Badlands Media - The Choice S5E3: Woes

Episode Date: August 21, 2026

Ashe in America and Ghost dig into Season 5, Episode 3 of The Chosen, "Woes," an episode Ashe says she watched three times before recording. This is the second half of the now iconic temple confrontat...ion, and it lands harder than the first, as Jesus turns his full attention to the Sanhedrin with some of the most direct language in the entire series. The hosts walk through his string of rebukes to the scribes and Pharisees, unpack why the show frames this as righteous anger rather than simple rage, and connect it to a beautiful closing sequence involving David and the Psalms that bookends the episode. Expect discussion of hypocrisy, spiritual pride, and what it means to truly orient your heart toward God rather than toward power. Along the way there is some real talk about Ashe's ongoing legal battle, a little venting about government corruption, and the usual sponsor banter to lighten the mood. It is a heavier episode, but the hosts call it one of the best of the season.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 The badlands, you're out of the badlands. Explain those badlands. That's a hell of their name. Hello, good morning, everyone, and welcome to The Choice. Today we're doing season five, episode three. It's called Woes, and I thought it was excellent. I watched it three times. Yeah, it's a really, really, really good episode.
Starting point is 00:00:24 I mean, it's the second half of the famous, like, table flipping scenes. So, I feel like it's like, the table flipping scene that we saw in the last one episode was the iconic table flipping scene and this is the actual part where he confronts the Sanhedron, which is everything. Yeah, and as we'll get into, I am really coming to appreciate how they're doing the last supper scenes because it's provided, like in this one in particular, it is very clearly a beginning, middle end. I think with the story they're telling that anchors off of the last supper and then, you know, comes around and nicely bookends with David and, you know, the Psalms. I think it's beautiful.
Starting point is 00:01:15 We're going to get into all of it. I had some kind of crummy news today. It wasn't unexpected, but our petition for a rehearing at the 10th Circuit was denied unceremoniously. They're just like denied. So what does that mean? Well, it means that so the next step is we'll get a mandate from the appellate court down back to the district court to give us the like, you know, conditions and specifics of what a new trial looks like and what the proceedings are about. And we're basically reset. I mean, I'm very encouraged that the director of the SPLC, the Southern Probably Lawson, was indicted for being a criminal because all of these people who run these kind of organizations
Starting point is 00:02:06 are all criminals, obviously. Why these other organizations, like the NAACP and the ones that are coming after you, why they haven't been indicted yet, I wonder that. Like, let's get the shit on the road. Let's get the show on the road and start, like, arresting these people. Because I don't think these people are part of, like, a bigger grand conspiracy to, destroy the the country i think they're just criminals who are stealing our tax dollars like just go arrest them um they like we don't need to wrap them up and do a riko case with hillary clinton um
Starting point is 00:02:42 yeah i tend to i my my mind tend to go tends to go to the grand conspiracy place yeah but i mean like that that that that meth head from the spLC that they arrested who's apparently the director of the whole thing i mean she's not doing anything important she's a she's a meth head i mean I mean, I'm being facetious when I say that. I don't know if she actually. She looks like a method. I'll just say that. She looks like a method.
Starting point is 00:03:08 She's got a vibe. She has a vibe about her. We have no evidence. We have no evidence that she is a user of meth. Ghost is being hyperbolic just for the- Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. The everything of it all. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:03:22 But anyway, I would appreciate you. The people who are coming after you fabricated evidence and then presented it as real. to a court. And I feel like that in an end of itself. I convinced an old feminist lady to lie. Like I feel like that in and of itself is a crime. Like if I make things up and I present it to the government as fact in a high stakes
Starting point is 00:03:45 environment, I will go to prison as like a private citizen. So why are these people not going to prison? Like that's the part that I think is really discouraging for people like me, like observing this where it's like, you know, like. I really just wish nothing but bad things to happen to our government at this point. I really do. It's just, it's not, it's not anything even approaching what you could call altruistic. I actually think the Sanhedron in this television series that we're watching, which is the Bible, is a perfect representation of what our government is. And, yeah, I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's every. everything in this world that is evil is our government. And I'm so sick and tired of people suddenly becoming like sympathetic and like swept up in the emotion of like Donald Trump being president.
Starting point is 00:04:47 And suddenly that means our government is something that is good and something that is, you know, noble and something that is that deserves our respect or our admiration. It's not. It's just as wicked as it was three years ago when Joe Biden's government was hunting people down and using the Patriot Act to destroy people's lives. Nothing has changed, really. And until we see real evidence that something has changed, there's no reason to look at it as it look at it with anything other than contempt, honestly. Yeah. Yeah, it's easy to go to the dark places.
Starting point is 00:05:24 And you've kind of been there. And so your content, I'm sick of it. I'm sick of all of it. And I get it. I am, I am sick of it too. But I do think that, you know, the fight matters in the micro as much as it matters in the macro, maybe more.
Starting point is 00:05:43 And so we keep fighting. And if folks want to learn more about that, when we're done recording the show, I am going to post the order from the court on my substack. I have a tab for the case where people can follow along, read my brace, stuff. So I'll post it there if you want to learn more about it, ashtonarca.substack.com. Also, we are recording this show.
Starting point is 00:06:04 So as we talked about. So, you know, it's nighttime for us. We might, we might be, we're a little, we're a little less buttoned up at night. I feel like, you know, recording a show at nine is different than at night at night is different than recording a show at nine in the morning. And this show in particular, because of the substance that this episode deals with. I look forward to seeing where it's going to go, because we've been texting about it all week,
Starting point is 00:06:34 and it's going to be great. But before we get into the show, let's talk about our incredible sponsors. First up, we've got the Badlands Shop. You know, one of the easiest ways to support Badlands Media is just by shopping. Before you buy anything else, take a quick look at the Badlands Shop first.
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Starting point is 00:07:52 Court is now in session. Your Honor, the defense calls Mr. Dry Skin G. Money to the stand. We're going to pretend I didn't hear that. Mr. Dry Skin, isn't it true that soft disclosure is proudly made right here in the United States while directly supporting six American small businesses? I reckon? Isn't it also true that soft disclosure is made with honest natural ingredients without the harsh chemicals so many people are trying to avoid?
Starting point is 00:08:24 Unfortunately. And isn't it true, it's made with the help of adorable baby goats? Can't argue with the goats. The goat reminds the gallery that Lobstock will conduct themselves appropriately. Bless your flaky little heart, Mr. Dryskin. Your Honor, the defense would like to submit Exhibit A. Proceed. Cindy H. writes, honestly, the best lotion I've ever used.
Starting point is 00:08:47 Exhibit A is admitted. Exhibit B. I use it on my face and hands, get compliments on looking much younger. Mr. Drake, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Not greasy at all. Clean feel compared to other lotions. Manila citrus has a nice light scent. Well, that is just showing on. Tyrone writes, I find myself hydrating my elbows
Starting point is 00:09:09 and moisturizing my soul a lot more frequently now. The defense rests. Stopdisclosure.com. I haven't seen that. That's new. No one? Yeah, well, so Green Star made both of them. That went in the back to school one.
Starting point is 00:09:41 And then John got excited and played them both on DPH. But we weren't really putting that one into rotation yet because we were doing back to school. So it's sort of its moment now. Gotcha. Gotcha. Well, the outfit that G-Money is wearing is hilarious. Did you see the Burning Bright? You have to watch it.
Starting point is 00:09:59 Like Burning Bright riding a goat as a leprechaun and Chris Paul. and John and you and CanCon dressed up all gangstery. Oh, I didn't see me in there. I saw Chris and John, but I didn't see me. Nice. Nice. Yeah, no, everybody looks really cool and Lily Pat's in there. Awesome.
Starting point is 00:10:23 Yeah, I did see Lily Pad. I saw Lily Pad. Yeah. And I love it when Zach's the judge. I think we need that. His, yeah, his foghorn, leghorn voice is fantastic. So, yeah. Yes, softdisclosure.com.
Starting point is 00:10:36 Make sure that you're signed up for the email updates. It's our insider club over at softdisclosure.com. Soft Disclosure Insiders, where you'll get exclusive product discounts and deals and giveaways and a lot of great information. You never know what's going to pop up over in the insider updates. So head over to softdisclosure.com. Make sure that you are signed up. And then, of course, they are the best products around.
Starting point is 00:10:58 I absolutely love the lip balm. Use it every single day. Keep it right here on the desk. Also keep one in the car. keep one in my purse. It's amazing. The deodorant is fantastic, as everybody has heard all the use cases with the back to school ad
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Starting point is 00:11:31 The show is also brought to you by Cacao Bliss, from Earth Echo and we will talk about them a little bit later in the show. So let's go ahead and get into it and start as usual with the last supper scene. I also want to bring up, I didn't get to finish that the Southern Poverty Law Director. I don't mean to keep going back to this. I just want to remind everyone that she was living with for several years her neo-Nazi boyfriend, him. Which is just a reminder.
Starting point is 00:12:05 He's fake neo-Nazi. Well, okay, so a fake neo-Nazi. So not even a real neo-Nazi. A fake-Coling as a neo-Nazi. A guy cosplaying as a neo-Nazi, which is just a reminder that everything about our government is a fraud. Nothing about it's real. Even the things about it that we like, like, even like the people that we think are
Starting point is 00:12:24 the good guys, they're probably frauds too. Like, let's just be honest. You know, the whole thing is just so disgusting. and despicable. The world would be a better place if the good lord just split up in the earth and it all just fell into the pits of hell, frankly. I will end it there, but I just want to just reiterate how disgusting the whole thing is and despicable.
Starting point is 00:12:50 And a hundred years from now, I think our great, great ground children are going to look back and just say, what a despicable, disgusting era of human existence that was. And it's really sad because I have such a high opinion of America. And I know everyone listening to this does. And what a stain and a cancer these people are on the rest of us. Which is a great segue into talking about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and how to be a follower of Jesus Christ means that you are to be in the world and not of it. Don't be a corrupt scumbag. Right?
Starting point is 00:13:26 You're supposed to serve and be honorable and love, joy, peace, patience. kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. So the beginning of the last supper. So I'm going to read what Bible artist says while you pull it up because I think you're still working on that. It says here, well, then let's just play it. We don't need to read what he says. I like this guy's summaries and he pulls all the scripture. So it's a hack.
Starting point is 00:13:55 And I throw him some money each season we hit. Nice. Afterward you will follow. After. What? When? But not your hearts be troubled. In my father's house, there are many rooms.
Starting point is 00:14:20 I'm going to go get your rooms ready. And then I will come back and take you there. That we may live together. You know the way where I am going. Lord, we don't know where you're going. How can we know the road to get there? I am the way. and the truth and the life.
Starting point is 00:14:49 No one comes to the father except through me. Lord, show us the father. It'll be enough for us. Have I been with you so long? And you still do not know me, Philip. Whoever has seen me has seen the father. How can you say show us the father? Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father is in me?
Starting point is 00:15:23 I have done so many works before your very eyes. And if you cannot believe me that I am in the father, and the father is in me, then believe on account of the works themselves. I'm not saying I don't believe. I'm just trying to understand. You are saying that you are leaving us, and where you go, I cannot come, but exactly when.
Starting point is 00:15:50 In the meantime, how will we know what to do without you? I'm not leaving you as orphans. I am sending you a helper to be with you forever the Holy Spirit you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you another person
Starting point is 00:16:19 we only want you we love you whoever has my commandments and keeps them that's who loves me I'm saying these things while I'm still with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name,
Starting point is 00:16:41 he will teach you all things and bring to your memory and, yes, understanding, all that I have said to you. I know this is all unsettling. Almost everything you have said this week has been. I know. But my peace I give to you, let not your hearts be troubled.
Starting point is 00:17:24 Neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I will come. come to you. If you love me, you'll rejoice because I am going to the Father. For the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place so that when it does take place, you may believe. I have said this before. Why? Belief is not my problem. I just want to know, Why can I not follow you now?
Starting point is 00:18:11 I will lay down my life for you. Will you lay down your life for me? Again, the way that they're doing the last supper, you already alluded to this, but we've talked about this in the first two episodes. I think it's a really, really smart way of presenting it. Number one, they're giving it the attention that it really warrants by not by not just making it one continuous scene
Starting point is 00:18:54 because I think if you like I said I think somebody online chopped up all the scenes and they put them all together and it's only like 20 minutes. It's not a very long scene in terms of you know versus it being played out over eight episodes
Starting point is 00:19:09 and then the fact that it's being done in reverse where you see the end of it first and then you walk back you walk back towards the beginning I think that that like playing with the temporal aspect of it gives you a lot of insight into the struggle that the disciples are going through as they're trying to figure out what's going on um and really the struggle that jesus jesus is going through is he's trying to help them figure it out but he's also
Starting point is 00:19:42 frustrated because they can't figure it out even though he's saying it about as plainly as he can't can. What I really like about that scene was, and the muscle of this show, because I'm a very visual person, so I appreciate seeing things happen, like, played, like physically played out in front of me, versus just reading it on a page. Even though I have a very, very active imagination, and I'm sure many other people do, it's hard to. appreciate the full like environment and the scene of um scripture when you're just reading you on a page unless you have the enrichment of like knowing everything behind the scenes like like if you have studied enough theology to understand all of the different aspects of it
Starting point is 00:20:42 then you can of course build that scene in your mind and have that imagine you know imagine it yourself, but seeing it, but seeing it on screen, because that's what these showrunners have done, they've gone and done the legwork to present it, to present it this way. It's very, very helpful, I think, for a lot of people to access this story, access the content, access the information, which of course is the Bible. It's not chosen. But specifically in that scene, the Holy Spirit, because we hear so many times the Father, the son of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity.
Starting point is 00:21:19 And especially when I was younger, I was very confused about what that meant. It's hard to kind of wrap your head. Like, what does it mean for there to be three separate things? Aren't they all the same thing? Isn't Jesus God? Isn't God? My daughter actually asked me that last night. She was like, so, hey, Jesus is God?
Starting point is 00:21:36 Like how can Jesus be? Jesus is God, but he's also his son. It's very confusing. It's a confusing concept, right? Yeah. And even adults struggle with it. adults struggle to understand it. He explains it very, very clearly right there about what the Holy Spirit is.
Starting point is 00:21:52 The disciples even misunderstand it initially because he says, I'm leaving you a helper. And they're like, we don't want somebody else. We want you. And he's like, no, no, no. He's like, I'm leaving you a helper, meaning if anyone who follows my teachings to the book, to the T, has the Holy Spirit. And that's going to be the helper, meaning you could have hundreds of helpers as long as They're all following the teachings.
Starting point is 00:22:18 So that really lays out a great contrast for what we're going to see later when he confronts the Pharisees. And I'll just leave it at that. Yeah, no, I think it's agree with everything that you said. I want to read a couple of the scriptures that are touched on. Two things in this that I think are, very, you know, intentionally done by the showrunners. And I think, you know, at least in my viewing of the world,
Starting point is 00:22:54 correct kind of in terms of how they are dealt with. And I'm going to deal with them in the inverse order that they show up in scripture. So the first one is John 14, verse 15. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and he will be with you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you, yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me because I live, you will also live. In that day, you will know that I am in my father and you in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them. He, he it is who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. And then Judas says some
Starting point is 00:23:52 stuff, but that's not important right now. John 14 is a big part of what's discussed in this section of the Last Supper discussion. So folks should go and read it in its entirety. But I think that you're spot on in that they're wrestling with the same questions about kind of the, you know, the triune God, the three, the God and three persons. And they're the first ones to hear the concept. Right. Like they're the, then Nathaniel does it the best. I mean, he's like, another person? Like, what are we? What are we doing? Remember last week? He's the one that's like, what, why do you have to leave? Like what, what, you know, they're really wrestling and struggling. And I like that there's a lot of what you said like we're able to kind of see this played out i am especially
Starting point is 00:24:40 after watching the um peter walking on water the way that they did that with the special effects and you know all of that i'm really interested to see how this show deals with the pentecost and uh um yeah like how like how do they do the holy spirit at the chosen that'll be interesting to say i think that'll probably be the season after next though right uh yes so yeah that that's probably that probably is right um yeah well the um in the comedy made about nathaniel it reminds me of my kids whenever my wife and i go to dinner they like we we normally wait the last minute to tell them because otherwise they'll just be agonizing over it the whole time and they're always like why do you have to go out to dinner like why do you have
Starting point is 00:25:27 to go out why do you have to leave and we're like you're going to be asleep anyway like what do you care we're leaving we're leaving after you go to bed but it's the same thing It's like, why do you have to leave? Why do you have to leave? It's like, well, we have to. So it's mom and dad explaining to the kids while they have to go to dinner. That's what Jesus is doing here. He's like, I have to go out to dinner because God and I need to spend time together.
Starting point is 00:25:52 So here's what it is. Yeah. And I mean, they're about to go through a trauma so wicked they can't even fathom it, right? to watch what happens to Jesus. And so it is, I think, I think that the confusion that's kind of in them in the way that this is being shown and the way that Jesus is, you know, continually, continually like straight up telling me, right? Like, whatever you ask in my name, this I will do that the father may be glorified in the son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. You know, you're supposed to, like, I've taught you all how to be.
Starting point is 00:26:32 but they're still like wait you're leaving like that can i feel like that's kind of how it would be the second um part that i want to kind of focus in on because this i think is the arc of the show and like the beginning middle end that i was talking about is um philip said to him lord show well actually i'm going to start before that so this is i'm just going to start at the beginning of john 14 let not your hearts be troubled believe in god believe also in me in my father's house are many rooms If it were not so, I would not have told you that. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will take you to myself.
Starting point is 00:27:11 That where I am, you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.
Starting point is 00:27:31 Philip said to him, Lord, show us the father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the father. How can you say, show us the father? Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak my own authority, but the father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me or else believe on account of the works themselves. truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and the greater
Starting point is 00:28:06 works than these, he will do because I am going to the father. So the, he's been showing them the father the whole time, right? Because God is the combination of all of his attributes. And I think it's notable that, you know, this, this event was so shocking to them because they had. hadn't seen him express anything like wrath, like rage, like anger, right? But that is an attribute of God. And I think that that that power projection is at least in the way that the show is presenting it. I don't know that it's true in the scripture that Philip was, you know, considering the power projection. But the way that they're showing it is like, you know, show us, you've shown us your power.
Starting point is 00:29:00 like show us the father's power right and it's the same power because there's one god but that i think when we get to the woes right woe to you pharisees and hypocrites and and all of the things that is the father he's showing them the father and i think it's really really well done in kind of the you know the arc of this episode that because as we talk about in every episode, the main character of this story is God. Jesus is God. And the main character of the story is God.
Starting point is 00:29:44 And God is all of his attributes. And we get to see the majority is the love, right? The service, the healings, the ministry, the making, giving people hope, all of the things that we see in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. And, of course, we're supposed to be the body of Christ as followers of Jesus. So we're supposed to emulate that fruit, you know, the fruit of the spirit that I read off or, you know, spoke off. I don't even know.
Starting point is 00:30:13 I think it's Galatians. I don't even know the reference. I just was made to memorize it as a child to soil it. But also God and, you know, Jesus, showing that attribute, that characteristic. of God. He does express that anger and it's very important to realize what he's expressing it at.
Starting point is 00:30:38 He is expressing that anger. It's not meeting a human trafficker or a slave and master. It's not meeting tax collectors or Romans or you know people that are traitors. That's not that he doesn't express rage when he sees all that. He
Starting point is 00:30:54 expresses love and logic. Love and logic, right? But when he sees the perversion, of what is holy. When he sees that they have turned his house, what is meant to show the characteristics and attributes of God, to show who God is, that was the temple system, what it was intended for when, you know, it was, it was in the wilderness and the design was given and everything. The intention was the glory of God. It had been so entirely inverted, and that's what made him rage. That's what makes him show breath. That's really important to grasp, particularly in a
Starting point is 00:31:34 world where everybody's trying to do the like the ledger, right? Everybody's got a ledger of who's a better person than who else and this and that. And it's important to see, to show, you know, show me the father. Where's God at in this? How does God feel towards this? And I think that's what we're seeing in this episode. I think it's really, really well done. Yeah. It's, uh, It is. And it's, well, it's the religious leaders. I mean, that's what he's, that's what he's confronting. And it's, uh, it's the false decorum of it all.
Starting point is 00:32:12 All system. Yeah. And the thing that I think has been stolen in a lot of ways, and maybe it's the, you know, you could attribute this. Maybe this is the devil, the schemes of the devil. I mean, whatever. But I think the thing that's been stolen. stolen from the modern Christian movement is that element of God, like that facet of God,
Starting point is 00:32:36 which is the wrath. Not that we as Christians are supposed to be full of wrath or hatred or anger or any of that, but just the idea that we aren't supposed to, at least in the telling of the modern Christian, which I think is a perversion of the teachings, much like the Pharisees are. a perversion of the Torah, this idea that we're not supposed to rebuke evil, this idea that we're not supposed to rebuke things that are clearly full of sin, that we're just supposed to celebrate it because we're supposed to love it and like the conflation of those two ideas, the conflation of you're supposed to love thy enemy, which means you're supposed to raise a pride flag over a church
Starting point is 00:33:27 and allow grown men to wave their genitals in front of children and pride parades and think, oh, that's lovely, that's beautiful, it's wonderful. No, it's not actually. It's despicable and should be met with the same attitude and tone that Jesus is meeting the Pharisees with in the temple courtyard here. But that's all completely been stripped away from the modern Christian. And the modern Christian church has become, very toothless in a lot of ways.
Starting point is 00:33:59 And I think because it's toothless, uh, it's lost a lot of its, um, spine. I mean, and because of it's lost spine, I think people have fallen away from it.
Starting point is 00:34:12 Uh, that, that film that, um, the story hour guys did a few weeks ago kind of wrestle with this idea, uh, that,
Starting point is 00:34:20 um, detective movie, I forgot what it was called, but, uh, about the church. Um, you know,
Starting point is 00:34:27 Oh, yeah, it was good. It was good. But, you know, we don't need to talk about that. But just the idea that, that we shouldn't rebuke evil. And that is what is told to us by evangelical pastors that I personally know. I've seen them say this. I've heard them say this. it's ridiculous
Starting point is 00:34:58 and then also by non-Christians specifically Jewish influencers online will say that you Christian are not supposed to feel this way based on your teaching and your book and what your God says don't you dare
Starting point is 00:35:17 take this attitude or this tone and it's not just Jewish influences it's atheist influence influencers. It's, it's, uh, just non-Christian. You say non-Christians telling Christians how to be and what it means. Oh, there's a lot of that. Weaponizing, weaponizing scripture against Christians and being like, James Lindsay made that, made, you know, kind of amplified that like years ago said he was going to become a fake Christian so he could tell Christians what to do. And then he sort of did that. Oh my gosh. I, there are a number of bad landers. I don't know if they're still around, but they were
Starting point is 00:35:53 around a while ago who think James Lindsay is fantastic. He's like he's like God's gift. There's a lot of local Colorado influencers that think he's great too. And he did a bunch of events out here for like ballot measures and stuff. So he's kind of pray. I just it's. I went and found all of his old. I went and found all of his old posts from 2018,
Starting point is 00:36:15 2019, where he said what you were saying, where he was mocking Christians and being like these stupid Christians who think they're so great. because they believe in God and they were so dumb that they fell for this they were duped by Trump and they fell for him to talk about James Lindsay we don't know for a chick but I'm saying he openly said he was going to do that he was like I'm going to become a fake Christian so I can weaponize their stupid ideology against them and now he's doing it and people are falling for it and it's like people are falling for it because people don't know why they believe what they believe people you know people there's a there's a lot of feelings right
Starting point is 00:36:53 Well, I don't feel like that's right. I don't feel like God would do that. I don't feel it just doesn't feel like consistent with a loving God or whatever. And it's like, man, they, you know, Jesus was right. The apostles were right. People, Solomon was right. People will be tossed around on waves of doctrine and just unmoored, right? That whole thing about building your house on solid ground, you know, on a solid ground versus on shifting sand and all the
Starting point is 00:37:22 Sunday school songs that we were taught, they are just like first principals, man. Yeah. It's shocking how few people actually have first principals in this move. And I was, that was something I just assumed was a given 10 years ago that like everybody in the movement was just as principled as they claimed to be. And now we've learned that's just not the case at all.
Starting point is 00:37:44 And it's, it's sad. It's really sad. But that's why we're doing the show because I think it's important for people to reconnect with the core doctrine of what it means to be principled. So with that said, we should. I just want to touch on one other thing you were talking about, which is like, you know, here Jesus is doing the woes to the Pharisees.
Starting point is 00:38:06 And then you were kind of talking about modern religious leaders. And then we went down a tangent of non-Christians. But I think in the modern, you know, modern religion, Christianity and Judaism because I think actually I don't Christianity today the things that Jesus says to the Sanhedron in this in this episode a lot of them could be said to modern Christian leaders today I but I think but I think but I think Jesus would say it to both of them, right? I think Jesus, if he was, you know, if, if, if, if, if, if, if, if this was happening today and he was, you know, walking into the megachurch, I, I think, I think he would have a lot of the similar things to say. And I think that's really important because the intention was not to break down that system that had become about the process and about compliance and about power. and about keeping people in bondage and, you know, kind of always guessing and dependent upon their religious leaders, that system made Jesus have this reaction that he has. I don't think the goal was to rebuild the same infrastructure with a different name and,
Starting point is 00:39:43 you know, a second book. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I think it's the same vibe. I think you'd have the same vibe to a lot of what we see in the Western Christian church today. And I think that's important to acknowledge. Oh, yeah. I mean, so we're going to play the scene. I would say that the Pharisees in the scene, and the scene is so well, well made.
Starting point is 00:40:07 And it really does give, like, the way they shoot it and the way they've done it, it really does give a lot of meat to the bone. because you've heard these scriptures these pastures before right but now it really gives a lot of context it's like the crowd right the Romans like the visuals like you understand how important this is and how like the gravity of it all I mean it's it's so much more than just what is written in the scripture the Pharisees here could be the modern Christian church it could be the GOP it could be hell it could be the truth movement i would say right now i mean at least the you know the con ink facet of it it could certainly be the zion anyone using his name it certainly could be
Starting point is 00:40:56 this the government of israel um it certainly could be um the republican establishment i mean it's so many different things that when i watch it i'm like man this is we are like speaking directly to all of those people who all act the way that these Pharisees have been acting in the way they're being described. So that said, let's cut to it. I will say that from just like the storytelling, like directing filmmaking standpoint, I love the fact that they did the cliffhanger in the last episode. They could have just pivoted and gone somewhere else.
Starting point is 00:41:34 They could just be like, all right, that was exciting. Next scene. Instead, it's like, they're like, they. They pick up right where, like right in the heat of the moment and they just run with it, which is obviously a very, they say in storytelling, whether you're writing something or making a film or whatever, starting in the middle of an action of action is like the way to captivate an audience bring them in. That's why most famous novels start that way. That's what they're doing right here is that they're starting right in the middle of like an exciting scene and just drawing you in. So it's very, very well done. Great decision making.
Starting point is 00:42:13 And let's take it away. Stay your van, soldiers. Let him make a statement. Can you pause it for a second? Later in the episode, they talk about that when the Pharisees are scheming, which is one of my favorite parts. I think it's hilarious, the conversation they have. But they talk about how Romans can't come in, but Atticus is there.
Starting point is 00:43:04 I don't know if he has special powers or something, but that I found interesting. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is, well, are they inside of the temple right now, or are they, like, outside? Because, like, they're in the Gentile court. Yeah, because they make it clear that the, that the Pharisees are not allowed to stone him where he is right now. Like where he is right now, they would have to drag him into something else. Like, it seems like there's like an inner wall that they would have to go into in order to actually stone him. That's what I think they allude to that later. But it's interesting.
Starting point is 00:43:43 What you say is interesting, where they say like, hey, go make sure you get the centurion so that they can arrest him when he, you know, tells people to pay their taxes. Fascinating that Atticus is like, let him speak. Atticus is the only one who really gets it. He's the only one who gets it. Nobody else gets it. Caius doesn't get it. Pilot doesn't get it. Atticus gets it.
Starting point is 00:44:07 He's like, this is a very delicate situation. We can't just arrest this guy. We can't just stop him. We have to let him discredit himself first because otherwise we're going to start a revolution. If we grab him, we're going to kick this thing off. And that's like that's going to be lighting the past. powder keg.
Starting point is 00:44:29 And that's where we ended last week, right? They were going to ask him questions. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So Atticus is like, let him make a statement. Let him make a statement. So he's like he's kind of giving Jesus runway to either go with it or to, you know, hang himself, so to speak, proverbially.
Starting point is 00:44:47 I also think it's interesting how they treat this. I mean, this is like a, you know, this is like a Mexican standoff like a Western. and the Pharisees, their lips are all literally quivering. Like they're clearly afraid right now as they're being confronted by this. And the thing I love about the visual here is that just from a logical standpoint, if you were somebody coming and watching this with no background of the Bible, like you've never read scripture, you don't know anything about the Bible, you're just watching the show as a story, as a secular viewer.
Starting point is 00:45:23 this makes a lot of sense. Like, why, like, why would God do it this way? As opposed to just God parting the clouds and speaking down like we saw earlier where the thunder, you know, like you heard the voice of the voice of God or the voice glorified in him. Yeah, I will. Yeah, yeah. Why wouldn't God just part the clouds and just tell the Pharisees like, hey, y'all are
Starting point is 00:45:45 awful and I hate you. Like, I hate what you're doing with, like, you destroyed my house. You desecrated it because wouldn't that bring them to their knees and they wouldn't be able to question. They were there, though. Like, I mean, they're like he's, he's speaking over Jerusalem, right? So they, they were there, but, but remember Jesus said those who heard, heard a voice that was just for you. And it seemed like other people didn't hear a voice. And I think as we read, that was pretty consistent with scripture. And the, and the way that that happens. I think that's kind of that concept of scales on their eyes, right? Hardened hearts. Their hearts were
Starting point is 00:46:21 already hardened. Um, you know, Maybe I don't know exactly. Like that's so many things. How do you, how do you, they witnessed miracles. The Pharisees watched the miracles and then disparaged him for healing on Sabbath and, you know, other things. So there, I think they had hard hearts. But they, oh, of course.
Starting point is 00:46:42 I mean, like I've maintained that I think they knew exactly. But I don't think Yusuf does, right? Like, I think Yusuf doesn't have a hard heart, but I think that most of his bosses do. Well, worth noting that he takes off. off his robes and he's in street clothes. He's back in his robe in this, isn't he? No, you'll see. He's in a few minutes.
Starting point is 00:47:01 You'll see he's back in his, he took off his robes. It might be later, but at some point he takes his robes off and he's back. We saw that last time he took his robes off. But for some reason, I missed that he was in street clothes and this. Yeah, yeah, you'll see it here later. But think about it. Like, if God wanted to make his point known, like, hey, there's no. there's no question like this is god speaking to you like god to earth god to the pharisees listen
Starting point is 00:47:30 up part the clouds just do it and make everybody here at one at the same time i mean god can do that if he wanted to but he doesn't instead instead he sends the wilderness preacher he sins the lowly the lowly preacher from um from nazareth that nobody respects nobody respects the guy from Nazareth. And I think in doing that, there's a number of things happening here, just from a secular storytelling perspective. You have obviously the trope of, you know, the common man standing up to the establishment, like the visual of that for the people to witness, right? Because that's an inspiring, inspiring image. You have the fact that this guy, Jesus, is, aside from being the Messiah, is just a good person.
Starting point is 00:48:25 Like he demonstrates that to everybody, right? He is obviously righteous in his behavior. He's right. He's noble in the way he acts. He's very selfless. He demonstrates that. And then here he is acting in a, in the eyes of his followers,
Starting point is 00:48:41 scary way, right? I mean, he's like the wrath. So I think there's a lot of storytelling elements that are really from, I'm not talking about the child. chosen. I'm talking about the Bible. I'm talking about God's decision to say, here's how I'm going to do it. I'm going to send a mortal, my son, to do this as opposed to parting the clouds and sending an angel, you know, sending Gabriel down there to do it, which he could have done. I'm going to have a mortal do it. Now, obviously, there's the whole sacrifice of his son, you know, to die for our
Starting point is 00:49:17 sins. There's that element of it. But I think before you even get there, there's just the whole dynamic of Jesus standing up and saying, you have destroyed and desecrated something that was supposed to be special and something that was supposed to be sacred and something that was a gift from God to the people. You have completely destroyed it. And not just destroyed it, but perverted it. Right. Perverted it. Exactly. It's the, I think it goes back to it. I think we've talked about this in one of the earlier seasons, but like Moses hitting the rock. God said speak to the rock and Moses hit the rock and was like, we're going to give you water. And God is like, what? We are going to what? Right. Like that's and this is, this is that instinct, which was, which was a sin instinct, right?
Starting point is 00:50:03 To try to try and make yourself equal with God. But it's something that everybody has inherent in human nature. It's a product of the fall, I think. And so like that instinct that you see in Moses that he is rebuked for and doesn't go into the promised land, that. instinct is at its end stage here in what we see in this court. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you see Atticus, who of course is sure in our invention, this is resonating with him because he is, he has expressed throughout this whole series that he obviously has a cynical view of power in general. Like he has a cynical view of the Romans. He has a cynical, he certainly has a cynical view of the Pharisees. He doesn't respect them at all
Starting point is 00:50:52 because he understands the hypocrisy inherent in their existence, the exact hypocrisy that Jesus is now calling out, which is part of the reason why I think he's like, all right, nobody touch him, don't arrest him yet. Let's see what he has to say. I mean, he just tore a marketplace apart. They would have every reason to
Starting point is 00:51:09 throw him in handcuffs and drag him off right now, but instead Atticus is like, hold on, I want to hear what he has to say because he probably is like, this guy's making a lot of good points. Let's see how the Pharisees handle this. Well, he's also the only Roman or the only leader, really, that has been issuing caution about the volume of people, the tensions that are rising between Jesus and the religious leaders. He's, you know, and he seems kind of, he seems a little tense here,
Starting point is 00:51:40 right? Like, this is more emotion than we usually see Atticus portray. And I, and I think that that's like, you're much more bullish on his future than I am. I haven't seen the rest of the season. I'm super bullish. I'm super bullish. Yeah. And I,
Starting point is 00:51:59 and I want, I want to believe that he turns out to be a good guy, but also like a great series would have him end up after everything, after seeing everything, be just so fundamentally Roman. I don't want that to happen. I'm not saying, yeah,
Starting point is 00:52:14 that happened. If, I don't know if, if George, if George are. Martin was writing this, then yes, that's what would happen. Yes, yes. But if Tolkien was writing it, then he would end up becoming a Christian.
Starting point is 00:52:26 That is a great, great summary, yeah. I want to believe we're watching the Tolkien version and not the George R.R. Martin version. Me too. Well, what do you have to say for yourself? Is it not written that my house should be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you make it a den of thieves. Zeal, for your house shall consume me. This man is volatile guards.
Starting point is 00:52:57 Repair the high priest to a secure location. No more purchased animals or sacrifices are to be brought through this gate. Do you hear me? For the Passover, I said no more. You. Remember Mary was just having the conversation with the Gentiles about how ridiculous the whole, like, sacrificing of animals was and how it was a total contradiction to what Jesus was talking about. about in his teachings. Yeah, they're like, they're like, wait, Jesus approves of this.
Starting point is 00:53:44 Like, Jesus thinks it's okay for us to come like murder of these animals. Like, what do these animals do? They didn't do anything wrong. Like, why are we doing this? This doesn't make any sense. He thinks this is okay. Yeah, no, and with the Gentiles. Yeah, that was a great, that was a great discussion from last week. But think about the scale, right? All of those people are coming to make a sacrifice. This is, this is a massive industry. Oh, yeah. Huge industry. Never intended to be that way.
Starting point is 00:54:12 Yep. What's right do you have to hold the sale of offerings? By whose authority do you do this? My own. Heresy has no authority here. You want us to believe you? Legitimize your claim by showing us a sign. You want the sign?
Starting point is 00:54:41 Destroy this temple. And in three days, I will raise it up. It has taken 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days? You hurt me. Is that the threat? You have already defiled this temple. By the greed and dishonesty, which you have allowed, burdening our people and destroying their worship. I don't even recognize this place.
Starting point is 00:55:09 And it's my father's house. He's so mad. Osana to the son of David. Oh, son. to see what you're what you're seeing you know i'll just keep playing with the sound like what you're seeing here is what i was just describing like you're seeing the common man stand up to the elites i mean this is what we and like are witnessing right now in the secular world um i mean donald trump i would say i mean technically he qualifies as an elite but he identifies with the common man
Starting point is 00:55:59 it's like that's this is what the whole maga movement is is the the the the the the the populist standing up to the elite. And it's a very inspiring, I mean, it's the underdog. It's the underdog story. It's a very inspiring thing where what Jesus has to accomplish here, just from a pragmatic standpoint, is to inspire people to change. Because you can't just tell people to change.
Starting point is 00:56:27 You can't just tell people to stop voting in an election. You can't just tell people to stop supporting the Republican Party. You can't just tell people to change their ways and live their life differently in order to get the golden age. You have to inspire them to actually do that. Now, I'm not trying to make light or pervert the biblical story that's happening here. But I'm just trying to draw like an allegory. I'm trying to draw a connection between what we're living through right now and what we're watching here play out in the Bible. Bible, the inspiration, like that part of it can't be overstated.
Starting point is 00:57:09 Like that is such a critical part of what Jesus has to accomplish here in the next three days before he is killed. And what his- Don't forget they're all going to turn against him. Well, yeah, and what his disciples have to accomplish after he's killed. Because if they don't accomplish that, then there is. is no Christian movement. There is no Christian doctrine. There is no Christian religion. There's just this memory of a guy who did this thing and then was killed for his trouble because he said the wrong thing to the wrong people and humiliated them. That is the part that has to resonate.
Starting point is 00:57:53 And that is the way that I think God uses Jesus and the disciples and the Pharisees and the Romans and everybody on screen right here uses them in his play, so to speak, right? This soap opera that God has put together to enact change. It's like this is how it's done. it's not done because Jesus just comes down and says, all right, everybody, we're going to stop doing it this way. We're going to start doing it that way. It doesn't work. That's not how humans work.
Starting point is 00:58:29 Show don't tell, right? Yes. Show don't tell. And so, I mean, I, again, Jesus has been showing them the father the whole time. He's showing them the father still. and it's very specific in orientation to the perversion of his house. It is, but it's not, it's not just his house, right? Like, it's not just, oh, they allowed sales, you know, they allowed commerce inside the temple courts.
Starting point is 00:59:03 And he got real mad about it. We'll clean it. It'll be fine, right? That's not what this is about. That's not what he's mad about. He's mad because this entire system has become perverted. This entire system has been corrupted and it's not about him at all. It hasn't been about God for a long time.
Starting point is 00:59:23 It's not about seeking to glorify God. It's about seeking to glorify themselves. And you see that over and over again in the examples in particular the way that they're wielding the law as a cudgel. Right. Like Jesus healed a person that had been crippled for decades on the Sabbath. And I don't want to miss them talking. It's one of my favorite parts. So when we get to them, the part of them talking, when that scene starts, pause in there.
Starting point is 00:59:54 But their response to watching a miracle, right? Everybody knew. Everybody knew that, see, he's back in his, he's back in his Pharisee garb. He'll be back. He will be back in his street clothes here at the next. When they confront him with the questions, he's not with the Pharisees. he's with the people in a street close. So I think that symbolism, I think is important.
Starting point is 01:00:22 Yeah. So, yeah, so the system has become about keeping their power when the authority for their power is no longer there because the system is that they're propagated, that they're protecting, that their white knuckle protecting is not about God, it's about themselves. And that, I think, is the same vibe when we get to the woes, right? It's the same vibe.
Starting point is 01:00:51 Anybody you talked earlier about it could be, you know, the people that Jesus would say these things to could be a whole bunch of different factions of people, leaders in a whole bunch of different domains. And I would say that the umbrella for for Jesus to show up and act that way towards any of those factions would be they're using his name to elevate themselves and not his kingdom and not. not his fruit and not his mission and his mandate. That's what makes him angry. Yeah, yeah. And I mean, from the perspective of Jesus, this is like Odysseus coming home after 10 years to his home and finding a bunch of men living in his home,
Starting point is 01:01:37 mistreating his wife, eating his food, you know, disrespecting his house. That is the equivalent of what this is, because he views this temple is supposed to be his father's house. These men are really caretakers, if nothing else, at best. They're caretakers. And they're treating it like it's their house and that, you know, they get to decide who comes in and who doesn't.
Starting point is 01:02:04 And it's their religion and it's their power. And they're the only thing that matters. And that is what makes them evil. And the other thing I would just point out, and I think this becomes very, very obvious. It just clicks, I think, when people see this. And again, this is the muscle of this show. The whole argument that, like, what we're living through right now and what the critiques and the analysis of what happened to Jesus and whose hand he suffered at, people want to make it all about anti-Semitism.
Starting point is 01:02:45 They want to make it all about the Jews. We're looking at a group of Jews. Everyone here in this scene, aside from, you know, the two Romans, the three Romans that are standing there are Jewish. And yet the crowds are siding with Jesus against the elite. It's the elite. It's the corrupt elite. The guys in black, they're the problem. They're the ones who have provided.
Starting point is 01:03:12 converted the religion and taken this really special sacred thing and turned it against the people, weaponized against the people, turned it against God, betrayed God in the act. And I think that's really important to remember when you're evaluating not only this story, but also like what we're looking at happening today in the world because, I mean, maybe we are witnessing the end of days. I don't approach things from that perspective because I think that that is a, again, that is very ego driven when people start putting themselves, like as the main character getting to witness, you know, the book of revelations. But evaluating like Zionism, evaluating the state of Israel, evaluating the government of Israel, and understanding that that's what you're looking at. You're looking at the guys in the black robes as opposed to looking at, oh, whatever. 16, 17 million Jewish people that live on the earth right now.
Starting point is 01:04:17 That's what this is. And of course, the guys in the black robes have Gentile helpers, right? There's Gentiles that are part of it too. And all of it is a perversion of the teachings. Whether there's teachings are of a Torah or whether there's teachings are of a New Testament, it's all perversion and it's all done for their own glory. it's not done for the glory of God. Yeah, I think that's right.
Starting point is 01:04:48 The fact that there is this whole system and that the like if we were talking geopolitics, I would say governance is about decision rights, right? There are people here that have decision rights in this ecosystem in this society. All of them are pretty despicable, you know, entities. The Sanhedron, the Romans, Herod, and whatever that is, right? Like, they're all, they're all pretty self-interested, focused on, on building their own thing. I think that I was just looking up a verse. One sec.
Starting point is 01:05:34 because I think that the James 3-1 is what I was looking for you looking for my brethren let not many be masters in other versions teachers is the word knowing that you shall receive the greater condemnation you will receive heavier judgment people that lead other people astray
Starting point is 01:06:05 get it worse the punishment, judgment for sin, get it worse than people who are led astray, right? That's kind of a kind of a principle in play. And so if, so that, that concept is amplified to 11 when you consider the people that are the spiritual leaders who when people feel like they, they need God, they need forgiveness or healing or peace or grace or whatever, they go to their religious leader. And if that religious leader is in the name of God leading them astray, that's a bigger condemnation
Starting point is 01:06:50 than the person who is let astray, right? That's what, again, we're seeing the end stage of that here. That kind of conduct by religious leaders is what makes God rage. and and I you know I don't using the word rage appropriately in the context of God I mean no blasphemy or anything
Starting point is 01:07:14 like that but let's um this I love the parts where the Pharisees are talking I think it's hilarious yeah we need a strike immediately to record everything that just happened in exact detail why because you think people are going to forget all that ever
Starting point is 01:07:32 they threaten to destroy the temple So his exact words were destroyed his temple, and in three days I will rebuild it. Maybe we don't know if it doesn't be five minutes in Schmuel's already rewriting the narrative. Not a threat, then perhaps a prediction, that the temple may soon be destroyed. It sounded like he was addressing us in the imperative. Destroy the temple as in, if we destroy it, he'll rebuild in three days. It doesn't matter who may do it. The last person who prophesied the destruction of the temple was Jeremiah, and as punishment,
Starting point is 01:08:01 they lowered him with ropes into a deep cistern where he sank in the Who came out looking like the villains in that story? Jeremiah was right. Solomon's temple was destroyed. Yeah, and it took us half a century to get this new one. He also repeated the blasphemy. So Shemuel is saying the last prophet who prophesized this, we killed him or, you know, our ancestors killed him. And Jesus is actually going to refer to that later.
Starting point is 01:08:27 Yeah, it's like, well, because our ancestors killed the prophet, we should kill this prophet too. It's like you just don't learn You don't learn from anything You're just it's just times a flat circle for these people Well yeah and he gets immediately rebuked here Which is a good thing But it's funny because it does show that Schmuel Has sort of lost his head
Starting point is 01:08:47 Right Like the part of part of their tradition And what makes them You know elevated is their rhetorical abilities It is the the thinking rhetorically steps ahead and and you know going like biblical scholars today are the same right like they know the subject matter well enough that they can um you know think through multiple steps and implications of a quote unquote new idea and there's no there there's nothing new under the sun
Starting point is 01:09:23 so the schmuel would be better that like he he i think would it would be intellectually more capable than to um then to make the error of invoking jeremiah because they they stoned the prophets and that was a bad thing and at this point the everybody everybody understood that that was a bad thing right that Jeremiah that that that Jeremiah was killed and so I think that he gets immediately rebuked but I just think the moment because Shmuel has been a very capable debater throughout this
Starting point is 01:10:05 you know his whole arc but he sort of loses his head and makes a very you know a very silly rhetorical error yeah yeah no exactly all right let's keep going calling the temple
Starting point is 01:10:21 his father's house he makes himself equal with God by identifying as his son how is that not enough for you if I still had the strength of my youth I would have marched down those states dragged them through these doors and stone them myself. Thank God you do. See, he has, like, we dragged them through the doors because they can't stone them out there.
Starting point is 01:10:35 They got to stone them in here. Yeah. Not. We already have a preponderance of damning evidence. The ponderance of, are you so blind to the larger issue? Thousands of citizens are on his side. Hailing him whenever he defies the establishment. We answer to God alone, not the whims of a susceptible proletariat,
Starting point is 01:10:58 sick with messianic furvents that's not the same as answering to them the people are hungry for change the fact i mean listen to the way they talk about people they talk about them yeah they're all like like oh the the lowly peasants like we like who are the who are these peasants to question our authority but they know you can tell and you can tell from the discussion that they know that their authority comes for this is like a very crisp paulian thing right but like it comes from the belief way too many people are on their side. If those people stop believing in our authority, we're in trouble, right?
Starting point is 01:11:34 Because he's a alt religious leader. He's presenting, he's, you know, feeding them spiritually and presenting a way to the father that doesn't include us. That's a problem for us. That's where they're found hope in him. Hope they're not finding anywhere else.
Starting point is 01:11:53 If nothing else, we should take heed. Be careful with your word, Joseph. Someone might take them as an implication that hope is not to be found here. What if we just ask him questions directly, hmm? He's here for the festival and not going anywhere. We might as well. I question him directly in Bethany at the House of Lazarus. It did not end well.
Starting point is 01:12:10 His teachings contradicted his actions, and he made vague statements about doing away with the law and prophets. Not done away with, fulfilled in him. What does that mean to you, Yusuf? As Shimonja said, Hmm? Why not ask him? One thing I will say for this jean,
Starting point is 01:12:26 Jesus, the Nazarene. He does not dissemble. His words are inflammatory, often challenging, even blasphemous, but he will not lie. What is your point? Shimon is right. We should just ask him questions. With the right questions, his honesty could be his undoing if the right audience is there to hear it. So the next time we see him, we should all be prepared. Questions that come from what intention? To earnestly understand him or to entrap? It's not our fault if he answers earnestly And it reveals him to be a fraud We have the truth on our side
Starting point is 01:13:03 So it's entrapment He's not the Messiah, You said He wants our people The ones we are assigned to protect To believe he is and we must expose him If that's entrapment, praise me to God if it were right Enough both of you Settle this Capernaum rivalry in private
Starting point is 01:13:23 He's not even from Caparum. I said enough. Everyone go back to your offices and prepare questions. What about the market? Shouldn't you be fined and forced to pay for damages? There is a committee which oversees the market. Why didn't you talk to their chairman and let them sort it out? Oh gosh.
Starting point is 01:13:43 They're going to become a much of scumbag lawyers and they're going to entrap him. They're going to become much of feds. Yeah, they're going to entrap him. Yeah. I love that he's like, it's kind of a rum to the first. All right, so let's jump ahead. Yeah, so then we get, Kathy comes in,
Starting point is 01:14:11 talks to this guy, and he's like, don't you want revenge? And the guy's like, well, from what I hear, from what I hear, Jesus is poor anyway, and he's like, well, then he should have to pay in other ways. And the implication is you should have to pay, you know, with blood. So then Jesus says he needs to spend time alone.
Starting point is 01:14:28 Wait, what does he say here? Master, I just, I'm just trying to make sure I heard you, clear. No more sacrifices are to be brought into the temple? Yes, Judas. And then how are the people supposed to observe
Starting point is 01:14:44 Passover? Rabbi, this is the place. So it is. Where are you going? I need to be alone, Peter. Many more things to say later on and I need to pray. But they'll be looking for you. Maybe they'll find me, Zee. Maybe he who seeks shall find.
Starting point is 01:15:12 All right. Everyone inside. We need to talk. He shouldn't go by himself. He said he wanted to be alone. I'll follow him at a distance. He won't even know. Really? He won't know.
Starting point is 01:15:22 He said the people looking for him might find him. That was a joke, Zee. It wasn't a joke. He's been saying for days that they will find him. And you should come inside Zee. We're going to need each other more than ever. James seems to get it. Yeah, Sons of Thunder finally get it.
Starting point is 01:15:42 Like I said, then they have their team meeting. uh jude we should we should we should play judas yeah we'll play judas he didn't lift the finger you're serious he allowed violence to escalate all around him on account of his words and took no action to stop it i think we should be very clear about something he did not strike any person or animal in love matthew's uh uh autism here because his autism is like so persnickety that he it's it's amazing how he um i mean he he's he's defending the truth 100% um yeah that kind of comes back later when jesus like singles him out and is like i want you to come with me these other guys don't get it yeah and i think i what i like about this too is it's
Starting point is 01:16:30 kind of the way that we all dissect stories too well hang on a second like we at badlands i mean like you know hang on a second we don't know that for certain we saw this, but we don't have that specific detail. Like, what do we actually know versus what do we feel we know? And the way that they're engaging with this, like, Matthews says, you know, he didn't strike a person or an animal and they're like, are you
Starting point is 01:16:50 kidding? Like, did you see what, you know, like all caught up in the feels of it? But the first principles matter. Yep. Are you crazy? He overturned tables inanimate objects. He did not whip the animals. He opened their pens, cracked his whip, and drove
Starting point is 01:17:08 them out. Oh, I saw merchants and money changers get knocked to the ground by the stampeding animals and the tables flipping. Did he physically assault anyone? Does it matter when the overall outcome is that people did get hurt? Who cares if a handful of people got bruised? The entire event was an assault on our nation's religious system of worship and sacrifice. That's no observation. He said as much. There's an assault on our democracy.
Starting point is 01:17:33 Yeah, this is very dangerous to our democracy. I mean, how can you watch this and not see the parallels between Judas in like the Republican Party. I mean, yeah, I mean, I definitely don't think that the show did that, right? Like,
Starting point is 01:17:47 I don't, I don't think that the intention at all was to show. But the, I mean, the parallels are sort of undeniable. And, and it's, it's kind of great to see,
Starting point is 01:17:59 you know, the way that this story is playing out with very, and we're not, nobody's equating politics with religion. But the, the, the, the,
Starting point is 01:18:08 the, the, the, Divisions in our society, the divisions in our society are spiritual at their core. And, yeah, it's kind of wild. Yeah. And the thing that bothers Judas is the unity. False decorum and unity.
Starting point is 01:18:27 We're being deprived of our unity. We have an opportunity. He even says unity here in a second. Yeah, he says we have an opportunity to unify everybody. And we're losing the opportunity to unify everybody. Like the unity is more important than the truth. truth for Jews. He's such a dissimp.
Starting point is 01:18:42 Yeah, he's such a sim for unity. And that's why I'm so proud that we at Badlands absolutely just like rebuke the idea of unity because at the expense. Yeah, at the expense of truth, at the expense of doing the right thing, at the expense of, you know, moral turpitude, like all of that. We will not prioritize harmony and unity over truth. Yes, exactly. On the wrong version of our system of worship and sacrifice, I think we can all trust him to know the difference.
Starting point is 01:19:16 And if we're asked to make a statement, how can we defend both his behavior and words? Boom. Are you saying you wouldn't defend him? This week, there is a chance for the Messiah to unite all of our people. Everyone is listening to him, and he just made even more enemies. I'm saying I want to defend him, Zee, but I don't know how. I want to defend Donald Trump in his war against Iran, but I don't know how. Okay.
Starting point is 01:19:49 Stop equating Jesus to Donald Trump. Donald Trump had the opportunity to unify everybody, and he blew it. I mean, aren't you here? I mean, this show came out years ago. Like, this season came out years ago. You're hearing exactly what Judas is saying right now, but like for Donald Trump and the Trump. And again, it's biblical allegory. I'm not comparing Donald.
Starting point is 01:20:13 Donald Trump to Jesus because it's two different contexts. But the false outrage, the phony decorum that he's observing is the perversion. And it's totally lost on him that that's the perversion. And that's why he ultimately- Proversion, right? Like Judas is focused on protecting the perversion and he's concerned because he thinks that Jesus is going to do harm to this system that Jesus. came to destroy. The allegory for what you're trying to say is there. There's no question.
Starting point is 01:20:49 It's just we're going to be on this show. Actually, this is a good, a good spot for us to pause and hear from our main sponsor of today's show, which is fantastic. This episode is brought to you by Cacao Bliss from Earth Echo, a ceremonial gray cacao drink with seven superfoods to quiet your appetite and protect your heart. There's only two foods on the planet with a specific compound that keeps your arteries young, your stem cells high, and your metabolism cranking. One is black truffles, the other tastes like chocolate. Researchers have spent decades studying why a tribe in Panama had virtually no heart problems,
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Starting point is 01:23:32 Thank you for the sponsorship. And yeah, we... And thank you for bringing cacao into our lives. Yes, for sure, for sure. All right, let's keep going. With Matthew and Philip, there is discernment in these actions. It's not a bad connection. It's not dangerous.
Starting point is 01:23:55 Yes, then Mary leaves. Andrew follows her out. She's like, I don't really know what I'm doing. Oh, this is a great scene. I love this. scene. This is fantastic. Pilot is living the life while he can. Yeah,
Starting point is 01:24:14 yeah. I'm sure his appointment is very important and we're going in now. Greetings, governor. Additus doesn't have power to just fetch the high priest. That's crazy. So he accepted responsibility for his actions. Did he ever? He was proud of what he did as if he had every right. It'll be
Starting point is 01:24:37 handled, governor. There's no need for you to get involved at this point. Thank you. you got this. Now, if I may get back to my the people are cheering in the streets. Not the vendors in the temple. Not everybody loves him, but he's a popular figure. There's no question.
Starting point is 01:24:57 He may be able to act with impunity in their eyes, but not in ours. I assure you, there is a plan in place to question him. Trust the plan. Yeah, trust the plan. As we have Trust the plan.
Starting point is 01:25:13 There is no. no point in you're troubling yourself. That sounds like a very fine and slow plan. The opportunity to collect tax from the money changers is vanishing every second. Your market is in shambles and the holiday is in three days time. The market will be swiftly reassembled. Maybe I need a massage. When is swiftly?
Starting point is 01:25:35 Unless you know the answer to that, you have a problem, Governor. Emperor Tiberius ignored my request to send extra officers and regiments to accommodate the influx of pilgrims. Maybe he needs to see and feel the consequences of understaffing Jerusalem during pilgrimage holidays. So you intend to teach the emperor a lesson then? Caiaphas, you say it's being handled within your administration. Yes? Yes, governor, you may rest assured. I will let you know when we need your help.
Starting point is 01:26:04 I am neither rested nor assured. But I'll take your word for now. We're finished here. Stewart, see the high priest out. Sending the high priest to dinner or is a bed. without dinner. Akkas seems to have the decision rights. He doesn't sign the paper, but he's the one calling the shop.
Starting point is 01:26:36 Yeah. Are you asleep at the helm of the ship? I'm from the equestrian class. I don't do not a cool metaphor. All right. In the saddle then? Delusional. Tiberius is not going to look at what happened and think Hades and sticks.
Starting point is 01:26:51 I should have sent Pontius reinforcements. Of course not. I'm on notice, Atticus, but I can't punish a popular rabbi and cause a riot. I'll lose my job. Caiaphas doesn't know that. You grossly underestimate the way information spreads in this town. It is naive of you to think that the details of your relationship with the emperor haven't reached his ears.
Starting point is 01:27:11 Caiaphas knows exactly why you've slowed down executions. What did Julius Caesar say when he crossed the Rubicon? The die has been cast. Julius Caesar declared himself dictator for life and then was bludgeon to death in the capital. His crossing the Rubicon River led to a civil war that put an end to the Roman Republic. Well, that's up it doesn't come to that, certainly. I'll speak to you later, Atticus. He's such a whim.
Starting point is 01:27:46 Governor. Yeah, he's a child. You have one of what it would be like to see. Okay, so then this is when Jesus speaks to Matthew. This part's great. I love this part. because Matthew's like a Matthew is speaking of child Matthew is kind of like a child he has like that child like
Starting point is 01:28:09 since a wonder he's very naive he doesn't really have like a malicious bone in his body um not that the other ones are malicious but just but just that like you know they're they're adults they're like adult men and you know he doesn't have that like uh he he's just he's naive he's like a child you know, enthusiastic. Master. Oh, hello, Matthew.
Starting point is 01:28:44 I'm going to preach. Would you like to come? Do the others know? No, no, not yet. Then let's talk for a bit. Maybe you can decide if I should invite them. Why wouldn't we invite the others? I was only being... Slightly facetious.
Starting point is 01:29:09 I know how some of the things we've already seen this week could come as a shock. I can only speak for myself, but I'm willing to be surprised. I crave surprise in the sense that surprise is something that is unexpected, but that brings me closer to understanding. Shock, on the other hand, separates me from understanding. And above all, you seek understanding.
Starting point is 01:29:39 Above all, I seek you. then you already understand. Rabbi, you remember that time that we worked on the sermon and coazine? Of course? I wanted to say thank you. I know you did that to teach me. And you will teach others? I know to seek you, but this last week, I feel that lack of understanding again.
Starting point is 01:30:11 I need to work with you again, so... I know, Matthew, but there is no more time for me to work with you one-on-one in person. It's time you start discerning my message so that you can teach others. Come. But, but Rabbi, there's still so much I don't... You understand enough. And you will understand more this week if you listen and observe. It won't be simple or easy.
Starting point is 01:30:42 But it will make sense soon enough, even to you. Rabbi? Rabbi, are you going somewhere? Oh, well, Matthew and I were just discussing sermons, and I'm on my way to deliver one to a very special audience. You know, I was thinking of telling the story. of the vineyard so seriously is it yes we're ready we can't we can um i need my good back we need the grapes for the kingdom of heaven it's like a man going on a journey
Starting point is 01:31:20 who called his servants and entrusted to them his property to one he gave five talents to another one look to each yeah there's you see see jaris is there he's smiling so like yeah like and you again Yusuf is not there as a Pharisee because he knows if he shows up his black robes
Starting point is 01:31:44 then all eyes are going to be on him and then it's going to become a thing he's not making about himself lost in the time of it because we watched him change right but then he was back in his Pharisee clothes and now he's in street clothes so like where are we in time when
Starting point is 01:32:00 he's in those Pharisee robes, I wonder. Yeah, I don't know, but it's... Because I thought when he changed, he changed, remember that Luke guy, the guy we think is Luke was watching him. And he changed. And then he went to the place where Jesus was flipping tables, right? That was kind of how I thought the timing of that worked, but maybe I was often time and and he was still in his Pharisee post when Jesus flipped tables.
Starting point is 01:32:26 Yeah, yeah, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. But, no, because he's not. No, because he went and he listened to Jesus preach. That was a different time because he went and he listened to Jesus preach in his street clothes. So, yeah. And then watch what happens when the guys in Black walk in. His property.
Starting point is 01:32:45 To one, he gave five talents to another, two, to another one. To each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once. There's loose. He traded with them. Yeah. He made five talents more.
Starting point is 01:33:08 So also he who had two talents, made two talents more. He who had received the one talent, went and dug in the ground and buried. Ah. Well, so good to see you again. I don't suppose you've come to sit and listen to my teaching. We have. Questions? Questions which must be answered in the hearing of these people.
Starting point is 01:33:42 So they know who they are listening. They already know. It's all right, teacher. Please. Go ahead. You've said some bold things. And yesterday did some bold things. And yes, you've performed some impressive signs.
Starting point is 01:34:09 But if they're legitimate, let me ask you this. By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority? That's an important question. But before I answer, I would ask you one question. And if you tell me the answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. If you want to talk about authority and credentials, let me ask you this. The baptism of John, from which is the baptism of John, from which
Starting point is 01:34:48 Where did it come? From heaven or from man? Where it came from? His work of his baptisms, of thousands, of what origin was it? Human or divine? Ah, I'm glad you're taking a time. As the leaders of these people, we expect you to be careful in your teachings. It's a trap.
Starting point is 01:35:10 If we say John's authority came from heaven, You will ask why didn't we believe him. But if you say from man, the people will ston us to death because they are convinced that John was a problem. We can't win. I am not getting stoned. Just say you don't know. How could we know? We can be honest.
Starting point is 01:35:32 We cannot, with complete confidence, answer certainly as to the human or divine origin of John's work. So you cannot answer my question. And neither will I answer your question and tell you by what authority I do these things. It's Matthew 21. I have another story for you. Listen carefully.
Starting point is 01:35:56 Did you want to read it? We can do, yeah. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard. Yeah, right. And when he entered the temple, the chief priest and the elders of the people came up to him. And as he was teaching and said, by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority? Jesus answered them. I will also ask you one question.
Starting point is 01:36:26 And if you will tell me the answer, then I will. also, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man. And they discussed it among themselves, saying, if we say from heaven, he will say to us, then why then did you not believe him? But if we say from man, we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, we do not know.
Starting point is 01:36:50 And he said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. Thank you for that. and put a fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and leased it to tenants. Then went into another country. Shalom, shalom!
Starting point is 01:37:17 When the season came to harvest the grapes, he sent the servant to collect the prophets. But the tenants took him and beat him, and sent him away empty hand. again he sent to them another servant and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully still yet another servant he sent and him they stoned to death that looks painful he is quite dead finally the master sent his son to them saying surely they will respect my son but when the tenant saw the
Starting point is 01:38:27 son, they said to themselves, this is the air. Come, let us kill him so that this inheritance may be ours. How would that work? Since the owner is out of the country, if we eliminate the air, we can cease control of the vineyard ourselves and collect the profits. And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? I'm asking you, Shmuel, and your friends. These people desire to hear from you. I love this part.
Starting point is 01:39:14 You, you are a truth teller. He will put them to death. He then entrust the vineyard to others, yes? Yes, ones who will actually deliver the prophets. What is your point? I don't get it. I'm afraid I do. Have you never read in the scriptures?
Starting point is 01:39:50 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Wait, is he talking about us? Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. It's a whole new one. He should arrest the people guards for such slender. The crowds will never allow it. Now is the time to do what Caiapus has been talking about.
Starting point is 01:40:19 We need to get him to say things either the people, Or our occupiers won't like Yes Yes, ask him about the taxes There are Roman soldiers just outside Can you go and make sure they're listening Carefully that we might have a criminal here Why? They can't come into this court
Starting point is 01:40:36 But if he delivers the answer to my question The people want to hear They'll arrest him when he leaves And when he can't fight back He would be exposed Everyone Scoundrels I have an important and respectful question to ask this rabbi.
Starting point is 01:41:04 And it pertains to every single person here, to your day-to-day lives. Teacher, though we may disagree on a few interpretations, one thing no one can deny is that you speak with integrity. You don't mince words, and I think it's abundantly clear to everyone. that you are not influenced by public opinion for you are not swayed by appearances. You are the kind of impartial person we can ask this question to and not expect a politician's obfuscation or avoidant response. Tell us then what you think.
Starting point is 01:41:47 Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? You want to put me to the test. All right. Show me the coin for the tax to Rome. Denarius, somebody, anybody. Thank you. Tell me, whose likeness and inscription is this? The likeness is of Caesar, and the inscription I don't like to utter pagan things. It's all right. You're just answering a question.
Starting point is 01:42:44 Tiberius, Caesar, Auguste, Phileas, Devi. Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius. Son of the divine. The answer to his question is obvious. Yes? How can we justify paying taxes to someone we find blasphemous? Z. Who led the revolt over this issue over 30 years ago? Judas of Galilee.
Starting point is 01:43:12 Judas of Galilee. The founder of the zealots. You all still appreciate his resistance. We shouldn't be giving money to this occupying power who has no right to God's land, that would be the obvious answer. Caesar identifies as the son of a god. However, so what? Just because it's written on a coin doesn't make it true.
Starting point is 01:43:41 How can we be the chosen people of the one true God and yet pay taxes to a pagan who claims to be devour? Paying your taxes doesn't mean affirming his claim of divinity. It means funding things like well-maintained roads. And Rome's protection of this country from foreign invasion. In the end, this is God's world. The Romans just live in it and inscribe empty phrases on coins. The coin belongs to Caesar.
Starting point is 01:44:16 Wait, what happened? You belong to him. Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar. And to God, the things that are gods. You can kind of see Judas, like, realizing that moment, he's like, he's not going to lead us against Rome. He's like, he's not going to do it. He's not going to lead us against Rome.
Starting point is 01:44:54 Brilliant. This is like a game of riddles here. This is brilliant. Yes, this is Matthew 22, 15, beginning at verse 15. We don't need to read it. It's pretty much exactly what he said, as most of these exchanges are sticking pretty close to the scriptures. But Matthew 22, verse 15 is where folks can find. that exchange in the interest of time just looking at the clock
Starting point is 01:45:18 let's motor through I just want to see like this scene to the end of it and then the thing with David and that's I'm good at Rome no Messiah no Messiah no no sir you can see Kathney's not playing a much bigger important role here Gaffney and then are like the people telling us that we have to continue to vote in the elections and support their no looking party no matter what and they're like you're breaking our unity. Finish the story about the talents.
Starting point is 01:46:11 Talents. Ah, yes. Where was I? The man with the one talent sticking in the ground. Oh, yes. So he who had received the one talent, went and dug in the ground. Some of the people just turned on him.
Starting point is 01:46:25 That's a start. That won't draw the eye of room. I'm out of questions. Shmuel, you know him. Surely you have something. We know his claim to be a, above the law multiple times, but these people haven't heard it. Let's hear him talk about it.
Starting point is 01:46:42 And if they side with him, we've lost them already. Excuse me, Rabbi. You're not done? We have one more question. Would we never find out what happened to the man who buried his talent? I don't think so. Which is the greatest commandment in the law? That's easy.
Starting point is 01:47:09 Shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. You would never know it the way they require so much of us. Oh.
Starting point is 01:47:33 Them? All right. All right. Listen. The Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. So do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. Or they preach, but do not practice. We what? They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. This is outrageous. For they make their philactories
Starting point is 01:48:10 broad and their fringes long and they love the place of honor at feasts and being called rabbi by others. We are rabbis. Stop interrupting him! I've said some of this in Copernian, but now I say this to you here in Jerusalem in the courts of the temple itself. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces and you yourselves don't go in.
Starting point is 01:48:40 You don't let anyone else in either. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte. And when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourself. Jesus! Stop this at once. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful.
Starting point is 01:49:08 But within are full of dead people. bones and all uncleanness, for you also outwardly appear righteous to others. But within, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, if we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. But in your actions, you now and will reveal that you are sons of those who most, You murdered the prophets, you serpents, you brood of vipers!
Starting point is 01:49:45 How will you escape being condemned to hell? Every one of your words would be recorded and reported to the high priest! By all means, following the footsteps of your ancestors. ...eating them to kill you. There's an interesting distinction that he makes there, then that you're on a walk away. They're like, yeah, we don't like care about this. We can't hear you!
Starting point is 01:50:33 How often would I have cast it your chance? would I have gathered your children together as a hen. I gathers her brood on her wings, and you are not willing. I think we need to get him out of you. Something that's right. Let's go. For those who don't understand what he's doing right now, he's damning the city. He's saying, Jerusalem, you...
Starting point is 01:50:52 He is lamenting over the city. Yeah, he's basically... And that is pretty accurate to the scripture. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it, how often when I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate, for I say, for I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Yeah. It's, uh, it's really interesting when you, and by the way, that is why I think
Starting point is 01:51:29 we see the blood coming out of the stones and the, uh, other outside. episode. It's not that blood. That blood, my opinion, does not represent Jesus' blood. That blood is the blood of Jerusalem bleeding because it's going to be destroyed. And he's going to say maybe. Yeah, maybe. I mean, I think it's important to remember and we'll get into this next season. But when he is hanging on the cross, before he gives himself up, you know, and breathes his last. dies, he says it is finished. And this lament over Jerusalem in Matthew
Starting point is 01:52:12 23 beginning in verse 37. First of all, the woes, there are more of them than what he said. And it's Matthew 23 verses 1 through 36. And then that lament is 37 through 39.
Starting point is 01:52:30 And it reminds me of the vibe of Ezekiel. before I'm thinking Ezekiel 16 but before God allows Jerusalem to be sacked by Babylon and for all of the people
Starting point is 01:52:46 to be taken into Babylonian captivity it's that same type of lament Yeah so let's listen know what he says here to Peter and then we'll talk about it See your house is left desolate I tell you you will not see me again
Starting point is 01:53:01 until you say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord he's putting his back on Jerusalem that's what he just will not see me again Master what is it? I'm just taking it all in one last time this something such gorgeous buildings made of beautiful stones
Starting point is 01:53:58 these buildings you see truly I say to you they will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down Stay back. Stay back. Well, that was that? More public preaching or teaching. Today, right? You mean no more preaching for today?
Starting point is 01:54:31 Because the sun is going down when we're losing lives. I said all I came to say to the crowds. Oh, hold on. What, James? He said what he said. You mean this is the end? Yes, big James. Yeah, it really gives you. Sodom and Gamora vibes.
Starting point is 01:55:03 I mean, it gives me Sodom and Gamora vibes. That it's like, Peter's like, what a beautiful city. What a beautiful city. And he's like, yeah, this whole place is going to be destroyed. And that's Matthew 2414.
Starting point is 01:55:17 No, actually, that is one stone on another, 24-2, verse two. Yeah. And so before, before we finish up on Jerusalem. The important distinction that I think he makes with the Pharisees is calling them out as a race almost. I mean, not in this, not in the conventional sense of like, you know, like like a ethno-linguistic bloodline. But he certainly identifies them as the descendants of the people who killed the prophets, basically lumping them all. together as an elite that passed down from father to son this egotistical narcissism, this malignant
Starting point is 01:56:14 narcissism that I think he's describing in all of his preachings when he's describing this poison that they've been introduced into the zeitgeist that has perverted teachings and and weaponized the scripture against the people. So it's interesting. Can I read you? Can I read you part that he didn't say, part of the woes that he didn't say in the clip? So after where he says the part,
Starting point is 01:56:46 woe do you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte. And when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourself. He said that, right? The next verse is, woe to you blind guides who say, if anyone swears by the temple,
Starting point is 01:57:07 it is nothing. But if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. You blind fools, which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred. And you say, if anybody swears by the altar, it is nothing. But if anybody swears by the gift that is on the altar,
Starting point is 01:57:26 he is bound by his oath. You blind men, for which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred. So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. For you tithe the mint and the dill and the cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faithfulness.
Starting point is 01:58:01 You ought to have done without neglecting the others. And he keeps going. This one in particular touches on what you were just saying. For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. First, clean the inside of the cup and the plate that the outside may also be clean. So it's all pomp. It's all circumstance.
Starting point is 01:58:23 It's all, it's all ceremony and trappings and. and, you know, and there's, again, a lot of that in today. Yeah. Well, and if we're going to look at this, I mean, if what he's saying is that this is a generational problem. This is a something that's passed down through the generations in the elite, in the society, then it's, in my opinion, it's logical to presume that that generational passage, continues after he dies.
Starting point is 01:59:00 After the disciples go off into the world to continue the mission, to continue the ministry. That, I mean, and there's a whole history there that I've been digging into that we won't get into right now, but maybe we'll talk about the future episodes. Their children then come forth and recreate and create a new religion. that's what happens. And that religion is the religion that is practiced today in Israel with an entirely new scripture, an entirely new book, an entirely new set of beliefs and doctrine that are only connected to this really in, like, narrative, but not really in spirit. I mean, it's, it's. Or practice. Yeah, or practice.
Starting point is 01:59:52 I mean, there's a huge disconnect between. what is practiced right now today in Israel and what is actually like what what is being practiced by Jesus in his disciples in this story um but even even so it is finished at the time that he dies the veil is torn in the temple and in you know 70 AD the temple is destroyed as he said it would be and and that's the thing is that they can set up as many versions and variations as they want, that, that, those sacrifices and that system is finished in my opinion. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. And, and, and yeah, so like today when you hear, whether you're talking about Jews or Christians, talk about Jerusalem. They talk about it in this,
Starting point is 02:00:47 in this way where it's like they worship it. They worship this city because it's considered, and this isn't like a new phenomenon. This is good. You go back to the Crusades. The Crusaders were like, we got to retake this holy city. And it's like if you listen, did you not hear what Jesus just said? He just said, he condemned this place. And he turned his back on it and said, I'm done with it. And he walked out. He said, this whole place is going to be destroyed. And Peter was like, what beautiful building is made of wonderful stone. And he's like, yeah, this place is going to be destroyed. This place has completely forsaken its God. And God is now done with it. And so it's like, yes, I understand that this is a holy place. And I understand people go to Jerusalem and they go to that part of the world and they have experience because they, because people, Jesus and Jesus and the prophets walk there. And there's so much history there. You can have those similar feelings on a lesser scale when you go to Europe and you go to places in Europe that have tons of history and see buildings that have existed for centuries and centuries. So I get that.
Starting point is 02:01:54 But I feel like it's completely lost on the modern evangelical, on the modern Christian, that Jerusalem was completely condemned by Jesus because it turned its back on him and betrayed God. Because of what it became, right? Because of what it became. Because of what it became. And the stone that they rejected is Jesus, right? So they were sent the Savior and they rejected him. And what they're doing today is a reason. It's a it's a total replay of what was happening in this story.
Starting point is 02:02:29 Maybe we cannot have another geopolitics segment though because we've been at this for over two hours and we still have like two big scenes left. Oh, we do? Yeah, there's the Mount of Olives and then the end with David. We can skip them having the conversation on the Mount of Olives if you want. But I do want to play the scene where Jesus sees David. But I think the setup to that scene with David is important where he's talking about. for them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.
Starting point is 02:03:07 You will know soon enough. But in the meantime, see that no one lead you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ. And they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you're not alarmed.
Starting point is 02:03:41 For this must take place. But the end is not yet. for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places all these are but the beginning of the birth pains and then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death
Starting point is 02:04:19 and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake and many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another and many false prophets will arise and need many astray and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Starting point is 02:04:54 The one who endures to the end will be saved. Then this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. The end will come. To answer your question, concerning that day or that hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the sun,
Starting point is 02:05:45 but only the father, for you do not know when the end will come. Oh, excuse me, sir, but the people online told me that the end will come in 2026. So I think somebody needs to get Jesus that memo because the people online told me that the end is coming. So people online say lots of things. So this is Matthew 24, kind of the back half. Matthew 24. Matthew 24 I guess
Starting point is 02:06:46 In the end of the age Not even you know when You really never going back to the temple He is the temple bro Yeah so Jump to the part where they leave And right before you do press play Yeah here but don't play it yet
Starting point is 02:07:37 This is Luke 19 Verse 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground,
Starting point is 02:08:01 you and your children within you and they will not leave one stone upon another in you because you did not know the time of your visitation. and we can play this through the part with David and then wrap up. This is also seeing the father, I think, right? The kind of third part of that dynamic we set out in the last supper. Okay, so David is the example, right, like that we're given in the Bible of, man after God's heart. It wasn't because he was sinless, right? He was a liar and an adulterer and a murderer. It was because his heart was fixed towards God. He worshipped God. He was oriented towards
Starting point is 02:11:42 God and that's what God wants. That's what God is looking for. His hearts turn towards him. What is the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. So when in the beginning, when they say, show me the father, and you, you see Jesus in a bunch of different postures throughout this episode, but most notably the woes to the Pharisees where he calls them out as brood of vipers. And then in the end here, you see him in sorrows, right? Weeping and, you know, weeping over Jerusalem, weeping because they still don't get it. You miss the time of your visitation. You see him light up in joy when David is worshipping.
Starting point is 02:12:25 And I think that they've done a really smart thing there. And again, I look forward to seeing what they do with Pentecost. So we can see kind of how they bring to life the triune God when the helper comes down. But really well done, really beautiful episode. Your thoughts? Yes. Yeah, excellent episode. I think all the content was very well handled.
Starting point is 02:12:52 It was well directed. It was well written. well executed. I think that people who have very little understanding of the Bible, of the New Testament of Jesus,
Starting point is 02:13:06 can watch this and I think understand it on a much better level. Even those who do, who did grow up in the church, I think can see it and in a format that as Matthew
Starting point is 02:13:22 would say is more direct, right? It's a direct explanation where there's less open to interpretation. And again, the power of the show, I think, is making that stuff more accessible, making the story more accessible to people so that people can better understand it. And once they better understand it, they can connect to the teachings and the source content and have a greater appreciation for it. They can then go read the Bible and understand that. the Bible on a deeper level, which I think is the point.
Starting point is 02:13:58 Absolutely. Absolutely agreed. So we will be back next week with episode four of the last supper season five. And again, episode six, or season six, rather, comes out in November. So we're going to get it done, get season five finished before the new season comes out. And then probably have some changes to the show as we're covering the show live as they're being released. That'll be a change for us. It'll be, I think, a lot of fun. But we'll talk more about it. Before we get out of here, let's talk about Gart, everyone.
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Starting point is 02:15:16 blest.com slash badlands check out all of the great products that we have at the badlands shop Badlandsmedia.tv slash shop. And then, of course, soft disclosure. Hydrate your elbows and moisturize your soul with soft disclosure. And with that, we are going to get out of here. Do you have any final thoughts? No, no. It's a great episode.
Starting point is 02:15:41 Looking forward to the next one. A lot of fun. A lot of great. Yeah, I am, I love every episode, episode over episode, but I am sort of, you know, as the closer we get to the crucifixion, it's kind of. of becoming a little bit, you know, harder, harder to keep moving through the episodes because you know what's coming and nothing can stop what is coming. So you have brief takes. Yes? I do. Okay. Fantastic. All right, everybody, please hit the like button for us. That helps us out.
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Starting point is 02:16:36 But we appreciate any of your support. And Ghost will be back. Do you have any sort of show tomorrow or today, rather on, Friday aside from this one? No, but Burning Bright and I will be recording the Blitz on Friday that way around Saturday. So yes, Saturday, there's a Blitz that will be Burning Bright myself. Saturday at 10 a.m. Eastern time, the Blitz comes out. You can only get it on Substack, though.
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Starting point is 02:17:23 narrative this Sunday. So be sure to tune into that. That's 9 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday. And we're going to get out of here. Everybody have an absolutely fantastic week. We'll see you next time. Thank you so much for joining us. And don't forget to hit the thumbs up on this video. And a special thank you to all of our advertising partners. Please remember to shift your dollars to support those businesses that support Badlands Media.

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