Pure Faith: A Bible Discussion Podcast
Pure Faith: A Bible Discussion Podcast
Unscripted Stories: Coping with Kidney Cancer, Contemplations on Faith, and Unraveling Matthew 5:19
Imagine you've got your keys in hand, ready to unlock the car to grab the podcast iPad, and you suddenly realize it's not even your vehicle. Laugh with us at this little mix-up and more, as we kick off another episode of Pure Faith Podcast, where we juggle between the hilarious and deeply serious. This time, we're unscripted and unfiltered, with Mitchell sharing an update on his kidney cancer journey, its unexpected link to his military service, and the potential upheavals of his future deployments and retirement plans.
Ever wonder why life goes sideways for the good folks around us? It's one of those puzzling questions we're wrestling with, as we reflect on Mitchell's cancer battle and the overwhelming support from our listeners. We're even contemplating a shift in the podcast narrative to focus more on cancer-related topics. We also give you a sneak peek into our upcoming year-in-review episode while we navigate the logistics of recording during Mitchell's recovery phase from surgery.
Thinking about the Bible and how to interpret it? Join us as we cast our lens on Matthew 5:19's 'least commandment' and understand how it ties back to Jesus' statement about fulfilling the law and the concept of heaven on earth. We explore how this idea relates to Jesus's critique of Pharisees' interpretation of the law. Remember, even when we stumble and misstep, our faith in Jesus is our key to the kingdom of heaven. So, buckle up and let's set off on this enlightening journey together.
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Alright, and with that, hello and welcome to another episode of the Pure Faith Podcast, a podcast where we discuss all things Bible. This is the host, mitchell, and I'm actually the co-host, michelle, and we are brother and sister and we laugh a lot and we, when we put out our YouTube episodes, it takes a picture and it never does justice for me. I'm going to try not to laugh so hard because it's always such a bad picture.
Speaker 2:I think it's a great picture.
Speaker 1:It's not a great picture. Do you see? The one this week, the one that you just released? I got like four chins Anyhow.
Speaker 2:That sounds like a personal problem.
Speaker 1:We ask that you like this video, subscribe to our YouTube channel, then you get to see the funny pictures. And don't forget to hit the notification icon to be notified when new episodes are released, so you can see the silly pictures. Yes, such stupid pictures. Well, they could be worse. I don't even want to share the podcast because I have bad the picture is.
Speaker 2:Remember the picture I have on my phone. It could be worse.
Speaker 1:Don't make me laugh. I don't want to have four chins. I can't. I'm not doing my head back on purpose. Well, if you throw your head back, you should tighten it up, because I go, look, look at the screen. Well, you have four chins. If it's that picture, you take it off.
Speaker 2:We're not.
Speaker 1:We're not going to release the episode if that's the picture.
Speaker 2:I'm still going to release it.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:So you wouldn't know how to stop me.
Speaker 1:No, you're right, I have no idea what happens. I'm here for a Bible study for 30 minutes and then everything else is. I do nothing else. It's actually 27 minutes. I set my timer for 27 minutes and after those 27 minutes are over, I see you the next week. I don't do anything to prepare for this and I don't do anything to release this episode, but you all get to hear me and see me for 27 minutes.
Speaker 2:Well, my preparation level is getting lower too.
Speaker 1:None. So we pray before we actually start the podcast until prayers lately have been lower. Please give me the words, because I am not prepared for this.
Speaker 2:That's been more often than not here.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, that's so funny.
Speaker 2:I am trying to change the way I do things a little bit, with the thought that I am going to be getting out of the army, which bring in up the whole cancer thing.
Speaker 1:Wait, you have cancer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you didn't know that. Oh, I have cancer.
Speaker 1:Yes, he has cancer, Kidney cancer, kidney cancer.
Speaker 2:But I did find out that a few things, so I guess this will be my cancer update for the week.
Speaker 1:Oh, fantastic. I don't know any of this, so I'm getting updated.
Speaker 2:You don't even know the notes, even though they're right in front of you. Well, I guess you don't have the current notes. But even if you had the notes, I print them. I just don't bring them.
Speaker 1:Just send a message, send me an email.
Speaker 2:Okay, so this morning I get in the car to leave and I'm like, oh, we're recording today. I need to go get the iPad and the other stuff. I'm like I'm not going to worry about getting changed clothes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's the point?
Speaker 2:So but I grab the iPad and I grab the thumb drive and then I leave.
Speaker 1:Oh wait.
Speaker 2:And then I completely forget that I was supposed to get you in. So I drive around the block, go back home, go back in the car, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And then, so to go along with that story, olivia's home for the Thanksgiving holiday, because you know, we right now we're on Thanksgiving. Happy belated Thanksgiving. Yeah, happy belated Thanksgiving. So we are recording. It's Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Olivia and Owen are home for the holiday, so Olivia and I decide to take a walk to your car to pick up the iPad.
Speaker 1:And I go to Mitchell's work and I am trying to open the door because he tells me it's going to be unlocked. And I'm like boy, this car looks awfully clean. Oh my gosh, this isn't Mitchell's car. This is, this is Michelle Duras's car. Like, oh no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have like the exact same, although she has leather interior, I think. Well, I didn't notice that. I noticed it was clean.
Speaker 1:So I go inside and then of course they're like who's the loud lady?
Speaker 2:And I'm like oh that's me.
Speaker 1:Hi, I'm here, but yeah. So then page like oh no, he parks way back there now. Oh, good to know. Well, I did try to break in to the other car that was out there. That looks just like it.
Speaker 2:You can break in my car by pulling the door handle.
Speaker 1:I know Olivia's like. He's this iPad right on the front, on the front seat, and I'm like, yeah, it's probably got P on it too.
Speaker 2:It might.
Speaker 1:That looks fairly clean. Oh, my goodness. So yeah, I did. I came in there for that, so I'm not sure where we're going with that, but yeah.
Speaker 2:You're even your update cancer, yeah.
Speaker 1:So about the military?
Speaker 2:Oh, yes. So some of the things that I did learn is one kidney cancer is in the list of cancers for those who were deployed in areas where they had burn pits.
Speaker 1:Really, yes, that's very interesting.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I already did my burn pit registry.
Speaker 1:Yes, two years ago.
Speaker 2:It might have been.
Speaker 1:Noah said that you need to fill out.
Speaker 2:No, but it was coincided with the same time.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay.
Speaker 2:Because it's separate, but it goes along with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, there's always a form A, there's a form B.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that was done and I didn't even think about that and one of the guys that drills won that.
Speaker 1:Because you had drill last weekend. Yeah, yeah, you told him last weekend.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they're like well, you should check to see if it is on that list and it was.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Number three or four or something.
Speaker 1:Oh my, oh my.
Speaker 2:And then I also did find out that chances are, since they are taking one of my kidneys, they're probably not going to let me stay in the military, even if I'm perfectly healthy.
Speaker 1:Well, you can't make contact, you can't have any contact sports, I'm assuming military. I don't know if there's any contact in military with what you're doing.
Speaker 2:With what I'm currently doing. No Right, I don't think the army is potential.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. If you would get right, if you would get called in the States because you can't deploy outside of the United States. Right, I could. I didn't think you could. Now I thought because you were old you couldn't do this what?
Speaker 2:what's this old thing you're talking about? It doesn't matter how old I am. I thought.
Speaker 1:I thought it was it's just in my current position. Okay, I knew it was something I just thought was because you were elderly.
Speaker 2:Well, if they tried to tell me I had to deploy, I could just drop my 20 years later.
Speaker 1:I'm okay, I'm retiring, but you could be deployed within the United States for something which you almost did that one other time. If there was a Potential need, so you wouldn't. You wouldn't have to do that then, no, I wouldn't have to do any deployments at all, because I would just retire.
Speaker 2:Oh well, that's up to you but From the way it sounds which I haven't actually talked to anybody in the medical part of the army yet, but that's probably going to be in a few months, mm-hmm, because already have our annual health assessment. Oh yeah, I think it's a February for us, so I probably just wait till February and whenever I'm there and like, have you, haven't any major surgeries lately?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't remove. Had a kidney removed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's gone Bye, bye, and then I'll probably be there all day because of it.
Speaker 1:but yeah, some of this was to be done, so so you found those couple things out, anything else that you found out not really okay, but I remember what that even brought up.
Speaker 2:It's now, knowing the fact that Chances are I'm not going to be staying in the military because of this, I need to start to adjust my Study methods and note-taking methods and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Hmm. So, and that's kind of so we like you'll get an honorable, like medical discharge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Discharged okay. Hmm, yep, yep, yep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so in saying that, I'll have to prep myself to maybe get here on time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the only thing you could improve.
Speaker 1:I told Mitchell on the way here tonight that the clock on my oven said one thing. My Fitbit, because I don't have an Apple watch, but my Fitbit said one thing. My phone said another thing and my vehicle said something else. And as I was driving, we have there's a clock at the bank as I make the turn and I had a different time on it. I said I don't know what time it is. I have no idea what time it is, not one clue the time is late.
Speaker 1:I was late regardless, sorry, and I Drown here.
Speaker 2:I Could have stopped picked you up, then you would have been on time.
Speaker 1:My, oh, my goodness. All right, so well. Good, I'm glad that you have that update.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but other nap nothing else is really yeah, we had the release that came out.
Speaker 1:I don't know if it was last night or this morning, but Last night few people reach out today, so you know we're. We're glad that was released and if you haven't listened to that yet, you can listen to Mitchell's Announcement of his kidney cancer and how he when he found out. What are you doing?
Speaker 2:I'm going to check see how many people have watched it.
Speaker 1:Oh, I don't know, but I did see and I know this means nothing, but I do I did see that our podcast now has 7500 downloads. Yeah so that's, that's nice. You know, I don't look at it very often.
Speaker 2:I just think, oh my gosh, that's a nice number in reality that's really not that much, but I think a lot of people that was for sales.
Speaker 1:I think that that's a lot. I Mean maybe it'll hit more people, but I'm just saying like I thought I don't know. I my expectations are I hope that 10, 10 people have it. I mean 10 people we can. If we can grace 10 people, and Then yeah, that's, that's okay with me. I don't need any, I don't need 7500 people, but if we can Get more than that's fantastic. So so we appreciate all of you, though, who are listening, who watch. So alright, you, we have a podcast to do.
Speaker 1:Oh you told me last week that we were gonna do a podcast today. Yeah, even though you didn't bring me any notes.
Speaker 2:So you've got 15 minutes you know I've been all over the place this last week trying to figure out what we're gonna do.
Speaker 1:For the pocket. Yeah for the Bible study.
Speaker 2:Yeah, whether we're gonna just keep going for what we're doing, if we're gonna switch over and just Just talk about like cancer stuff and oh, we can talk about that. I'm why, like Trying to find the right words along the lines of like why bad things happen to good people, type thing and yeah, and, and I don't know just the different ways that I view it and why I view it the way I view it, and and blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 1:What's blah blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh, my love, I love a lot of stuff. I'm I'm okay with doing that. I again, mitchell, and I don't talk about the podcast till you get here, so Usually sometimes you would send me a message. They hey, what do you think about this? And I know that especially around the holidays sometimes it's nice to take a break around else.
Speaker 2:We actually need to talk about this because you're gonna be out of commission a little while.
Speaker 1:I don't actually. You won't be out of commission, but will we? We've come here.
Speaker 2:I don't know. We might have to record the house to record.
Speaker 1:Oh, remember our first recording at the house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we might have to kick page and boys out of the house so we can record Dynamite Kendra's or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and then we can record, and then they can come back, yeah so you know, whatever's been placed on your heart with all this is it's probably what we need to do something else that we should discuss Is a year in review. Oh, a year review.
Speaker 2:Because that should be getting recorded next week.
Speaker 1:Wow already.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, third year in review really yeah, the first one was just podcast form, last one was YouTube video. Okay and so we've been on YouTube for over a year now.
Speaker 1:Oh my yikes, that's crazy. So, where does the time go?
Speaker 2:to discuss tomorrow, thanksgiving.
Speaker 1:Yes, because we will be spending Thanksgiving together tomorrow.
Speaker 2:So there's a possibility that next week, maybe a year in review type of episode. Okay, perfect, perfect, good deal and get some people to join us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's a good idea and yeah, um, I like, I like your ideas, I do. I like the idea of talking about why bad things happen to people. I like to to even put that out with you know a lot of people reach out and they say that you know, the strength of your family is so is Is Beyond. People like they can't believe how much strength that we have, but yet we've been through so much so you know to talk about those things you know it does.
Speaker 1:It hits me hard when people say that because I don't. I don't view myself as a strong person, but I do know that we have been dealt a hand. That Do I say dealt a hand or do I say that they? We have to embrace a lot of storms. We have a lot of different seasons that we have to go through. These are words that I've learned in the last few years With being a part of the podcast would be in a part of you know our church. There's certain ways that you word things. You know when you're a Christian and you know being dealt a bad hand is something we I would have said many a times in the past.
Speaker 1:Yeah but I also think that you know these are the storms that the Lord talks about, and in the Bible too. You know people go through storms and gas waters.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you know, even to talk about those types of things and how this is, you know this is being seen through through us. Now to where it says in the Bible this, how this is, you know, relating to what we're, what us as a family is going through, or what you're going through. So I mean, I think that maybe that you're saying we should do that.
Speaker 2:You said a lot of words.
Speaker 1:I did say what, luckily for you, you get to watch this multiple times Because you have to edit it and this and that, and yeah, because, so this is funny, I got, I did to tell you this. So I did watch the episode this morning whenever I got up and I was like, oh it's, it's out here, I'm just gonna go ahead and watch it. Yes, I don't watch it. I I don't watch Because I'm here. You know, I know what we talked about. I know, I know what we did. So I usually don't, I don't watch them. So this morning I get up and like, okay, I'm gonna watch this. So I I started like, oh yeah, mitchell's talking about the boys. Fast forward. That was the first thing. You're gonna get a kick out of this.
Speaker 1:I saw myself start crying and I started to cry. Not funny. I saw myself go and knew it stop it. I was like, oh my gosh, and I did. I was like, so Listen, I talked to Jess today and she told me a lot of people did. They watched it. We shared it. A lot of people watched it. And she said Jess is my co-worker and I said first of all, did you hear me give you a shout out about Mitchell's catch-up shirt. She loves your catch-up shirt.
Speaker 1:It's a nice shirt she loves your catch-up shirt anyhow. And she said the same thing. She's like Basically. She said when you cry, it doesn't faze me, because I've seen you cry many a times. Mind you, jess and I have been through Misses cancer, we've been through dad's death, and you know. So she has seen me cry multiple times. She said I got choked up when Mitchell got choked up and she's like and then I had to cry. So you know it's, you know we have this effect on people. And I told her I said, no, well, I kind of had the same thing. You know, mitchell doesn't, he doesn't get choked up very often, but when he does, it's it hit you like a brick. So, but yeah, and I did tell her hey, did you hear me Give you a shout out? She's like yes, so but um, yeah, it's, I did. I watched myself cry and I cried right along with it, because there's nothing better than that, right I?
Speaker 2:I Will say that I have watched a few times, you know, because of editing and all that other stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cuz you never.
Speaker 2:I never Got choked up again watching it.
Speaker 1:You did it. No oh my gosh, how sad is that, michelle. So how about? How about? We do this?
Speaker 2:podcast or do this Bible study? Well, let's try to get through 19 which 19 is gonna take forever.
Speaker 1:I, I have three pages of notes just on the first half of 519.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I don't know that, because you didn't rip me any notes.
Speaker 1:Well, here I'll show you a lot of notes.
Speaker 2:I'll show you where does 19 start. Oh, oh so this is all just the first part, first line oh my right there, the second part. So from there all the way up.
Speaker 1:You're so crazy, so I guess I can try to fly through it and try to get through.
Speaker 2:I mean, I won't get through all of this today, but maybe between today and next week, and then we'll record.
Speaker 1:And I will do.
Speaker 2:We'll switch over and just focus on like cancer type stuff and why bad things happen. And Okay, yep.
Speaker 1:Works for me, so I'm going to start how much time we got.
Speaker 2:You got seven minutes.
Speaker 2:Technically, you got a little bit longer of a video, just because so I want to read 17 to 20 again, just for a refresher. So this reads do not think that I've come to abolish the law or the profits. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away not in iota not a dot will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. So you're going to talk about 17.
Speaker 2:No, no, I want to talk about 19 and 19 is therefore whoever relaxed in the kingdom of heaven. So the first question we have to ask here is which commandments are being referenced here? Okay, which of them would be considered the least? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know which of them would be considered the least and how would you rank them.
Speaker 2:So I mean, what would you consider to be the least, and what does it mean to relax a commandment? So these are all questions. These are good questions. That's what we need to tackle. So I'm going to get straight into it. I may talk a little bit fast, but then again I may be scatterbrained because I didn't actually read through my notes. So this will be interesting. So the best way to understand this verse is by looking at it in context. And if you don't know what that means, to look at something in context is you look at what comes before it and what comes after it, see what they're talking about there, and that gives you an idea of what this verse is talking about. We kind of did it whenever we were talking about a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Speaker 1:Oh yes.
Speaker 2:And even though that has nothing to do with light the fact that it was in context was surrounded by verses about light. That's how we figured out what that was actually about and how it did actually fit in with that the rest of those verses. And so, even though I never actually said hey, I put it in context. That's what it means. So to put this in context, then we need to go back and look at verse 17. Verse 17 was about Jesus saying how he didn't come to abolish the law but to bring those Old Testament prophecies about him into fulfillment in the New Testament. Verse 18, and this was the one where we had to talk around it a lot and I do actually have, I think, an even clearer way of understanding this but verse 18 was about how there is a heaven and an earth.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:But remember we also talked about it, how it may have been like heaven on earth, because you know, especially here in Matthew, there's a lot to talk about being part of the kingdom of heaven, and that is here on earth.
Speaker 2:I mean, even when I've worked through the Beatitudes, the very first one bless of the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That is a present tense, so you can get that fulfillment now while you're still here on earth, while you're still alive, even though there will be a more complete fulfillment in the future, like basically in the afterlife, of even a more complete fulfillment of that. But as for now, there is a kingdom of heaven or a kingdom of heaven on earth, and so that's what this could be referring to is the kingdom of heaven on earth and that basically, that does exist. And we also talked about how there would be a millennial kingdom where heavens wouldn't come down to earth, so it would be heaven on earth. And well, basically, so just saying that one, there is a heaven on earth and in that one day it will pass away. So heaven on earth will pass away, but when it does, then the Bible will become basically null and void, because everything in the Bible will have been fulfilled.
Speaker 2:Because the third part of that was the fact that nothing will happen until all is accomplished. Well, once everything is accomplished, well then guess what? Heaven and earth are going to pass away. And since heaven and earth is passing away and everything is accomplished, then now the Bible is null and void because everything is fulfilled. So the best way that I came up with since our last recording was for the. Sorry, I got like a frog in my throat going on here. Maybe it was all of the chocolate milk you drank before we started.
Speaker 1:Maybe it was the Slim Jim stick that you drank before we started.
Speaker 2:You know what I told you before we recorded. I have to answer I need to live like I'm dying, okay.
Speaker 1:And I said that's a Tim McGraw song, it's not a quote by you. Because he wanted chocolate, he wanted cookies. I said I don't even think that you're supposed to have chocolate as you're chugging chocolate milk.
Speaker 2:The doctor told me to live like I was dying, so I'm going all out. I was feeling like eating all desserts.
Speaker 1:I'm just gonna let you know I had a huge eye roll.
Speaker 2:Actually he didn't tell me that, but he did tell me to Because I asked. I literally asked is there anything special I need to do between now and surgery? And he's like nope, just forget, you even have it. I said okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, even though when I came in here I said you know what you need? And you said a new kidney, and I was like very funny, very funny, that's funny. It wasn't See, we get sidetracked. Anyways where were we again.
Speaker 2:So the best thing that I thought of well, like I said, since our last recording, was the recycling symbol. So how you have three different parts, because that would be like this, so you have heaven and earth, okay, and then you have well, one, all is accomplished, and then basically nothing is going to change. So, not a niota, not a dot will pass from the law.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So you have these three parts, but they're all connected so they're not going to error one each one. So until everything is accomplished, then heaven and earth are going to pass away, and once heaven and earth pass away, then basically the Old Testament is going to become null and void, and then once. But this can't become null and void until all is accomplished, and so it's kind of like this triangle. So if I think about it and I have time, I would try to make something and put it up on the screen for those watching this on YouTube to see it, to kind of get an idea.
Speaker 1:Because you have time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have. I have all the time in the world. So yeah, so that was verse 18, we're in verse 19,. Verse 20 is going to be about the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes, so now we're pulling Pharisees and scribes into this.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And then the rest of chapter five is going to be about Jesus pointing out certain laws. So he's going to take certain laws and they're all going to pretty much start the same way. It's like you have heard, you have heard this, and then he's going to give you the actual interpretation of what that law is supposed to mean. So the rest of chapter five is going to be basically changing or pointing out traditional teachings compared to our now new, future, more accurate teachings that Jesus is giving us for these laws. So whenever we look at this all in context, then we see that from verse 17 through the rest of chapter five, it is basically talking about laws the law, not just commandments. So for those of us that know which most of us do there are actually 10 commandments.
Speaker 2:In these 10 commandments we're giving to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. Well, if you continue reading I mean if you go and you look that up and you read that well, if you continue to read, god also gives Moses laws. He doesn't just stop at the 10 commandments. The 10 commandments were the basis, but then they don't solve all issues and that's what a lot of the Old Testament was about. After the Mount Sinai was a situation would come up within the Israelite people. They would come to Moses and Moses would have to discern what was going on and talk to God and basically make these new laws and rules in order to govern the Israelite people.
Speaker 2:Well, by the time that was all said and done, and by the time we get to the day of Jesus, there were over 600 laws that were on the books for the Israelite people. But not only that, there were interpretations, because they believe that certain rabbis with enough authority, their teaching of certain laws would then become law. So there was just. They muddied the waters. Basically, too much. Simple is better. Even to this day, if you go to Israel on the Sabbath, if you go into a hotel with multiple floors and go to take an elevator, it's going to stop at every single floor, on the way up and on the way down, because you're not allowed to press the button. As an Israelite person, as a Jewish person, pressing the button is considered work and that is not allowed on the side.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, you're kidding me.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, that is still today. I've heard that testimony or that story from multiple people.
Speaker 1:Oh, my, so, yeah, no idea.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there, this stuff is still yeah, it's still lost still law, so Something like that, like you can't press an elevator button, could that be considered the least of the laws? And how it was misinterpreted? Or it was broken down to a point that it became so what it is. I Mean. That I think is where Jesus is Is really focusing at whenever talking about the least of these commandments and relaxing them. So a lot of versions I use the ESPY it says relax if, if some of the other common translations would be like Breaking the law. There were different words that meant the same.
Speaker 2:Thing they meant the same thing, but it wasn't the same as relax.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:It meant it would give you the impression of doing something. As far as following the law, doing the law, we're relaxed, you don't really? I Mean it still has a little bit of that impression of yeah, but I wouldn't take it that way. Yeah, so it's not like you're doing something wrong?
Speaker 1:relax. Does it make you feel like you're doing something that's you're breaking?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you're breaking something like this idea of relax, especially when it comes to the commandments, or, like we already pointed out, looking at this in context. That most likely means the law. Relaxing this law is is, it's a way of basically changing the, the meaning of the law Without abolishing the law. So the law is still there, but you're altering it, your mis Interpreting it in a way that is more beneficial to you or to a people group. Now, again, like I said, we're looking at this in context. Once we get to verse 20, jesus is pulling the scribes and the Pharisees into this. So we also know that the Pharisees were the main teaching body, the religious Of the Jewish group, and you had the Pharisees, I just these scribes. But the Pharisees were the ones who really focused on the law. And we also have to keep in mind that in the day of Jesus, people didn't have a Bible in front of them.
Speaker 2:That I agree and be like, oh yeah, let's, let's double-check and see, yeah, what this actually means. They didn't have commentaries, they didn't have Encyclopedias and like all this other stuff that you can use To cross-reference and check and really do a good deep dive and understanding of what these words actually mean. All they had is what they were taught in synagogue, and synagogue was I mean those who were teaching were reading from scrolls, but for the most part it was a verbal teaching right, so it's memorization.
Speaker 2:Yes, so those who, the Jewish people, who would go to synagogue. They would hear these laws, they would hear these interpretation of these laws, but they didn't have any basis to cross-check, so all they could do is like that is what the Pharisees say.
Speaker 2:We trust that they are the leaders of the law, that they are the the ones who are the perfecters of the law, so whatever they say is the law right so if the Pharisees relax quote-unquote some of these Laws like you can't push an elevator button on an elevator on the Sabbath because that would be considered doing work if you relax it and muddy it to the point that that is what you're getting. I Really think that is what Jesus is really trying to highlight here and point out like that's Jesus saying that's dumb.
Speaker 1:That's my new.
Speaker 2:Yeah. My goodness so that's really what I think Jesus is is Really hitting on. He's really calling up the Pharisees, and we know he calls out the Pharisees. Yeah, see this Yep all throughout yes scripture.
Speaker 2:Yes and I think this is the same thing. He's just saying Okay. So Something else I also want to point out again I'm not one off notes, so I'm literally just reading the text. So we talked about those who relaxed Relaxed the least of these commandments and these commandments are the laws and teach others. So this is about teaching others. This isn't about doing it. This isn't about Fulfilling these commandments and these laws. This is first part is about teaching others, about how to relax it, basically how to alter it to make it more beneficial for you as an individual. But even those who do that, they will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Yes, but guess what? They're still going to be in the kingdom of heaven yeah thank you.
Speaker 2:So, even though they're the least, they are still in the kingdom of heaven. Yes, so they still have access to heaven. Even though they are manipulating the law, they're manipulating God's word, they are still followers, and For us obviously so. They're not followers or Christ, because Christ wasn't there yet right.
Speaker 2:But for us today, that should give us hope because, even though we may Get pulled down the wrong path, we may get distracted, we may Get wrapped up in the wrong crowds or something along those lines, even though we may not be doing things exactly the way the Lord wants us to do them, as long as we still had put our hope in our faith in Jesus Christ and we believe that he is the Lord, that he is Savior, that he died on the cross for our sins Right as long as you have that faith, then no matter what happens in this life, even though you make good on the wrong road, you're still going to have access to the kingdom of heaven.
Speaker 2:Yeah so you may not get great rewards.
Speaker 1:Like we talked about. Talk about that.
Speaker 2:So those who are persecuted for the sake of Jesus, they are going to receive a great warden. It received a great reward in heaven. So you may not receive that great reward, but you're still in heaven heaven. You're still in heaven. That is something else that I don't think I've ever really noticed that before, and so I really started studying this, hmm, but yeah, they're still going to be in heaven right even though they may be, and the lower end of heaven is still going to be that.
Speaker 2:So, so, just to finish up those verse, I'm just gonna do it rough. But whoever does them and teaches them, so now it is switching over to the act of doing these laws, so basically living and fulfilling these commandments In teaching others. So, basically, those who are on the right road, those are following the right path, yeah, and those that didn't get drawn into their own path, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. So again, that's kind of what we talked about. So if you Basically, to sum this up, no matter what, if you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you're going to heaven. It's just matter of are you going to be doing it According to God's will, according to the beatitudes, according to his teachings, or are you going to listen to false prophets and be pulled down the wrong road and Get distracted with all the noise of the world? Either way, you're still gonna go to heaven, it's just gonna be. Are you gonna be least in heaven or great in heaven? That's what it comes down to.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:So I Don't have any notes for 20, but you should make a tackle and get it over with might as well.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you're planning to split this into two episodes or what, but Go right ahead and then you're done with it.
Speaker 2:For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Speaker 1:Wait, what does it say? For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, We'll save that for For our next episode.
Speaker 2:Okay, because there's lots to do with that righteousness there. I don't want to just blow over that.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right. So, with that being said, we thank you for joining us. Please leave a comment on this video or go to our contact page at purefaithlivingcom To send us a message and, as always, if you like what you hear, then we ask that you share this show with others and Help us in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Don't forget to subscribe, and we will talk to you again next time.