a few things that

bother me and I'm still in the

728

process of researching those things.

729

So.

730

I'm going to stay with that.

731

Okay, because some of the names.

732

There's there's there's names.

733

There's like, okay, who is this?

734

We're going to get to one another, right.

735

We're gonna get to that soon enough.

736

Yup.

737

I've.

738

Pretty strong convictions on

that one strong convictions.

739

I'll fight you all.

740

Yeah.

741

Uh, mark to fasting then in

two 18 through 22, again.

742

Um, Th th the question of why

are your disciples fasting?

743

Jesus is doing a new thing

while they're with him.

744

It's not the time to fast.

745

No one puts new wine into old.

746

Wineskins.

747

Uh, and then the chapter concludes

with a question about the Sabbath.

748

The disciples are picking heads of green.

749

The Pharisee said, Hey, that qual

qualifies as, as gleaning and

750

harvesting, that's breaking the Sabbath.

751

And if that sounds absurd to you.

752

It should.

753

That's the minutia.

754

That's how.

755

How my Newton in granular.

756

Uh, the Pharisees had become

on, on enforcing Sabbath rules.

757

And so Jesus basically calls them

on this and he's like, dude, you

758

you've gotten this all wrong.

759

You are.

760

Making all these rules to

the detriment of people.

761

This.

762

The Sabbath was made for people,

not people for the Sabbath.

763

And Jesus says, I'm the

Lord of the Sabbath.

764

So, Hey, I get to Trump you on this one.

765

Uh, Pharisees, because this is about

something that, that I, and the

766

father instituted to begin with there.

767

So it seems like Jesus is making two

arguments first from his authority.

768

That's the one that he ends on.

769

And that one we understand.

770

He's the, he's the son of man.

771

He can, he can do what he wants.

772

If I want to rewrite the

rules, I can do that.

773

I don't think that he's saying that

I am breaking the rules though.

774

He's saying, look, the

Sabbath was made for man.

775

Right?

776

In other words, the law is there

to preserve and to protect and to

777

encourage the flourishing of man.

778

Should we think about law like that today?

779

Uh, law in the sense of a God's word,

if there are competing commands where

780

I feel like man, I'm I'm between a rock

and a hard place here, I can either.

781

Honor my mother and my father, or

I can honor my Lord by, you know

782

what, at whatever, I don't know.

783

So whatever hypothetical situation

that comes up in your mind.

784

If I'm between two competing commands.

785

That seemed to be in conflict.

786

How do I resolve things like that?

787

When, because Jesus has.

788

My disciples of hungry.

789

I'm going to feed them.

790

That's my job.

791

I'm there on the rabbi.

792

I'm called to protect them

and take care of them.

793

And he knows.

794

The law better than anybody.

795

And so he deliberately, it seems provokes

that the Jewish leaders and provides

796

for them by, by working on the Sabbath.

797

And I'm using air quotes here because

I don't think he does violate.

798

Let's maybe think differently.

799

But it seems like Jesus is

saying, look, this is for people.

800

And if the people are serving

the law, then, then you're

801

misunderstanding the whole point.

802

And on top of that, I'm the son of man.

803

So back up.

804

Um, uh, that's, that's basically

the mic drop moment, but how do

805

we put those two things together?

806

I think what's helpful is to go

back to when Jesus has asked about

807

the greatest commandment, he says

the greatest commandment boils

808

down to love God and love others.

809

And he says on these two commandments,

hang the entirety of the law.

810

And so that needs to be our focus.

811

So in the situation of honor, your father

and mother, or, you know, obey the Lord.

812

That comes down to you, man.

813

Obeying the Lord is going to Trump

that obeying the Lord is going to

814

be is take precedence over that.

815

Or you've got a husband and wife

where the wife is called to submit

816

to her husband as to the Lord.

817

But what about when the husband's

asking her to do something sinful?

818

Her obligation is to the Lord,

not to her husband at that point.

819

And so it's okay for her to not submit

to her husband, which is technically.

820

You know, breaking a commandment.

821

But not really because he's not.

822

Leading her to love the Lord.

823

And it meant that that's a simple

thing that he's asking her to do.

824

And so her relationship with the Lord

is his priority over her relationship

825

with her husband in that regard.

826

So she needs to obey the Lord.

827

And so I think that that idea of.

828

I mean first and foremost,

I need to love God.

829

And secondly, I need to love other people.

830

And so when those two things

work together, that's symbiosis.

831

That's that's that's the sweet spot.

832

That's the sweet spot.

833

If those.

834

Two things can't work together.

835

My allegiance is to God first

and foremost, not to men.

836

So then we are under obligation then

to, to sometimes do not disregard.

837

This is going to sound.

838

This is going to be hard to say.

839

In order to be faithful to the Lord,

I'm going to have to do things that

840

might violate other aspects of what

scripture calls me to do in order to be

841

faithful to the Lord first and foremost.

842

Right.

843

Competing commands is how our

old pastor used to put it.

844

And therefore we need to be wise and

wise enough to know the scriptures.

845

Number one.

846

And discerning enough to know how

to put those scriptures together.

847

What a helpful like,

application really quick.

848

That was easy.

849

Totally.

850

Yeah, because.

851

For example, ladies, if, if your husband

said, you're not going to go to church

852

anymore, I don't want you to go to church.

853

And so you need to submit to me on this.

854

You're not going to go to church.

855

Yeah, that's happened.

856

There's competing commands where

scripture says, as believers.

857

That's your husband we're to do this.

858

We are to go to church.

859

And so in that situation, I think you

have an obligation to go to church.

860

Um, and to involve your

pastors and seek help.

861

Cool.

862

No nuance in a set conversation

and also there's oh, there's.

863

Uh, other elements of this totally.

864

But yes, as a rule,

that's what we would say.

865

Yeah.

866

Yeah.

867

All right.

868

Well, let's, uh, let's pray.

869

And then we'll be done

with another episode.

870

God, we, uh, we, yeah, just

what we were just talking about.

871

There's so much about living.

872

As believers that requires wisdom or

skillful living as we often call it to,

873

to be able to discern, what does it look

like to follow you and how do we do this?

874

And we don't talk about, um, Being

able to, to disregard a set things

875

aside out of a desire to, to justify

sinful behavior, sinful actions.

876

We want to always take that

seriously and make sure that we're

877

making the right decision when

we ever do choose to do that.

878

But we do want to make sure that

our primary focus is honoring you.

879

First and foremost.

880

And so we pray that we would

have the conviction and the skill

881

to know how and when to do that

and what that should look like.

882

We pray in Jesus name.

883

Amen.

884

Are y'all keeping your Bibles and tune in

tomorrow for just one chapter John five.

885

That's it.

886

By.

887

Bye.

888

Bye.