1 00:00:00,630 --> 00:00:03,200 Hey, friend, welcome to another episode of the podcast. 2 00:00:03,270 --> 00:00:06,500 Whether you are watching or listening, whether you are in 3 00:00:06,510 --> 00:00:09,240 your car, in your home, we're glad that you're here and we 4 00:00:09,250 --> 00:00:12,880 hope that our conversations help you have your own conversations. 5 00:00:13,090 --> 00:00:14,920 We're jumping into the Rich young ruler. 6 00:00:14,930 --> 00:00:16,160 So we're working our way through Luke. 7 00:00:16,170 --> 00:00:18,580 We're in Luke 18 still. We're going to be here for one 8 00:00:18,590 --> 00:00:21,480 more week, one more week in 18 and then we'll be through. 9 00:00:21,490 --> 00:00:25,280 But rich young ruler comes to Jesus, asks Jesus this great 10 00:00:25,290 --> 00:00:27,430 question. What must I do to inherit 11 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,720 eternal life and then ends up going away sad. 12 00:00:30,790 --> 00:00:33,020 So that's the teaser at the story. 13 00:00:33,380 --> 00:00:35,870 Not a happy ending. Not a great ending for this 14 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,850 dude, but probably an honest ending. 15 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,370 And the in some ways air quotes here right ending. 16 00:00:42,380 --> 00:00:45,430 Like he walks away being confronted by Jesus and by the 17 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,370 gospel for what he holds near and dear to his heart, for what 18 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,490 you know, his his values are. And he approaches Jesus with one 19 00:00:53,500 --> 00:00:55,730 thing and with sort of his agenda. 20 00:00:55,740 --> 00:00:59,710 And Jesus turns it around and this guy goes away sad because 21 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,800 he realizes that he's got a surrender and laid down his 22 00:01:01,810 --> 00:01:04,599 agendas. So we got a lot of questions, 23 00:01:04,610 --> 00:01:06,520 which is great. So thank you for your questions. 24 00:01:06,530 --> 00:01:10,520 Those of you who sent questions and comments in, We're looking 25 00:01:10,530 --> 00:01:13,060 forward to this conversation. So Justin, take us away. 26 00:01:13,070 --> 00:01:15,120 Let's jump into these questions. Yeah. 27 00:01:15,130 --> 00:01:17,820 And, and maybe just even before that, I just had like a thought 28 00:01:17,830 --> 00:01:21,170 as we were, you know, as you were preaching and as as we were 29 00:01:21,180 --> 00:01:24,760 preparing for, for this morning, even of just like this reminder 30 00:01:24,770 --> 00:01:28,350 that, you know, so this ring you rung, you rich young ruler comes 31 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,580 to Jesus. And then, you know, Jesus lists 32 00:01:30,590 --> 00:01:33,240 off these 10 commandments or some of the 10 commandments 33 00:01:33,310 --> 00:01:34,530 which we're gonna get into in a SEC. 34 00:01:34,540 --> 00:01:37,230 Yeah. And then he's like, I've kept 35 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:38,690 all these, I've done all the things. 36 00:01:38,790 --> 00:01:40,930 And then Jesus, you know, what does he say? 37 00:01:40,940 --> 00:01:43,750 He says you still lack one thing. 38 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,930 And that's kind of been reverberating for me of like, 39 00:01:46,940 --> 00:01:49,730 and not in like a not in like a guilt and shame he kind of way, 40 00:01:49,740 --> 00:01:52,830 but just sort of like, hey, the journey's not done, right. 41 00:01:52,940 --> 00:01:57,770 That like when we think we have arrived and achieved, you know, 42 00:01:57,780 --> 00:02:02,920 the work of God, God doing heart work on us is not yet done. 43 00:02:02,930 --> 00:02:05,450 That was sort of like, are my big takeaways from yesterday is 44 00:02:05,460 --> 00:02:08,870 just like, like, even if I think I've gotten this one area of my 45 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:10,430 life sorted out, there's going to be another. 46 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:11,610 It's a little game of whack A mole. 47 00:02:11,660 --> 00:02:13,150 Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. 48 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,320 Yeah. I and I think, I think the, the 49 00:02:15,330 --> 00:02:17,490 thing that I want people to hear and know is like perfection 50 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:19,550 isn't the, like isn't the requirement. 51 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,730 And that's not sort of the, you know, one day you'll go to Jesus 52 00:02:22,740 --> 00:02:25,690 and go, hey, great, perfect question and perfect execution. 53 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,250 You figured it all out. Great job. 54 00:02:28,700 --> 00:02:30,730 You know, like that's not, that's not the end goal either. 55 00:02:30,740 --> 00:02:34,560 So, you know, I think we are all in a constant native approaching 56 00:02:34,570 --> 00:02:38,870 genius and having the gospel and what Jesus says confront our own 57 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:43,340 agendas and our own expectations and yeah, ways in which we are 58 00:02:43,350 --> 00:02:45,490 living that like that. That is you're right. 59 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:51,980 That is a a continual thing that we will well, that we will just 60 00:02:51,990 --> 00:02:55,090 experience all the way through until, as Paul says, we will, 61 00:02:55,100 --> 00:02:57,730 you know, one day see fully and be known fully. 62 00:02:57,740 --> 00:03:01,340 So yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it is a good reminder to 63 00:03:01,350 --> 00:03:02,980 all of us. And this is what I love about 64 00:03:02,990 --> 00:03:06,030 preaching is that, you know, it's a good reminder to me all 65 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,900 the time, which is great. Like that's just a fun place. 66 00:03:08,910 --> 00:03:14,270 To be, yeah, So on the note of the 10 commandments or some of 67 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,540 the 10 commandments that Jesus lists. 68 00:03:16,770 --> 00:03:23,640 So he comes to this man comes to Jesus, and he's like, what do I 69 00:03:23,650 --> 00:03:25,260 need to do to inherit turtle life? 70 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:30,260 And Jesus lists off you shall not commit adultery, you shall 71 00:03:30,270 --> 00:03:32,840 not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false 72 00:03:32,850 --> 00:03:34,760 testimony. Honor your father and your 73 00:03:34,770 --> 00:03:36,630 mother. So kind of like the I believe 74 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,000 it's the latter 5 of the of the 10 commandments, right? 75 00:03:40,010 --> 00:03:44,860 Is that correct? And he said, And then, you know, 76 00:03:44,870 --> 00:03:47,880 the guy is like, great, I've done that, you know, check Mark. 77 00:03:47,890 --> 00:03:48,620 No problem. I've done. 78 00:03:48,630 --> 00:03:49,960 I've kept all these since I was a boy. 79 00:03:50,030 --> 00:03:54,440 Yeah, there's something that I thought about and then I'll give 80 00:03:54,450 --> 00:03:57,650 credit to my wife Lindsey, who also then kind of expanded on 81 00:03:57,660 --> 00:04:00,480 that as we were talking during a car ride yesterday and just 82 00:04:00,490 --> 00:04:05,540 being like, hey, there's a lot of comments that he didn't 83 00:04:05,550 --> 00:04:08,780 mention, you know, and, and why, why is that? 84 00:04:08,790 --> 00:04:11,960 Why what's going on there? And, and it kind of felt like 85 00:04:12,310 --> 00:04:14,940 you could, you could make an argument if you read through the 86 00:04:14,950 --> 00:04:19,079 the first few 10 commandments that he might be guilty of some 87 00:04:19,089 --> 00:04:20,940 of those, right. And, you know, even thought 88 00:04:20,950 --> 00:04:24,180 about this man who had great wealth, you know, did this man 89 00:04:24,390 --> 00:04:28,230 keep Sabbath or did he skirt around keeping Sabbath so that 90 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,680 he could keep procuring wealth? You know, like there's like 91 00:04:30,690 --> 00:04:33,270 questions that come to mind that that I think are are, you know, 92 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:35,870 that that they're interesting for us to explore, but I know 93 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,140 that you have some other, you know, insight and thoughts as 94 00:04:38,150 --> 00:04:39,640 well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 95 00:04:39,650 --> 00:04:42,540 So, OK, I'm trying to think about the best like logical way 96 00:04:42,550 --> 00:04:45,720 to answer this and cover off some of the stuff that we didn't 97 00:04:45,730 --> 00:04:48,720 get to in the text, like in the sermon from from the text. 98 00:04:48,730 --> 00:04:52,940 So the the rich young ruler comes to Jesus and you're right. 99 00:04:52,950 --> 00:04:55,010 So he asked Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life? 100 00:04:55,020 --> 00:04:57,220 I actually want to back us up to the very beginning of his 101 00:04:57,230 --> 00:05:02,300 question because all throughout this passage, and this is what, 102 00:05:02,370 --> 00:05:05,300 you know, you just, you don't have time to go through every 103 00:05:05,370 --> 00:05:08,090 rabbit trail in the sermon. But all the way through this 104 00:05:08,100 --> 00:05:13,240 passage for a Jewish listener, there would be like alarm bells 105 00:05:13,250 --> 00:05:19,210 going off or signs kind of hinting at the answer all the 106 00:05:19,220 --> 00:05:21,280 way through as Jesus is speaking. 107 00:05:21,410 --> 00:05:25,100 And in English, we miss what's going on. 108 00:05:25,110 --> 00:05:28,050 But in, you know, it's still in Greek. 109 00:05:28,060 --> 00:05:31,020 Like if you read it in Greek, you're also missing some of it. 110 00:05:31,060 --> 00:05:35,040 There's cultural context. Yeah, so likely, you know, so 111 00:05:35,110 --> 00:05:41,680 let's say spoken in Aramaic based on Hebrew Scripture, Jesus 112 00:05:41,690 --> 00:05:45,900 has already hinted at something really, really profound here. 113 00:05:45,970 --> 00:05:49,500 So the rich young ruler comes to Jesus and he says, good teacher, 114 00:05:49,510 --> 00:05:51,220 what must I do to inherit eternal life? 115 00:05:51,230 --> 00:05:54,220 So he addresses GS good teacher. We're like, OK, fine, cool, 116 00:05:54,230 --> 00:05:55,780 whatever. Like maybe it's just sucking up 117 00:05:55,790 --> 00:05:57,330 to Jesus, right. Like maybe he's just trying to 118 00:05:57,340 --> 00:06:01,120 like, hey, I think you're good. And, you know, don't, don't get 119 00:06:01,130 --> 00:06:05,720 angry with me. You know, in, in Matthew, the 120 00:06:05,730 --> 00:06:08,120 the good is also like, what good thing must I do to inherit 121 00:06:08,130 --> 00:06:10,100 eternal life? So that the good there is kind 122 00:06:10,110 --> 00:06:11,540 of just moves. Yeah, yeah. 123 00:06:11,590 --> 00:06:16,220 But Jesus responds, Why do you call me good? 124 00:06:16,330 --> 00:06:19,980 No one is good except God alone. Which is very confusing. 125 00:06:19,990 --> 00:06:22,290 Right. So like, what is Jesus just 126 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:24,300 said? Yeah, So in English it reads 127 00:06:24,310 --> 00:06:27,640 like, has Jesus just said that he's not God? 128 00:06:27,710 --> 00:06:29,800 Like I can. You can see well how someone 129 00:06:29,810 --> 00:06:32,220 would walk away with that being a question. 130 00:06:32,230 --> 00:06:35,960 And Jesus is sometimes a like kind of skirts around that, you 131 00:06:35,970 --> 00:06:39,420 know, his nature in that way. So like that wouldn't be beyond 132 00:06:40,190 --> 00:06:42,970 that wouldn't be beyond Jesus, but like just for him to 133 00:06:43,030 --> 00:06:46,770 outright, you know, at least what you could assume or infer 134 00:06:46,780 --> 00:06:49,850 from this affirmative, right, kind of say, like I'm I'm not 135 00:06:49,860 --> 00:06:52,390 God, only God is good, right? You know exactly. 136 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,250 The opposite. That's exactly the opposite of 137 00:06:54,260 --> 00:06:58,150 what he saying right. So in in Hebrew what this is 138 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,530 meant to sound like and what is meant to reference for a Jewish 139 00:07:01,540 --> 00:07:05,460 year and listener is the Shamah hero Israel the Lord our God the 140 00:07:05,470 --> 00:07:09,670 Lord is 1 and so Jesus has just said the exact opposite. 141 00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:16,830 So we we hear the question and we separate Jesus and God and to 142 00:07:16,930 --> 00:07:21,870 Jewish listener Jesus question has just stated they would be 143 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,180 they would like this is a reference to the Shima here is 144 00:07:24,190 --> 00:07:31,950 there the Lord our God, the Lord is 1 and that one and good is 145 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:38,880 meant to say to this man. No, Jesus is stating that he is 146 00:07:38,890 --> 00:07:44,300 God here. And so it's also so it, it, 147 00:07:44,570 --> 00:07:47,980 he's, he's not saying in any way like no one is good except God 148 00:07:47,990 --> 00:07:49,780 alone. And I, you know, I'm a human. 149 00:07:49,790 --> 00:07:54,960 Like what he is saying is you by your own admission, have just 150 00:07:54,970 --> 00:08:00,510 named me like you know that God alone, God is 1 God is good. 151 00:08:01,340 --> 00:08:05,840 And so for you to say that you are naming me God and you are 152 00:08:05,850 --> 00:08:07,910 naming by naming me good, you are naming me God. 153 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:13,300 So He he Jesus has already started to push against some of 154 00:08:13,310 --> 00:08:18,640 this guys like expectations that he's bringing to this 155 00:08:18,650 --> 00:08:24,720 conversation and and the alarm bells should be going off from 156 00:08:24,730 --> 00:08:32,070 the very beginning when Jesus starts down this now list of of 157 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,120 commandments. So. 158 00:08:33,909 --> 00:08:36,270 Yeah, it was. Is he just sort of treating him 159 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,500 like a like a rabbi? Is that like when you're good 160 00:08:39,510 --> 00:08:40,880 teacher? Is that sort of like what he's 161 00:08:40,890 --> 00:08:41,890 trying to do? Yeah, I think so. 162 00:08:41,900 --> 00:08:45,010 Like this is a common question posed to Jewish teachers like 163 00:08:45,020 --> 00:08:46,010 the rabbis. Yeah. 164 00:08:46,100 --> 00:08:49,470 OK. But you know, there is there's 165 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:55,630 the good teacher is a it's an odd address. 166 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:59,810 So that that that is not a typical address to a rabbi. 167 00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:03,030 So something is going on here. So for this man to come and say 168 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,200 good teacher, that's not a we hear that as like a sure, it's 169 00:09:07,210 --> 00:09:09,650 maybe a typical address. It's not it's not that wouldn't 170 00:09:09,660 --> 00:09:11,350 have been a common address. So something different is 171 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:12,840 happening. There is something subtly 172 00:09:12,850 --> 00:09:15,240 different I. Don't refer to you as good 173 00:09:15,250 --> 00:09:17,750 pastor or you know that would be. 174 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:18,600 Weird. That would be weird. 175 00:09:18,670 --> 00:09:21,500 So what are you trying to get? What are you trying to like? 176 00:09:21,510 --> 00:09:22,740 What you trying to convince? So. 177 00:09:23,730 --> 00:09:25,720 So we've got this guy, he's come to Jesus. 178 00:09:25,730 --> 00:09:28,700 He's a good teacher. Jesus has just reminded him of 179 00:09:28,710 --> 00:09:32,440 the Shamah like he's reminded him. 180 00:09:32,540 --> 00:09:38,140 Uh, and then flips into these like, why do you call me good? 181 00:09:38,150 --> 00:09:44,030 No one is good except for God. Like remember and now you know 182 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:45,920 the commandments do not commit adultery, right? 183 00:09:46,970 --> 00:09:50,090 Do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness and on 184 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:52,760 your father, mother. So those five now to get the 185 00:09:52,770 --> 00:09:57,060 heart like the like the heart of this question is why these 5. 186 00:09:57,940 --> 00:10:05,380 So Jesus is inferring, I think to this man all of the 187 00:10:05,390 --> 00:10:11,260 commandments by listing these five O again in in Jesus's day, 188 00:10:11,330 --> 00:10:16,560 it was commonly understood that these five in order to keep 189 00:10:16,570 --> 00:10:20,400 these five commandments, you would also necessarily be 190 00:10:20,410 --> 00:10:23,440 keeping the 1st 5. So when you flip over to Exodus 191 00:10:23,450 --> 00:10:29,110 20 and you read the commandments, it begins. 192 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,710 God spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord your God, 193 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,350 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the House of 194 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:36,670 slavery. You shall have no other gods 195 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:38,770 before me. And in many ways, Jesus has 196 00:10:38,780 --> 00:10:42,480 started his answer in a very similar fashion, right? 197 00:10:42,610 --> 00:10:44,620 Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 198 00:10:45,370 --> 00:10:50,580 I'm the Lord your God, and then he goes into the in the 199 00:10:50,590 --> 00:10:52,460 commandments in Exodus 20. You shall have no other gods 200 00:10:52,470 --> 00:10:54,370 before me. You shall not make yourselves 201 00:10:54,380 --> 00:10:57,670 carved images or any likeness of anything that is heaven above 202 00:10:57,740 --> 00:10:59,850 the earth beneath. So no graven images. 203 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:01,630 You shall not bow down to them or serve them. 204 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,410 Do not worship them right. I'm the Lord your God. 205 00:11:03,420 --> 00:11:07,170 I'm a jealous God. And so he continues through. 206 00:11:07,180 --> 00:11:10,630 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 207 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:16,380 Remember the Sabbath, keep it holy and then you can you know, 208 00:11:16,390 --> 00:11:18,760 you can read through all of all of the commandments. 209 00:11:18,770 --> 00:11:24,840 So in in Jesus day it was commonly understood that you by 210 00:11:24,850 --> 00:11:30,830 keeping the 2nd 5 which are much more outwardly facing, it is you 211 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:35,270 are representing 2 people that you respect and honor and keep 212 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:40,430 the 1st 5 which are internally facing or they face toward God 213 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,590 but have much more to do with your inner life, right? 214 00:11:43,660 --> 00:11:49,140 So you know, first one, you should have no other gods before 215 00:11:49,150 --> 00:11:51,660 me. How do you demonstrate that? 216 00:11:52,590 --> 00:11:55,890 Right? So you demonstrate it by keeping 217 00:11:55,900 --> 00:11:59,660 the 2nd 5 outwardly toward the world and toward other people. 218 00:12:00,770 --> 00:12:04,880 So what what the implication here is? 219 00:12:05,190 --> 00:12:08,100 And I think I stumbled up. I didn't check this, but I think 220 00:12:08,110 --> 00:12:11,100 I stumbled on this through. So it's actually Matthews 221 00:12:11,110 --> 00:12:14,400 telling of it and Matthew 19. And Stanley Hauerwas has a great 222 00:12:14,410 --> 00:12:17,110 Matthew commentary. I think he talks about it, but 223 00:12:17,190 --> 00:12:20,020 it was in one of the Matthew commentaries on the same passage 224 00:12:20,130 --> 00:12:24,360 that that goes into the idea that that what Jesus is doing is 225 00:12:24,370 --> 00:12:30,160 pressing on this guy's heart, right? 226 00:12:30,170 --> 00:12:35,830 So, so he is saying to this rich young ruler by asking him or by 227 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,390 telling him, reminding him that he must keep the second five. 228 00:12:39,460 --> 00:12:44,050 What he's really saying is you have to keep the first five. 229 00:12:44,100 --> 00:12:45,970 Your heart needs to be in the right place. 230 00:12:46,380 --> 00:12:50,990 So he lists these five outward facing commandments because for 231 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,590 all of the listeners, those five outward facing commandments 232 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,270 represent to the world whether your heart is in the right place 233 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,020 or not. And so he said, yeah, sure, I've 234 00:13:01,030 --> 00:13:04,470 done all the things he's indicating to Jesus. 235 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,380 My heart's in the right place. And then Jesus takes it one step 236 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:12,370 deeper or further and says you still lack one thing. 237 00:13:12,460 --> 00:13:16,150 What he's really saying to him is your heart is not in the 238 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:21,210 right place, and I'm going to reveal to you what your heart 239 00:13:21,220 --> 00:13:24,050 really values. Go and sell all of the wealth 240 00:13:24,060 --> 00:13:26,790 that you've amassed and accumulated and then come and 241 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,470 follow me. And so this guy's living, he's 242 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,710 so the, the, the Jewish, the rich young man, he's, he's 243 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,330 living with this kind of mathematical equation to life. 244 00:13:35,340 --> 00:13:39,570 If I keep these five, if I keep these outward 5, then that shows 245 00:13:39,580 --> 00:13:44,970 to the world that I'm, I'm a law observing Jew and I've kept the 246 00:13:44,980 --> 00:13:48,770 first five. And by demonstrating these five 247 00:13:48,780 --> 00:13:51,610 to Jesus, I'm showing Jesus that my heart is in the right place 248 00:13:51,900 --> 00:13:56,050 and I'm worthy and deserving of being called a disciple and of 249 00:13:56,140 --> 00:14:00,420 inheriting eternal life. It's, it's almost, I mean, it's 250 00:14:00,430 --> 00:14:04,520 reminiscent of, of the way that the Pharisees have often been 251 00:14:04,530 --> 00:14:07,730 approaching their faith, which is a little transactional, a 252 00:14:07,740 --> 00:14:11,190 little bit like, OK, let me make sure I followed the rules to AT 253 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:14,290 and, and you know, the transactional in a way. 254 00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:17,070 Yeah, it's an academic. It's an academic endeavor, 255 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:18,690 right? Like even the question, what 256 00:14:18,700 --> 00:14:21,950 must I do to inherit eternal life is just a good question to 257 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,570 be batted around for fun. Like, you know, with no real 258 00:14:25,580 --> 00:14:28,470 world consequences and Jesus saying, no, there's real world 259 00:14:28,540 --> 00:14:30,700 consequences. And I'm going to start to reveal 260 00:14:30,710 --> 00:14:35,480 to you where, you know, if you think it's A + B = C all the 261 00:14:35,490 --> 00:14:38,960 time, like you're missing something in that simple 262 00:14:38,970 --> 00:14:40,100 equation. Yeah. 263 00:14:40,170 --> 00:14:42,640 And so. So like I said, like this, the 264 00:14:42,650 --> 00:14:47,350 rich young ruler comes to Jesus and he says, Hey, I've done all 265 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,060 these things. Let me show you how good my 266 00:14:50,070 --> 00:14:52,570 heart is. It's almost like the second you 267 00:14:52,580 --> 00:14:55,330 start to talk about how humble you are, you're not humble any 268 00:14:55,340 --> 00:14:59,510 longer, right? And, and Jesus presses him and 269 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,390 says, no, your, your heart is still not in the right place. 270 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,070 And I can see it because of your allegiance to these things. 271 00:15:06,250 --> 00:15:11,240 So, uh, yeah, Why those five? It's because Jesus is using them 272 00:15:11,430 --> 00:15:17,100 as like this rhetorical move to reveal to the man that his heart 273 00:15:17,110 --> 00:15:21,420 is not in the right place the way he assumes it is because 274 00:15:21,430 --> 00:15:24,390 he's done the right things. That's good. 275 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,200 That's good. I, I think, I think we have 276 00:15:26,210 --> 00:15:28,590 these, I think we still, like, I think we still have these in the 277 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,490 church. So I, I kind of subtly hinted at 278 00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:33,330 a few. Like, I think you go to church 279 00:15:33,340 --> 00:15:35,000 on Sunday. Oh, my heart's in the right 280 00:15:35,010 --> 00:15:37,980 place. I serve all my hearts in the 281 00:15:37,990 --> 00:15:40,610 right place. Like I volunteer, I show up, I 282 00:15:40,620 --> 00:15:43,230 tithe. Like, I think we've recreated 283 00:15:43,300 --> 00:15:46,970 these, you know, externally facing 10 commandments for 284 00:15:46,980 --> 00:15:51,270 ourselves as Christians in 2026. Like, you know, I think it's 285 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,750 very easy to fall into the same trap of thinking well by my 286 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,500 outward habits because they do listen. 287 00:15:57,510 --> 00:16:00,530 Like your outward habits form and shape your heart and your 288 00:16:00,540 --> 00:16:01,660 mind. Absolutely. 289 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:06,690 But you know, I think we live this base understanding that, 290 00:16:07,060 --> 00:16:09,390 OK, if I do all the right things, then that must mean that 291 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:14,040 my hearts in the right place. And maybe it is and maybe it 292 00:16:14,050 --> 00:16:17,200 isn't, but it's not simply because you do the right thing 293 00:16:17,210 --> 00:16:18,830 and and that's what Jesus wants this guy. 294 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,720 So, so there I could imagine a situation where somebody comes 295 00:16:21,730 --> 00:16:23,680 to Jesus and says, yeah, I do all the, I've done all these 296 00:16:23,690 --> 00:16:26,590 five and just says, OK, great, you're your heart is actually in 297 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,400 the right place because everything else is surrendered. 298 00:16:31,370 --> 00:16:32,860 But that's not the case for this guy. 299 00:16:33,170 --> 00:16:35,980 And probably not for most of us. I mean, I think that we can 300 00:16:36,190 --> 00:16:40,860 always find even just like internal motivations that are 301 00:16:40,870 --> 00:16:46,560 are not pure, right? That that even the most moral, 302 00:16:46,610 --> 00:16:53,720 upright, ethical person in the world is still going to miss the 303 00:16:53,730 --> 00:16:56,320 mark in some way, which I think is again, that's you. 304 00:16:56,330 --> 00:16:58,760 You touched on that like that. This is this is our need for 305 00:16:58,770 --> 00:17:02,830 Jesus, right? You know, even like there's 306 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,050 this, there's a show that was around, you know, while back 307 00:17:06,060 --> 00:17:08,339 called The Good Place that kind of dealt with a lot of like 308 00:17:08,349 --> 00:17:10,819 philosophical existential stuff. But there's this one episode 309 00:17:10,829 --> 00:17:13,810 that always sticks out to that sticks out for me that they talk 310 00:17:13,819 --> 00:17:17,660 about like this moral ethical quandary of like you don't, you 311 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:19,230 know, the rabbit hole like a like a tomato. 312 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,010 OK, well, where where did this tomato come from? 313 00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:23,369 Where was it grown? Was it harvested ethically by 314 00:17:23,380 --> 00:17:26,710 the right people? Where, you know, like, was it, 315 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,110 was it brought here in gas? Because, oh boy, that's, you 316 00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:31,030 know, that could be ruining the planet, right? 317 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,170 So you get on this rabbit hole of like every single choice make 318 00:17:34,180 --> 00:17:36,710 like reverberates with 1000 different ways. 319 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,540 And so, like, I had like a little bit of an existential 320 00:17:39,550 --> 00:17:42,040 crisis after that episode of like, thinking through every 321 00:17:42,050 --> 00:17:46,130 single life choice, right? So we see you growing tomatoes 322 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,410 in your front yard this year. That's why backyard, but yes, OK 323 00:17:50,750 --> 00:17:54,080 and and that's my wife and daughter. 324 00:17:54,090 --> 00:17:57,550 That's that's their job to do. I I have a strict rule that they 325 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,330 grow, I cook. That's that's the plan. 326 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:07,090 So, yeah, sorry we got a little sidetrack there, but I think 327 00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:12,580 there's just like this idea of like, yeah, we we can all, we 328 00:18:12,590 --> 00:18:17,570 can all suppose some degree of, of morality and ethics and, and 329 00:18:17,580 --> 00:18:21,680 still Jesus can still say there's still something you 330 00:18:21,690 --> 00:18:23,150 lack. Yeah, yeah. 331 00:18:23,220 --> 00:18:28,190 And so I think that's the one of the honest questions maybe to 332 00:18:28,250 --> 00:18:32,680 pray through is, is to ask Jesus to start to show you the thing 333 00:18:32,690 --> 00:18:34,430 that you lack. It's hard. 334 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:36,280 So here's here's the thing, like here's you start to have 335 00:18:36,290 --> 00:18:40,430 sympathy for this dude, right? Like he he has, and I said this 336 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,050 in the sermon, he's probably spent his entire life trying to 337 00:18:43,060 --> 00:18:47,480 be the right kind of person and trying to do the right things 338 00:18:47,490 --> 00:18:50,130 and trying to be righteous and trying to be successful and 339 00:18:50,140 --> 00:18:54,390 trying to be, you know, a quote, good person. 340 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:59,680 And you know, he still, Jesus says to him, you still lack one 341 00:18:59,690 --> 00:19:01,210 thing. You're like, oh man, like poor 342 00:19:01,220 --> 00:19:04,590 guy like you. We all have blind spots that we 343 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,070 can't see and you can't see them until somebody reveals them to 344 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:11,180 you and show like presses and actually says, Hey, this is the 345 00:19:11,190 --> 00:19:14,220 blind spot. Now, then at that point, there's 346 00:19:14,230 --> 00:19:17,630 a whole lot of work to do, which looks to me like he's unwilling 347 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:19,030 to do. We don't know. 348 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:20,940 Here's the other. Here's the other thing about 349 00:19:20,950 --> 00:19:26,250 this this whole passage that I say scares me, but like is just 350 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,430 quite interesting. We don't know really what 351 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,530 happens to this guy. He just goes away sad and that's 352 00:19:31,540 --> 00:19:33,070 all we. Know maybe he goes and thinks 353 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:34,430 about it. Who knows? 354 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,440 Who knows, right? And so it's not there. 355 00:19:36,450 --> 00:19:38,860 All we do know is that he goes away sad because he had great 356 00:19:38,870 --> 00:19:42,310 wealth. Um, and so it's it's yeah. 357 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:43,410 Did he wrestle it out? Did he not? 358 00:19:43,420 --> 00:19:45,530 Probably not because it's not there. 359 00:19:45,540 --> 00:19:48,110 But, you know, we just never hear of him again. 360 00:19:48,300 --> 00:19:51,250 He's got this great opportunity in question to really confront 361 00:19:51,260 --> 00:19:53,590 some things in his life. He doesn't do it. 362 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:55,750 And so I think, you know, we need to ask and. 363 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,650 And one of the questions that people can actually practically 364 00:19:58,660 --> 00:20:00,710 take away, I think, from this episode is. 365 00:20:02,290 --> 00:20:05,520 You know, where are you going to carve out time to ask Jesus to 366 00:20:05,530 --> 00:20:07,390 start to reveal the thing to you that you lack? 367 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,270 What is the what's the one thing that you lack? 368 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,500 What is the thing that you are still lacking in this moment? 369 00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:14,080 Which is super vulnerable and challenging. 370 00:20:14,090 --> 00:20:17,680 And I think that it like that's like work to do you and, you 371 00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:21,780 know, you and Jesus and also you and community, because sometimes 372 00:20:21,850 --> 00:20:25,180 Jesus may reveal the thing and then that can get confirmed by, 373 00:20:25,270 --> 00:20:30,700 you know, by community. Yeah, OK, we're good with that. 374 00:20:31,390 --> 00:20:36,500 I mean, not good with it, but you know, so is continuing on in 375 00:20:36,510 --> 00:20:37,780 the text. I want to kind of go like 376 00:20:37,790 --> 00:20:39,370 chronologically. And then maybe toward the end, 377 00:20:39,380 --> 00:20:43,050 we'll circle all the way back to the, the, the beginning of the 378 00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:44,940 passage, which is like the little children. 379 00:20:45,230 --> 00:20:49,640 But so Jesus talks about how hard it is for the rich gene of 380 00:20:49,650 --> 00:20:51,880 the Kingdom of God. And, and then they're like, 381 00:20:51,890 --> 00:20:53,510 well, how can anyone be saved then? 382 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,440 And Jesus says what is impossible with man is possible 383 00:20:56,450 --> 00:21:00,790 with God, which just reminds us that like, hey, like we all lack 384 00:21:00,940 --> 00:21:04,420 a thing. This man, this man lacked the 385 00:21:04,430 --> 00:21:07,160 ability to, you know, this, this, this hold on him. 386 00:21:07,170 --> 00:21:08,940 We all have things that have a hold on us. 387 00:21:09,010 --> 00:21:13,000 We need God's grace, and that is the only way we are going to 388 00:21:13,010 --> 00:21:16,790 enter into the Kingdom. And then Peter says it's kind of 389 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,660 like this little random ending. Yeah. 390 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:20,650 He's like, we've left all that. We have to follow you. 391 00:21:20,660 --> 00:21:22,090 So he's like, we we did the thing. 392 00:21:22,180 --> 00:21:25,090 We did the thing that that this man was unwilling to do. 393 00:21:27,070 --> 00:21:30,440 And then Jesus says, truly, I tell you, no one who has left 394 00:21:30,450 --> 00:21:33,380 home or wife or brother or sister or parents or children 395 00:21:33,390 --> 00:21:35,900 for the sake of the Kingdom of God will fail to receive many 396 00:21:35,910 --> 00:21:40,880 times as much in this age and in the age to come eternal life. 397 00:21:41,030 --> 00:21:47,260 So kind of weird, like what, what does that mean? 398 00:21:47,310 --> 00:21:51,640 What is, is Jesus encouraging us to, to leave our families to, 399 00:21:51,750 --> 00:21:53,840 to, to do the work of the Kingdom? 400 00:21:54,790 --> 00:21:58,520 And, and will if I, if I, if I leave my family for the Kingdom, 401 00:21:59,190 --> 00:22:03,980 will I get, will I get more back monetarily? 402 00:22:04,590 --> 00:22:06,940 Like what? What's what's happening here? 403 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,900 Yeah, no, I think the. Can you just just say no to 404 00:22:09,910 --> 00:22:12,540 that? The take away is no, don't, 405 00:22:12,550 --> 00:22:16,890 don't do that. Yeah, I, you know, I think, I 406 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:20,030 think very, very rarely would that be the case, right? 407 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:23,370 Is, is that never the case? No, I'm not, I'm not gonna say 408 00:22:23,380 --> 00:22:26,790 that, but that that's not the point of this, this passage 409 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,190 here. So Jesus isn't giving us like 410 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,630 this prescription for how to live the best disciple life 411 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,190 possible. You know, he's not saying yeah, 412 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:40,170 he's not saying leave your family in, in that, in that way. 413 00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:45,640 I think what he is saying is to a group of people who have left 414 00:22:45,650 --> 00:22:49,530 everything to follow Jesus, it's going to be OK for you. 415 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,350 Like, like I, I actually, you know, I, I can't again, can't 416 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:58,130 remember where, where I read this, but I, I think that this 417 00:22:58,140 --> 00:23:01,670 is in some ways like the most pastoral response that she could 418 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,220 have for his own disciples because. 419 00:23:04,230 --> 00:23:06,360 Because they have. Left, they have left everything 420 00:23:06,370 --> 00:23:09,030 absolutely. And so, you know, in some way. 421 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:14,340 So I think to a couple things are happening. 1 Peter asked 422 00:23:14,350 --> 00:23:16,520 this question and he says see like we've left our homes and 423 00:23:16,530 --> 00:23:17,890 followed you. I almost think Peter is having 424 00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:20,390 this like existential crisis, right? 425 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,150 He's like, we've we've done the thing. 426 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,590 Hmm. And you've just said impossible 427 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:30,030 for man, possible for God, Like we've done this. 428 00:23:30,140 --> 00:23:32,180 Help us understand what's happening. 429 00:23:32,190 --> 00:23:33,930 Like, is it gonna be OK? Like, are we good? 430 00:23:33,940 --> 00:23:35,250 Yeah. And I think she's saying, hey, 431 00:23:35,260 --> 00:23:38,160 don't worry, Peter. Like, you know, you, you, you 432 00:23:38,170 --> 00:23:40,270 are obedient and you are responding. 433 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:44,460 And there will be reward and implication for that, right? 434 00:23:44,470 --> 00:23:48,070 Like there, there. That will not be for not. 435 00:23:48,140 --> 00:23:51,890 It will not amount to nothing. So I do think it's a pastoral 436 00:23:51,900 --> 00:23:56,050 response that Jesus is turning toward Peter and the disciples 437 00:23:56,060 --> 00:24:00,040 to say, yeah, that you have and that's a decision that's worth 438 00:24:00,050 --> 00:24:02,600 honoring and that's a decision that is worthwhile. 439 00:24:02,710 --> 00:24:05,070 And that is a a decision that's going to lead to our life. 440 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:06,680 Like these are guys who left their livelihoods. 441 00:24:06,690 --> 00:24:08,780 They left there their profession. 442 00:24:08,870 --> 00:24:12,320 They walked away, some of them from their father in a boat and 443 00:24:12,330 --> 00:24:14,160 followed Jesus. They are actually doing the 444 00:24:14,170 --> 00:24:16,500 thing. And sometimes Jesus response to 445 00:24:16,510 --> 00:24:21,220 the disciples need to be read in light of their immediate life, 446 00:24:21,290 --> 00:24:24,720 like what is actually happening immediately for them. 447 00:24:24,790 --> 00:24:26,320 And I think that this is one of them. 448 00:24:26,330 --> 00:24:31,740 Now, as I say, 2 two things. So that's number one #2 I do 449 00:24:31,750 --> 00:24:35,420 think that Jesus is highlighting the difference between the rich 450 00:24:35,430 --> 00:24:38,310 young man and the disciples. So he's saying truly, he's 451 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:42,690 saying, yes, you are right. You have left and you have 452 00:24:42,700 --> 00:24:47,390 sacrificed and you have given and walked away from for the 453 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,330 sake of the Kingdom. And that's what it does take. 454 00:24:50,380 --> 00:24:53,160 Hmm. So I, I think that both of those 455 00:24:53,170 --> 00:24:54,860 things can be true. I think that this is a pastoral 456 00:24:54,870 --> 00:24:57,010 response for for Peter and for the disciples. 457 00:24:57,360 --> 00:25:00,980 And I think that Jesus is really pressing the fact that this rich 458 00:25:00,990 --> 00:25:04,890 young man is. It's not that what Jesus has 459 00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:11,430 asked him to do is impossible in the sense that nobody has done 460 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,270 it. Like the rich young man is not 461 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:16,590 being asked to walk away from anything different than what the 462 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:18,320 disciples have already walked away from. 463 00:25:18,370 --> 00:25:20,520 Yeah. And so I think Jesus does want 464 00:25:20,530 --> 00:25:23,810 to press on the fact that you know, don't don't make it sound 465 00:25:23,820 --> 00:25:32,550 like I've given you this, this completely impossible task to do 466 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:38,900 to respond to that should make you walk away sad that even more 467 00:25:38,910 --> 00:25:41,300 so is revealing what's going on in your heart. 468 00:25:41,370 --> 00:25:44,600 So the the response to just so if you know, if your response to 469 00:25:44,610 --> 00:25:50,230 this is say, well, you know what you are asking of me is too 470 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:55,930 much. Therefore what you are asking 471 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,240 doesn't matter, I'm going to completely abandon the thing. 472 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,450 I think that this response is also for you because Jesus is 473 00:26:01,460 --> 00:26:05,990 pointing out no, the disciples have done this, you have just is 474 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,630 is really affirming them. He's saying, yes, you have and 475 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,210 it's that is a sacrifice. And it is not easy, but it is 476 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:18,490 doable in the not in the sense of salvation, because what he's 477 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:22,350 saying very clearly is in the grand scheme of salvation, this 478 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:27,230 is impossible for you to earn. Yes, But what is possible is 479 00:26:27,300 --> 00:26:30,150 your obedience. What is possible is for you to 480 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,750 respond. What is possible is for you to 481 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:37,770 surrender all of the things of your life that you would really 482 00:26:37,780 --> 00:26:40,450 rather hold on to. What is possible is for you to 483 00:26:40,460 --> 00:26:44,030 say sure, Jesus, you, you get in getting my full allegiance. 484 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:48,840 You, you get my finances, right? You get all the things that I've 485 00:26:48,850 --> 00:26:54,150 amassed, they're yours. So, you know, I think he is. 486 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:59,750 He's pointing out just how in some ways foolish the rich young 487 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,370 man is. And again, like you got to have 488 00:27:02,380 --> 00:27:07,820 sympathy for this guy. Um, but really, like what this 489 00:27:07,830 --> 00:27:12,110 story is revealing is that he is choosing to walk away from a 490 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:17,330 life following Jesus for the sake of his wealth. 491 00:27:18,270 --> 00:27:22,550 And man, that's that's a conversation for 2026. 492 00:27:22,950 --> 00:27:28,280 Like it's sobering and also it's like it's, we're in this, you 493 00:27:28,290 --> 00:27:31,440 know, you mentioned our, our year like, and, and it's, it's a 494 00:27:31,450 --> 00:27:35,860 challenging situation where in, in the West there is this, it 495 00:27:35,870 --> 00:27:43,260 increasing feeling of scarcity because, you know, prices have 496 00:27:43,270 --> 00:27:46,060 been driven up, you know, gas, although gas price was a little 497 00:27:46,070 --> 00:27:49,660 cheaper in the past couple days, but gas prices are super high. 498 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,780 The cost of living is, is, has skyrocketed over the past, say 499 00:27:54,790 --> 00:27:58,940 five years, you know, and so there is this sense of, of 500 00:27:58,950 --> 00:28:05,690 scarcity that I hear from some people that I think would maybe 501 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:12,090 have people not identify with this rich young ruler in some 502 00:28:12,100 --> 00:28:14,770 way. And yet I, I think I want to 503 00:28:14,780 --> 00:28:20,490 temper that by also saying like, and yet we are still so far 504 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:25,090 beyond wealthy compared to so many other parts of the world. 505 00:28:25,140 --> 00:28:28,610 And so like, it's this, this double edged sword of like, man, 506 00:28:28,620 --> 00:28:30,390 people, people aren't feeling rich. 507 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,210 A lot of people aren't feeling rich right now. 508 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,810 Yeah, Yeah. I think the same thing for money 509 00:28:35,820 --> 00:28:41,650 goes as does pride. So, you know, I, I think that 510 00:28:41,700 --> 00:28:44,370 you can have. So pride can be an issue for 511 00:28:44,380 --> 00:28:46,010 you. Yeah. 512 00:28:46,020 --> 00:28:49,170 Because you think 2 for everyone, but because you think 513 00:28:49,180 --> 00:28:52,590 too highly of yourself, it can also be an issue when you think 514 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,010 too lowly of yourself because at the end of the day, you're still 515 00:28:55,020 --> 00:28:57,530 making everything about you. Yeah. 516 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,630 Yeah. And I think that when it comes 517 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,710 to money, everything can be about money, whether you have 518 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:04,480 too much of it or too little of it. 519 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,990 And, you know, admittedly, it's, you know, a harder life maybe to 520 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,450 live when you have too little of it. 521 00:29:13,020 --> 00:29:15,650 But I think that your allegiance can still be to something that 522 00:29:15,660 --> 00:29:17,980 you lack. Right? 523 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:21,930 So like the like stereotypical American dream started with 524 00:29:21,940 --> 00:29:26,560 nothing and make everything, well, money's the idle when you 525 00:29:26,570 --> 00:29:29,100 have $0.00 and money's the idle when you have a million or 2 526 00:29:29,110 --> 00:29:30,660 million or 10 million or billion. 527 00:29:30,750 --> 00:29:32,450 Like, it doesn't the the amount doesn't matter. 528 00:29:33,390 --> 00:29:36,690 I think the allegiance matters and I don't necessarily think 529 00:29:36,700 --> 00:29:38,550 that the amount mattered to this guy. 530 00:29:39,460 --> 00:29:42,070 I don't matter to him. I don't think that the amount 531 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,610 necessarily matters in terms of the implication of the story 532 00:29:45,980 --> 00:29:50,210 other than to say he's he goes away very sad because he's very 533 00:29:50,220 --> 00:29:54,190 wealthy. So it's just exemplifying his 534 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:59,390 love of money, right? And but I, I think that the 535 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,850 warning that I would give to people and to myself like this 536 00:30:01,860 --> 00:30:03,490 is the warning that we all need to wrestle with. 537 00:30:03,500 --> 00:30:07,820 Is that the thing? The thing that you, the thing 538 00:30:07,830 --> 00:30:12,560 that you fear you lack, can also become an idol and worshiped in 539 00:30:12,570 --> 00:30:15,250 the same way as someone who has too much of the thing. 540 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,600 Yeah. And so that like at the end of 541 00:30:19,610 --> 00:30:24,220 the day, that's the danger of of money. 542 00:30:25,550 --> 00:30:28,860 Same with a whole lot of other things, right? 543 00:30:29,470 --> 00:30:33,880 You know you can. Ah man, you can idolize 544 00:30:33,930 --> 00:30:37,290 marriage. Marriage can be your idol while 545 00:30:37,300 --> 00:30:41,270 you're still single. Yes, And very often is, right. 546 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,160 But it's like, it's the thing. It's the thing that's gonna make 547 00:30:43,170 --> 00:30:45,000 me happy. Family, kids, having kids. 548 00:30:45,010 --> 00:30:46,360 It's the thing that's gonna make me happy. 549 00:30:46,370 --> 00:30:48,600 It's the thing that I'm gonna find fulfillment finally, my 550 00:30:48,610 --> 00:30:52,170 life, like I will have made it. And then you get there, and it 551 00:30:52,180 --> 00:30:55,740 can be the thing that you idolize when you have it. 552 00:30:55,790 --> 00:31:00,510 Yeah. So yeah, like this is the danger 553 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:04,420 with idols is that you don't have to have it for it to be the 554 00:31:04,430 --> 00:31:07,060 idol like. And and as you're using that 555 00:31:07,070 --> 00:31:09,720 word, I'm just reminded of, you know, going back all the way 10 556 00:31:09,730 --> 00:31:13,960 commandments, like, hey, you know, this guy again revealing 557 00:31:13,970 --> 00:31:17,710 of his heart that his heart was not fully following those first 558 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,460 few commandments. Yeah. 559 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:24,820 OK, so one final turn here. So you know, the this story is, 560 00:31:24,830 --> 00:31:30,610 you know, largely about this, this Richmond, you rich young 561 00:31:30,620 --> 00:31:32,370 ruler. It's a bit of a tongue twister, 562 00:31:33,620 --> 00:31:38,010 but as you said, in all the Synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark 563 00:31:38,020 --> 00:31:42,470 and Luke, it's paired with this story of the little children 564 00:31:42,540 --> 00:31:45,160 coming to Jesus. And one of the questions that 565 00:31:45,170 --> 00:31:47,130 that came out, it's a beautiful story. 566 00:31:47,140 --> 00:31:49,010 It's you know, it's it's it's lovely. 567 00:31:49,020 --> 00:31:50,880 I mean, yeah, you're right. You can sentimental 568 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,530 sentimentalize it a little bit. But like so good question came 569 00:31:54,540 --> 00:32:02,890 in about what is being childlike in God's eyes besides 570 00:32:02,900 --> 00:32:05,430 acknowledging our dependence. So in the passage, Jesus says 571 00:32:05,890 --> 00:32:08,290 the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these children don't 572 00:32:08,300 --> 00:32:12,130 hinder them from coming to me. Anyone who will not receive the 573 00:32:12,140 --> 00:32:15,710 Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. 574 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:22,790 And So what does what does a childlike faith look like? 575 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,810 You know, I can't imagine it would just be like liability 576 00:32:26,820 --> 00:32:31,540 because I think I, I have a I I bristle at that of like, I I 577 00:32:31,550 --> 00:32:34,570 don't want a naive faith. I want to deep faith. 578 00:32:35,530 --> 00:32:39,640 And yet there is also like this desire for like a a childlike 579 00:32:39,650 --> 00:32:41,800 faith as well. That just that that believes 580 00:32:41,810 --> 00:32:45,370 that trusts that is dependent on Yeah, I don't. 581 00:32:45,380 --> 00:32:50,690 Know yeah so so ironically like all of the the for all the 582 00:32:50,700 --> 00:32:54,740 reasons that we sentimentalized children and faith I think what 583 00:32:54,750 --> 00:32:59,450 we're seeing is the best qualities that we in some ways 584 00:32:59,460 --> 00:33:02,380 are jealous of this is the interesting thing about life 585 00:33:02,390 --> 00:33:04,140 man. Like when you're a kid, all you 586 00:33:04,150 --> 00:33:05,770 want to be is an adult and then you're adult. 587 00:33:05,780 --> 00:33:07,950 You're like, man, all I wanna be is a kid again, right? 588 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:11,980 Like we just, we have this funny relationship between stages of 589 00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:14,960 life. But I do think that all of the 590 00:33:14,970 --> 00:33:20,660 reasons why we sentimentalize childlike faith are still true. 591 00:33:20,730 --> 00:33:25,580 Like there are, there are many good qualities about the way a 592 00:33:25,590 --> 00:33:31,050 kid looks at the world with wonder and excitement and 593 00:33:31,060 --> 00:33:36,790 curiosity and openness to what could be that are good. 594 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,990 I think that the danger is we leave it at that level. 595 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:43,610 So you what? What I really wanted to push on 596 00:33:43,620 --> 00:33:47,970 Sunday was the fact that children in Jesus day had 597 00:33:48,020 --> 00:33:54,030 nothing, no status and they were no good in a revolution, right? 598 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:55,970 Like, and in the disciples minds, that's what Jesus was 599 00:33:55,980 --> 00:33:58,660 leading was a revolution. And in their minds at this point 600 00:33:58,670 --> 00:34:00,730 still they're like, OK, at some point we're gonna have to pick 601 00:34:00,740 --> 00:34:02,800 up swords and like over overthrow the government. 602 00:34:02,810 --> 00:34:05,280 Like something's happening. These guys are no good to us, 603 00:34:05,350 --> 00:34:06,940 right? And so like kids are just gonna 604 00:34:06,950 --> 00:34:07,960 get in the way. Yeah. 605 00:34:08,030 --> 00:34:11,320 And and Jesus lifts them up to this. 606 00:34:11,330 --> 00:34:13,780 I said like stakeholder, shareholder position, like the 607 00:34:13,790 --> 00:34:18,880 Kingdom belongs to them. And you need to learn, you adult 608 00:34:18,889 --> 00:34:23,150 need to learn how to see life like these kids and how to how 609 00:34:23,159 --> 00:34:25,500 to receive the Kingdom. That's the point. 610 00:34:25,510 --> 00:34:28,159 Like you need to learn how to receive the Kingdom like a 611 00:34:28,170 --> 00:34:30,409 child. Well, a child can't earn it, a 612 00:34:30,420 --> 00:34:36,630 child can't fight for it. Like a child can only be given 613 00:34:36,870 --> 00:34:39,469 the thing, and that's Jesus's main point. 614 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,670 You can only be given the thing. And so a childlike faith has to 615 00:34:43,679 --> 00:34:48,230 start there. It has to be about our need to 616 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,570 receive from God the thing that we cannot earn and have no 617 00:34:51,580 --> 00:34:55,670 status to attain. It is in that in that sense 618 00:34:55,679 --> 00:35:01,580 about salvation. And you know, the danger is we 619 00:35:01,590 --> 00:35:04,740 don't love that. And so we make it only about, 620 00:35:04,750 --> 00:35:08,680 well, I need to be curious and I need to be, you know, filled 621 00:35:08,690 --> 00:35:11,260 with wonder and joy and ask questions. 622 00:35:11,270 --> 00:35:13,380 And you're just creating a new list. 623 00:35:13,710 --> 00:35:16,500 You're literally just creating a new list of qualities that you 624 00:35:16,510 --> 00:35:21,420 need to achieve in order to receive the Kingdom. 625 00:35:21,430 --> 00:35:22,880 Yeah. So it has to be about 626 00:35:22,890 --> 00:35:28,060 dependence, but it's it's so I think the making it entirely 627 00:35:28,070 --> 00:35:33,020 about dependence also guards it from being well, kids are naive. 628 00:35:33,990 --> 00:35:36,020 Like they just accept things blindly. 629 00:35:36,170 --> 00:35:38,520 You tell them that something is true and and they believe it. 630 00:35:38,530 --> 00:35:42,380 Well, no, it's not about that. It is literally about their 631 00:35:42,770 --> 00:35:49,230 inability to do for themselves the things that only an adult 632 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:51,370 can do for them. Right. 633 00:35:51,380 --> 00:35:54,800 They can't go find food. Hmm, They can't change their own 634 00:35:54,810 --> 00:35:57,570 diaper. They need to be put to bed, 635 00:35:58,380 --> 00:35:59,630 right? They need to be fed. 636 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,230 They like so. So I think that the dependence 637 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:09,770 piece guards in some way too against the against it being, 638 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,570 oh, well, that's just about like, that's a naive childish 639 00:36:13,580 --> 00:36:15,930 faith. So childlike doesn't mean 640 00:36:15,940 --> 00:36:18,570 childish, which I think is something we commonly hear 641 00:36:18,580 --> 00:36:22,150 people talk about. It's not just about being naive 642 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,810 and it's not about having a blind faith that just accepts 643 00:36:24,820 --> 00:36:27,320 without any sort of reason conversation. 644 00:36:28,660 --> 00:36:32,060 You know, uh, one of my favorite like Andy Stanley quotes is 645 00:36:32,540 --> 00:36:36,470 like, if you grew up in the church, you, you know, the, you 646 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,030 know, the, the, the song probably if you grew up in the 647 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:41,070 church as a child, at least in our era. 648 00:36:41,260 --> 00:36:42,970 Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells 649 00:36:42,980 --> 00:36:44,900 me so. Yeah. 650 00:36:44,950 --> 00:36:50,460 And his whole argument is most adults never left that level of 651 00:36:50,470 --> 00:36:52,300 faith. Jesus loves me this I know for 652 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:53,520 the Bible tells me so. OK, great. 653 00:36:53,530 --> 00:36:54,870 But now you're in the middle of a divorce. 654 00:36:55,900 --> 00:36:58,510 How do you know that Jesus is love for you still matters in 655 00:36:58,520 --> 00:36:59,590 these moments? Well, Jesus loves me. 656 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,810 This I know, for the Bible tells me it doesn't quite cut it when 657 00:37:02,820 --> 00:37:05,570 you are going through like the deep valleys and the darkest 658 00:37:05,580 --> 00:37:09,830 nights of the soul. So we need to have a faith that 659 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,570 grows with us. Absolutely. 660 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:20,570 Um, but at some point I think we as adults leave the dependence 661 00:37:20,580 --> 00:37:23,750 part behind. Like, well, you know, I gotta, I 662 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,820 gotta work for things on my own. I got to earn what I have and I 663 00:37:28,830 --> 00:37:34,480 need to prove that I am of worth and I need to continue to show U 664 00:37:34,530 --> 00:37:38,140 and somebody eventually will recognize that I am of value. 665 00:37:38,190 --> 00:37:42,660 And at some point we, we, we start seeing dependence as this 666 00:37:42,730 --> 00:37:47,660 horrible negative thing. Now, ought we work hard? 667 00:37:47,710 --> 00:37:50,810 Yes, absolutely. Ought we contribute to community 668 00:37:50,820 --> 00:37:52,400 and life together? Yes, for sure. 669 00:37:52,470 --> 00:37:54,900 Like none of those things are bad. 670 00:37:55,170 --> 00:38:01,410 But I think very often we lose sight of the fact that when it 671 00:38:01,420 --> 00:38:05,430 comes to our relationship with God, we are dependent and 672 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:07,930 maintain that dependence all the way through life. 673 00:38:08,590 --> 00:38:13,150 And so I think what she is really is saying is A1, like 674 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:18,630 first plate, like, like sort of first, the place to start is by 675 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,580 recognizing our dependence and from recognizing. 676 00:38:21,660 --> 00:38:24,540 Now, are there also good qualities? 677 00:38:24,550 --> 00:38:28,420 Like, should life be more curious than cynical? 678 00:38:28,430 --> 00:38:29,840 Yes, sure. Absolutely. 679 00:38:29,850 --> 00:38:31,560 Yeah. And kids are more curious and 680 00:38:31,570 --> 00:38:34,520 adults are more cynical generally, right? 681 00:38:34,670 --> 00:38:38,780 Should we be filled with wonder? Like I would love to be filled 682 00:38:38,790 --> 00:38:40,250 with wonder. Like my kids when they see 683 00:38:40,260 --> 00:38:41,740 something for the very first time. 684 00:38:41,810 --> 00:38:43,570 Yeah, absolutely. I see that. 685 00:38:43,580 --> 00:38:45,330 And I go, I want something like that. 686 00:38:45,340 --> 00:38:53,060 Like, God help me to have this newfound, like second almost not 687 00:38:53,070 --> 00:38:55,470 I would say second naivete because that's what philosophers 688 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:57,690 use. But like this second sort of 689 00:38:57,700 --> 00:39:02,330 season of wonder where you recapture wonder and things 690 00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:06,880 that, you know, children see. Yeah, for sure. 691 00:39:06,930 --> 00:39:07,960 Are those good? Yes. 692 00:39:07,970 --> 00:39:12,070 Only when they are think are have their starting point with 693 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:16,450 dependents. I want, I wonder if like an 694 00:39:16,460 --> 00:39:20,030 adult version of some of that can be, you know, for, for me, 695 00:39:20,100 --> 00:39:24,980 something I've started to really work through is like, rather 696 00:39:24,990 --> 00:39:28,230 than wonder because that's harder to muster up myself. 697 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:32,150 It's just like mystery, like like there's a lot of there's a 698 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,750 lot of things I'm never going to solve in this life. 699 00:39:34,820 --> 00:39:39,100 And, and that I'm never like, I think that my like, you know, 700 00:39:39,900 --> 00:39:47,090 postmodern imperial evidence, you know, based mind wants to 701 00:39:47,100 --> 00:39:48,660 know the answer to all these things. 702 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:51,250 And just like trying to centre myself on the fact that like, 703 00:39:51,260 --> 00:39:53,190 hey, like somethings are just be a mystery. 704 00:39:53,250 --> 00:39:56,820 And that's actually like wonder in that of like, I'm not gonna 705 00:39:56,830 --> 00:39:58,670 figure this out. Yeah, one day I'm gonna ask 706 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:00,800 Jesus about it. And and like there's actually 707 00:40:00,810 --> 00:40:05,640 something like. Profound and and also dependent 708 00:40:05,650 --> 00:40:08,320 about that, right? So there is like that feels like 709 00:40:08,330 --> 00:40:13,520 a a maybe a a grown up equivalent in some ways. 710 00:40:13,530 --> 00:40:15,620 I don't. Know yeah for me it's curiosity 711 00:40:15,630 --> 00:40:19,390 like that's the language that that really helps because, you 712 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:23,790 know, it pushes against the the you know, the person who would 713 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,510 say, well, you're just telling me to accept everything blindly. 714 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,530 No ask a million questions. Yeah. 715 00:40:28,570 --> 00:40:33,570 Like what are kids great at driving you nuts by asking why 716 00:40:33,780 --> 00:40:38,250 10,000 times in 5 minutes? Like there is something good 717 00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:43,490 about like the this desire for knowledge and to figure out how 718 00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:46,430 the world works. And so for me it's this in the 719 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:47,810 same way I think it the languages. 720 00:40:47,820 --> 00:40:51,910 How do you remain curious about life in God and your own self. 721 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,010 And that's the thing that guards against bitterness and 722 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:59,250 resentment and cynicism is staying as curious as possible 723 00:40:59,260 --> 00:41:00,930 instead of closing off. Yeah. 724 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:05,810 So, you know, childlike faith begins with dependence and then 725 00:41:05,820 --> 00:41:07,870 can include so many of these things. 726 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,510 But I think what I would warn people about doing is just 727 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:18,010 simply creating a new list of ways in which you are working to 728 00:41:18,020 --> 00:41:21,930 solve the problem for yourself, because that's not what Jesus is 729 00:41:21,940 --> 00:41:26,190 saying. And so childlike faith, it can 730 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,070 be filled with wonder. And as you've said, I think 731 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:30,710 mystery is a good way to, to to put it right. 732 00:41:30,780 --> 00:41:34,930 And being OK when tensions don't resolve and being alright when 733 00:41:34,940 --> 00:41:38,110 you don't know the answers to all of the things. 734 00:41:38,460 --> 00:41:43,110 And like I said, for me, it's it's about curiosity and this 735 00:41:43,180 --> 00:41:48,140 constant wonder about what you know, what could be and what God 736 00:41:48,150 --> 00:41:52,840 is doing and what is, you know, my place in all of it. 737 00:41:52,930 --> 00:41:57,140 And constantly trying to pray into figuring those things out. 738 00:41:57,270 --> 00:42:05,430 Hmm O. O hopefully this gives us lots 739 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,610 of things to, to chew on, whether you're talking with 740 00:42:08,780 --> 00:42:12,890 family or friends from the church or whatever that looks 741 00:42:12,900 --> 00:42:15,340 like for you just to be thinking about. 742 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,190 I think particularly this last little bit, you know, OK, what 743 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:22,130 does it look like for me to have a childlike faith? 744 00:42:22,420 --> 00:42:25,350 And then also asking that other question of like, Hey, Jesus, 745 00:42:25,420 --> 00:42:27,410 like what's what's the one thing that I like? 746 00:42:27,500 --> 00:42:29,540 What's, what's the one thing that I need to and that's that's 747 00:42:29,550 --> 00:42:32,010 a hard thing to do. That's a like, you might need to 748 00:42:32,020 --> 00:42:35,250 carve like a an hour or two just to like sit with God in that. 749 00:42:35,260 --> 00:42:39,080 And it can be uncomfortable. But we hope that you will take 750 00:42:39,090 --> 00:42:42,840 some time to do just that. And also, we hope that you'll 751 00:42:43,060 --> 00:42:46,450 come back next week as we continue on in Luke. 752 00:42:46,460 --> 00:42:49,400 And I'm sure next week will be very, very different based on 753 00:42:49,410 --> 00:42:54,010 the upcoming passage. But yeah, we hope that this has 754 00:42:54,020 --> 00:42:56,790 been helpful for you in some ways and we hope that you will 755 00:42:57,060 --> 00:42:58,510 join us next time. Have a great week.