Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 766 | Phil Finds No Grace from the Feds & Jase Gets Weeded Out by His Own Brother

Episode Date: October 9, 2023

Phil sticks to federal hunting laws but thinks the federal government could do with a bit of grace for the common man. Jase gets weeded out of a hunt on his own land by his own brother. The guys discuss the intricacies of the politics of land ownership and hunting with family on that land. The guys also examine a pretty tense dinner party that Jesus attended, where he once again outfoxed the Pharisees trying to kill him. In this episode: Luke 14, verses 1–35 — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. I'm still down here at the Southern Lair. Zach's still doing movie business because it's the week of release this week. And Jason and Dad are still in the duck hall room because when we record, we record a couple of episodes. So you guys are still there. We had Simon Philip on the last episode, which is always fun. It was a bit exhausting. Dad said, you know, he didn't know when the stories are going to ever end. I said, well, unless you stop, sigh, they will never end.

They just, they keep going. He literally got up and when he left, he was talking out of, he just went out of here and he was still going on. Microphones are optional. Well, look, Jason, when I came on for the first episode, because I'm, zooming in. So when they plugged me in, you guys weren't there yet. And I couldn't see anything. There was a woman walking around. But I could just hear Sai. I mean, he was, and he was at a, about two octaves higher just at a yelling pitch with somebody off camera. And I was just listening to it. And I thought, boy, sigh is on a roll today. And then finally I texted Maddie. And I was like,

are we going to get this day started? And she said, well, size, as soon as we can get sigh wrapped up, We're going to get everybody seated. So he just came in a mood. What can you say? Yeah, that was somebody. He was on somebody else's show. It was like Buddy and Barbie or something to that effect. Or Bootsie, I think.

Buddy and Bootsie. And so he, y'all's side needs as an audience. Oh, yeah. So it was fun. So I didn't go till hunting today. Yesterday, which we filmed some podcast yesterday, we had a great hunt. And a pile of ducks. the table.

It had a pile of ducks. And so what had happened was, so today, because I have very few days off, I'm going to Colorado this weekend for an event. I would tell you, but by the time this airs, that will be gone. Yeah, it'll be over. So I'm not going to invite you. But, well, I'm seeing my buddy. You remember Trent Langhofer.

So for the next podcast, I'll tell you how that went. So we're having some kind of men's retreat. and he invited me. We love their family. And so I'm going to do that. So I was going to go till hunting this morning, but I was informed by my brother, your son, Phil, Jeff,

that he had given away a hunt for charity. And so I was assuming a couple guys, so me and Phil would take them. But he's like, no, there's four of them and Jeff. and you, Phil, so in the blind only holds six. So I said to Jep and Jay, they were standing there, but I didn't know Phil was listening, but I said, well, it's been a while since I got weeded out of a hunt on property that I own. Welcome to Jeff's world.

So then I left and I didn't realize, so then Phil gave Jeff a withering lesson on, hey, you don't want to be weeding out landowners. for whatever reason, you know. And you were kidding. I was kidding. Because, look, I'm trying to apply these passages. We're in Luke 14, so it's got to cost you something. So I thought, yeah.

And so I don't know how the hunt went. Phil, you had them. It was Jep, and he had four guests. Four. Yeah, we had the stone came to work with the decoys. Oh, so he took it. It cost him because he came and got ready for the hunt, but didn't actually hunt. That's right.

Now that's an act of, that's a random. That's paying it forward, yeah. But he made, he made, got him a position down there, but it was a packed house. But they were good guys. But everybody lived. Yeah, good guys. That's what you're really nervous about. Yep, fed them supper, you know, the water steak.

Oh, yeah. What is that called? Sue V. You know, I've heard about this suvee, and I eat. You've eaten it. You just didn't know it. And I think it's good. good, but I think it's a little overrated.

But now, that's just me. It's pretty good. It's pretty good. I think it's quick. That's why they do it. And it's tender. Well, at these restaurants, you know, when you got these huge restaurants, it's the only way they can do it and get your meal out quickly.

And so they keep it at the right temp. I was pretty impressed with it. I was surprised. Yeah, it's good. I wasn't knocking it. I was just saying, if it's me, I don't know. You still kind of like it just raw and cooking. it all the way through.

I like a grill. I just, I'm a grill, man. I'm too far ago. So how did the hunt go? Did you kill anything? Yeah, four teal is we, we had about 10 woodies light in there and left. Ooh, I bet that was tricky. Yeah.

So four. Did they all get up on the wood ducks or were you like, no, no? No, they would just get up and then there'd be some more come back, you know. But it's growing in woodies a little bit. Yeah, I was just saying. Yeah, well, they want to shoot them. Did you have to say, can't shoot them? Oh, yeah, I had to say, nope, nope.

Which, you know, is crazy about when you talk about laws and trying to keep them. I mean, you just think about this. There's a lot of ducks that are legal to shoot. But in teal season, you can only shoot teal. Yeah. And there are three different kinds of teal, which we only have two kinds on our flyaway, the green wing and the blue wing. And they obviously, one of them has a green wing,

a little green patch and the other has a blue patch. And they're basically not plumbed out. So they just look kind of brown at this day. But then you have young wood ducks who are not, I mean, they're pretty similar in the way the teal looks. So you have to be an expert. You've had to have hunted them a lot. Yeah.

So you just kind of know by the wing beat and just. That's what we always tell people. Because a lot of people are like, how do you know the difference? but we've learned how they fly is how you really identify them. What is don't come by coming down and you can hear the wind coming off their wings. Woodies don't do that. Exactly.

The teal, they do it. But it is a very, on a spiritual application, you know, there's no grace in the federal regulations. You know, if they come up there and you say, oh, I thought this wood duck was a teal, guess what that means? You're fixing to pay. big time. But it just shows you that the nature of law and even why they had the old law, you finally conclude at some point,

I'm just not good enough to keep this 100%. But we are good about duck identification. So you had four till come in. Four till. And you got four rookies. Four rookies. I don't know what Jep. I mean, I would say he's a,

Jep's a good shot. Yeah, he's better than average. I kind of backed up in a way and they were sitting on the water. Oh, so, I mean, it was just... Easy. It was an eruption that came out of there. But they did get two of them, so I thought, well...

They got two out of four. Oh, my goodness. That's embarrassing. You got five guns, four till, and you get two. So did you embarrass them, or did you just say, good job, fellas, you got two? Yeah, I just said, well, they got two of them. Yeah.

Well, all right. Way to be positive for the king. I think these were some of the contributors to Jep's chair. Yeah, I'm sure this was a big contribution to all God's children that They were good guys, good guys. So that was well done. That was exactly what our context of our Luke 14 is about.

You were paying forward because this ultimately went to help kids in Ethiopia and Ethiopia and Columbia. That's what that was about this morning. You're in a duck blind with some guys, but you're actually helping some kids halfway around. of the world. That is correct. So that's not bad. So the only negative is they're going to have a hard time getting full over those two teal, but at least they can get a taste of it. Yeah, or they may have some leftover sous-V steaks. They could eat you. I think Martin and them are worked out a deal where

they're going to hunt there, and he's got, he has more teal in his place. So he pumped his up, but he's down there. He's hearing those shots below us. He knew those guys. Yeah. Yeah. That was them. I see. Yeah. So the shooting sort of dried up or there, though, they said they're pretty well done.

Well, the one thing I've noticed about old Martin through the years, Martin is very good at making sure he's going to be at some really good hot hole where there's a lot of ducks. Yeah. It fits our story, Al. He's connected. He's well connected. He's well connected. And even his story, which sometimes we need to have him to tell his story on our podcast,

because I don't remember all the details, but he basically started working for Duck Commander and never got hired. He was kind of like Kramer on that Seinfeld episode. He was working at a place, but nobody had ever actually hired him. And so when they got ready to let him go, Kramer, he was like, well, I don't really work here. And they said, yeah, I know.

That's what makes it so hard. Yeah. People love you, you know. And so that's what Martin did. He just kind of hung around long enough to start getting a paycheck. And next thing, you know, he's running. whole company. It is crazy. He started working here without getting paid. It was just volunteered. Fast forward a few years and he's running the place. Yeah. So there you go. You know.

And he's running, he's running it well. He is because the man knows everybody in the outdoor industry. I mean, he really works hard to connect himself to other people. So you're right, Jason, in a lot of ways. That's kind of the structure by which we were talking about these Pharisees and kind of how they networked to build their own base, you know, which is kind of... Yeah, I mean, their social order, and they were more family-oriented. That's why when we get to the family in the end of this chapter, I mean, that's just what the first, that was first priority in your life. Moving up the social ladder and the economic ladder was dependent on how your family was viewed,

the relationship you had and what kind of parties you would throw to get connected. And so we read that in, you know, Luke 14 where, I mean, they basically had sent a, they were spying on Jesus to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, which is one of those things if you step back a couple steps and realize, I mean, this person has the power to change this guy's life. He healed this guy who was, you know, had this swelling. And Jesus turned, turned it back around on him because he was like, well, wouldn't you get your ox or donkey out of a ditch? I mean, why not give this guy freedom and compassion?

And I mean, you know, I'm healing. So they didn't have anything to say. And so then he gets into this about being humble and not trying to pursue places of honor at all. a worldly event, which was pretty much what it is. It was just your interest are selfish. You know, we were talking about that being connected, though, it made me think of, you know, our old pal Red Dog, W.E. Phillips, we've talked about him before.

He used to be on our Duckman videos. He's in the strangest situation I've ever seen. We go up and hunt with some landowners in Arkansas where he lives, and he's hunted with him for years since he moved up there. and when you go up there he's telling everybody where they're going to hunt which hole we're going to hunt

and I was like does he own any of this land and so I asked him I was like are you in with them and he's like what do you mean I was like well you're in charge I said do you own any of this land he's like no I don't own any of it

I was like well how did you get in a situation where here's these guys who own all this land and you're in charge of telling everybody who's going to hunt where. Talk about weeding people out who own the land. And he said, well, I just, I got connections, you know. I was like, what connections?

How do you even pull that out? Have you noticed that? Oh, yeah. He's dictating policy, and he's just a guest. No, I tell you how he did it. He did it. Like Martin did it. He was with us early on.

He built a reputation of, a brand by being a part of the duck men crew. So when he winds up in Arkansas, they're like, oh, look, there's Bill Phillips. There's Debbie from, he's one of those duck men. He's an expert. Yeah. He's an expert. And the next thing you know, he's in charge and dictating policy, which if you're going

going to hunt with the red dog, he's going to be in charge. You know how Bill is. He's going to lay it out there, which is funny. Yeah, it's pretty crazy. So, yeah, that was, that is part of the structure that was going on in, Luke 14. But you notice, you notice this about building a power base because they kept inviting Jesus into the settings because he was the, he was the it factor that was going on in their culture. That became more important than doing what's needed from Jesus himself.

That's right. They were, their thrust was their own welfare. That's right. Not in. anybody else's. That's exactly right. And they were, and they were trying to use Jesus to get to it. Because think about it. So who invites somebody over for, for dinner? And then it's all a setup to hope they mess up. I mean, it's hard for me to even wrap my mind around doing that in a modern setting where I have somebody over and say, all right, now here's what we're going to do tonight. We're getting this guy in here, but we're wanting him to mess up. Yeah. So we're going to feed him. We're going to let him talk.

We're going to do all this stuff. But the whole idea was to try to trick him or trap him somehow. I was just thinking, like, who would do that? But these guys would do that. Well, and I think the key to understanding these parables and these stories, because most people in modern religion today, they take these and then give five lessons on hospitality. But I think it's the wrong way to look at it.

The backdrop was this is the old order of things under the old law. He's headed to Jerusalem. He's addressing the problem with putting your faith in the way the Jews were functioning under the old law. He's bringing a new kingdom. He's the fulfillment of the law. There's going to be a new way to approach the living God, and it's going to be through him. And so when he's telling these stories, if you kind of look at that as the backdrop, you understand why you shouldn't go in and try to have the places of honor at a banquet

because this is fixed to be about humility, not your self-righteousness exaltation, because none of us can keep the law well enough to warrant salvation. That's it. And so that's the picture he's trying to give them here. That's why I said if you just read this when it says, you know, in verse 12, when you give a luncheon or a dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers, or relatives, or your rich neighbors. I mean, you're like, wait, what?

Is it wrong to do that? And I guarantee you there's some. They had it fixed up. So because of their mode of operandi was no, no, no, no, nothing for Jesus, nothing for God. Well, exactly. This is all your personal gain and your personal kingdom and your personal power. So he makes that transition about saying invite the poor, the cripple, the lame, the blind, because it kind of goes back to that Luke 6. These are the type of people that have a heart that's more open to what Jesus offers because they're so humble. And they're so poor. These know-it-a-a-a-ohs had no room for them.

Yeah, and it's a lot like, you know, what happened in Luke 13 when they're bringing up the injustices that happen, and they're like, why do bad things happen to people? Why do, you know, why do towers fall on people when, you know, his response is, well, you need to repent or you're going to perish. And you're like, record scratch. Yeah, wait, what? And it's just a reminder that we're perishable, that we all make mistakes. We don't deserve eternal life. deserve forgiveness or God's holiness or love. And here's Jesus bringing that very thing.

And he gives you hints of that, because then he says, you know, in verse 14, which we really didn't talk about much, but he said, you'll be blessed if you, you know, invite the downtrodden because in that way, you're doing something without an agenda. You're doing it based on love and compassion and somebody else's interest instead of your own, which is what we do as people in Jesus,

being God's ambassadors, you know, 2 Corinthians 5, it's though God is making his appeal through us, and the famous verse that we always read, that God made Him who had no sin to be sin for so that we might become the righteousness of God. Well, that's how your righteousness surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes, because it's God's righteousness, not ours.

And so then he brings this up. You'll be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. and it's it's a unique perspective to start have a human in their world start telling you what's going to happen at the resurrection of the righteous because yeah the underlying point there is I'm from there I'm I'm an eternal being I'm not going to even though I die I'm going to live I know what's going to happen and they're like well what are you something there and their faith was not directed at him if they went after their model they They're a model.

That's right. They went after the old way of doing things. I mean, you can make a lot of... They couldn't find any room for Jesus. No, they just couldn't wrap their head around it. No. But I thought, you know, here's one claim that he made that post-resurrection is so encouraging for us.

Because, you know, when I read this, I thought a lot of people struggle with what the resurrected life is going to be like. You know, and in this context, I think it was just... in the parable about reward, but the reward is that you're with Jesus forever. I mean, everything else that's going to happen, and people often try to imagine, and we've had many podcasts in the past about, well, what exactly does that mean? But if you really just think about it, I mean, God's given us a body, and we have five senses. But what if the resurrected body, the imperishable body, let's say it has a thousand senses.

I mean, the very fact that we can see and hear and touch and feel and think and all these things, well, where's the limit with that? I mean, we're talking about a created being, I mean, a God that created us like this, but when you start moving us to imperishable, I mean, Jesus still had a body. He ate some fish. He was identifying with something we can relate to, but he was doing things that. our body can't do it. You know, I always think with that 1st John 3 that we'll be like him. So we become like him spiritually in being humble, being unselfish, but we're also going to be

like him in the resurrection. We can't die. We're imperishable. Who knows what we'll be able to do because our minds is, you know, we're trapped in this five cents body. And not only that, the human brain, researchers by studying the human brain have figured out that you only use about 12% of your brain. I mean, the rest of it is not even being used. And that's to do everything. And we can do a lot of stuff. And there's a lot of really smart people.

But what's going to happen when that 88% is turned loose in the resurrected body? I mean, you're exactly right. I don't know what all will be capable of, but I know one thing, it'll be way more than we're doing right now. I want to be in that line. I want to be in that line. I want to check it out. I'm not going to miss that. They had a click. They had a click going, but when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you'll be blessed. Although they cannot repay you. That's what all of us is about. The people didn't have the wherever they're all. to have any effect on them. Although they cannot repay you,

you'll be repaid if you'll allow everybody to come into the click you got at the resurrection of the righteous. So it's all going to come forth when this all ends. But you need to reach out to the poor and the downtrodden and the ones that don't have enough money to pay you anything. You just need to be kind to them and love them. But that's where they went wrong.

And it really speaks a lot to add to value of every person. That's right. You know, your life's circumstances for a lot of different reasons. It may be something you did. It may be something done to you. It may be a lot of different reasons why you may be in a tough situation on this earth. But ultimately, when you're thinking heavenly and you're thinking kingdom, it doesn't matter. I mean, the status of being a Christian, a son or daughter of the Almighty, or as Jesus said earlier, a daughter, a daughter.

daughter of Abraham, he's like, she's no less than you, synagogue ruler. I mean, that's what he said back in 13. That is correct. So he adds the value. And so it's interesting, Jay's because in this text, so Jesus basically in this, he's at this dinner party that he's been invited to. It's on the Sabbath. He knew it was a trap.

He, as we said in the last podcast, he reset the trap on them by forcing them to be quiet, which they did. But he basically gives them three rebukes here. One is about them being hypocrites. And then one is about them wanting to honor seats. And then one is about the motive of while they're having these gatherings to begin with. And then it's really interesting because when we get to verse 15 of Luke 14, it's like there's tension.

Here's the way I imagine it. You've been in a situation before where there's tension because something happens. And everybody's like looking around at each other like, whoa, this thing just got, went sideways. Because imagine how this dinner party is going with Jesus rebuking the host and leaders at every turn. So then we got this guy. I call him Talky Tarkerton who's going to offer his way out of this tense situation. So here's what, but all it does is bring Jesus down even more on them. He says in verse 15, one of those at the table with him heard this, heard what, the triple rebut.

He said to Jesus. And I think this was his way of trying to, let's talk about something we can all agree on. Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. And so that's his way out of this situation because he's like, well, yeah, we've got all these reasons we're here. But, you know, we're all blessed because we're going to be eating in the kingdom of, you know, the kingdom feast. And of course, Jesus's whole point, which he's about to make when I read the rest of it, is you boys don't even, you're on the outside. side of the feast. You still don't understand the purpose of what we're doing. But have you seen this before days for somebody tries to call it a click? I mean, they, they had a click and they

would reach out none. For the first time, he's really getting into this, this idea that your problem is not just rebellion of doing bad things, you know, breaking the law. He's actually getting into the other side, which is just as bad, which is this. this self-exaltation, because that's why he said whoever humbles himself will be exalted, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, where you can do good things, because these Pharisees, look, these are model citizens who are breaking very few laws. With no godliness. And they're a million miles away from God.

And look, even in our modern religion today, people are spending 98% of the sermons talking about the self-indulgent sins and not the self-exhaulting sins, which are good things. It's by doing good things that you think somehow you are God-like. And so you really see that in Luke 15 when you get to the older brother, the two sons. Because at the end of the day, it was the older brother who didn't make it. I mean, it doesn't, it kind of is a cliffhanger, three parables on why Jesus was eating, with tax collectors and sinners. But, you know, the prodigal son, he did come back.

He came to his senses. But the older brother, when the story ended, he didn't have a relationship with the father. And he was trying to use the father for his own personal gain. And he was hiding behind his own righteousness. Yeah. And so. And Jesus left that hanging on purpose, says you're exactly right. The way I put it, I had a little outline for this, what we just finished.

was their motives and their manipulation and their craftiness were forward in their thinking, as opposed to their ministry, their mission, and their compassion. Because that's what Jesus, he came here with a specific purpose. These people he's sharing with were not thinking that way. They were still thinking in terms of how can I better put my position forward, which is not the way you want to be. And the practical illustration of this, which is very disturbing, but people do it all the time. There's a lot of people with a lot of money who give a lot of money and have zero relationship with God, but they'll give to something to show how good they are.

They're like, and you see the same thing in ministries. You can have ministries and programs that are all focused on the ministry itself instead of this response to grace where you're trying to think of the kingdom in a whole. humble way rather than saying, oh, look at what we did. Yeah. So, and you're doing it all with good things, you know. I mean, now, usually those things crash and burn at some point because pride and self-exaltation, it only takes you so far. And Jesus' principle is true.

At some point, you're going to be humbled. Jesus is the one who deserves being who he is, all the accolades that there are. Well, look, I know some people. I know some people that are wealthy. They don't, they're not Christians. They don't have kids. So they don't have anybody like to leave money to. And so they're huge LSU supporters, which is good.

I mean, colleges, I guess, need money as much to anybody else. But by their large donations, they get the best seats at all the events, you know. And it's a lot like this situation. And it's because of their generosity, which, you know, is a good thing. But to Jesus's point, you can have all that. You can follow every LSU season of every sport. And at the end of the day, they're going to keep playing their sports, and you're going to be gone. And what do you have left?

Your name on a building, maybe. And if that's all you got, then, you know, that's not enough whenever the resurrection happens, you know, is the point. Yeah, you can take any sin and, you know, from drunkenness. or whatever, you can find a way not to do it, and then you feel good about yourself. Well, that has nothing to do with Jesus and the kingdom and what he's talking about here. It's not a response to grace.

It can actually make you think that you're somebody. Now, is it a better lifestyle in the short term? Yes, because you freed yourself from whatever was, you know, had you captive. But Jesus has taken this a lot further. And he who exalts himself will be humbled. You're still not going to be able to take away your sins. You're still not going to be able to come back from the dead.

And you're still not going to be humble and open-minded to what you should be doing in your life. Yeah. And I mentioned Philippians, too, on the last podcast, which says when Jesus comes back, every knee will bow. And so ultimately, no matter what you accomplished in this life, it's not going to matter. if you don't have a relationship with him, which is kind of the point of the banquet. Let me read the rest of this text. So this guy makes this comment. Blessed is the man who we eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.

And that's a true statement. That's not a bad statement. It's just, I think he's trying to break the tension as why he says it, but who knows? Jesus says to this, so he didn't even directly answer it. He gives another parable. He says, a certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many, any guest. So he's at a dinner party, and he's now telling a parable about a setting similar. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, come,

for everything is ready now. So people have accepted. They've RSVP. Now they're coming. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, well, I've just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me. Another said, well, I've, just bought five yoke of oxen and i'm on my way out to try them out please excuse me still another says well i just got married so i can't come the servant came back and reported this to his master then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant go out and go out quickly into the streets and the alleys of the town and bring in the poor the crippled the blind and the lane so now you use some of the same language he had just rebuked him with earlier

Sir, the servant said, what you ordered has been done, but there's still room. Then the master told his servant, go out to the roads, the country lanes, and make them come in so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet. So that's his response to all will be blessed who feast at the kingdom of God. So you got to think about this. He kind of gave an absurd parable, showing the absurdity of turning down Jesus' invite. That's right.

Because if you just really look at it carefully, these excuses, they were not practical. Because take each one on its own. He's like, well, I just bought a field and I must go see it. well it's not going anywhere you know i mean is that really an excuse and the second one same thing well i just bought five yoke of oxen i'm on my way to try them out you couldn't try them out tomorrow well so the other's like well i just got married well bring her i mean there's no there's no deep thoughts here he he's just saying whatever excuse you have for missing

the kingdom of God, eternal feast and banquet with the creator of the universe, it's absurd. It's a very strange story. He's not being authentic. I think he's being sarcastic on purpose because none of these things

are really that good of excuses. Yeah, I think the word is facetious. He's being so outlandish and using such hyperboles. that they're all listening to them and I think, well, what idiot would do that? And they look at each other and think, well, we're the idiots because we're the bad guys in the store. Because when you had a party, they all come. If you got a free invite where somebody's paying for it, that's what you get.

If you don't understand what they did back then, this really wouldn't make any sense. Nobody's turning down there. It's an all expense paid party. You can eat. It's all you can eat. And look, we've proven that in our world. you know you went on the other side of the tracks here where the poor and said let's do a fish fry they'll come and boy did they come it was a totally free all you can eat fresh fish

and people showed out showed up from everywhere possible and that's what people would generally do so he's actually showing that they're somehow rejecting this on frivolous excuses. Right. Which is the whole point. Yeah, it's all about possessions and your status. And he's gonna get to your relationships next, which is the more tricky one

because he uses such outlandish dialogue when it moves into anyone who comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, his wife, and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life. He cannot be my disciple. So then he moves into the relationships. Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. And it's simply, you know he's using another absurdity, kind of like he did in the last one,

because you have the Ten Commandments, you know, Honor your father and mother. I mean, you know he's not saying, oh, I have to have this hate to where I won't ill will on my family, or I can't do it. He's just simply saying you're prioritizing the relationship you have with me compared to everything else, just like the banquet. And think about this, Jay, how long, I mean, we're talking about thousands of years that this invite has gone out. I mean, we're talking about going across, you know, Jewish history and prophecy

and pointing to the Messiah. And so this has been a long time coming, this kingdom, banquet. And the idea that when it comes, that you would have such frivolous, crazy reasons for rejecting Jesus. And in the case of here, it's like, well, we don't, we can't explain what he's doing, but he can't be of God because he's not from the right town. I mean, and they didn't even know what they were talking about. So it just, it does seem crazy that they would miss the picture that was so vivid that was in front

of them. Yeah. You would think how, how is this possible? Because they did. They deny, their RSVP. They should have been the front line there. They rejected Jesus. Ultimately, they provided a pathway for him to be executed. What they didn't know is that he was given himself for them and everyone else. And so that's the excluded or who are the beneficiaries here, because all the people that have been on the outside of Judaism for thousands of years, he's like, come on in. Come on in. There's room for everybody. Yeah. Well, I think that's why I moved on to the next story, you know, talking about the famous. passage about your relationships and the cost of being his disciple because we know the true meaning

is it's whatever you build your foundation on that everything is going to be affected how you view money how you view your status your unselfish acts your relationships and I really think that's what's at the heart of this because when you think about what is he saying Well, he's not saying, I literally have to hate. And then the only other response I could think of is some people would say, well, I already hate my parents. So I'm good. Well, that's not good.

You know, you have some kind of problem. So I think the message he's saying in both instances is when you're trying to fit Jesus in to your life or your relationships, that is the wrong view of what he's asking for you. You're not going to take what he says. try to fit it in. You know, I could come to the bank with, but I just bought some oxen, you know, let's do this later. Or, you know, in the relationship, it's like saying, I'm going to come to Jesus

so that I can be a better husband. Which, look, I've said that when I've been speaking before, and it's taken me years to realize that's a dumb thing to say. You come to Jesus because of who he is. He proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. his life, his sacrifice, his humility, his character, his death on a cross, and all points in between, his love for all people. I mean, it's just one thing after another. You come to Jesus because he's Jesus. Well, what's interesting, Jay's, is that Luke, when he, this next section

we're about to look at, 25 through 35, it's not part of the same evening where he's been having these other discussions. Luke takes another time because it says large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them. He says he includes this next section where he does, I think, to address what he's been talking about about the kingdom. Because the question then would become, if you were reading that other, he said, well, how do you get an invitation? What does it take to be invited into the kingdom? How would I get to this feast that Jesus is talking about? So I think that's why he includes this, and that's why he still uses the same hyperbole and this same, you know, vigor to say, look, you've got to be all in on Jesus, which is really what this

context is about. Let's take our last break. No, I agree. I just think he inserted it because of that, too, the same absurdity. You know, he was just like, this fits nicely, because it really does. One is about possessions. One is about, you know, relationships. And I mean, let's face it, he also said that he didn't come to bring peace earlier and families would be divided. But if your family member is telling you to deny Jesus, well, I wouldn't follow their advice. And they may get mad at you or, you know, whatever the cost is. But we always say this. I don't see how you can even have relationships without Jesus as the basis.

I know it's happening and I know people work out situations where they can live under, you know, one roof and have an arrangement. But when you apply all the spiritual principles and the eternal nature of it, Jesus' way is better because it is the true foundation for grace and forgiveness and for purpose and for eternity. Yeah, I think you're right. And the word, I guess, of course, it's not in the, well, it is in the text, but it's in the little heading. The word, I think, is cost. Everything that we're going to read here is about cost. Let me read this section, and we'll talk about it the rest of our time here and overtime. So you already read 26, but I read it again.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And a lot of people have talked about that word hate and the Greek word behind it, meaning love less, which it's about prioritizing. but, you know, we'll get into that. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. And that's a really interesting phrase to say because, you know, he hasn't been killed yet. But so the cross meeting at this point is not going to be near as much as it does after he's done it himself. And then he says, suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money?

to complete it. For if he lays the foundation, it's not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, well, this fellow began to build, it was not able to finish. And I've seen that happen many times before, an unfinished house or property, right, run out of money. First 31, or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with 10,000 men to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000? If he is not able, he will send the delegation while the other is still a long way off and will last for terms of peace.

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything, he cannot be my disciple. And then he kind of caps it with this. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? it is neither fit for the soil nor the manure pile it is thrown out he who has ears to hear let him hear yeah i think you're right it's uh the cost of being a disciple i mean i think the reason this is so graphic is because unlike everything else in our world jesus has no hidden costs you know the worst thing you do is go to a hotel and they say it's what 79 99 then you get the bill and it's like 104, 25, and there's a list a mile long, $2 here, $3 here, $4 here.

They call those hidden cell phone same way. Everything you do, it's always way more. They want you agreed to. Yeah, they hide them on purpose, which is just infuriating. But here Jesus is laying out, he's pretty much covered your status, your possessions, and your relationships. And he's like, it's going to cost you. And so then, you know, he brings up the tower because everybody is building towards something in their life.

You look around as the reason everybody manicures their yard and tries to move up to a bigger neighborhood. And you're trying to build, you know, they invest. They want this like, what is your portfolio worth? What are you building on? And then the same thing with awards, the same thing. You don't get involved in something where you're going to get, you know, get yourself handed to you. And I think that's what he's laying out here. These are the cost of being my disciple.

And he phrases it so well when he says anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. So when you think about that with your relationships, well, you know, carrying your cross, which is an interesting thing to say before he went to his cross. Right. But you realize the implications of that. He wasn't saying, you know, the equivalent, what we, it would be like you, Al, preaching a sermon and saying, okay, here's what you need to do to follow Jesus. You need to get yourself strapped in the electric chair and let them push the button. That's right. And it's just a thud. Everybody's looking around

like, what did he just say? Carry your cross. That means you're under arrest. You're, you don't have any way out. I mean, you're basically saying, I'm under arrest. And in this case, it's for Jesus, and I'm carrying my cross, and I'm following Jesus. So it wasn't an instantaneous thing. He wasn't saying, like, you know, kill yourself. You have to be that I'm a criminal. I'm condemned. I'm carrying.

This is going to be a process. And it's a humiliating process, Jay. To further your illustration, I would also have to carry my own fuses for them to electrify the electric chair, because that's, That's what they were doing with the cross. The reason they had the criminal, carry his, or the prisoner,

carry his own cross, was to humiliate it. You're now dragging along the very instrument that's going to slowly suffocate you as you die on it. And so that's the whole idea. We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to be in Jesus. This is one of the things that bothers me sometimes about a lot of people trying to do a quick attempt to get

people to embrace who Jesus is. And it's like, well, just, you know, say this prayer and that's it. You know, and I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, it's so much more than that. I mean, it is a total commitment of who we are. And you're right. There's no hidden cost with Jesus. He lays it out. What's the cost?

Everything. And the offer is so great, though, what Jesus is offering, you're looking at the cost, but you should be looking at it like the only way to save your family. is through Jesus. I mean, he's offering something that we kind of hide behind anyway, think, well, I don't want to lose my family. Well, trust me, outside of Jesus, you're lost anyway. It's not going to end well for anybody. I, I, Tim Keller had a really good sermon on this Luke 14 and a lot of the thoughts I'm giving, I got from him. But he told a funny preacher story about this status and your possessions and parties and not have an honor. And he's like, there was a rich guy,

who owned a cattle farm and he he made a decision, you know, that he was going to give based on how many cows that he was going to get the next year or whatever. So he had a cow that was given birth, and it turned out, they figured out that it had two calves. And so he was excited because he was thinking about all the money. And so he went and told his wife, he was like, look, I've made a commitment that I'm going to give one to the Lord. We're going to take the money that we get off.

You know, one of the twin calves are going to be born. We're going to give that to the Lord. She's like, that's great. You got a great heart or whatever. Well, when it was time for the cows to be born, one of the twin calves died. And so when he came into the house, he said, well, honey, I got some bad news. And she said, what's that? And she said, the Lord's calf died.

and the point was how did you know that was the Lord's calf but his point was that's the way we want to do we want to do some great gesture forgiving until that happens and then all of a sudden well we got to take care of ourselves first and that's what Jesus is addressing this is not some kind of barter system on where you're trying to fit Jesus into your life and you're going to give based on how your current lifestyle is going. He's like, bring it all,

be willing to give up everything. That's why the other profound verse is in 33 and the same way in a view who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. You're either going to trust what Jesus is offering or you're not. Yeah, you've got to know the cost.

All right, we're out of time. We'll flesh this out a little more. There's so much good stuff in there. So we'll talk about it more in our overtime. segment if you want to join us blazed tv.com slash unashamed is where we'll be. Thanks for listening to the unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little

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