WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.120 We started something back in February that we've been doing ever since. 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:09.199 We did take a one-week break last week to sort of pray for our country in the aftermath of all the craziness of last weekend. 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:10.880 But we've been doing this every single week. 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:13.359 It's a study we've called Following Jesus. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:16.000 We have been going through the book of Matthew. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:20.160 We are over the halfway point at this point in time, so we're right on track. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:26.640 We've been following along with the life and the teachings and the miracles and the journey of Jesus. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:29.839 And we've tried as much as we can to make this as literal as possible. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.640 We want to actually try to follow in Jesus' footsteps. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:37.920 So we've used a lot of maps so we can sort of be grounded in where Jesus is when he's doing what he's doing, because that affects a lot of things. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:48.640 We're going to see that today in a big way, that where Jesus is and who he's talking to really sort of colors why he's doing the things he's doing and saying some of the things that he's saying. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:49.679 Really interesting stuff. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:54.000 And so just so that we're all kind of on the same page, this is the part of the world that we are dealing with. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:55.200 This is Israel. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:06.319 And so you can kind of see we've got the Mediterranean Sea in the top left, you've got the Sea of Galilee, that larger body of water in the top right, and then the Dead Sea there in the bottom right. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:11.120 And if we zoom in a little bit, this is sort of the actual area that Jesus is really traveling in. 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:15.840 Um the Jordan River there on the right that goes from the Sea of Galilee all the way down to the Dead Sea. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:25.040 And if we overlay the regions that made up that part of the world in Jesus' day, you'll see a lot of names that you might be familiar with if you've ever read the story of Jesus. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:26.799 A lot of these areas that he travels to. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:29.120 We see Judea, Samaria, Galilee. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:32.159 And so this is the world that Jesus is operating in. 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:48.400 And the last time we actually visited this map was when Jesus was coming from across the Sea of Galilee, headed back home to Capernaum, where he lives, and uh and we see that there's a little stopping point on the way back to Capernaum, in the middle of the lake, Sea of Galilee. 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:49.359 It's called the Sea of Galilee. 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:51.920 It's really a huge lake, it's not as big as an ocean at all. 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:54.959 Something happened, and just something random, something weird. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:57.519 Jesus walked on water, freaked out his disciples. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:58.879 They thought he was a ghost. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:01.519 Peter tried to walk on water, went well for a few seconds. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:02.640 Jesus helped him out. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:04.079 Really amazing story. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:10.080 And so we'll read what happens immediately after that middle of the Sea of Galilee experience. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:16.159 It says in Matthew 14, verse 34, that after they had crossed the lake, they landed at Genneseret. 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:23.439 And when the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:29.919 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:33.520 And so we'll bring the map back up again and see where we're at. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.879 Apparently, they made a little detour after the whole walking on water thing. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:42.000 Instead of going to Capernaum, they went to a place called Geneseret, which is really close to Capernaum. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:50.479 It's a village, like basically a neighboring town, and Jesus, while there does a ton of miracles, and he heals their people and he works with them. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:57.039 And basically, what we get the impression of is that just tons and tons of people are being brought to Jesus, and he's not turning anyone away. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:59.919 He's saying, I'm here for you, whatever you need. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:06.319 And this really sets up what our focus is going to be for the rest of our morning when it comes to Jesus. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:11.039 We're going to cover a lot of miles today, but there's a theme that's going to sort of tie it all together. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:14.240 Everything that Jesus is doing, everything that he's saying. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:22.159 And for context, as we've gone through this whole following Jesus series all year long, we've broken the book of Matthew up into a lot of smaller series. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:23.599 So we have kind of focal points. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:27.360 And our series that we're in right now is actually called Jesus Is. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:34.080 Because all these stories that we've been looking at, these are stories that highlight unique aspects of the personality of Jesus. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:39.599 We always have to remember when we're talking about Jesus that we are dealing with both God and man. 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:41.199 He's God. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:42.479 That's clear. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:43.599 He's divine. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:50.639 He's performing miracles, he's doing things that no one has ever done before, that no one other than God could do. 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:52.639 But he's also a man. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:54.400 He's not pretending to be a person. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:59.120 He was not God disguised as a person, he was God incarnate. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:09.439 That means that God became one of us and had a body, he had flesh, and he had a personality, he had a sense of humor. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:13.199 Jesus would have had idiosyncrasies, Jesus would have had things that he did. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.639 I don't know, maybe he twirled his hair, maybe he uh maybe he had a funny laugh. 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:18.879 I don't know, but Jesus was a human being. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:35.839 And it's so important for us if we want to understand Jesus, if we want to know Jesus, we need to be familiar with both of those aspects: his divinity, what that means, and how we engage him as God, but also his humanity. 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:43.040 And it's so often in his humanity that we we feel like we get him, we see him, we relate to him. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.879 And so we've looked at a lot of aspects of his personality that have just shown forth in the stories that we're in in this section of Matthew. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:53.600 We looked at the fact that Jesus is interruptible, he's never too busy to help people in need. 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:58.639 We can be like that if we if we choose to be and allow the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts to be like that. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:04:59.759 We can be interruptible. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:02.560 We look at the fact that Jesus is resourceful. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:07.680 When other people see problems and impossibilities, Jesus sees opportunities. 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:10.160 And we want to be like that as well. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.360 We talked about the fact that Jesus is surprising. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:19.759 He will do things, he will say things that even if you're the closest person in the world to him, will catch you off guard from time to time. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:23.199 You never quite have Jesus all the way figured out. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:24.560 He's surprising. 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:27.920 The disciples were very surprised to see Jesus walking on the water. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:29.680 They weren't ready for that. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:37.759 A couple weeks ago, we we focused on our only Jesus is not, and that was the fact that Jesus is not religious. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:40.160 And if you were here a few weeks ago, we we went through that. 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:42.000 If you're here for the first time, you're like, wait, what do you mean? 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:45.600 We're not talking about religion in terms of reverent worship of God. 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:52.560 We're talking about the man-made stuff that so often replaces true focus on God. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:06:04.240 And Jesus was surrounded by religion, the religious leaders were obsessed with all kinds of traditions that Jesus didn't really value that much, and it angered those people greatly to the point where they persecuted him up to the point of death. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:09.279 Today we're going to focus on the fact that Jesus is compassionate. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:11.439 Jesus is compassionate. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:18.240 If there's one thing about Jesus, if there's one thing about God that you should never underestimate, it's not just his power. 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:20.720 Shouldn't underestimate that either. 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:23.120 But it's his love and his compassion. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:27.040 We see it right here as Jesus lands at Genneseret. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:29.680 He lands there, and we don't know why they're there. 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:31.759 Maybe the disciples just got off track. 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:43.199 They're like, hey, we're we we came in a little south, and they're tired, they've been out for a long time, they just want to get home to Capernaum and rest, and there's all these people that need Jesus, and he has compassion on them. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:49.680 Jesus is compassionate in such a way that it's really hard for us to comprehend. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:51.199 It's challenging. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:55.680 Now, compassion is something that I'm sure all of us recognize, all of us have experienced. 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:57.439 It's an interesting word. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:06:59.279 It literally means to suffer with. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:00.480 That's what compassion means. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:02.079 Compassion means to suffer. 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:05.199 When you're passionate about something, you hurt for it. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.360 Like you bleed for it. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:10.800 And compassion means that you suffer with. 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:21.759 But the word that's actually used in the New Testament, specifically when we read about the compassion that Jesus has, for example, in Matthew chapter 14, when Jesus feeds the 5,000, he's trying to get away. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:25.360 We looked at this when Jesus, uh, we talked about Jesus being interruptible and resourceful. 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:34.959 He shows up to pray, to get away, to mourn the loss of his cousin John the Baptist, and all these people show up and they sort of ruin his time away, his time to mourn. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.360 But Jesus doesn't shoe them away, he doesn't get angry. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:42.879 It says that he looks at them and he has compassion on them, for they're like sheep without a shepherd. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:48.720 And that word compassion in the New Testament, which was written in Greek, it has a very specific meaning. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:54.240 It's actually a word in the Greek language that's tied to the root word for your spleen. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:56.800 It comes from the same word as spleen. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:00.160 And it means a guttural feeling. 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:03.519 It means to be moved in your inward parts. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.000 That's what that word literally translates to in the Greek. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:07.920 To be moved in your inward parts. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:16.639 Have you ever had something that's happened, something that you witnessed that has moved you in such a guttural way that you had to take action? 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:18.000 I'm sure we all have. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:20.639 Sometimes it's really serious stuff. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:24.240 And look at what just happened a few weeks ago with Canvas. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:33.360 We have this little girl in our church, she's five years old, she's beautiful, she's bright, she's been part of our church her entire life since she was in the womb, and she's battling brain cancer. 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:40.320 And you think about that, and if you're a parent, or even if you're not a parent, every picture I've seen of Gracie has moved me. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:49.360 Even the really positive updates, her family is so positive, and so many of their posts are just filled with gratitude and joy and finding the silver lining and everything you can. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.759 And even those of Gracie swimming in a pool and being really happy, it just moves me. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:57.039 Something inside of us, and look at the way we responded as a church. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.399 That was compassion. 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:05.440 But sometimes you don't even have to see something super intense or serious to be moved with true compassion. 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:08.639 Sometimes even the smallest things can move us to that. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:11.840 For example, um, I'll give you one from my life not that long ago. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:20.639 I uh I have four kids, and three of them are still in elementary school, and that means that I got to go to three field days this year. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:26.960 I got to go to three Christmas parties, and I got to go to three end-of-the-year awards parties. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:31.120 And when you have three kids in elementary school, you're you're just at the school way more than you think you should be. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:32.480 You're like, why am I here again? 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:35.120 Can we not find a more can we just do field day all at once? 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:36.159 Can we just do all the kids? 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:36.960 But I guess not. 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:40.799 So I went to three field days, and actually, all jokes aside, like it was great. 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.919 I love watching my kids in those types of uh of situations. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:47.840 And the one I was I was really pumped for, though, is my daughter. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:55.679 My daughter Lily, she's going into fifth grade, but this was her last year at her elementary school, and so she was so stoked for field day. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:57.679 You're just gonna have to trust me on this. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:00.799 My my daughter is like a hula hoop master. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.200 You've never seen someone hula hoop like this girl can hoop. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:04.240 I mean, it's it's crazy. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:06.879 She can keep a hula hoop going for so long. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:15.919 She can do crazy stuff, like she can move it all the way up from her waist, up her arms, back down to her neck, and then back down to like her waist without even dropping. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:17.200 I don't even know how she does it. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:22.000 It's if there was a professional hula hoop, something, which maybe there is, they would be recruiting her right now. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:23.120 I promise you that. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:35.120 And in third grade, like, I don't know how the field day is at the school that you went to in elementary school, or if you've been to one of your kids' or grandkids' field days, but there's a there's a few events at field day that just matter the most. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:36.480 It's kind of like the Olympics. 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:42.240 Like, you know, there's there's sports in the Olympics which are coming up that we all care about, and then there's sports where you're just like, why? 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:44.159 Um that's how field day is. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:47.679 And it at our kids' field day, it's the tug of war and hula hoop. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:49.279 That's what it's all about at field day. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:55.200 Um used to be when I was a kid, it was dodgeball, but they've replaced dodgeball with a wimpier version of dodgeball now. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:59.440 I don't know if you know this, they don't play dodgeball anymore, and it's just not as good. 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:02.799 So now it's tug of war and it's hula hoop. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:07.039 And so last year, Lily came in the final three for hula hoop. 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:10.080 Out of hundreds of kids, she was one of the last three going. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:12.320 And this year, she was determined to win. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:14.240 She practiced, she trained. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:17.200 It was like a 1980s Rocky movie. 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:25.759 Like if you had a montage of a hair band playing a song and she's just in her room and she's doing this and the hula hoop's going, you know, she's she's giving her, she's ready. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:30.080 And so I go, I know how much she's anticipating the hula hoop moment. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:34.720 Each class got to select their representative, and of course, you know, they had like five apiece. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:36.000 Lily's one of those. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:36.960 So she's out there. 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:38.080 They gave everyone a warm-up time. 00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:40.720 And Lily's at the warm-up time, and she's just playing with the hula hoop. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.320 She's just sitting there, like, come on, let's go. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:44.480 And this hula hoop's just going like it's nothing. 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:47.039 And I'm looking around and I'm thinking, this is her moment. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:55.279 And she had actually told me beforehand, she said, Dad, I want to win this so bad because, and the perspective of a fourth grade girl, she said, I'm not a popular kid. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:56.399 I know. 00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:58.080 She's popular to me. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:00.559 She's way better than all the other kids. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.720 I mean, who are they? 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.519 But she said, Dad, I'm not one of the popular kids. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:08.240 And she said, the popular kids always get celebrated. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:11.120 And I never get celebrated, and I'm gonna win this. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:17.360 Now, like, her motivations may be a little off, but they're understandable. 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:20.399 We all have a desire to be celebrated, and she felt like this was her chance. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:21.759 And so the warmup's going great. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:26.559 I'm looking around, I'm like, these kids are toast, no one is even close to her level, and then it's time to start. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:31.759 And she grabs the hula hoop and she spins it in the wrong direction. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:37.440 And she does this, and this I see in her eyes this realization, like, oh no, and it just falls. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:41.279 And so she sits down and she looks at me and she's like, it's okay. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:41.840 It's okay. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.159 She's telling me, it's okay, it's okay. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:58.480 But you know, it's like when you're actually telling that to yourself, and I can see she's fighting back tears, and I'm sitting there in the stands at field day with my little name tag on, and I just I want to run out and grab her and hold her. 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:00.960 Actually, what I wanted to do was do what a lot of parents do. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:04.320 I wanted to demand that they do a redo for my daughter. 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.559 Because, you know, as parents, we have options. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:12.080 One option is that we make sure everything goes well for our kids, you know, so that they fail when they're adults. 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:18.559 Or the other option is that we allow them to struggle and fail and grow through the challenge. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:20.720 But it's tough to let that happen sometimes. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:29.120 And so after I got over that temptation, when the whistle blew and it was all over, she ran to me, she put her arm around me, and she just cried. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:36.240 And I mean, I'm telling you what, that field day experience stuck with me for days. 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:39.679 I mean, I found myself at work days later being like, oh the hula hoop. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.639 You know, poor girl. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:47.919 And it's not because that was important, it's because she's important. 00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:49.759 She's important to me. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:58.799 And so the guttural pain that I felt over that hula hoop dropping was so much more than the actual stakes of the moment. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:00.639 But that's compassion. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:05.360 When you are moved to your most inward part. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:12.720 And just like we see with Jesus healing these people, today we are gonna see Jesus' compassion on display. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:19.519 He is someone who is often moved to action in surprising ways. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:23.440 Now, let's pick back up with where we are with Jesus. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:28.000 After Genneseret, undoubtedly Jesus would have returned to Capernaum. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:29.279 So we'll put this back up on the map. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:33.600 He leaves Genneseret, he goes back to his hometown in Capernaum. 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:40.879 This is not where he's from originally, that would be Nazareth, but this is where he his home in terms of where he set up home for the last several years of his ministry. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:46.320 And from Capernaum, we get to Matthew chapter 15, verse 21. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:53.600 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:54.879 Now, this is a big deal. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:14:56.799 I'm gonna go ahead and bring this up on the map as well. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:15:03.919 Jesus leaves Capernaum, where he's had some interactions with the Pharisees, specifically about why he doesn't wash his hands like they recommend. 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:05.919 And now he goes all the way with his disciples. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:15.919 They go all the way north to a place called Phoenicia, and they visit the towns of Tyre and Sidon, these ancient cities that are right on the Mediterranean Sea. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:17.200 Now, this is a big deal. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:24.879 Because up to this point, pretty much everything Jesus has done has been in Israel, and he's been doing it with the Jewish people. 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:29.919 This is a part of the world that is and was very tribal. 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:36.000 Even though these are people who have, for centuries, been in the same geographic area. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:39.840 They've been neighbors for centuries, they do not get along, they do not like each other. 00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:47.919 It's a lot of anger and resentment and bitterness from past things that have happened, and they see everyone that's not them as an enemy. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:48.720 That's just the way it is. 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:51.679 That's the way it is with the Jewish people, with the Gentiles. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.919 It's definitely the way it is with the Gentiles and the Jewish people. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.440 There's so much animosity. 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:58.159 And we see that pop up in Scripture so much. 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:06.000 Tyre and Sidon, though, that's that's really interesting because these are not places that are associated with anything good in Scripture. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:15.840 In fact, there is one character in the Old Testament who is the daughter of the king of Tyre, and she plays a pretty big role in one of the major stories of the Old Testament. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.000 Anyone know who I'm talking about? 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:18.879 Jezebel. 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:19.600 Someone said it. 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:20.000 Correct. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:20.960 Jezebel. 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:26.399 That's the main character that we have in the Old Testament that's from one of these cities. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.879 And only one person got it, so I don't know who that was, but bonus points for you. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:34.559 Um yeah, let's clap for the person that yelled Jezebel, an old Bible expert. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:35.919 Well done. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.200 But I'm gonna give us an easier one than that, okay? 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:40.799 Show of hands. 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:43.759 Jezebel good or Jezebel bad? 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.519 That doesn't make sense because I said show of hands. 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:46.799 Let me think of a different way. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:51.039 Put your left hand in the air if you think Jezebel was good, put your right hand in the air if you think Jezebel was bad. 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:52.080 How about that? 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:53.600 Some of you don't know. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:54.080 Okay. 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.960 Hopefully your right hand was in the air, because Jezebel was the worst. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:05.519 Tyre and Sidon were not places that worshipped the God of Scripture at all. 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:13.599 In fact, the main worship of those areas was uh the worship of Baal and this goddess called Asherah. 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:22.799 And it's if you study the history of those faiths and those religions, I mean it's it's dark and it's evil stuff. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:28.799 There's all kinds of just pagan terror, it's it's terrible. 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:34.000 And when Jezebel comes to Israel, she does not become a follower of the true God. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:48.960 She brings in her idol worship to Israel, has great influence over her husband Ahab because he's like spineless, he does whatever Jezebel wants, and all of a sudden the nation of Israel is thrown into idol worship in a way that they haven't ever been before, and the prophets are persecuted. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:51.440 You have Elijah who shows up in that moment against them. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:53.039 It's a really interesting story. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:18:00.079 But my point is that this is not a place that is at all synonymous with God or goodness in any way. 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:09.680 And so, for all the places for for Jesus to visit, of all the places for Jesus to go, he goes to Tyre and Sidon. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:13.200 And I'm sure his disciples are like, What are we doing here? 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:15.440 We have no business here. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.359 These are our enemies. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.000 And we see an interaction, really interesting interaction, happen pretty much right away. 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:23.759 Matthew chapter 15, verse 22. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:30.400 It says that a Gentile woman who lived there came to him pleading, Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:34.559 For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:37.519 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:42.480 And then his disciples urged him to send her away, tell her to go away, they said. 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:44.240 She's bothering us with all her begging. 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.200 A lot of compassion on behalf of the disciples, right? 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:48.400 But they're entire inside. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:53.599 This is not a place where they've been, they have not been raised to have compassion on this group of people. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:59.680 And so Jesus said to the woman, I was sent only to help God's lost sheep, the people of Israel. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:03.759 But she came and worshipped him, cleaving again, Lord help me. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:09.440 And Jesus responded, It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:15.279 Now, some of us are like, I thought this was about the compassion of Jesus. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:19.359 But that does not seem to be going in that direction. 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:24.400 But this is where this is where you've got to nerd out a little bit, okay? 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.559 Because what Jesus does here in that statement he made, it's so brilliant. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:31.599 But you have to understand, you're gonna see the compassion of Jesus really quickly, I promise. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:36.400 But you have to, you just have to appreciate how brilliant Jesus is in this moment. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:37.599 He's a genius. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:43.279 So he he says it wouldn't be right to take food from the children and give it to the dogs. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:55.839 Now, the most common slur of Jesus' day to use toward Gentiles in the Jewish community, non-Jewish people, was the phrase dog. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:59.519 We see that show up a lot in ancient writings. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:01.440 It was just part of the culture. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.079 You were a Gentile dog. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:11.119 And the specific word in the Greek language for this, that's why you have to nerd out a little bit, is this word kuan. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:14.880 And it means like a wild, stray dog, a street dog. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:18.480 And these were unclean animals, they were filthy, they carried disease. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:27.119 And this is the way that many of the Jewish people had been brought up to describe people like the Phoenicians, and Tyre and Sidon, to call them dogs. 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:28.559 Kuan. 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:33.119 And so here's Jesus, and here's his disciples. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:34.240 Like, send her away. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:35.279 She's bothering us. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:37.200 Like, get her to go. 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:40.079 And Jesus hears his disciples, he knows their heart. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:42.640 He obviously can tell the way they feel about this woman. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:44.640 And so he kind of plays along. 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:45.920 He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:47.039 I'm not here for you. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.240 Wouldn't be right to take food meant for the children. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:52.960 And, you know, the disciples at this point are like nodding their heads in agreement. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:54.799 You know, yeah, he's taking our advice. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:56.640 Finally, Jesus is doing what we say. 00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:57.519 Send her away. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:04.079 Yes, it wouldn't be right to take food from the children, the true children of God, the nation of Israel, and give it to the dogs. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:09.359 And when Jesus says the word dogs, the disciples undoubtedly would have said, What? 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:18.799 Because Jesus did not use that word kuon in the Greek language that means street dog. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.559 Up to this point, they're tracking. 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:22.240 Jesus says, Hey, I came here for Israel. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:23.359 The disciples are like, Yeah, that's right. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.279 They're giving each other high fives, we knew it. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:28.160 It wouldn't be right for me to take food from the children of Israel. 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:30.880 The disciples are like nodding their heads, yeah, and give it to the dogs. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:32.960 They would have been like, what did he say? 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.680 Because Jesus does this incredible thing. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:38.079 He changes the word. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:49.359 And instead of saying kuon, which means street dog, he uses this other Greek word, kunarion, which means a beloved household pet. 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:53.039 Like, okay, let's be honest. 00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:54.319 How many of you are dog people? 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:55.599 Okay? 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:58.160 How many of you are cat people? 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.200 Okay. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:06.640 So good that the church is diverse and there's people to pray for. 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:09.119 Pray for the cat people. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:09.599 Okay. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:11.279 I'm teasing. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:14.319 I did have a friend one time that uh had a great filter. 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:20.240 He said, look, the best way to know if you've got the right pet is if that pet were two times your size, would it eat you? 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:22.480 Most cats would. 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:23.200 Just saying. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:24.480 So, you know. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:33.039 No, like, in my experience, dog people, cat people, I don't know, fish people, whatever kind of person you are. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:43.279 How many of you, if you're gonna be honest, you love your pets so much that in your mind they're not really animals. 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:45.359 They're they're like a part of the family. 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:47.119 They're they're children, yes. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:48.079 Right. 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:49.839 Yes. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:51.839 We all have been there. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:53.200 I've definitely been there. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:23:01.200 Um we have an amazing woman on our staff named Courtney, by the way, Courtney Wasco, she's one of our main kids leaders, and she just had a baby a couple of days ago. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:02.799 So there you go, Courtney. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:04.160 She's not here today. 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:06.160 Courtney loves her dogs. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:11.920 And I made this horrible mistake one time in the office, and I've talked about this, and some of you are about to like me less, but I can handle it. 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:18.240 Um Courtney was talking about a dog of hers had passed away, and she was saying, I just know that he's in heaven. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:26.720 And me, being like a theological nerd and jerk, was like, wait, do you think your dog's in heaven? 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:28.240 And she was like, Well, yeah. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:30.000 I was like, I don't know about that. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:34.799 And I started, I know some of you were like, boo, like, yeah, throwing stuff at me. 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:39.200 I just, it was an interesting conversation about do animals go to heaven? 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:42.400 And if so, all animals, like, where are we drawing the line here, people? 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:47.200 All dogs, you're gonna get to heaven, and every dog that has ever existed is in heaven. 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.720 And then what about cats? 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:51.279 You know, we go down the line, where do we stop? 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:56.240 How many of these what is heaven gonna be like if every animal from all of history is in heaven? 00:23:56.319 --> 00:24:02.799 I don't think that that makes a lot of sense, but I learned really quickly that when you mess with a dog person, be careful. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:06.319 Alright, so I'm sure your dog's in heaven. 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:07.200 That's what I'm trying to say. 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:08.799 Definitely in heaven. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:13.039 You're gonna you're gonna get to heaven, you're gonna open your room, and every dog you've ever had is gonna be in there. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:15.359 And you're gonna be like, yes, here we go. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:20.559 Woo! But none of the cats. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.119 Okay. 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.559 I'm just teasing. 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:37.039 Now, like when we we have a pet and we love that pet, it's it's like an honored part of the family. 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:39.599 I mean, we we will do anything for that. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:44.880 If that pet goes missing, we will search for it, we will look for it, we'll we'll give reward money for it. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:50.160 You know, we we feed that pet, we treat that pet like royalty, like we make sure that that pet's life is wonderful. 00:24:50.240 --> 00:25:00.079 And Jesus, in this moment, talking about this woman, he shifts and he's he's talking about the Gentiles the way the the disciples expect him to. 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:04.960 You know, they're not the children of Israel, I'm not really here for them, and then he he switches it. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:14.240 And he doesn't call her a dog, he does something with the change of word that makes his disciples go, excuse me? 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:15.519 And the woman catches on. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:16.240 She's sharp. 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:17.839 I love her, she's very quick-witted. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:21.039 She replies in verse 27, That's true, Lord. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:27.200 But even dogs, beloved pets, are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath the master's table. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:30.240 Dear woman, Jesus said to her, Your faith is great. 00:25:30.400 --> 00:25:32.000 Like he just says, like, I love you. 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:32.960 You're great. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:35.039 I love this moment with Jesus. 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:36.960 Your request is granted. 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:39.440 And her daughter was instantly healed. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:41.920 It's a surprising moment. 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:48.640 And it's one of those moments where if you dig a little deeper, you see a layer of Jesus that maybe you can miss upon first reading. 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:58.799 That Jesus flips the script on his disciples and he uses this as an incredible teaching moment to say to them, hey, my compassion, it's not just for the people of Israel. 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:00.640 It's not just for you guys. 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:02.960 I'm here for everybody. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:07.119 I'm here for the people of even Tyre and Sidon. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:14.559 Places that the disciples would have only associated with evil, with enmity. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:16.319 And Jesus says, I'm here for them. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:20.160 I'm here to heal them just as much as I'm here to heal you. 00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:23.279 It's a beautiful moment of Jesus' compassion. 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:27.440 After this, we get to Matthew chapter 15, verses 29 through 38. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:32.880 It says that Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee, and he climbed a hill and sat down. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:38.319 A vast crowd of people were brought to him that were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.039 They laid them before Jesus and he healed them all. 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:42.720 The crowd was amazed. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:51.119 Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, the blind could see again, and they praised the God of Israel. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:54.960 And then Jesus called his disciples and told them, I feel sorry for these people. 00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:56.880 They've been with me for days. 00:26:57.119 --> 00:26:58.400