Hi, I'm Glenn Russell.
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Welcome to our Books of the Book
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series on 3ABN.
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We're so glad
that you are joining us
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for a wonderful study,
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fascinating study
of a Book of Matthew.
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One of God's precious books
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in this wonderful
gift of scripture.
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We're here with our lead
teacher Dr. Ranko Stefanovic.
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Ranko, glad to have you with
us on the program once again.
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We've been working our way
through the Gospel of Matthew.
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It's been a great journey.
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I can't wait to
get in to it today.
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Yes, Glenn, it's so
nice to be with you here,
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to share those, these insights
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from the Gospel of Matthew
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and also to work here
with this wonderful people.
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We are having great time.
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It's been a
great time here at 3ABN
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and let's get right into it.
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First of all, fore mostly,
we never want to open scripture
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without turning to God
asking Him to guide us.
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Let's pray together.
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Lord as we begin, we
recognize our need for You.
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We're so grateful that
You've chosen to reveal
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Yourself to us in scripture.
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We need Your Holy
Spirit to guide us, teach us,
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be the one, who
speaks to us today,
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in Jesus name we
pray, amen. Amen.
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Well, Ranko, we've been moving
through this Gospel of Matthew,
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authored by God,
written by Matthew
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under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
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We've worked our way
through the first few chapters,
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all the way up through
the Sermon on the Mount,
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that's where we
finished last time.
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We had a chance to see Jesus
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as the greatest
teacher of all time. Yes.
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The depth of His teachings,
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the insights that
He provided, powerful.
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But now we're
moving into Chapter 8.
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What's ahead for us?
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Yes, we saw
already in Chapter 4,
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that the Gospel indicates
that the activities of Jesus
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were made of His teachings. Yes.
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And preachings,
and then His healing
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and other
activities helping people.
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In the last two programs,
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we saw the first of the
set of the teachings of Jesus,
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the Sermon on the Mount. Right.
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So, now after that,
after that same formula
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when Jesus
finished all His sayings.
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Now we have Jesus putting
His teachings into practice.
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So, we have Chapters 8 and 9,
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where we see the healing
and other activities of Jesus.
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Let's be sure we
didn't miss that,
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putting His
teachings into practice.
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So, there's a close connection.
Close connection between that.
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Through His
teachings and the activities.
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So, give us an
idea of the activities
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that we find here
in Chapter 8 and 9.
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Yes, Chapter 8 and 9,
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has very nice structure
and very nice conclusion
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that we will come
in few moments there,
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but it's organized nicely.
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So, this section is about
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the practical
aspect of Jesus' Ministry,
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but it's
organized in very nice way.
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And it goes in this way
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"There is a
miracle that Jesus does,
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healing and then instructions
about the discipleship,
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then miracles of
Jesus, then discipleship
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and it goes on
through all these Chapters.
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This very
significant in the light
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would comes after Chapter 9
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and we will see the
concluding text of Chapter 9
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is now Jesus
sends His disciples.
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So, whenever
Jesus did some healings,
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He wanted somehow to set
an example to His disciples
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what they're supposed to do,
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to continue
actually His ministry here--
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So, it's
practical training in fact-
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Very practical training,
yes. All right, very good.
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Is there a portion of script,
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you would like us to
read as we get started?
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Actually Glenn, I
would really like to start
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with the concluding text
of these two Chapters. Okay.
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And we will come
to this text again,
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you know, to make
connection with Chapter 10.
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But our verses from
35 to 40 of Chapter 9.
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All right Matthew
9:35 and following. Yes.
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"Then Jesus went about
all the cities and villages,
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teaching in their synagogues,
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preaching the
gospel of the kingdom,
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and healing every sickness
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and every
disease among the people.
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But when he saw the multitudes,
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he was moved with
compassion for them,
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because they were weary
and scattered like sheep
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having no shepherd.
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Then he said to his disciples,
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"The harvest truly is plentiful,
but the laborers are few.
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Therefore pray the
Lord of the harvest,
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to send out
labors into the harvest".
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We saw earlier in
Chapter 4:23 that Jesus
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was going all around Galilee
there and healing people.
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And now 35, He is actually,
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almost word by word
repetition of this text,
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which indicates
that Chapter 4:23
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and Chapter 9:29 they
function as an envelope,
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what we say inclusio. Okay.
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The beginning and the
conclusion is the same,
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what comes between it's
really, can we say a case study.
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It's a practical
application of this
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that Jesus was
going around teaching
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and preaching and
now healing there.
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But they're like us
as we-- we are not able
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in these two
Chapters to go through
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all these healings
activities of Jesus.
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I believe that the viewers
will do it for themselves.
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But I would like
to take few minutes
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really to focus
here on verse 36.
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It sets the tone, it
provides the framework
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for everything
that Jesus was doing.
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It says "Seeing the people, He,
Jesus felt compassion for them,
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compassion for them,
because they were distressed
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and dispirited like
sheep without the shepherds".
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When Jesus did all those healing
activities and helping people,
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there was only one
motive that moved Jesus to do it
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and what was that? It
was compassion. Compassion.
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Now this word
compassion we think of--
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we can break it
down say compassions
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literally a
passion for someone else.
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Help us understand the
background of that word.
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I see so many
times even preachers,
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when they preach
about, about these text,
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when they use
the word compassion,
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and the way how they refer
to that, it's usually like pity.
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But if we go to
original languages,
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the Greek word is prugismi,
it's not really about pity.
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If we want to translate
that word in a literal way,
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it means lets, can you translate
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these text literally
said "seeing people".
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The inner organs of Jesus
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they were
moved, the inner organ.
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You know in
ancient times inner organs,
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they played
significant role in human lives,
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that's ancient concept.
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See we are so much Greek minded.
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We use our mind
everything. Yeah.
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When we love, when
we make a decision,
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when decisions,
when we, whatever we do,
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it's always focus on our mind.
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But if you go to the Bible,
people think by their hearts,
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people know by their hearts.
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Whatever people do
it's with their heart,
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so inner organs
were really the focus
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of the entire human personality.
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You know, we have something
from the practical human life,
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that, that we have
practical indication
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what it means
organs to be moved.
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You're telling us sensitive
nurturing, caring aspect.
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So, its mother, mother child.
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You know, you know
when you have a mother
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something happens to
the child, what happens?
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The pain that she
feels it's not here,
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the pain is inside.
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You feel like your inner
organs are moved. Yes, yes.
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Actually this is
exactly what happened here
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with reference to Jesus.
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When Jesus saw the
people, when He saw their needs,
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with so many
sick people, so many,
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Remember another
occasion people are hungry.
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People are oppressed
with those heavy taxes,
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when Jesus saw, but much more.
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People are oppressed
by that burden of sin.
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When Jesus saw them,
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the Bible says His
inner organs were moved.
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And Jesus decided to help them,
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well, what kind of a Savior
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we have here in
the Gospel of Matthew.
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And this is exactly
what I was thinking,
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you know, we may feel like
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we are suffering,
we are struggling.
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Jesus senses that compassion,
He reaches out to us,
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He feels our pain.
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We say that so quickly,
but it's a powerful promise.
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You know, I'm
asking myself a question,
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you know, the early Christians
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the New Testament
was not composed yet.
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Evidently
Christians in Antioch of Syria,
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they were the primary audience
of that, of that Gospel.
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You know, the only
picture of Jesus they had
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was the portrayal of
Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.
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What kind of Jesus they
could understand and believe in.
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Jesus who cared for
their personal needs.
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I think I
mentioned this to you before,
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I like to
mention to the viewers.
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When I was a young pastor,
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I was very nervous to stand
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in front of
people and to preach.
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I mean, this was
for me a terrible thing,
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that's a reason I didn't
want to go to pastoral ministry.
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And then there was
one elderly pastor,
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he tried to encourage me.
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He said "Ranko,
why are you nervous?"
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I said, "Are you nervous?"
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No, I'm never, never
nervous, I said how is that so.
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He said, when I
stand in front of people,
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when I want to serve
them and to preach them,
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I just imagine that I have
pumpkins in front of myself.
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Pumpkins? Pumpkins.
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Their heads like pumpkins.
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So then I reacted, you
know, I was young pastor to talk
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and I say boy
what kind of sermon
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did you preach
to those pumpkins.
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You see if you
really want to reach
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the heart of the
people, they are not pumpkins.
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They are living
beings, that they are humans
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who have their particular needs.
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When Jesus saw those
people, He don't see pumpkins,
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He saw human needs
with particular needs.
00:10:19.90\00:10:22.21
And His inner organs were
moved in order to help them.
00:10:22.22\00:10:25.42
It's a beautiful
picture of the caring Savior,
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who senses the
pain of this world
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and He's the same
Lord and Savior today.
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He continues to respond to the
needs of people in this world.
00:10:32.70\00:10:37.14
Now it talks about them being
like sheep without a shepherd,
00:10:37.15\00:10:40.14
weary and scattered. Yes.
00:10:40.15\00:10:42.14
Instead of going now to
all these activities of Jesus,
00:10:43.51\00:10:47.71
I would like just to
focus Glenn, to one particular,
00:10:47.72\00:10:51.00
it's representative case
for all other healing activities
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is Chapter 9 verses 1 to 8
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and I would appreciate if
you, if you read these verses.
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So we're looking at several,
00:10:58.82\00:11:00.34
we've looked at
several miracles.
00:11:00.35\00:11:03.27
Let's take a sample now.
00:11:04.35\00:11:05.40
But this one, this one
is representative. Okay.
00:11:05.41\00:11:07.95
"So He got into a
boat and crossed over,
00:11:08.90\00:11:10.95
and came to His own city.
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Then behold, they brought to
Him a paralytic lying on a bed.
00:11:13.59\00:11:16.20
When Jesus saw their faith,
00:11:16.21\00:11:19.10
He said to the paralytic,
"Son, be of good cheer,
00:11:19.11\00:11:22.20
your sins are forgiven you."
00:11:22.21\00:11:23.90
And at once some of the
scribes within themselves said,
00:11:23.91\00:11:27.46
"This Man blasphemes!"
00:11:27.47\00:11:29.15
But Jesus, knowing
their thoughts, said,
00:11:29.16\00:11:31.75
"Why do you think
evil in your hearts?
00:11:31.76\00:11:33.69
For which is easier, to say
Your sins are forgiven you,'
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or to say, 'Arise and walk'?
00:11:36.54\00:11:39.85
But that you may
know that the Son of God
00:11:39.86\00:11:41.42
has power on
earth to forgive sins."
00:11:41.43\00:11:44.23
Then He said to the paralytic,
00:11:44.24\00:11:45.91
"Arise, take up your
bed, and go to your home."
00:11:45.92\00:11:49.09
And he arose and
departed to his house.
00:11:49.10\00:11:51.37
And when the multitudes saw
00:11:51.38\00:11:52.59
they marveled and glorified God,
00:11:52.60\00:11:55.37
who had given
such power to men."
00:11:55.38\00:11:57.50
Okay, so what do we have here?
00:11:57.51\00:11:59.33
There is a sick
person, paralytic.
00:11:59.34\00:12:01.82
What did he need? He
need a heeling. Not all.
00:12:01.83\00:12:05.38
Physical healing
that's and much more.
00:12:05.39\00:12:08.62
That's what he needed.
00:12:08.63\00:12:09.67
But can you
imagine instead of telling
00:12:09.68\00:12:12.46
the person get up and
be healed, Jesus tells him
00:12:12.47\00:12:16.93
"Your sins are forgiven".
00:12:16.94\00:12:20.22
And that's what provoked
their action of the Pharisees.
00:12:20.23\00:12:23.53
This is a representative
case for all other healings.
00:12:23.54\00:12:26.77
You know, the normal word
00:12:26.78\00:12:28.58
for healing in
Greek is "Therapeo".
00:12:28.59\00:12:31.52
That is used
therapy, use in medicine.
00:12:33.56\00:12:36.15
But there is another word
which is actually the keyword
00:12:36.16\00:12:39.50
in the Gospel for the
healing activities of Jesus,
00:12:39.51\00:12:42.27
and that's the
Greek word "sozo". Sozo.
00:12:42.28\00:12:45.05
Sozo can be translated into
English in two different ways.
00:12:45.06\00:12:48.72
It can be
translated as save, to save,
00:12:48.73\00:12:52.56
or can be translated as to heal.
00:12:52.57\00:12:54.91
So, so many times when you,
00:12:56.42\00:12:57.94
when the word is
used in the Gospels,
00:12:57.95\00:12:59.95
you don't know
which word to translate.
00:12:59.96\00:13:02.21
So, which concept is correct?
00:13:04.10\00:13:06.36
This case
indicates that actually
00:13:06.37\00:13:08.84
the word has both
meanings in-- the two meanings
00:13:08.85\00:13:12.92
in the healing
activities of Jesus.
00:13:12.93\00:13:15.34
When Jesus healed
people physically,
00:13:15.35\00:13:19.28
He also healed them spiritually.
00:13:19.29\00:13:22.88
When people are
forgiven, they were healed.
00:13:22.89\00:13:26.92
When people were healed, they
were at the same time forgiven.
00:13:26.93\00:13:31.80
There is a close
relationship in the Bible
00:13:31.81\00:13:35.50
between physical and spiritual.
00:13:35.51\00:13:38.08
And that's the holistic view-
That's the holistic view of-
00:13:38.09\00:13:40.68
So, Jesus with His compassion,
00:13:40.69\00:13:42.58
this compassion is not just
for their physical condition.
00:13:42.59\00:13:45.79
He cares about this man's
00:13:45.80\00:13:47.53
and, of course, when
He says that they could,
00:13:47.54\00:13:50.22
that he should be healed,
00:13:50.23\00:13:51.47
it raises the
issue of Jesus identity.
00:13:51.48\00:13:53.58
What right does He have to--
00:13:53.59\00:13:54.81
Glenn, just to
take few moments. Okay.
00:13:54.82\00:13:56.82
Before we, we make a break.
00:13:56.83\00:13:59.27
What is the event that
follows this healing of Jesus,
00:13:59.28\00:14:03.31
it's the calling
of Matthew. Matthew.
00:14:03.32\00:14:05.69
Matthew was a
tax collector there,
00:14:05.70\00:14:07.50
cheating on people,
stealing money from people.
00:14:07.51\00:14:10.41
He did not have a
problem with physical health.
00:14:10.42\00:14:15.40
But Jesus comes
gives him a call,
00:14:15.41\00:14:17.56
that person had remorse,
00:14:17.57\00:14:19.03
that person has
spiritual struggle.
00:14:19.04\00:14:21.37
And then Jesus
calls him, follow me,
00:14:21.38\00:14:24.32
that person
needed spiritual healing
00:14:24.33\00:14:28.24
"sozo" the word is applied.
00:14:28.25\00:14:30.16
You see after
the spiritual healing
00:14:30.17\00:14:32.05
and his sins are forgiven.
00:14:32.06\00:14:33.75
Finally he had also
the physical healing
00:14:33.76\00:14:36.11
that impacted his entire life.
00:14:36.12\00:14:38.43
Oh, good, this is a wonderful
view of a compassionate Savior.
00:14:38.44\00:14:41.22
We're gonna come right back
for more right after our break.
00:14:41.23\00:14:44.26