WEBVTT 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.820 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.160 We're Startup Church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.480 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.739 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:37.060 --> 00:00:40.420 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:41.439 Amen. 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:46.640 Uh, well, Mary, well, I guess we're early, but Merry Christmas a little bit early. 00:00:46.979 --> 00:00:48.899 It's good to, it's good to see you all. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:49.840 This is the last. 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:50.899 Uh, well, no, it's not. 00:00:50.979 --> 00:01:04.219 This is, I will actually say this is the last Sunday that we're all going to be meeting together, uh, before Christmas, um, this next Sunday, we've got a house church, uh, but on Wednesday we, we are getting together, uh, right back here at 7.00 PM. 00:01:04.620 --> 00:01:06.819 You guys can open up to, to Luke eight. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:07.420 All right. 00:01:09.140 --> 00:01:11.159 We're going to, we're going to dig right into the text. 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:13.340 This lesson isn't going to be the longest. 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:16.879 And even as I'm saying that, I wonder, maybe it will be like longer. 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.939 You guys are going to be waiting for me to end pretty quickly here, but it's not going to be the longest lesson. 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:28.519 We're going to look at a woman in the Bible who there's been so much that has been inferred about her. 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:42.140 She is, uh, it seems like in many ways, she's a lightning rod for controversy in, uh, in the Bible, uh, and in, uh, maybe, maybe in the Bible, but even more than that, in extra biblical sources. 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:51.560 Uh, if you're familiar with the Da Vinci code, um, this, this, it was a book and then turned into a movie and it was mid two thousands, I think is when it came out. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:57.680 Uh, but she played a prominent role in that there was 1980s texts, uh, that was written about her. 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:14.360 And, uh, you would find if you just did a little, I'm not saying to do this right now, but if you did a little search of Mary Magdalene in a, even on Google, you'd be able to find so many things that are communicated about her, uh, many of which are patently false. 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:17.300 Some of which are iffy at best. 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:25.020 Um, I want to look today, um, I want to look and just look at what it would be. 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:29.840 Uh, we're going to gain a value from looking just at Mary from an Orthodox perspective. 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:37.659 And when I say Orthodox, I don't mean like the Christian Orthodox, but I mean like what's, what's in the Bible and what's understood to be true just from what the Bible says. 00:02:37.740 --> 00:02:37.979 Yeah. 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:43.400 Um, yeah, there's lost gospels that say she was married to Jesus. 00:02:43.860 --> 00:02:45.300 These are patently false. 00:02:45.539 --> 00:02:49.719 Uh, there, there's no, there's no validity or backing to any of them. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:53.120 Uh, anyone that tries to tell you otherwise is lying to your face. 00:02:53.139 --> 00:02:53.879 They're just wrong. 00:02:54.520 --> 00:03:03.620 Um, the, uh, the, one of the biggest reasons is these are, this is a massive disagreement from everything the Bible says about who Jesus is. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:13.599 And so you could say, well, we have this, what you find, there's this lost text that is, we found and it was hidden for centuries and now it is coming to the forefront. 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:25.699 And these Christian staunch, you know, Christians don't want to admit that in fact Jesus, uh, was married and apparently had two children and, and, uh, those people are, they're, they're off. 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:26.159 They're wrong. 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:27.159 These texts are written. 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:32.460 They're written 500 years after Jesus, uh, after Jesus was, uh, was resurrected. 00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:38.919 And they were written by people who are not Christians who wanted to start up controversies for, uh, for, for Christians. 00:03:39.419 --> 00:03:41.860 Um, there's, there's other, uh, and work with me here. 00:03:41.939 --> 00:03:43.219 These are some of the traditions. 00:03:43.699 --> 00:03:52.740 One of the traditions that I grew up with was understanding Mary to be that the woman in Luke seven that washes Jesus's feet with, with oil. 00:03:53.139 --> 00:03:56.219 Um, and we don't, we don't actually, that, that could be true. 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:57.520 It's not necessarily true. 00:03:57.539 --> 00:04:02.699 And so we're not going to read that and understand Mary to be, uh, one, uh, someone like that either. 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:17.720 Um, there's, there's some, some facts though that we are able to pull, uh, for, from women in Jesus's day, people have understated, uh, the role of women in Jesus's day and people have, I think, uh, overstated the role in Jesus's day. 00:04:18.139 --> 00:04:20.240 This all is going to play into the lesson. 00:04:20.278 --> 00:04:25.040 So if I lose you here, uh, if you want to tune out for a couple of minutes, that's okay. 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:26.480 Uh, please don't. 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:27.420 But if you do, that's fine. 00:04:27.459 --> 00:04:29.079 But when we read the Bible, then tune back in. 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:29.300 Amen. 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:29.399 Amen. 00:04:29.819 --> 00:04:29.920 Amen. 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:38.579 Uh, so depending on the culture or how you grew up, women, uh, were, were, could have different levels of authority and leadership. 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:43.560 Uh, from my understanding in Jesus's day, Egyptian women could have a great authority and rule. 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:51.220 Roman women did not, but they could be the, uh, basically they could be the force behind a paper King essentially. 00:04:51.220 --> 00:05:01.579 Um, but in Jewish culture, almost, uh, with, without controversy, women were, were more limited in their, in their influence. 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:06.040 Uh, her basically a woman's status was just above a Gentile or a slave. 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:23.519 And when she was married, she was expected that she would have to obey, uh, listen to her husband as, as if she was a slave to her husband, um, her, her public testimony and legal proceedings, uh, proceedings was limited. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:29.600 Um, if it went against the husband or if the husband didn't approve of her saying what, what she would say. 00:05:30.329 --> 00:05:36.959 And so much of her, her daily worship would have been confined exclusively to the home. 00:05:37.180 --> 00:05:54.980 Um, even going outside to the market or doing a lot of other things, although it was possible and you could do it, it was frowned upon and looked down upon from my understanding, especially you'd understand, especially without wearing a great coverings and, and taking great measures to be able to, to, to do that. 00:05:55.480 --> 00:06:02.740 And so most of her worship, especially day-to-day worship was limited to in the home and passing her faith on to her children. 00:06:03.579 --> 00:06:14.639 Um, this is the society that Jesus comes onto the scene and, and I don't know if you've read the Bible with the intention of, of learning how Jesus feels about women, but it's an amazing study actually. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:29.379 Uh, it's a, it's a study that is totally, uh, he, he was whatever the cutting edge, whatever, whatever makes, what would make you feel uncomfortable in, in terms of, uh, not necessarily with women, but in terms of just social norms, uh, Jesus would do that. 00:06:29.459 --> 00:06:39.500 I imagine that it, I don't know how you guys would feel if I came in, in flip-flops and I was preaching in flip-flops for me, if I saw someone do that, I would judge them a little bit. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:45.480 Um, Jesus might preach in flip-flops, but he would, he would push whatever cultural norms we were talking just now. 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:51.100 And Joe asked me, do you want to wear a Santa hat basically to preach? 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:54.399 And I'm like, you know, that goes, there's a lack of reverence maybe. 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:55.420 And why is there a lack of reverence? 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:55.920 I don't know. 00:06:55.980 --> 00:06:58.939 That doesn't make sense, but that's my culture, how I understand it. 00:06:59.459 --> 00:07:05.519 And Jesus might wear a Santa hat, you know, and he's pushing whatever's comfortable, whatever's normal. 00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:06.459 He's saying, no, no, no. 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:09.019 You, you just think that you don't know that you just think it. 00:07:09.019 --> 00:07:21.019 And so we are going to see even in the Bible, how Jesus validates and empowers women and actually how it helps him in his ministry, uh, right at the end of his life and then, and then his resurrection. 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.339 Um, and so we're, we're here and we're in loop eight. 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:37.620 If you guys are pulling anything, if you're going to look with any kind of eyes, I want to ask you to look through the eyes of Mary being extremely loyal. 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:42.240 And I want you to ask yourself a question is how is your loyalty to Jesus this morning? 00:07:42.660 --> 00:07:47.399 And where is your, where and when is your loyalty to Jesus most lacking? 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:50.879 We're going to see Mary when she's doing well. 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:54.500 And when she's very prominent and when things are going well, she's extremely loyal. 00:07:54.500 --> 00:07:56.720 And some of us struggle when things are going well to be loyal. 00:07:56.899 --> 00:08:01.579 And we're going to see Mary when it's the most difficult to follow Jesus. 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:03.199 We're going to see her loyalty there too. 00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:07.160 And for some of us, when things aren't going well, it's easy to say, well, God is not here. 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:10.540 And so I'm not going to be loyal to Jesus both both ways. 00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:11.860 Mary is extremely loyal. 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:13.040 Here we go. 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:23.759 It says, after this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, the 12 were with him. 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:28.079 And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. 00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:31.699 Mary called Magdalene from whom seven demons had come out. 00:08:31.699 --> 00:08:37.960 Joanna, the wife of Chusa, the manager of Herod's household, Susanna, and many others. 00:08:38.058 --> 00:08:42.580 These women were helping to support them out of their own means. 00:08:42.740 --> 00:08:42.899 Okay. 00:08:44.179 --> 00:08:49.740 So, this is the first time that we're formally introduced to Mary. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:58.840 And it says that, it makes a note that there's seven, there's seven evil spirits that Jesus pulled out of Mary, told to leave Mary. 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:05.720 The number seven, we understand it in Bible terms to just be completion or totality. 00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:09.860 Basically, Mary was entirely full of evil spirits. 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:12.659 There was no hope and she was entirely full of it. 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:25.320 Jesus, we were not taught how or told what the interaction was like, but Jesus is able to reconcile her, not only in her right mind, the right state, but also reconcile her to himself and to God. 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:30.840 And this all would have been one, it'd be an amazing thing to see. 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:35.159 There's something else in this text that should open our eyes. 00:09:35.259 --> 00:09:45.399 And we just looked at how, for women, there wasn't too much opportunity, especially in the Jewish culture, to raise their financial means. 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:54.440 And yet, we're taught here that Mary was one of those people who was able to support Jesus financially, support the ministry financially. 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:55.539 How could she do that? 00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:02.419 Well, again, we don't know exactly what this Mary Magdalene, she would have been from this, almost certainly from this town. 00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:04.820 I think it's Magdala or something to that effect. 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:07.500 It's in Greek, it's salted fish. 00:10:07.740 --> 00:10:12.500 And so what that meant was that it basically was a massive export for fish. 00:10:12.620 --> 00:10:22.500 Potentially, either she inherited some land or she inherited a business or somehow she made her means in some way, shape or form. 00:10:23.460 --> 00:10:33.320 We see here, though, you think about being married in this time, there have been a lot of reasons for you to be grateful to Jesus, but maybe not be extremely loyal to Jesus. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:36.700 You are somebody who's, you've made it. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:44.220 Maybe it's been inherited, you've inherited something amazing, or maybe you've earned it yourself, this kind of wealth, this status. 00:10:44.340 --> 00:10:47.559 And you could be grateful to Jesus and say, thanks so much, Jesus, for helping me. 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:53.220 Thanks for removing these evil demons from me. 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:57.779 I really am super grateful, Jesus, but I'm going to go, I'm going to do my own thing. 00:10:58.259 --> 00:11:01.019 I don't have to be, I'm not obliged to be loyal. 00:11:01.179 --> 00:11:04.860 And that's the amazing thing about loyalty, right, is that we're not obliged to do it. 00:11:05.019 --> 00:11:07.200 It's so when it happens, we feel very grateful. 00:11:07.460 --> 00:11:07.899 Right, right. 00:11:11.820 --> 00:11:30.399 You know, Jesus, with all of these women, I find it amazing to see that you can see from the 12 he called and from these right here, that he's not just calling one specific type of person to this loyalty and connection to him. 00:11:31.179 --> 00:11:48.019 You could do a study of the 12 apostles and understand they were kind of all mismatched up and they came from different backgrounds, different understanding of Judaism, a different connection to the Jewish faith and heritage, and yet he called them to himself. 00:11:48.500 --> 00:11:55.299 These women, you know, Jesus would have been entirely justified to work with me if he just never even, he never even allowed these women to follow him. 00:11:55.419 --> 00:12:04.559 It was it was worse than wearing a Santa hat preaching, that he allowed them to travel with him and walk with him and have this daily interaction with him. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:09.080 And even for him to teach them would have been like, wow, you're doing something wrong. 00:12:09.419 --> 00:12:15.120 I believe this to be perhaps one of the reasons why they said, well, this guy, he's a drunkard. 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:18.320 He's always hanging out with prostitutes all of the time. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.080 Now, he, you know, he did that explicitly, but I believe in these. 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:27.059 Sorry, he hung out with prostitutes and drunkards all the time. 00:12:27.139 --> 00:12:28.259 He was not a drunkard. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:28.500 Right. 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:30.779 I'm just making sure you guys are there. 00:12:34.679 --> 00:12:42.460 But so I believe that you would see him and this guy is interacting with people in a way that we're very uncomfortable with. 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:45.799 And yet Jesus knew that this was going to be the best thing for his ministry. 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:47.139 Why? 00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:52.000 Well, I think we can find we can find somebody for us in in in this text. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.179 I think we can find somebody who connects with us. 00:12:54.220 --> 00:13:00.080 And you could say maybe you are in great financial, great financial means right now. 00:13:00.220 --> 00:13:01.580 Well, Jesus is still calling you to loyalty. 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:03.820 Maybe you would say, I don't have any financial means. 00:13:03.899 --> 00:13:07.299 Jesus is still calling you to a loyalty to him. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.059 Loyalty is the logical maturation of gratitude. 00:13:12.740 --> 00:13:18.879 We're in a season where we're celebrating, we're celebrating by giving gifts and receiving gifts. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:27.100 Loyalty that the logical mass, sorry, the logical maturation of gratitude is loyalty. 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:28.580 Yeah. 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:34.460 You know, in Luke 12, you guys can just turn a couple more over. 00:13:34.860 --> 00:13:42.480 We're going to read what it what it looks like to not be rather to be grateful, perhaps, but then to not to not be loyal. 00:13:47.649 --> 00:13:54.610 It says, and he told them this parable in verse 16, the ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 00:13:55.190 --> 00:13:57.090 He thought to himself, what shall I do? 00:13:57.549 --> 00:13:59.490 I have no place to store my crops. 00:14:00.190 --> 00:14:02.470 Then he said to then he said, this is what I'll do. 00:14:02.769 --> 00:14:04.909 I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. 00:14:05.049 --> 00:14:07.309 And there I will store my surplus grain. 00:14:07.350 --> 00:14:11.269 And I'll say to myself, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years. 00:14:11.710 --> 00:14:13.710 Take life easy, eat, drink and be married. 00:14:14.710 --> 00:14:19.350 But God said to him, you fool this very night, your life will be demanded from you. 00:14:19.490 --> 00:14:21.909 Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? 00:14:22.669 --> 00:14:27.889 This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves, but is not rich towards God. 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:30.919 Things are going well. 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.240 Maybe you look at your life, maybe you look at 2023 and you think things are going really well. 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:38.179 And if that's the case, I want to ask you, then where is your loyalty at? 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.080 It's our love. 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:44.240 Again, we've talked about it, I believe, even last week. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:45.259 Our love is to Jesus. 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:46.059 We love him. 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:47.399 But where's our loyalty? 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:53.220 And where and when things are going well, things going well for you look different than things going well for me. 00:14:53.539 --> 00:14:57.899 So it's even worthwhile to ask yourself, what does it look like for things to go well in your life? 00:14:59.659 --> 00:15:02.700 Financial stability, maybe relationships, things are going well. 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.460 There's overall a health with your children. 00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:09.779 They're listening to you or they're they're continuing to mature. 00:15:10.460 --> 00:15:13.399 And you could say, OK, things are just clicking. 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:14.759 Things are going really well. 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:19.519 It's difficult, I believe, to be to be loyal to God in these times. 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:19.759 Why? 00:15:19.940 --> 00:15:24.960 Well, because we can point to our financial stability to being, well, I planned really well. 00:15:25.139 --> 00:15:25.519 I had it. 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:32.159 I worked extremely hard and I went and I got this extra deal or I've been putting money away for years. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:35.960 And now I can relax and reap some of the benefits of that. 00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:38.799 And you can point to yourself easily in relationships. 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:43.639 You say, well, I've changed so much since I became a follower of Jesus. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.240 And so I've I've altered my relationships. 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:48.419 I've had to cut people off. 00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:49.759 I've had to add so many things. 00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:52.059 It's easy to look at ourselves in those times, isn't it? 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.340 With our health, maybe I mean, I started working out more, I feel more excited. 00:15:57.419 --> 00:15:58.980 I'm just it's going well. 00:15:59.019 --> 00:16:01.799 And it's easy, again, to say, well, I've done it. 00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:02.639 This is what I've done. 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:04.720 This is what the man did in this parable. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:06.659 He said, one, it's amazing. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:09.340 He is just like we think we have more control than we do. 00:16:09.419 --> 00:16:12.179 He has no control over over crops growing. 00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:12.559 Right. 00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:15.259 It's it's it's a wild thing to say. 00:16:15.340 --> 00:16:20.960 Well, we we know that the crops are going to grow and they're going to grow to some extent. 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:25.980 But you have no idea when there's going to be a surplus or when there's not going to be a lot of it by chance. 00:16:25.980 --> 00:16:27.960 And you can even talk to farmers. 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:31.659 And even after the fact, some of them would still be still surprised. 00:16:31.740 --> 00:16:32.860 This is an amazing crop. 00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:34.580 This was we planned everything well. 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:36.460 And I just didn't it didn't work that well. 00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:38.460 And you can plan as much as you want. 00:16:38.539 --> 00:16:40.860 And yet it's still up for chance in our lives. 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:46.000 The same is true because we can work extremely hard at our jobs and things can still not go well. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:49.879 We can try so hard in our relationships and there still can be a lack of reciprocation. 00:16:50.019 --> 00:16:54.580 We can give so much to our children and still feel like there's no progress being made. 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:55.960 I'm just spinning my tires. 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.940 We have to be loyal to God when things are going well. 00:17:00.940 --> 00:17:04.940 We can see that that Mary was she's well to do. 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:07.259 She is in her right mind. 00:17:07.318 --> 00:17:09.380 And yet she's she's following Jesus. 00:17:10.078 --> 00:17:10.480 Yeah. 00:17:12.858 --> 00:17:15.818 You know, there's there's another point. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:19.700 And maybe you say, well, when things are going well, I have an easy time following Jesus. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:20.920 And I would say that's OK. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:21.460 That's good. 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:23.259 But then I'd have to ask. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:29.319 And I bet you if you have an easier time following when things are going well, you might have a difficult time following what things aren't going well. 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:31.579 Let's go to Matthew 27. 00:17:33.059 --> 00:17:37.140 You know, we see Mary at the crucifixion. 00:17:40.410 --> 00:17:43.569 She was with Jesus at the foot of the cross. 00:17:43.650 --> 00:17:45.569 And now Jesus has died. 00:17:45.750 --> 00:17:48.130 This is prior to his resurrection, but he's died right here. 00:17:49.609 --> 00:17:50.730 This isn't his. 00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:55.769 This is we're going to look at Joseph and not his not his father, Joseph of Arimathea. 00:17:55.990 --> 00:18:05.190 It says Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. 00:18:05.849 --> 00:18:09.029 He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 00:18:09.589 --> 00:18:19.579 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb from from the entire passion narrative. 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:27.660 You can you can read in in all of the gospel accounts and actually in Luke, it talks about Mary outside of just the passion account. 00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:31.660 But you could read in Matthew, Mark, Luke and then John as well. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:34.559 And you'd find Mary at the foot of the cross. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.819 Mary, along with with other women, I wonder this is this is just me. 00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:41.160 And so maybe I'm off. 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:46.079 I wonder in Jesus's perfect, perfect plan, an idea of calling these women. 00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:53.440 I wonder if some of it was for this time right here that he realized that I'm calling these men to follow me. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.480 But these men, one, they're younger. 00:18:55.940 --> 00:18:58.240 They're perhaps younger than some of these women. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.460 They're probably going to be scared. 00:19:00.460 --> 00:19:04.700 And maybe they would even they would be identified pretty easily. 00:19:04.859 --> 00:19:06.200 And also they would be seen as a threat. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:10.519 And so perhaps they are going to leave me and run away. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:20.180 But maybe these women, because there's for whatever reason, like they're not seen as a threat or they're not seen as as an issue, maybe maybe they'll feel more inclined to follow. 00:19:20.339 --> 00:19:24.579 And sure enough, they were they were the ones right with Jesus at his death. 00:19:24.579 --> 00:19:38.019 I have to imagine this this deep loyalty, it probably would have been pretty difficult for many, it would have been difficult for Mary to to walk with Jesus in this time. 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:44.700 We could she could have given herself so many excuses. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:47.319 I don't know if I've got to. 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:48.319 I love Jesus. 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:49.519 I'm going to be there for him. 00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:53.559 But for that right now, you know, this it's it's things aren't going well. 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:58.519 Once once things die down a little bit and then I'm going to go visit him at the tomb, it'll work out then. 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:06.240 And, you know, we get the impression that these women, they walk right alongside Jesus even even to his death. 00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:30.500 You know, as I was I as I was thinking about this type of loyalty, even in difficult times, I think of this I think of this one guy, actually, and I believe I've read a little account of Polycarp already at some point in the last couple of years, but I think it's worth reading again and comparing to our life. 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:36.960 And and I want to ask you, what's the how loyal are you willing to be for Jesus when things are not going well? 00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:39.180 I know you love him. 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:56.599 How loyal are you willing to be for Jesus when things aren't going well, when you lose your job, when it's really inconvenient to follow him, when when there's seems like there's nothing good in your life, when actually you you followed him and you're devoted and things seem to be getting worse. 00:20:57.019 --> 00:20:58.420 Your relationships are getting worse. 00:20:58.619 --> 00:21:00.259 Your job situation is getting worse. 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.319 Your children, there's a dissonance that's continued to be created. 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:07.180 How loyal are you to following Jesus when things are not going your way? 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:22.319 I'm going to read this this little account, so Polycarp was a direct disciple of John, the apostle, and this is at about one hundred and fifty A.D. is when he was he was martyred. 00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:27.920 And we're going to read a little excerpt from the writings about his martyrdom. 00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:33.039 Says, despite the cries of the crowd. 00:21:34.619 --> 00:21:42.779 The Roman authorities saw the senselessness of making this aged man, I believe he was eighty six at the time, this aged man, a martyr. 00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:51.160 So when Polycarp was brought into the arena, the proconsul pled with him, curse Christ and I will release you. 00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:55.380 He replied, eighty six years I have served him. 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:57.500 He has never done me wrong. 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:01.700 How then can I blaspheme my king who has saved me? 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:06.279 The proconsul reached for an acceptable way out. 00:22:06.500 --> 00:22:12.819 Then do this old man, just swear by the genius of the emperor that and that will be sufficient. 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:16.539 The genius was sort of the spirit of the emperor. 00:22:16.660 --> 00:22:20.700 To do this would be a recognition of the pagan gods and religion. 00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:29.380 You replied, if you imagine for a moment that I would do that, then I think you pretend that you don't know who I am. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:32.319 You're plainly I am a Christian. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:37.339 Polycarp stood firm. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.859 The proconsul threatened him with the wild beasts. 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:43.039 Bring them forth. 00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:51.559 I would change my mind if it meant going from the worst to the better, but not to change from the right to the wrong. 00:22:53.380 --> 00:22:54.940 Proconsul's patience was gone. 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.119 I will have you burned alive. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:06.019 His reply, you threaten fire that burns for an hour and is over, but the judgment of the ungodly is forever. 00:23:07.140 --> 00:23:08.299 The fire was prepared. 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:20.960 Polycarp lifted his eyes to heaven and prayed, Father, I bless you that you have deemed me worthy of this day and hour that I might take a portion of the martyrs in the cup of Christ. 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:27.440 Among these, may I today be welcome before thy face as a rich and acceptable sacrifice. 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:38.460 We aren't in the nobody's threatening to burn us alive. 00:23:38.460 --> 00:23:44.859 Nobody's threatening, even even in the direct way to say, renounce Christ. 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:46.859 Nobody's nobody's threatening us. 00:23:46.940 --> 00:23:56.960 And yet I put before you that probably every day you are faced with opportunities to either be loyal to Jesus or opportunities to turn your back on Jesus. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:06.480 And when I say either loyal or turn your back, we don't want to go to the turn your back part because we would say, well, it's not necessarily turning my back. 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:08.299 It's just not running to Jesus. 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:17.759 And there's we we want to put this this gray area, I think, in our in our in our paths and in our lives that I didn't renounce Jesus. 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:19.700 And so it's it's actually OK. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:21.519 Like, I'm not doing anything that that bad. 00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:28.420 And so although I didn't fully jump in and I wasn't fully loyal, I also didn't renounce. 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:30.839 And so I'm OK being in this big middle lane. 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:39.859 What I would say is that maybe sometimes, but probably not as much as you would like to think. 00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:59.759 Maybe sometimes you there's this middle lane and it's OK to walk in between, but probably not as much as you as you'd like to think that there's there's times if you would even sit this week and I could I could think in this week if I had to ask, OK, when were you extremely loyal to Christ? 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:06.480 When were you neutral and when were you not and where in this neutral area could you have been more loyal to Christ? 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:08.640 And it wouldn't have been super difficult. 00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:12.220 I bet you would have you would think of times where you could have been more loyal to Christ. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:14.660 Maybe it's somebody who you could have shared your faith with. 00:25:14.740 --> 00:25:18.380 Maybe it's someone who you could have stood up, stood up to. 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:26.140 Maybe it's something you could have said to your spouse or to your child where you could have shown your loyalty to Christ more than you did. 00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:29.319 And certainly you didn't renounce his name, but you weren't extremely loyal. 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:36.700 This is what they're trying to give polycarp an opportunity to not renounce him, but to not be extremely loyal. 00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:43.119 Mary had many opportunities to not renounce Christ, but to not be extremely loyal. 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:44.859 And we see it every step of the way. 00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:46.799 She was extremely loyal. 00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:54.019 One of the amazing things about this is that Jesus, he always blesses loyalty. 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:55.579 He always does it. 00:25:55.579 --> 00:26:04.720 We're going to read an account, but we understand that Mary was the first one to meet the resurrected Jesus. 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:09.900 It's in verse 11. 00:26:10.059 --> 00:26:11.940 It says, Now, Mary stood outside the tomb. 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:13.920 So this is John 20, 11. 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:18.839 Jesus, basically, there's angels that have already come and say, hey, Jesus isn't here. 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:23.200 Mary is emotional and still confused. 00:26:23.380 --> 00:26:24.539 And she's like, what's going on? 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:28.220 It says, Now, Mary stood outside the tomb, crying as she wept. 00:26:28.339 --> 00:26:35.960 She bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus's body had been one at the head, the other at the foot. 00:26:36.140 --> 00:26:39.019 They asked her, Woman, why are you crying? 00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:41.640 They've taken my Lord away, she said. 00:26:41.700 --> 00:26:43.940 I don't know where they put him at this. 00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:49.140 She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize that it was Jesus. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:51.839 He asked her, Woman, why are you crying? 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.440 Who is it that you're looking for? 00:26:54.740 --> 00:27:01.200 Thinking he was a gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him. 00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:12.539 Jesus said to her, Mary, she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Ravoni, which means teacher. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:17.880 Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father. 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:24.599 Go instead to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my father and your father, to my God and your God. 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:27.519 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. 00:27:27.660 --> 00:27:28.660 I have seen the Lord. 00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:32.000 And she told them that he had said these things to her. 00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:43.339 Think about how how worth it was it for Mary to be loyal to Jesus? 00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:52.640 Maybe and work with me here, let's say Mary's not loyal to Jesus in this moment, in the moment of the crucifixion. 00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:54.259 Let's say she turns her back on him. 00:27:55.960 --> 00:27:59.400 I'm not even saying it's not it's not perhaps it's not even a salvation issue. 00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:02.359 She she comes back to him or she's in this middle lane. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:05.519 And so she comes back and she gets maybe it's not even a salvation issue. 00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:16.019 And yet consider the blessing to not only be the first one to see your resurrected Lord, but also to hear him say your name and look you in the eye. 00:28:19.390 --> 00:28:23.170 I'd imagine there to be Jesus was a busy man. 00:28:23.230 --> 00:28:30.150 And so to even take a moment to be able to it's you and it's your Lord and you are face to face. 00:28:30.289 --> 00:28:34.569 The the emotions that would be going on, you'd be on your knees. 00:28:35.069 --> 00:28:48.519 There's there's no there's no hope but tears when you see the resurrected Lord and he says your name, your loyalty. 00:28:48.740 --> 00:28:50.059 Make no mistake about it. 00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:56.660 When we say it is worth it, I'm not talking about it being worth it necessarily even on this earth. 00:28:56.700 --> 00:28:57.579 I believe it is. 00:28:57.640 --> 00:29:03.220 The Bible, the Bible does say you're going to receive a lot more on this earth from following me. 00:29:03.740 --> 00:29:09.680 But then he says, and you also get to go to heaven, which is which is an amazing also, right? 00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:13.940 You know, that that's usually also is the and or the cherry on top. 00:29:14.059 --> 00:29:17.319 The also for this is the lobster buffet. 00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:18.039 You know what I'm saying? 00:29:18.220 --> 00:29:26.059 Like the and is you get like this amazing cruise forever and you never have to work again, you know, or maybe if you get seasick, then it's something else. 00:29:26.059 --> 00:29:28.359 It's it's that's that's the end. 00:29:28.359 --> 00:29:30.200 Hey, here's a high five. 00:29:30.339 --> 00:29:33.779 And you also get the most amazing thing you could ever imagine. 00:29:37.430 --> 00:29:43.210 This this is going to be true for everybody who decides to be loyal to Jesus. 00:29:43.950 --> 00:29:49.109 I want to ask you this morning to to give some consideration. 00:29:49.349 --> 00:29:51.950 Where do you struggle in your loyalty to him again? 00:29:52.630 --> 00:29:55.390 Again, I understand you love him. 00:29:55.529 --> 00:29:58.769 Where are you struggling in your loyalty to Jesus? 00:30:01.470 --> 00:30:06.269 Make make decisions this morning, make decisions even before the new year. 00:30:06.390 --> 00:30:09.430 I know I want to wait for the new year to make these resolutions. 00:30:09.690 --> 00:30:09.809 Right. 00:30:09.869 --> 00:30:13.450 We're like, we got two weeks and then the new year comes and then we'll make the resolutions. 00:30:13.829 --> 00:30:18.609 Let's not make them early because then by the middle of January, we're already done with the resolution. 00:30:18.910 --> 00:30:19.869 And so, no, no, no. 00:30:19.950 --> 00:30:20.529 Don't even wait. 00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:22.309 Just make the resolution now. 00:30:22.690 --> 00:30:27.970 I'm going to be more loyal to Jesus at the end of twenty three going in through twenty twenty four. 00:30:28.410 --> 00:30:28.650 Amen. 00:30:28.650 --> 00:30:32.970 Right right now, we are going to pray for communion. 00:30:33.630 --> 00:30:40.130 And as we pray, Dayton's going to strum a little a little melody or as we as we take communion, Dayton's going to strum a melody. 00:30:40.369 --> 00:30:44.170 And I would ask us to consider our loyalty. 00:30:44.630 --> 00:30:47.769 But it's only in response to the perfect loyalty he showed us. 00:30:47.849 --> 00:30:47.990 Right. 00:30:48.450 --> 00:30:55.009 If Jesus wasn't extremely loyal to us, then we could say, well, we're doing more than he ever asked of us or that he ever showed us. 00:30:55.029 --> 00:30:56.349 He's asking us more than he ever showed. 00:30:56.349 --> 00:31:04.309 And yet we know that his loyalty went all the way up, living a sinless life and then dying on a cross for us. 00:31:04.630 --> 00:31:05.549 And that's what we are. 00:31:05.549 --> 00:31:07.250 We're remembering and celebrating this morning. 00:31:07.450 --> 00:31:07.549 Amen. 00:31:12.710 --> 00:31:16.170 Dear God, Lord, we we're grateful for you. 00:31:16.710 --> 00:31:18.410 We don't deserve you. 00:31:18.930 --> 00:31:26.569 We we look at your example in everything that you've done and everything that you do, and we are amazed by it. 00:31:26.650 --> 00:31:28.029 We don't measure up to it. 00:31:28.029 --> 00:31:33.569 We we can we just want to grab and latch on to you, Jesus. 00:31:34.170 --> 00:31:41.990 Jesus, we're looking forward to the day where you look us in the eye and say our names and give us a hug. 00:31:42.670 --> 00:31:44.829 Lord, we want that day to come. 00:31:45.410 --> 00:32:02.210 Father, we're grateful that we have the opportunity to be called to this level of loyalty because you you lived it first and you lived a sinless life and you died on a cross to give us the opportunity to for our loyalty to mean something. 00:32:02.470 --> 00:32:05.730 Father, Lord, we're grateful for your sacrifice. 00:32:06.009 --> 00:32:10.990 Jesus, please, please view our lives as a sacrifice to you. 00:32:11.329 --> 00:32:13.789 This is in this is in your name that we pray. 00:32:13.990 --> 00:32:14.130 Amen. 00:32:14.349 --> 00:32:19.769 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:32:20.309 --> 00:32:23.430 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:32:23.430 --> 00:32:31.069 Please go to Kalamazoo.Church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:32:31.289 --> 00:32:33.690 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week. 00:32:35.190 --> 00:32:47.960 So busy saving souls.