WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.320 Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:12.339 Presbyterian Church, and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today. A special welcome if you're 00:00:12.339 --> 00:00:17.920 new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here, and we're glad that you're here not because 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:23.500 we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:28.400 And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced there's no one so good. They don't 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:34.119 need God's grace, and no one's so bad they can't have it, which is why we come back week after week 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:39.519 to hear what God has to say to us in His Word, because we believe that God has something to say 00:00:39.519 --> 00:00:46.200 to everyone. We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark. You'll remember that the Gospels 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:54.539 tell the story of Jesus in His life and His death and His resurrection. We've just finished this 00:00:54.539 --> 00:01:00.379 series of questions that Jesus encounters. First of all, He receives three questions. The first two 00:01:00.379 --> 00:01:05.599 especially meant to trap Him. And then Jesus has turned the tables a little bit and decides it's 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:11.200 time for Him to ask a question, and that's what we saw last time we were in the Gospel of Mark. He 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:16.840 tells them, hey, how is it that the Messiah can be both David's Lord and His Son? How can someone be 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:23.519 someone's father and their son at the same time? And that's when we talked about the fact that Jesus is a 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:28.840 great encouragement to us, but also a great challenge as we see Him as our Lord as well. 00:01:29.479 --> 00:01:34.539 In this section, then, Jesus is going to proceed from those questions to begin some teaching, although 00:01:34.539 --> 00:01:40.219 it's not disconnected from what's come before, because He's going to continue to needle and poke at the 00:01:40.219 --> 00:01:46.560 religious leaders that have come to attack Him. In this section, He's going to say, beware of the 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:54.400 scribes. In other words, look out, watch out for religious hypocrisy. Watch out for people who say 00:01:54.400 --> 00:02:01.379 one thing and do another. And don't just watch out for them, but watch out for it in yourself. 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:07.099 It's timely for all of us. I'm sure there's been points in your life where you've looked at someone 00:02:07.099 --> 00:02:13.819 and you've thought, man, that person seems to know a lot maybe about the Bible, and they seem to be 00:02:13.819 --> 00:02:20.659 very active in the church, and they're also kind of a jerk. How does that work? You know, how does that 00:02:20.659 --> 00:02:25.959 go together? Maybe you're not a Christian. Maybe you're someone who has questions or doubts or 00:02:25.959 --> 00:02:29.819 objections to Christianity, and part of your objection is you look at the church and you say, 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:33.799 those are people, they're just interested in power and money. They're just interested 00:02:33.799 --> 00:02:39.740 in their organization, what they can get. Now, if those are things that are on your mind, then this 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:45.100 passage is for you because those things are on Jesus' mind as well. And so it's with that we're 00:02:45.100 --> 00:02:50.360 going to turn now to God's Word. We're in Mark chapter 12. You can turn with me in your worship 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:56.180 guide. You can turn on your phone. You can turn in your Bible. No matter where you turn, remember that 00:02:56.180 --> 00:03:02.160 God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, which means that God has not left us to 00:03:02.160 --> 00:03:09.680 stumble alone in the dark, but instead he's given us his Word to show us the way to go. And so that's why we 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:15.180 read now, starting at verse 38. And in his teaching, he said, 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:23.240 beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:30.719 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:39.860 and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. I invite you to 00:03:39.860 --> 00:03:47.520 pray with me as we come to this portion of God's Word. Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:56.099 see the world as it is. You see its glory, but you also see its brokenness. You know that we wonder 00:03:56.099 --> 00:04:02.519 about that, and you haven't left us to figure it out on our own. Instead, you speak to us. You instruct 00:04:02.519 --> 00:04:08.620 us. You come alongside us like a good father to his children. And so we ask that you would do that 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:15.340 this morning, that you'd send your Holy Spirit to help us. You'd help us to see our need for your mercy 00:04:15.340 --> 00:04:21.740 and your grace. And even more than that, you'd help us to see Jesus who meets us at that very same point 00:04:21.740 --> 00:04:28.280 of need. You'd help us to see him more clearly, that we'd see his power and his authority, his glory, 00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:36.160 his love, his holiness, his affection, and that we would grow in our love for him and our obedience to 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:42.199 him. And we thank you that we don't worry about whether we've earned or deserved these things. We know 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:47.000 that we haven't, but instead we simply ask for them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 00:04:49.159 --> 00:04:57.060 There's a social psychologist named Jonathan Haidt who provides an illustration to help us 00:04:57.060 --> 00:05:03.339 understand what the power of the human heart actually is. He says, imagine that there's an elephant, 00:05:03.899 --> 00:05:10.399 and a very large, powerful elephant, and on top of this elephant there's a rider, and this rider guides 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:16.319 the elephant determines which direction the elephant should go. But imagine as this rider and this 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:22.139 elephant are working along together, the elephant decides he wants one thing, and the rider decides 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:28.099 he wants another. And they come to an impasse. There's a disagreement about which way to go. Well, who in 00:05:28.099 --> 00:05:35.339 that disagreement is going to win? Is it going to be the large and powerful and strong elephant, or is it 00:05:35.339 --> 00:05:40.719 going to be this small man or small woman on top of the elephant? Well, if the elephant has a mind of 00:05:40.719 --> 00:05:48.039 its own, the answer is obvious, right? The elephant is going to win every single time. Yes, the rider might 00:05:48.039 --> 00:05:54.719 be on top. It might, in a sense, appear to be in control, but the elephant is so much greater, so much 00:05:54.719 --> 00:06:01.779 more powerful. He uses this to say the rider, in a sense, is the logic that we use. It's the conscious 00:06:01.779 --> 00:06:08.399 mind. And to put it in Christian terms, we might say the rider is our worldview. It's what we say we 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:16.399 believe. The elephant, on the other hand, is the heart. The elephant is actually what we love, what we 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:22.859 want, what we desire, what, at our deepest core, we want more than anything else. And this is a way of 00:06:22.859 --> 00:06:27.899 illustrating that our hearts are, in many ways, more powerful than our minds. In fact, he points out 00:06:27.899 --> 00:06:34.899 there's psychological research that shows that the mind comes in after the heart to defend and explain 00:06:34.899 --> 00:06:43.539 what the heart already decided it wanted. In other words, our emotions say, we want X. Mind, go find a 00:06:43.539 --> 00:06:53.419 way to justify X. Find an explanation for why what my heart already loves is true. Of course, we don't need 00:06:53.420 --> 00:06:59.900 psychological research to tell us that. Back in the 16th century, there was a man named Thomas Cranmer, 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:05.420 who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. And one scholar summarizes his teaching in this way, 00:07:06.080 --> 00:07:16.200 what the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies. What the heart loves, the will chooses, 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:25.159 and the mind justifies. The elephant is more powerful than the rider. Our hearts are much 00:07:25.159 --> 00:07:33.339 more powerful than what we say we believe, what we state on paper. Jesus also tells us this in Matthew 00:07:33.339 --> 00:07:39.099 chapter 12. He says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good person out of his 00:07:39.099 --> 00:07:45.360 good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:52.019 Now, what does this have to do with religious hypocrisy and the scribes that we encounter in this passage? 00:07:52.159 --> 00:07:57.779 Well, they are hitting on a theme that we've already seen many times before in the Gospel of Mark, 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:03.399 and it's the theme of the desires of the heart, what it is that we want. We've seen it many times, 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:09.000 but I'll just give you a few examples. You may remember back to Mark chapter 6 when John the Baptist 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:17.300 was beheaded, and what was the problem there? Well, Herodias, Herod's wife, wanted to put John the 00:08:17.300 --> 00:08:23.759 Baptist to death. That's the word that's used. Herod asks Herodias' daughter, what is it that you 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:30.459 want? She says, I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and then we're told that Herod did not 00:08:30.459 --> 00:08:36.659 want to break his word. All of those, the same Greek word, which we see again. Mark chapter 10, 00:08:36.659 --> 00:08:41.659 you'll remember James and John come to Jesus and make this incredibly embarrassing request. 00:08:42.219 --> 00:08:47.120 They say, teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. And then Jesus has this 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:53.980 question that he asks to both them and the blind man in Mark chapter 10. He says, what do you want me 00:08:53.980 --> 00:08:59.980 to do for you? And if you were there when we went through that chapter, you remember, on the one hand, 00:09:00.059 --> 00:09:04.779 James and John want power and glory and exaltation as they sit at Jesus' left and right hand. 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:09.339 On the other hand, the blind man simply wants to see. 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:16.379 And this is after Jesus has given them this instruction in the previous chapter. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:25.339 If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. I bring up these three episodes 00:09:25.339 --> 00:09:32.480 because they all use the same Greek word that we encounter here in verse 38. And in his teaching, 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:40.200 he said, beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:47.039 marketplaces, have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts. This word like 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:55.060 is not strong enough to describe what's happening for the scribes. We might say not that they like it, 00:09:55.059 --> 00:10:00.759 but that they love it. They enjoy it and delight in it. This is what they live for. This is what brings 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:08.979 joy and pleasure to their lives. This is what makes life worth living. And in fact, that word like, 00:10:09.079 --> 00:10:14.559 to desire, to want appears once as a verb, and then it applies to all of those four things that follow. 00:10:14.819 --> 00:10:20.179 So they love to be seen in fine clothing. They love to be greeted. They like to have the best seats. 00:10:20.179 --> 00:10:25.319 They like to have the places of honor. Simply, Jesus is saying that these religious leaders, 00:10:25.479 --> 00:10:31.399 their heart is captured by love and power and recognition and fame and honor and respect and 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:40.500 privilege and comfort. That is what they live for more than anything else. They love wearing their nice 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:47.719 clothes. What they're probably wearing here are wonderful white linen robes. If these scribes live 00:10:47.720 --> 00:10:55.820 today, maybe they're shooting each other mirror selfies of how great that outfit is. If some of the 00:10:55.820 --> 00:11:01.420 scribes are Gen Z scribes, they might be talking about how they're all about a good fit. They are devoted 00:11:01.420 --> 00:11:10.279 to some serious drip. That is what the scribes love. That's what they live for. That is what has captured 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:17.420 their hearts and their affections. They like to be seen. They love to be the big man on campus. 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:26.019 And why does Jesus bring this up here in this section, this passage, this series of teachings? 00:11:27.560 --> 00:11:32.879 Remember, it's the religious leaders who've been coming and trying to trap him. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:42.379 And it's the religious leaders who decided the game wasn't fun anymore when Jesus told them this. 00:11:43.379 --> 00:11:47.139 Remember, they asked him about the sum of the law. And what did Jesus say? 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:56.779 The sum of the law is to love God and love neighbor. And so there's this incredible irony. These experts in 00:11:56.779 --> 00:12:07.540 the law have missed the most important thing. They have missed what matters more than anything else. 00:12:07.620 --> 00:12:15.160 They should be loving God and loving others. Instead, they are loving themselves and destroying and 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:29.299 devouring others. And so this takes the issue of the heart, the critical nature of the heart that 00:12:29.299 --> 00:12:34.439 we've seen throughout the gospel of Mark. It takes it and applies it to religious leaders and religious 00:12:34.439 --> 00:12:44.059 activity. In other words, the point is this. It is possible to have good answers and lots of theological 00:12:44.059 --> 00:12:56.059 knowledge and to be very far from God. It is possible to have good answers and lots of theological 00:12:56.059 --> 00:13:04.539 knowledge and to also be very far from God. Being in church, being involved in all sorts of religious 00:13:04.539 --> 00:13:11.500 activity does not protect us. It does not make us immune from loving ourselves more than God. 00:13:11.500 --> 00:13:21.080 In fact, religious communities can be a phenomenal place to hide out. No, you don't need to ask me about my 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:28.940 spiritual life or my loves, what I do with my time and my money and my power. I go to church every Sunday. It's all good. 00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:35.940 I'm involved in so many ministries. Of course, everything is fine. 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:40.660 I have all the right answers. 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:49.740 And yet the problem is that the elephant always wins. The problem is that the heart is what comes out 00:13:49.740 --> 00:13:57.740 on top. There was a big push in the conservative church back in the 90s and the 2000s for what people 00:13:57.740 --> 00:14:03.640 would call worldview, which was this idea that we need to make sure that everyone is thinking correctly 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:09.580 about all the issues in the world. And the problem that we have, especially with our youth, is that 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:14.059 they're not thinking correctly. And if we can just change their minds and give them the right content 00:14:14.059 --> 00:14:19.679 and the ideas, they will be able to stand firm in a culture that does not love God. 00:14:20.819 --> 00:14:24.080 Now, don't hear what I'm not saying. Worldview really matters. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:30.960 And not thinking correctly is a real problem. And so part of what we do as a church is try to explain 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:38.020 how we think clearly as Christians in the world. The problem is this. It doesn't matter how well 00:14:38.020 --> 00:14:42.879 someone thinks if your heart is somewhere else. 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:58.919 It is necessary to have a good worldview. It is not sufficient. Plenty of kids from that generation 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:05.740 had the right ideas and walked away because they loved something else more. 00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:11.139 Remember, Mark chapter 10, we met the rich young man. He comes to Jesus. He says, 00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:16.360 what do I need to do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus says, well, it's really easy. All you need 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:24.819 to do is sell your possessions and follow me. And we're told he went away sorrowful for he was not 00:15:24.819 --> 00:15:32.139 thinking clearly about how the world operates. No, that's not what it says. It says he went away 00:15:32.139 --> 00:15:39.399 sorrowful for he had great possessions. Jesus gave him the right answer. It just wasn't enough. There was 00:15:39.399 --> 00:15:44.939 something he loved more. Something he wanted more. 00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:50.879 Now, again, don't hear what I'm not saying. For 2 Peter chapter 1, it says, knowledge is important. It's critical 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:58.199 for our growth spiritually. Necessary, just not sufficient. It's the elephant that wins. It's the heart 00:15:58.620 --> 00:15:59.620 that wins. 00:15:59.620 --> 00:16:07.080 And so these scribes, why do we need to beware of them? Verse 38. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:17.960 Because they have lots of knowledge and no love. And so that's why Jesus gives this warning. He says, 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:24.600 beware. Watch out. Be on guard against these scribes. And there's a variety of ways we could take that. 00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:30.600 One way would just be to say, steer clear of them. Know that they don't have your best interest in mind. 00:16:30.740 --> 00:16:35.060 But another way to take it would be this. Beware of their influence. 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:42.980 Know that that's not what true spirituality looks like. Know that that's not the path that God calls you to. 00:16:42.980 --> 00:16:48.420 Know how damaging that is. Beware of being like them. 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:56.639 Part of the reason we can take this in that way is that Jesus then follows up what we'll look at next week with a positive example. 00:16:57.159 --> 00:17:02.539 Okay, on the one hand, beware of these folks. They show you what you should not, how you should not live your life. 00:17:02.539 --> 00:17:06.059 On the other hand, look at this poor widow who gives God all she has. 00:17:06.779 --> 00:17:14.220 And see the contrast. See what true spirituality, true love of God looks like in real life. 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:21.740 And so for us to beware means this, that we examine our own hearts. 00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:28.180 What fills our imaginations, our dreams, our hopes, our desires. 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.779 What is it that we want more than anything else? 00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:41.640 What is the elephant going to run after when no one can stop it? 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:53.360 Beware of the scribes because they love themselves more than they love God. 00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:59.019 I've told you before that money and power are not bad things. 00:17:59.100 --> 00:18:00.880 In fact, we need people with money and power. 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:03.600 They're not bad things. They're just dangerous things. 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:11.100 And the dangerous thing about both money and power is that they turn up the volume on what is already in your heart. 00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:15.759 Turn up the volume on what is already in your heart. 00:18:15.899 --> 00:18:19.259 If you're selfish and convenience is what you love more than anything else, 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:26.299 more power and more money will just allow you to be more selfish and to put yourself first in a greater extent. 00:18:26.639 --> 00:18:32.059 If you love others and you're filled with compassion, money and power will turn up the volume on that. 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:35.679 People will see more and more your love and your compassion. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:39.380 So what is it that motivates us? 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:45.820 What is it that you're hoping to gain from service to God, service in the church? 00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:48.200 Is it about you? 00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:51.700 Is it about being seen? 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:54.380 About people listening to your words? 00:18:54.920 --> 00:18:57.080 About having access and information? 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:03.399 Or is it about bringing glory and honor to God alone? 00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:06.639 No matter who sees. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:09.599 No matter who thanks you. 00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:16.220 Beware then reminds us to examine our hearts. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:23.199 To beware of being like these religious leaders who are full of knowledge and activity and empty on love. 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:33.059 If you're not a Christian, or maybe you are a Christian, but you've been deeply hurt by religious people. 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:41.039 If you're upset and angry at religious hypocrisy, hear this. 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:47.500 Jesus is also upset and angry at religious hypocrisy. 00:19:47.500 --> 00:19:55.819 If religious hypocrisy, if you look at people and you say their lives and what they say to believe don't match up at all. 00:19:55.900 --> 00:19:56.779 How can that be? 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:59.839 Jesus says, yes, I see it too. 00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:01.079 And I agree. 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:03.259 We've already seen Mark chapter 11. 00:20:03.420 --> 00:20:09.240 Jesus is so upset about that when he examines the temple and sees that people are being blocked from the house of prayer. 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:11.400 Where they're actually supposed to have access to God. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.359 What does he do? 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:15.299 He goes in and turns over the tables. 00:20:15.299 --> 00:20:20.299 And so join with Jesus in that. 00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:29.359 Join with Jesus in being upset about religious hypocrisy, in being incensed about widows being devoured. 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:34.079 Just don't abandon his church. 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:40.460 Be upset as Jesus is upset. 00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:46.460 Stay committed to his people as Jesus stays committed to his people. 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:49.939 Jesus agrees with you about the problem. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:56.299 But another problem is that the solution isn't giving up on God and his church. 00:20:56.939 --> 00:21:02.119 Remember, we talked about two times ago that the love of God is what allows us to fully love our neighbors. 00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:05.239 I told you that there were two mistakes we could fall into. 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:08.699 First, we could try to love God without loving others. 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:10.239 That's sort of what these scribes are doing. 00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:15.379 But then the other mistake we can fall into is try to love others without loving God. 00:21:15.439 --> 00:21:17.359 That's the mistake of secular people. 00:21:18.439 --> 00:21:25.679 What happens is if we try to love others without loving God, we don't have God's instructions, his directions for life. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:31.320 And so we have this limited, this incorrect view of what's good for us and others. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:35.539 We can't throw out the baby with the bathwater. 00:21:38.340 --> 00:21:41.100 We say, yes, we agree with Jesus. 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:46.460 We stand against the abuse of power and religious authority. 00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:52.440 And we know that the church is the place of God's power in his presence. 00:21:52.700 --> 00:21:54.880 And so we work for his good. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:22:00.380 I found a new favorite story recently. 00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:06.779 I heard about a story of a pastor who's talking to some folks and they find out he's a minister. 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:13.460 And they say, yeah, we, you know, we try a church for a while, but it's, we just don't want to be there because it's so full of hypocrites. 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:21.299 The pastor said, well, it might be full of hypocrites, but I'm sure we can make room for a couple more. 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:33.600 Solzhenitsyn said, and I've quoted many times before, that the line between good and evil cuts through the center of every human heart. 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:45.379 And so the beware here is to remind us of our own hypocrisy, to push us again to self-examination. 00:22:46.179 --> 00:22:48.359 Giving up on God is not the solution. 00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:53.399 We actually need his guidance and his church to love others rightly. 00:22:53.400 --> 00:23:03.500 In fact, moving away from God always leads to some form of dehumanization. 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:07.019 What I mean by that is this, we have two choices. 00:23:07.780 --> 00:23:14.740 We can love God and love our neighbors, or we can love ourselves and push down our neighbors. 00:23:14.980 --> 00:23:17.720 And so that's what we see next in this passage. 00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:23.000 We've spent a lot of time on verses 38 and 39, which show us that the scribes serve themselves. 00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:28.019 But then in verse 40, we see they don't just serve themselves, they exploit others. 00:23:28.680 --> 00:23:33.960 Verse 40 tells us this, they devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. 00:23:34.579 --> 00:23:37.079 They will receive the greater condemnation. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:43.140 Now, we're not told in this passage how exactly it is that they're devouring widows' houses. 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:44.280 We can speculate. 00:23:44.800 --> 00:23:48.720 Perhaps they're taking advantage somehow of their generosity, their hospitality. 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:54.580 Maybe they're taking advantage of them in terms of some deceit about how money is being used. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:58.780 Maybe they're overcharging them for certain services that they're providing. 00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:03.240 Some people even see a connection between the exploitation and the long prayers. 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:05.580 Maybe they're being paid for these long prayers. 00:24:05.660 --> 00:24:06.180 Who knows? 00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:12.759 What we do know is this, they're abusing their position of power to give their hearts what it loves, 00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:18.200 more than anything else, that fame and honor and respect and privilege and comfort. 00:24:20.299 --> 00:24:23.400 Remember I told you power and money are amplifiers. 00:24:23.579 --> 00:24:27.099 The more you have, the more you get to see your heart. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:31.879 Whatever is there, it will turn up the volume. 00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:38.980 It's not a coincidence that next week, verses 41 through 44, we're going to talk about money. 00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:42.920 Because it reveals our hearts. 00:24:44.800 --> 00:24:50.420 And so in this exploitation, we see another element of this command to beware. 00:24:50.540 --> 00:24:53.240 It gives us another way to examine ourselves. 00:24:53.240 --> 00:25:00.339 Before I said, examine our hearts so that we know what fills our imaginations, our dreams, our hopes, our desires. 00:25:02.779 --> 00:25:06.039 This exploitation gives us another way to examine them. 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:10.559 How do we treat those who have less power than we do? 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:13.779 How do we talk about them? 00:25:14.940 --> 00:25:16.400 How do we interact with them? 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:22.840 What do we do when someone has less money than we do? 00:25:24.360 --> 00:25:30.440 What happens when we have the opportunity to fudge the truth? 00:25:31.040 --> 00:25:34.340 And what is it that we believe we gain? 00:25:35.860 --> 00:25:40.940 In other words, what do money and power reveal about our hearts? 00:25:40.940 --> 00:25:47.279 When the volume is turned up, what is it that we hear? 00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:50.880 That's Jesus' warning. 00:25:51.019 --> 00:25:53.180 That's why he says, beware. 00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:55.559 Watch out. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:59.559 Matthew 25, Jesus says this, 00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:06.779 Truly I say to you, if you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. 00:26:06.779 --> 00:26:14.480 These scribes are trampling on the most vulnerable members of society. 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:22.220 And Jesus tells us, whatever we do for the least of these, we do it for him. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:26.799 And so these are the searching questions that come out from this passage. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:29.980 What is it that we love more than anything else? 00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:37.099 How is it that we treat people with less power and influence and money than us? 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:44.559 Problem though, is even if we find out the answer, 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:47.960 we can't think our way out of it. 00:26:49.180 --> 00:26:52.680 Because the elephant is more powerful than the rider. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:57.980 The solution is not to think better, but to love more. 00:26:57.980 --> 00:27:01.460 And so that's why we sing together the song, 00:27:01.579 --> 00:27:04.240 Hast thou seen him, heard him, known him? 00:27:05.019 --> 00:27:07.299 Is not thine a captured heart? 00:27:09.660 --> 00:27:14.319 Not do we have the right thoughts, but do we have the right loves? 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:18.700 So we'll come back to the question that we've asked before. 00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:20.880 What is it that captures our hearts? 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:23.420 What is it that makes Jesus beautiful? 00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:29.960 What is it about Jesus that turns us away from love of self towards love for God? 00:27:30.060 --> 00:27:34.259 What is it about Jesus that changes us to love our neighbor? 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:39.420 Well, one of them is that Jesus is the opposite of the scribes. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.900 Jesus is not interested in being seen. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:46.380 He's not interested in being the big man on campus. 00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:50.060 Instead, he comes living essentially in poverty. 00:27:50.059 --> 00:27:52.619 If you look on the back of your worship guide, 00:27:52.679 --> 00:27:55.579 you'll see the quote that talks about Luke chapter 24, 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:58.639 when two disciples walked with the risen Christ, 00:27:58.759 --> 00:28:02.859 not recognizing to them until he was known by them in the breaking of bread. 00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:08.220 Having just accomplished the most stunning event in time and eternity, 00:28:09.079 --> 00:28:13.379 Jesus was known not by his glory, power, entourage, trappings, 00:28:13.480 --> 00:28:14.679 or number of followers, 00:28:15.059 --> 00:28:18.720 but by his nail-scarred hands breaking bread. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:22.420 That is our God. 00:28:24.140 --> 00:28:30.059 In other words, we can give up power, recognition, fame, honor, privilege, respect, and comfort 00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:35.339 as we look at Jesus and see him in his beauty and his glory 00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:38.579 because he gives up the same. 00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:44.559 Because of how great and loving he is, 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:48.339 because of the security that we have in him and through him, 00:28:48.399 --> 00:28:53.220 that is the way and the only way we are able to change the desires, 00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:56.539 the direction, the strength, the elephant of our hearts. 00:28:56.539 --> 00:29:00.559 I gave you before, earlier, 00:29:00.659 --> 00:29:05.720 a list of this word want and desire that comes out throughout the gospel of Mark, 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:07.700 and we're going to see it show up again. 00:29:07.819 --> 00:29:09.079 In Mark chapter 14, 00:29:09.079 --> 00:29:15.039 we are going to hear Jesus specifically talk about what he wants and desires. 00:29:15.879 --> 00:29:18.159 He's praying to his father, and he says this, 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:21.500 Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. 00:29:22.040 --> 00:29:27.900 Remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. 00:29:29.060 --> 00:29:31.960 Not what I want, but what you want. 00:29:32.300 --> 00:29:38.040 Not what brings me delight and pleasure, but what brings you delight and pleasure. 00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:42.519 So we lay down our wills and our hearts and our desires. 00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:48.019 We give them to love God and love others because Jesus gave up his will, 00:29:48.379 --> 00:29:51.599 his heart, his desire for us. 00:29:52.460 --> 00:29:56.180 That is what makes Jesus beautiful. 00:29:56.339 --> 00:29:59.839 That is what grows our love and affection for him. 00:29:59.899 --> 00:30:02.639 And so that's what we're going to sing in our closing hymn on page eight. 00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:03.399 We're going to say, 00:30:03.399 --> 00:30:07.659 May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea, 00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:10.639 him exalting, self-abasing. 00:30:11.139 --> 00:30:12.220 This is victory. 00:30:12.980 --> 00:30:14.599 Him exalting means we love him. 00:30:14.740 --> 00:30:17.619 Self-abasing means we don't love ourselves. 00:30:17.740 --> 00:30:19.759 And so we're then able to sing that last verse. 00:30:19.980 --> 00:30:24.019 May his beauty rest upon me as I seek to make him known 00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:29.759 so that all may look to Jesus seeing him alone. 00:30:30.659 --> 00:30:31.379 Let's pray. 00:30:33.159 --> 00:30:34.399 Our Father in heaven, 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:40.600 we thank you that you love us more than we love ourselves, 00:30:40.800 --> 00:30:44.100 that it's safe to belong to you. 00:30:44.580 --> 00:30:47.759 We ask that you would show us that love more and more. 00:30:47.880 --> 00:30:50.140 We'd understand it and experience it, 00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:53.120 and that it would change us at our deepest levels. 00:30:53.180 --> 00:30:56.980 It would change our wants and our desires and our wills, 00:30:56.980 --> 00:30:59.800 that we would want what you want, 00:30:59.860 --> 00:31:02.100 that we would love you and love others. 00:31:02.099 --> 00:31:05.159 We ask for these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:05.839 Amen. 00:31:06.879 --> 00:31:08.959 I invite you to stand for our closing hymn.