WEBVTT

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 Things are not always as they seem.

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 It was a lesson that I learned in a hard way many years ago.

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 Julie and I were in college.

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 She'd been chasing me around for a little while.

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 And finally I said, you know, I guess we can go out on a date or so.

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 But we had been dating actually for a little while.

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 You may remember this.

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 We had gone every year.

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 We went on a student leadership trip.

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 If you were in some form of leadership on the campus,

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 we would go on these trips to New York City.

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 We had to report to campus a week early from all the other students.

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 And they would drive us up to New York City,

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 really for no other reason but to enjoy a trip away from North Carolina.

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 And while we were there, we would have different leadership lessons

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 and things like that as we would go.

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 Well, we enjoyed some time with some of our friends from college

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 going to different places around the city as we always do.

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 One of Julie's favorite places to go in New York City is Chinatown.

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 And if you've ever been there, you probably will understand why she likes it so much.

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 It really is a fascinating area of the city.

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 For one moment, you're walking through a portion of lower Manhattan

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 that is really just like any other big city in the United States.

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 And then suddenly you kind of take a turn,

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 depending on which direction you're coming,

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 you take a turn around the block.

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 And it's like you've suddenly been transported to a downtown area of a major city in China.

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 And in China, everything changes.

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 The majority ethnic is Asian at that point.

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 Just the people everywhere are very different.

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 There are signs that are not in English anymore.

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 They're in Chinese.

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 There's vendors everywhere, which is the reason that Julie loves it so much.

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 We go and there's all of these vendors that are offering consumer goods

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 at really extreme discounts.

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 And if you've been there, you know how this works.

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 Julie loves it because she loves to go and shop with all these vendors

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 and all these little tiny shops there in Chinatown.

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 And if you're really lucky, this is what Julie likes.

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 If you're really lucky, you get invited to a secret room in the back of the shop.

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 And there's usually a false wall and they will let you in.

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 We went into one.

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 One time that was in a cellar.

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 There was a walkie-talkie.

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 I don't know what was going on there.

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 But there was a walkie-talkie situation.

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 And once they got the clear, they opened up the doors to the cellars

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 that go down underneath the city.

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 And we went down and we were ushered quickly into this area.

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 Julie loves to go and do that kind of shopping.

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 And on this particular trip, we were trying to figure out

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 who was going to get the better deal.

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 And so, of course, I eventually found a vendor.

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 And that was selling men's cologne at just ridiculously cheap prices.

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 And my scent at that particular time in my life was Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani.

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 That was a step up from the brute that I had grown up wearing.

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 And I found this vendor.

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 And he was offering me a $55 bottle of Acqua Di Gio for like $20.

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 And which seems too good to be true.

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 But I'm like 21 years old.

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 That just seems like a good deal to me.

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 And so I'm looking at it.

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 And I inspect it.

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 It looks like anything else that I would have bought at a department store back home.

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 It even had the tag on the back.

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 Like the Macy's tag that says $55 or $65, whatever it is.

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 And he's saying, I'll sell it to you for $20.

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 And I was like, you got a deal.

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 $20.

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 I stick it in my bag.

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 And I go on.

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 And of like any good man, I'm bragging about I'm the one that got the better deal of everybody

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 that was shopping here that day.

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 And then later on, I opened up the package.

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 And I pulled out the bottle, which is an Acqua Di Gio bottle.

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 Looks exactly like it's supposed to look.

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 And I go to spray it on for some cologne.

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 And I quickly realized that what was in the bottle was not Acqua Di Gio.

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 It was more like Acqua Di Windex is what was in there.

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 It was just some kind of cleaner that had been replaced in this bottle and resold.

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 And I learned very quickly that things are not always as they seem.

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 Sometimes even people are not always as they seem.

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 And that's what we find in these verses that we just read in Mark chapter 12.

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 Two classic examples of people who we make assumptions about based on the way that they

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 carry themselves or perhaps the way that they look and the trappings that they have worn

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 and the behavior that they have demonstrated.

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 And then come to find out the reality is they are very different than what you might have

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 originally assumed.

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 On the one hand is the scribes who maintained every appearance of faithfulness to God,

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 but were in actual fact religious hypocrites.

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 On the other hand, Jesus marks a woman who though considered utterly insignificant

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 and probably outcast by most of the people of her day,

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 was the one with the truest devotion.

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 And Jesus makes note of her publicly to the people around.

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 So as this long day in the temple begins to wane,

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 Jesus contrasted the inauthentic, pretentious scribes

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 with the bona fide devotion and worship of the faithful widow.

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 And Luke's account reveals to us when he writes about this,

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 that though there were many people within earshot of Jesus in the temple at this moment,

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 his teaching here was directed specifically toward his disciples.

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 So when we step back and we consider that fact,

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 we begin to think about what is actually the purpose of this passage,

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 of all the things Mark and Matthew and Luke could have included in their gospels,

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 why did they include these two stories?

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 And of all the places to put them,

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 why did Mark decide to put them here?

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 And maybe you've realized that these two stories in Mark's gospel

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 actually fit perfectly in this place.

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 The lesson is another one from the Lord about the nature of true discipleship.

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 In making these comparisons between the scribes and this woman,

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 Jesus tells the disciples two things.

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 Beware of the scribes and be aware of the faithfulness of this lady.

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 And his point is that discipleship, true discipleship,

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 does not result in a life that looks like the scribes.

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 It actually results in a life that looks like the poor widow.

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 And our aim this morning as we come through these verses

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 should be to heed Jesus' warning first.

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 We want to take notice of the lesson that he's teaching us.

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 And then in conclusion, we want to evaluate our hearts

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 and see where we line up as far as this text is concerned.

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 Really just two points to go through.

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 The first one is this.

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 I want you to see a warning against religious hypocrisy.

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 A warning against religious hypocrisy.

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 Look with me at verse 38.

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 In his teaching, he said,

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 Beware the scribes who like to walk around in long robes

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 and like greetings in the marketplaces

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 and have the best seats in the synagogues

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 and the places of honor at feast.

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 They devour widows' houses

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 and for a pretense make long prayer.

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 They will receive the greater condemnation, Jesus says.

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 Beware of the scribes.

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 Beware of them.

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 There are six elements to this warning that Jesus gives

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 specifically describing the scribes.

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 If you want Jesus' full treatment of this,

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 you're going to have to go to Matthew 23.

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 And I would encourage you maybe to do that

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 if you have some downtime this afternoon.

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 There is just the entire chapter

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 is Jesus going through this condemnation of the scribes.

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 Mark condenses it down here to three verses.

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 But Matthew chapter 23 goes into much greater detail.

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 Let's look at the six elements that Mark mentions

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 The first thing he says is,

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 Beware of the scribes.

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 They like to wear long robes.

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 But that just seemed like a big deal, right?

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 What's he getting at here?

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 These were full length white prayer shawls.

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 They were meant to be seen.

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 They had tassels that was according to the Old Testament law.

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 There were particular ways that they would go about this,

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 but they had tassels that would be sewn

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 into the four corners of the robe.

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 They would be full length.

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 In fact, when the ESV says long robes here,

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 the idea in Greek is flowing,

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 that there is motion that is associated with these.

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 So they're not tight to the body.

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 They're very wide.

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 They're very motion driven.

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 They're meant to catch your attention.

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 The common garments of that day were colorful tunics,

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 and these were always this starch white.

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 And they were specifically designed to stand out in the crowd.

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 So that if you're walking through the marketplace,

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 and there's a few hundred people there,

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 and they're all wearing the colorful garments of the day,

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 the tunics of the day,

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 you would be able to notice,

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 even from a distance,

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 when a scribe was around,

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 they would stick out in the crowd.

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 The garments were often ornate,

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 and they communicated a measure of wealth

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 and superiority over common people.

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 It was essentially the first century version

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 of the modern power suit.

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 That's what these men were wearing.

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 And they loved to wear them, Jesus says,

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 because they wanted to be seen.

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 But he says it's not only about the long robes,

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 they love greetings in the marketplaces, he says.

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 They demanded a measure of deference

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 from the people that they felt was worthy of their status.

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 They wanted to be called rabbi or father.

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 In fact, that's something that Jesus addresses

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 specifically in Matthew chapter 23.

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 He says, do not call anybody rabbi or father.

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 But that's what they wanted to be called.

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 And so as they would make their way through the city,

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 they would wear their bright, white, long, flowy prayer shawls

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 that what everyone would notice, this person is a scribe.

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 And this, unless someone was involved immediately

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 in their work in the marketplace,

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 what was expected was that they would stop what they're doing,

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 stop the conversations that they're having,

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 make way for the scribe to come through,

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 and in deference, greet them.

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 Good morning, rabbi.

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 Good morning, father.

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 How are you today?

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 So nice to see you.

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 The world stops when the scribes show up.

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 That's what Jesus is pointing out here.

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 They love to wear the robes.

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 They love to get the greetings.

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 So Sinclair Ferguson says,

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 they not only craved the trappings of power,

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 but the adulation of man.

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 That's what they lived for.

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 Then we see that they liked the best seats in the synagogue.

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 This is a description of a platform.

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 Essentially, there were benches

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 that would be situated in the synagogue,

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 and those seated on those benches

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 would face the congregation.

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 If you've ever seen a picture,

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 or perhaps you've been in a place

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 that has created a replica of a first century synagogue,

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 you'll notice that there were risers along the walls

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 that people would sit on these risers,

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 and then people would sit on the floor.

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 Then there would be benches up toward the front.

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 Those seats were reserved for people of rank.

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 That's where the scribes, they wanted to sit.

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 And they wanted to sit there for two reasons.

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 One, they wanted to observe the people below them, right?

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 They're on the bench at the front.

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 They want to observe the people below them.

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 This was a status symbol.

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 They also wanted the people below them

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 to see them situated in the place of status.

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 They wanted to see,

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 and they wanted to be seen in the church,

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 in the congregation of the people.

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 Now, we're not far removed from that idea now.

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 I can remember in college,

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 and in the early years of ministry even,

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 in serving in churches,

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 going to conferences,

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 or going to large churches,

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 and at the beginning of the service,

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 right when things are beginning to happen,

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 the significant people in the church,

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 or in the school,

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 or in the circumstance that we're in,

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 are paraded onto the stage.

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 In some places,

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 the people stand and applaud as they come out,

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 but they're paraded onto the stage,

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 and then there are the seats of honor

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 that are on the platform.

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 And just to be transparent,

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 here's what I would think.

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 I would see them come out,

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 and I would think,

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 I want to sit in that seat one day.

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 How awesome to be the part of the it group,

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 the group that gets paraded on the platform

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 in front of the church,

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 that everybody stands and applauds when you come out,

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 that you get to sit on the seat,

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 and you get to look at everybody else's there,

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 and then they get to look at you,

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 and maybe they will look at you,

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 and say,

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 I hope I get to sit in Jared's seat one day.

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 How he must be awesome.

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 I never got to sit in one of those seats.

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 It's a good thing.

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 We all have a little bit of this in us, don't we?

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 That's the picture of the scribes here.

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 They love the seats in the synagogue,

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 the best ones.

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 They want to be seen.

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 And then he says,

00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:56.000
 it carries on not only in the assembly of God's people,

00:13:56.100 --> 00:13:57.279
 but Jesus said it's also,

00:13:57.539 --> 00:13:59.840
 they like the places of honor at feast.

00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:03.960
 So in the cultural city celebrations that would take place,

00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:06.860
 they were the VIPs of society.

00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:10.259
 And they settled for nothing less than the honor

00:14:10.259 --> 00:14:13.899
 that accompanies celebrity and status symbols.

00:14:14.700 --> 00:14:16.960
 But then it takes a turn in the description here.

00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:20.620
 It's not just about these things that they desired.

00:14:20.920 --> 00:14:23.560
 Now Jesus gets into the problem of their actions.

00:14:24.060 --> 00:14:29.700
 He says that they devour widows' houses.

00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:32.560
 Literally eat their houses.

00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:34.040
 And of course,

00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:36.200
 we don't want to over-literalize that.

00:14:36.280 --> 00:14:37.820
 They weren't literally eating houses.

00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:43.000
 They were devouring the belongings of vulnerable people.

00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:45.180
 You say, well, how does that even happen?

00:14:46.680 --> 00:14:49.560
 Well, you might even recognize it today.

00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.840
 These scribes were forbidden to receive compensation

00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:56.320
 for their work in the temple.

00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:59.139
 So either they had to get a common job

00:14:59.139 --> 00:15:00.519
 to compensate financially,

00:15:00.780 --> 00:15:05.000
 or many of them survived on the donations of individuals.

00:15:06.139 --> 00:15:07.500
 Now here's what they would do.

00:15:08.180 --> 00:15:10.660
 In the process of raising money for themselves,

00:15:11.160 --> 00:15:12.940
 they would go to the poor widows,

00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:14.700
 or maybe the wealthy widows,

00:15:14.899 --> 00:15:17.379
 the widows who had no one else to care for them,

00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:19.259
 and they would pray on these people.

00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:21.360
 They would become their pastor.

00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:23.899
 They would pray with them.

00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:27.480
 They would then ask them to support their ministry

00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:28.799
 as they continued to serve.

00:15:29.179 --> 00:15:30.039
 And what they would do

00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:33.379
 is they'd begin to steal the belongings of these widows.

00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:34.819
 But there's a second way.

00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:37.580
 Josephus said there was a measure of embezzlement

00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:39.259
 that went on with this.

00:15:40.259 --> 00:15:40.980
 They'd go to the widows,

00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:41.399
 and they'd say,

00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:42.799
 tell you what,

00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:44.000
 I'm gonna take care,

00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:44.439
 Christian,

00:15:44.520 --> 00:15:46.140
 I'm gonna take care of your contributions

00:15:46.140 --> 00:15:46.960
 to the church for you.

00:15:46.980 --> 00:15:48.100
 All you gotta do is give it to me.

00:15:48.300 --> 00:15:49.860
 I'm gonna take it down to the temple for you,

00:15:49.880 --> 00:15:51.600
 and I'll deposit it on your behalf.

00:15:51.780 --> 00:15:54.380
 And so they'd get the lump sum from Christian,

00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:55.880
 and they'd go to the temple,

00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:57.220
 and they'd take their portion first,

00:15:57.260 --> 00:15:59.340
 and they'd put the rest in the donation boxes.

00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:02.360
 Literally, they're devouring the belongings

00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:05.060
 of the vulnerable.

00:16:06.100 --> 00:16:07.800
 Using their spiritual status,

00:16:08.160 --> 00:16:10.540
 they quite literally robbed them,

00:16:11.820 --> 00:16:13.820
 robbed the people who had no one else

00:16:13.820 --> 00:16:15.320
 to care for them.

00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:17.040
 And that's just as prevalent today.

00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:21.460
 The scammers love to prey on the vulnerable.

00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.360
 They love to prey on widows.

00:16:25.920 --> 00:16:27.960
 So do those who claim the name of Christ.

00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:31.580
 One of the issues with the people

00:16:31.580 --> 00:16:33.480
 who champion the prosperity gospel

00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:35.720
 is that they have amassed

00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:37.660
 an incredible amount of wealth

00:16:37.660 --> 00:16:41.520
 by doing precisely what these scribes were doing

00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:43.480
 and that Jesus was condemning them for.

00:16:44.260 --> 00:16:47.879
 They make careers out of manipulating people

00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:51.740
 by telling them that they will use their spiritual power

00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:54.280
 that has been uniquely gifted to them by God.

00:16:54.420 --> 00:16:56.280
 And they're gonna use that spiritual power

00:16:56.280 --> 00:16:59.400
 on your behalf if you send some money

00:16:59.400 --> 00:17:01.220
 to their specific ministry.

00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:03.980
 And of course, there's the extreme examples

00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:05.539
 of the TV preachers where

00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:07.480
 if you will just send in 20 bucks,

00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:08.860
 they're gonna send a prayer cloth

00:17:08.860 --> 00:17:09.880
 that they've sneezed on,

00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:11.540
 and you get to receive the power

00:17:11.540 --> 00:17:13.640
 that comes along from that particular thing.

00:17:13.660 --> 00:17:14.780
 But there's much more subtle ways

00:17:14.780 --> 00:17:16.320
 that this happens all the time.

00:17:17.760 --> 00:17:21.100
 This kind of abuse isn't just for those

00:17:21.100 --> 00:17:24.180
 and proponents of the prosperity gospel.

00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:26.140
 You'll find this kind of spiritual abuse

00:17:26.140 --> 00:17:29.860
 and manipulation in every circle of religion.

00:17:30.860 --> 00:17:33.060
 The powerful using their status,

00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:35.800
 using God as their banner,

00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:39.480
 as an opportunity to prey on the vulnerable.

00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:45.779
 Spiritual abusers rather than spiritual leaders.

00:17:46.460 --> 00:17:48.480
 That's what the scribes were doing.

00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:51.240
 Using their status to hurt people.

00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.919
 Using their power to hurt people.

00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:57.779
 And then Jesus finishes up and he says,

00:17:57.900 --> 00:18:02.080
 they also, out of pretense, make long prayers.

00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:05.660
 Jesus doesn't have a problem with long prayer.

00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:07.940
 Jesus doesn't have a problem

00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:09.539
 with flowery language in prayer,

00:18:09.580 --> 00:18:10.600
 if you like to do that.

00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:13.800
 The issue here is that this wasn't real prayer.

00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:17.240
 They were spiritual monologues

00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:19.840
 meant to be seen by men and heard by men

00:18:19.840 --> 00:18:21.060
 and recognized by men.

00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:23.300
 They weren't actually communing with God in this.

00:18:23.360 --> 00:18:24.420
 That's not where their heart was.

00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:26.500
 Jesus saw through that and he said,

00:18:26.860 --> 00:18:28.840
 there is religious hypocrisy here.

00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:30.840
 In fact, that's what he's pointing out with the scribes.

00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.360
 Things, men, are not always what they seem,

00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:36.240
 Jesus tells his disciples.

00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.240
 Just look at the scribes and beware of them

00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:41.539
 because they look like they've got all of it together

00:18:41.539 --> 00:18:44.880
 and they look like they're the pinnacle

00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:46.279
 when it comes to spirituality.

00:18:46.700 --> 00:18:48.720
 But the truth is you need to watch out for them

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:51.180
 because they're a bunch of hypocrites.

00:18:52.560 --> 00:18:54.400
 We need to understand that term hypocrisy.

00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:56.700
 Sometimes we misuse it.

00:18:57.900 --> 00:19:01.380
 Hypocrisy is not a person who takes a particular stand

00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:04.480
 or professes a particular belief

00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:07.720
 and then falls short of that in their life.

00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.740
 That's just called being an imperfect human.

00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:15.140
 A hypocrite is not someone who fails.

00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:18.599
 The word comes from a Greek word.

00:19:18.700 --> 00:19:19.799
 It means to wear a mask.

00:19:20.900 --> 00:19:23.180
 It quite literally is the picture of an actor

00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:27.880
 who portrays a character on stage or on screen,

00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:30.240
 but in reality is a totally different person.

00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:33.700
 That's what spiritual hypocrisy is.

00:19:34.140 --> 00:19:36.099
 That's what's happening with the scribes.

00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:40.679
 They're portraying in public to believe something

00:19:40.679 --> 00:19:44.639
 and to be something that they are not truly in their heart

00:19:44.639 --> 00:19:47.059
 and Jesus sees through it.

00:19:47.619 --> 00:19:49.599
 They pretended to be devoted to God,

00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.199
 but in reality, they were only devoted to themselves.

00:19:55.019 --> 00:19:57.219
 And Jesus says two things about them.

00:19:58.139 --> 00:19:59.519
 Beware of them, he says.

00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:00.819
 And I think he means two things by this.

00:20:00.819 --> 00:20:04.639
 One, beware lest you be fooled by them,

00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:05.899
 I think Jesus means.

00:20:06.919 --> 00:20:07.399
 Beware.

00:20:09.220 --> 00:20:11.139
 This was not permission from Jesus

00:20:11.139 --> 00:20:16.139
 for us to constantly be critical and suspicious

00:20:16.139 --> 00:20:19.799
 of every person that we encounter in our lives.

00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:24.099
 Some of us are experts at finding something wrong

00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:27.259
 with every person in every circumstance that we meet.

00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:29.879
 That's not what Jesus is saying here.

00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.500
 Not giving us permission to be suspicious

00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:35.800
 or have a disposition and critical nature all the time.

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:37.680
 He's just saying, pay attention.

00:20:38.540 --> 00:20:42.720
 Pay attention to the warning signs of spiritual hypocrisy.

00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:46.520
 Pay attention to the warning signs of spiritual abuse,

00:20:46.780 --> 00:20:50.600
 lest you become one that is fooled by these men.

00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:51.760
 Beware of them.

00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.720
 And then I think there's a second part to this

00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:54.720
 that Jesus is saying.

00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:58.400
 Beware of becoming like them.

00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:02.019
 Beware of becoming like them.

00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:07.080
 Because the truth is we all have a little scribe in us

00:21:07.080 --> 00:21:14.380
 who doesn't enjoy honor and recognition and status.

00:21:14.380 --> 00:21:21.280
 All of us in some way have a tendency toward prideful ambition.

00:21:22.540 --> 00:21:27.460
 And Jesus exposed these men so that we might watch out

00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:30.040
 and beware of being like them.

00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:33.800
 And it's highlighted in Jesus' final statement.

00:21:34.820 --> 00:21:36.740
 They will incur the greater judgment.

00:21:38.120 --> 00:21:39.640
 Now most people would look at the scribes

00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:42.020
 and judgment would never come to their mind.

00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:46.800
 Jesus is acknowledging that not only will they be judged,

00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:48.620
 but he's saying in some way

00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:52.640
 they will receive an even greater judgment than others.

00:21:53.700 --> 00:21:56.020
 Because God has no tolerance

00:21:56.020 --> 00:21:59.780
 for someone who uses his name and his glory

00:21:59.780 --> 00:22:04.120
 and his work to benefit themselves and abuse others.

00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:06.899
 So beware, Jesus says.

00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:09.839
 Now if you lived in the days of Jesus,

00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:13.079
 you would have probably recognized the scribes

00:22:13.079 --> 00:22:14.379
 as the disciples likely did.

00:22:15.199 --> 00:22:17.299
 As shoe-ins for the kingdom of God.

00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.399
 Jesus saw this very different.

00:22:22.159 --> 00:22:24.019
 He looked beyond their robes.

00:22:24.579 --> 00:22:26.579
 He looked beyond their places of honor.

00:22:26.939 --> 00:22:28.939
 And he saw the truth in their hearts.

00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:31.740
 And he can see the truth in your heart too.

00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:34.720
 It doesn't matter what kind of showmanship

00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:36.039
 you bring on a Sunday morning.

00:22:36.840 --> 00:22:39.120
 It doesn't matter what your persona is

00:22:39.120 --> 00:22:41.440
 on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok

00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:45.039
 or the newspaper or whatever it is that you like to use.

00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:46.340
 It doesn't matter.

00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:47.759
 He sees your heart.

00:22:48.140 --> 00:22:49.400
 He sees who you really are.

00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:52.340
 And he's the one ultimately that we stand before.

00:22:53.380 --> 00:22:54.299
 So beware.

00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:57.580
 Beware lest you become like these men.

00:22:57.579 --> 00:23:00.139
 So we see this warning against spiritual hypocrisy.

00:23:00.619 --> 00:23:04.199
 Secondly, we see an example of authentic worship.

00:23:05.399 --> 00:23:07.659
 An example of authentic worship.

00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.579
 And so Mark transitions the scene here.

00:23:11.539 --> 00:23:13.980
 He's moving away from exposing hypocrisy

00:23:13.980 --> 00:23:18.139
 to acknowledging the devotion of this widow woman

00:23:18.139 --> 00:23:19.079
 that we read about.

00:23:19.419 --> 00:23:21.519
 We're gonna divide it into three sections, okay?

00:23:21.579 --> 00:23:23.079
 Just to help us work through these verses.

00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:26.059
 First, I want you to see where Jesus sat.

00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:29.039
 Where Jesus sat.

00:23:29.339 --> 00:23:30.899
 Look at verse 41.

00:23:31.679 --> 00:23:33.919
 He sat down opposite of the treasury

00:23:33.919 --> 00:23:36.539
 and watched the people putting money

00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:38.539
 into the offering box.

00:23:39.679 --> 00:23:43.019
 So Jesus, no doubt tired from a full day

00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:45.539
 of teaching and interacting with people in the temple,

00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:48.220
 dismisses himself from the crowd

00:23:48.220 --> 00:23:52.360
 and goes and finds a place to sit and rest for a moment.

00:23:52.460 --> 00:23:54.740
 And I love these little snippets that we get of Jesus

00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:57.000
 that just remind us that he's also man.

00:23:57.100 --> 00:23:58.140
 He's not just God.

00:23:58.279 --> 00:23:59.279
 He's also man.

00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:00.480
 He got tired.

00:24:00.819 --> 00:24:01.900
 He needed a break.

00:24:02.299 --> 00:24:03.779
 He needed to sit down.

00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:05.500
 He needed to rest.

00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:07.559
 And I love what he's doing.

00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:09.620
 He's people watching.

00:24:10.620 --> 00:24:12.019
 You ever like to people watch?

00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:13.400
 I love it.

00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:16.440
 I love to go into places where the weather's nice.

00:24:16.560 --> 00:24:17.420
 Julie and I have done this.

00:24:17.540 --> 00:24:21.080
 We went on an anniversary trip one time to Disney World

00:24:21.080 --> 00:24:24.080
 and we spent an entire day basically sitting on park benches

00:24:24.080 --> 00:24:26.259
 watching people and laughing

00:24:26.259 --> 00:24:29.000
 and enjoying and learning and talking.

00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:30.240
 It's fun to people watch.

00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:31.860
 That's essentially what Jesus is doing.

00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:34.800
 He finds a place to sit and he's people watching.

00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:36.500
 He's resting his mind and his body.

00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:41.000
 And the place that he sat was near the temple treasury

00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:44.000
 which was located in the court of women.

00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:49.259
 The treasury had 13 offering boxes situated nearby.

00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:53.619
 They were wooden boxes, big wooden boxes that sat on the ground

00:24:53.619 --> 00:24:58.799
 and then attached to the top of the box was a trumpet-like shape,

00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:01.599
 trumpet-like shape that was made of brass.

00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:04.200
 Sometimes they might have been made out of gold or silver.

00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:07.039
 We think in this particular time it was made of brass

00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:10.580
 and there was a more narrow funnel at the top

00:25:10.580 --> 00:25:13.019
 and that's where people would put in their deposit.

00:25:13.340 --> 00:25:15.259
 And they would deposit their money into the funnel.

00:25:15.620 --> 00:25:18.740
 It would cling down through the trumpet shape

00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:23.299
 and then it would find its place in the secure wooden box at the bottom.

00:25:23.380 --> 00:25:27.120
 And there were 13 of these in the temple treasury in the court of women.

00:25:27.640 --> 00:25:29.340
 They were all labeled as well.

00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.100
 So some of them were labeled for the temple taxes.

00:25:33.099 --> 00:25:37.399
 You could only put certain types of currency in some of those offering boxes.

00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:41.059
 You had to use the shekels that related specifically to the temple

00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:43.559
 and there would be people there to acknowledge you

00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:46.579
 and acknowledge what you've given and keep record of all of those kinds of things.

00:25:47.459 --> 00:25:53.000
 Six of these boxes in the temple treasury were marked as freewill offerings,

00:25:53.659 --> 00:25:55.059
 meaning there's no requirement.

00:25:55.439 --> 00:25:56.480
 You don't have to give that.

00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.399
 It's just when you want to give something

00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:01.940
 and you want to in some form of worship give to the Lord.

00:26:02.420 --> 00:26:04.720
 You determine what it is that you're going to give

00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:08.040
 and you would go and you would put it in those particular boxes.

00:26:08.320 --> 00:26:10.320
 That's where Jesus is sitting.

00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:13.580
 And he and his disciples are taking a rest.

00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:17.420
 And the Lord observed as many people came

00:26:17.420 --> 00:26:20.900
 and made their contributions in worship to God

00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:22.640
 and obedience to the law.

00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:26.840
 Now American Christians wouldn't appreciate that very much.

00:26:27.860 --> 00:26:31.200
 But biblically, in the Old Testament and the New Testament,

00:26:31.880 --> 00:26:34.620
 giving was always a very public matter,

00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:37.780
 not a private one like we often treat it.

00:26:38.580 --> 00:26:40.580
 And Jesus is sitting over and he's just watching.

00:26:41.140 --> 00:26:42.500
 He's watching people give.

00:26:43.080 --> 00:26:44.820
 He's hearing the noise.

00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:49.240
 He's listening to the attendants as they make their records

00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:50.900
 and they write down their data.

00:26:51.079 --> 00:26:53.240
 And he's just watching what's happening in the treasury.

00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:55.259
 Now we see what Jesus saw.

00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:56.460
 You see where he sat.

00:26:57.059 --> 00:26:59.079
 Now let's see what he saw.

00:26:59.799 --> 00:27:00.680
 Verse 41, again,

00:27:01.140 --> 00:27:03.400
 many rich people put in large sums

00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:05.900
 and a poor widow came

00:27:05.900 --> 00:27:09.420
 and put in two small copper coins,

00:27:09.660 --> 00:27:10.900
 which make a penny.

00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.500
 So Jesus observes two things.

00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:18.120
 First, he observed that the rich gave much.

00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:19.799
 They gave much.

00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:23.279
 By the way, that's good.

00:27:24.379 --> 00:27:26.599
 We need to be careful not to vilify them

00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:28.019
 just because they're rich.

00:27:28.599 --> 00:27:30.279
 The Bible doesn't condemn wealth.

00:27:30.879 --> 00:27:32.339
 It only condemns the attitude

00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:35.699
 that very often can accompany wealth.

00:27:36.639 --> 00:27:39.099
 And Jesus makes no specific judgment here

00:27:39.099 --> 00:27:40.639
 about the motivation.

00:27:41.139 --> 00:27:42.619
 But as we're looking at the context

00:27:42.619 --> 00:27:44.179
 of this particular chapter,

00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:47.699
 we can discern that there were probably many people

00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:49.240
 coming into the temple that day

00:27:49.240 --> 00:27:51.740
 that the motivation behind their gift

00:27:51.740 --> 00:27:53.120
 was to be seen.

00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:56.440
 After all, as goes the leaders,

00:27:56.680 --> 00:27:58.720
 generally, so goes the people.

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:01.120
 And we've already seen in this passage,

00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.799
 the scribes lived for attention.

00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:05.120
 They lived for credit and recognition.

00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.680
 They wanted to be seen

00:28:06.680 --> 00:28:07.819
 for the things that they were doing.

00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:09.700
 Jesus in other places said

00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:10.900
 they give their alms

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:13.380
 in order that they may be seen of men.

00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:15.740
 We know this was common in Jesus's day.

00:28:16.080 --> 00:28:18.000
 Now take that and think about

00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:19.020
 what they were giving.

00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:22.880
 They didn't have bank checks and paper bills.

00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:25.620
 They had gold and silver

00:28:25.620 --> 00:28:28.000
 and these brass coins, copper coins,

00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:30.100
 all things that make a lot of noise

00:28:30.100 --> 00:28:32.020
 when you pour it into a brass funnel.

00:28:32.820 --> 00:28:34.400
 And you can just imagine

00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:37.120
 the rich that maybe wanted to be seen

00:28:37.120 --> 00:28:38.940
 bringing in their barrels.

00:28:39.060 --> 00:28:40.060
 Perhaps they've got a servant

00:28:40.060 --> 00:28:41.680
 carrying the money for them,

00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:42.779
 and they walk over

00:28:42.779 --> 00:28:44.340
 to their freewill offering box

00:28:44.340 --> 00:28:47.299
 and they begin to pour the bucket of coins

00:28:47.299 --> 00:28:48.740
 down into this brass funnel.

00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.259
 Everybody can hear

00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:53.320
 the great amounts of wealth

00:28:53.320 --> 00:28:54.259
 that they're pouring in

00:28:54.259 --> 00:28:56.060
 and they're receiving this credit

00:28:56.060 --> 00:28:57.640
 and acknowledgement as they do so.

00:28:58.100 --> 00:28:59.220
 Jesus is noticing that.

00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:00.740
 Now, it's important to notice

00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:02.180
 Jesus isn't saying

00:29:02.180 --> 00:29:04.380
 he's not passing judgment on this.

00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:05.259
 At the end of the day,

00:29:05.380 --> 00:29:07.180
 his observation doesn't actually relate

00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:08.019
 to their motivation.

00:29:08.900 --> 00:29:10.400
 It's just merely that they gave a lot,

00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:11.580
 which is a good thing.

00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:13.019
 So the rich people gave a lot.

00:29:13.779 --> 00:29:15.180
 Then he makes another observation,

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:20.240
 one that likely only he made.

00:29:21.740 --> 00:29:23.860
 Because there was no reason in the world

00:29:23.860 --> 00:29:26.560
 for anyone to notice this poor widow.

00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:29.980
 There's no reason for anybody to notice her.

00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:31.960
 In fact, they probably didn't.

00:29:31.960 --> 00:29:36.600
 Jesus' eyes were fixed on her.

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:41.420
 He's locked on her

00:29:41.420 --> 00:29:43.420
 as she enters the court of women

00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:45.420
 and she goes over to one of these

00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:47.539
 probably freewill offering boxes

00:29:47.539 --> 00:29:50.279
 and she brings her two small copper coins

00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:51.920
 and the person next to her

00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:53.480
 is pouring in their bucket of coins,

00:29:53.600 --> 00:29:54.960
 maybe with pure motivation.

00:29:55.140 --> 00:29:56.579
 We don't want to judge that necessarily,

00:29:56.700 --> 00:29:59.500
 but they're pouring in their bucket of coins.

00:29:59.500 --> 00:30:00.519
 And then here comes the lady

00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:02.220
 with two small copper coins

00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:03.380
 that barely makes a sound

00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:04.240
 as she puts it in.

00:30:04.579 --> 00:30:05.519
 And she puts it in

00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:07.240
 and she begins to walk away.

00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:09.460
 The two coins she gave,

00:30:09.660 --> 00:30:11.259
 they were called leptas.

00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:15.099
 Two of them together made a single coin,

00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:17.680
 but she's bringing two of these leptas,

00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:22.779
 which were equal to one 64th of a denarius.

00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:26.000
 You'll remember the denarius from a few weeks ago.

00:30:26.399 --> 00:30:29.980
 A denarius was a day's wage for a common laborer.

00:30:30.660 --> 00:30:32.619
 This is one 64th,

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:34.059
 these two coins together,

00:30:34.399 --> 00:30:36.240
 one 64th of a day's wage.

00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:38.359
 And I'm gonna put that in modern terms.

00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:40.339
 Let's say Andy decides,

00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:41.279
 I'm done with reds,

00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:43.160
 I'm tired of pruning trees,

00:30:43.379 --> 00:30:45.099
 and I'm gonna go to Walgreens instead

00:30:45.099 --> 00:30:46.119
 and work the cash register.

00:30:46.859 --> 00:30:48.059
 And let's say he goes in

00:30:48.059 --> 00:30:49.799
 and they hire him for 10 bucks an hour

00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:51.119
 is what they're gonna pay Andy

00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:52.319
 to run their cash register.

00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:54.239
 His daily wage,

00:30:54.359 --> 00:30:56.639
 his denarius is gonna be 80 bucks.

00:30:57.679 --> 00:30:58.899
 In that scenario,

00:30:59.619 --> 00:31:02.199
 the equivalent of what this lady gave

00:31:02.199 --> 00:31:03.779
 was a buck 25.

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:06.799
 It's all she had.

00:31:08.219 --> 00:31:10.079
 And she comes into the court of women

00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:15.219
 and it's probable that the box

00:31:15.219 --> 00:31:17.359
 that she gives in is this free will box,

00:31:17.879 --> 00:31:21.039
 which means that there was no requirement

00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:21.799
 on her gift.

00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:24.619
 She's not paying a temple tax.

00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:26.259
 She couldn't use those coins for that tax.

00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:27.440
 That's why we know it's not that.

00:31:29.799 --> 00:31:31.680
 No one's pushing her to do this

00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:33.319
 as far as we can tell in the text.

00:31:34.059 --> 00:31:35.759
 She gave these two leptas

00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:37.879
 because it was in her heart

00:31:37.879 --> 00:31:39.759
 to give those two leptas.

00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:41.960
 And Jesus says it's all she had.

00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:46.220
 She might have easily taken one of them

00:31:46.220 --> 00:31:48.380
 and gone to the marketplace

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:50.680
 to buy a small piece of bread

00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:52.740
 so she could have dinner for the evening.

00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:55.039
 But she didn't do that.

00:31:56.100 --> 00:31:57.759
 She kept nothing for herself.

00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:01.079
 And seeing that her offering

00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:02.720
 was basically nothing

00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:04.240
 in the grand scheme of things,

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:06.279
 she couldn't have been motivated

00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:07.960
 by adulation

00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:10.139
 as the scribes might have been motivated.

00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:12.200
 In fact, she might have even

00:32:12.200 --> 00:32:13.660
 been embarrassed by this,

00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:16.139
 by the public nature of giving.

00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:17.259
 Here she comes

00:32:17.259 --> 00:32:18.019
 and here's the people

00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:19.319
 bringing large sums of money

00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:20.440
 that Jesus is noticing.

00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:21.680
 And here's this poor widow

00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:23.079
 that would really probably love

00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:24.899
 to give a massive amount of money

00:32:24.899 --> 00:32:25.819
 to the work of the Lord

00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:27.240
 in worship to her God.

00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:28.359
 But all she has

00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:29.680
 is these two little leptas,

00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:30.500
 a buck 25,

00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:31.940
 and she goes in

00:32:31.940 --> 00:32:33.000
 and probably embarrassed,

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:34.380
 hoping that nobody notices.

00:32:34.859 --> 00:32:35.819
 She goes and she gives

00:32:35.819 --> 00:32:36.779
 these two coins.

00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:39.619
 Why would she sacrifice like that?

00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:41.039
 Why?

00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:43.680
 It doesn't make sense.

00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:48.200
 Is it not love

00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:49.079
 that motivates us

00:32:49.079 --> 00:32:49.900
 to do such things?

00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:54.059
 That's what Kent Hughes discerned.

00:32:54.859 --> 00:32:56.180
 He said her humble motivation

00:32:56.180 --> 00:32:58.400
 could be nothing but love.

00:32:59.539 --> 00:33:01.099
 She was living out the Shema,

00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:02.579
 loving God

00:33:02.579 --> 00:33:05.159
 with all she had.

00:33:06.179 --> 00:33:07.799
 So Jesus observed

00:33:07.799 --> 00:33:09.199
 the rich give much

00:33:09.199 --> 00:33:10.519
 and then he observed

00:33:10.519 --> 00:33:13.079
 the widow give everything.

00:33:13.659 --> 00:33:14.319
 Do you see that?

00:33:14.599 --> 00:33:15.480
 Do you see the difference?

00:33:16.619 --> 00:33:18.720
 He sees the rich give much,

00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:19.539
 a lot of money.

00:33:19.779 --> 00:33:20.639
 He sees the widow

00:33:20.639 --> 00:33:22.119
 give everything that she has.

00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:23.579
 Do you know what the difference is

00:33:23.579 --> 00:33:24.439
 between a person

00:33:24.439 --> 00:33:25.740
 who is counting on their works

00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:26.480
 for salvation

00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:28.519
 and a person who is trusting Christ

00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:29.579
 for salvation?

00:33:30.559 --> 00:33:32.019
 One gives a lot.

00:33:32.579 --> 00:33:34.259
 They give a lot of their money.

00:33:34.659 --> 00:33:36.159
 They give a lot of their time.

00:33:36.419 --> 00:33:37.759
 They give a lot of their effort.

00:33:38.199 --> 00:33:39.279
 The other gives

00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:40.579
 everything they have.

00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.859
 Everything they have

00:33:42.859 --> 00:33:44.939
 goes to pleasing their Savior.

00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:46.299
 That's the difference.

00:33:46.679 --> 00:33:47.419
 That's the picture

00:33:47.419 --> 00:33:48.619
 Jesus is drawing here

00:33:48.619 --> 00:33:49.319
 in this observation.

00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:50.919
 So we see where he sat.

00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.079
 We see what he saw.

00:33:52.220 --> 00:33:52.579
 Finally,

00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:54.939
 we see what Jesus said.

00:33:55.379 --> 00:33:56.199
 What he said.

00:33:56.419 --> 00:33:57.059
 Verse 43.

00:33:57.059 --> 00:34:00.059
 And he called his disciples

00:34:00.059 --> 00:34:00.619
 to him

00:34:00.619 --> 00:34:02.220
 and he said to them,

00:34:02.399 --> 00:34:03.559
 Truly I say to you,

00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:05.379
 this poor widow

00:34:05.379 --> 00:34:06.779
 has put in more

00:34:06.779 --> 00:34:08.159
 than all those

00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:08.960
 who are contributing

00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.860
 to the offering box.

00:34:13.539 --> 00:34:14.500
 I love so much

00:34:14.500 --> 00:34:16.119
 about Jesus' reaction here.

00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:19.420
 He immediately calls

00:34:19.420 --> 00:34:20.320
 his disciples over.

00:34:21.299 --> 00:34:22.380
 I want you to picture this

00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:23.000
 for me if you would.

00:34:24.039 --> 00:34:24.860
 Things are busy.

00:34:24.860 --> 00:34:25.220
 Remember,

00:34:25.380 --> 00:34:25.920
 this is probably

00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:26.860
 day before Passover,

00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:27.599
 day before the day

00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:28.320
 of preparation at least.

00:34:28.720 --> 00:34:30.360
 This is busy in the temple.

00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:30.940
 All these people

00:34:30.940 --> 00:34:31.320
 are coming in.

00:34:31.380 --> 00:34:33.039
 They're giving of their money

00:34:33.039 --> 00:34:33.880
 in the offering box

00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:35.039
 and Jesus locks his eyes

00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:35.660
 in on this woman

00:34:35.660 --> 00:34:36.720
 and he sees what she does

00:34:36.720 --> 00:34:37.620
 and he immediately

00:34:37.620 --> 00:34:39.000
 calls the twelve around him.

00:34:39.200 --> 00:34:39.480
 He says,

00:34:39.559 --> 00:34:40.160
 Guys, come here.

00:34:40.360 --> 00:34:41.240
 And what is it that he says?

00:34:41.380 --> 00:34:41.780
 He says,

00:34:42.059 --> 00:34:43.000
 Look at her.

00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:44.400
 Look at her.

00:34:44.940 --> 00:34:46.800
 Look at what she just did.

00:34:48.260 --> 00:34:49.220
 Because we know

00:34:49.220 --> 00:34:50.400
 that their tendency

00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:51.720
 like our tendency

00:34:51.720 --> 00:34:52.559
 was probably

00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:53.680
 to have their eyes drawn

00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:54.940
 to all the rich folks

00:34:54.940 --> 00:34:55.379
 who were given

00:34:55.379 --> 00:34:56.099
 a lot of money

00:34:56.099 --> 00:34:57.679
 because that's impressive.

00:34:58.440 --> 00:34:59.859
 That catches our attention.

00:35:00.799 --> 00:35:01.799
 Their eyes were drawn

00:35:01.799 --> 00:35:02.579
 to the scribes

00:35:02.579 --> 00:35:03.659
 and Jesus is saying here,

00:35:03.739 --> 00:35:04.339
 No, no, no, no, no.

00:35:04.679 --> 00:35:06.139
 Don't look at those men.

00:35:06.619 --> 00:35:07.539
 Don't look at them.

00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:09.679
 Don't look at the phony,

00:35:09.799 --> 00:35:11.159
 hypocritical scribes.

00:35:11.500 --> 00:35:12.659
 Look at this woman.

00:35:13.299 --> 00:35:14.119
 Look at her.

00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:15.779
 Look what she gave.

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:19.039
 Look what she just did.

00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:22.219
 And can I just remind you today

00:35:22.219 --> 00:35:26.779
 that Jesus sees you?

00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:29.079
 He sees you?

00:35:31.500 --> 00:35:32.779
 Many times we'll say that.

00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:33.500
 We'll quote,

00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:34.380
 and rightfully so,

00:35:34.460 --> 00:35:35.360
 we'll quote the proverb,

00:35:35.500 --> 00:35:36.219
 The eyes of the Lord

00:35:36.219 --> 00:35:36.900
 are in every place

00:35:36.900 --> 00:35:37.739
 beholding the evil

00:35:37.739 --> 00:35:38.179
 and the good.

00:35:38.460 --> 00:35:39.900
 I had that verse quoted to me

00:35:39.900 --> 00:35:41.400
 so many times growing up.

00:35:41.800 --> 00:35:42.920
 My dad would always tell me.

00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:43.340
 He would say,

00:35:43.400 --> 00:35:44.179
 Jared, I may not know

00:35:44.179 --> 00:35:44.739
 what you're doing,

00:35:44.940 --> 00:35:45.900
 but God sees you

00:35:45.900 --> 00:35:46.699
 and he'd quote the verse

00:35:46.699 --> 00:35:47.039
 and he'd say,

00:35:47.099 --> 00:35:47.759
 And he's going to tell me

00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:48.260
 what you're doing,

00:35:48.520 --> 00:35:49.560
 is what dad would say.

00:35:50.360 --> 00:35:51.780
 And usually he did.

00:35:52.560 --> 00:35:54.660
 And I don't mean it that way

00:35:54.660 --> 00:35:55.300
 in this case.

00:35:56.900 --> 00:35:57.540
 That's true.

00:35:57.760 --> 00:35:58.820
 But I don't mean it as a warning.

00:35:59.940 --> 00:36:01.000
 I mean it as an encouragement.

00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:04.200
 Jesus sees you.

00:36:06.040 --> 00:36:06.780
 Because no doubt

00:36:06.780 --> 00:36:08.060
 there's some of us here this morning,

00:36:08.300 --> 00:36:10.240
 you feel utterly insignificant

00:36:10.240 --> 00:36:11.040
 when it comes to

00:36:11.040 --> 00:36:12.600
 the big picture of things.

00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:14.720
 Maybe when it comes

00:36:14.720 --> 00:36:16.000
 to the big picture of your family

00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:17.960
 or the big picture of the church

00:36:17.960 --> 00:36:19.219
 or the big picture

00:36:19.219 --> 00:36:20.159
 of the gospel work

00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:20.860
 around the world

00:36:20.860 --> 00:36:22.500
 and you start thinking about

00:36:22.500 --> 00:36:24.300
 and comparing yourself

00:36:24.300 --> 00:36:25.059
 to the things

00:36:25.059 --> 00:36:25.900
 that other people may

00:36:25.900 --> 00:36:26.880
 be gifted in

00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:27.860
 or the other things

00:36:27.860 --> 00:36:28.659
 that they can do

00:36:28.659 --> 00:36:29.840
 and you may think

00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:30.980
 that you have no significance

00:36:30.980 --> 00:36:31.920
 in this life.

00:36:32.559 --> 00:36:33.500
 That you have nothing

00:36:33.500 --> 00:36:34.380
 of real value

00:36:34.380 --> 00:36:35.780
 to bring to the Lord

00:36:35.780 --> 00:36:36.500
 and his work.

00:36:38.099 --> 00:36:38.940
 And the truth is

00:36:38.940 --> 00:36:39.519
 you may not have

00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:40.099
 a lot of money

00:36:40.099 --> 00:36:40.780
 you can give.

00:36:41.400 --> 00:36:42.260
 You may not have

00:36:42.260 --> 00:36:43.099
 a tremendous amount

00:36:43.099 --> 00:36:43.559
 of talent

00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:44.559
 that you can use

00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:46.719
 but when you give

00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:47.860
 what you have to God

00:36:47.860 --> 00:36:51.039
 Jesus always sees that

00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:53.920
 and he is filled with joy

00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:55.779
 over your worship.

00:36:56.519 --> 00:36:57.739
 Whether it's a bucket

00:36:57.739 --> 00:36:58.559
 full of coins

00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:00.480
 or it's a couple of leptas

00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:01.980
 when you give everything

00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:02.639
 to God

00:37:02.639 --> 00:37:04.460
 he notices that.

00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:06.900
 He sees that.

00:37:07.900 --> 00:37:09.519
 He is glorified

00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:11.380
 by that.

00:37:11.380 --> 00:37:13.320
 He sees you.

00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:16.119
 We don't know

00:37:16.119 --> 00:37:16.840
 what the result

00:37:16.840 --> 00:37:17.980
 of this scenario was.

00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:21.360
 We might easily

00:37:21.360 --> 00:37:22.519
 make an application

00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:23.420
 that may not

00:37:23.420 --> 00:37:24.240
 have necessarily

00:37:24.240 --> 00:37:25.400
 been true of this woman.

00:37:25.480 --> 00:37:25.940
 We may say

00:37:25.940 --> 00:37:26.640
 well I bet

00:37:26.640 --> 00:37:27.900
 when she got home

00:37:27.900 --> 00:37:28.460
 there was like

00:37:28.460 --> 00:37:29.140
 one of those

00:37:29.140 --> 00:37:30.640
 hallelujah handshake

00:37:30.640 --> 00:37:31.380
 kind of moments

00:37:31.380 --> 00:37:31.920
 where there's just

00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:32.860
 like a basket full

00:37:32.860 --> 00:37:33.599
 of all this food

00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:34.619
 waiting for at her house.

00:37:34.780 --> 00:37:35.460
 But the scripture

00:37:35.460 --> 00:37:36.180
 doesn't tell us

00:37:36.180 --> 00:37:36.760
 that that happened.

00:37:37.099 --> 00:37:37.640
 She may have

00:37:37.640 --> 00:37:39.180
 spent the night hungry

00:37:39.180 --> 00:37:40.680
 that night.

00:37:41.380 --> 00:37:45.820
 But Jesus saw her.

00:37:47.140 --> 00:37:47.880
 The truth is

00:37:47.880 --> 00:37:48.539
 she may have never

00:37:48.539 --> 00:37:49.059
 known Jesus

00:37:49.059 --> 00:37:49.900
 was even watching.

00:37:51.019 --> 00:37:52.019
 She may have never

00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:53.440
 known the impact

00:37:53.440 --> 00:37:54.240
 of her worship

00:37:54.240 --> 00:37:55.539
 on others

00:37:55.539 --> 00:37:57.280
 throughout Christian

00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:58.180
 history as they've

00:37:58.180 --> 00:37:59.340
 come to Mark's gospel

00:37:59.340 --> 00:37:59.900
 and they've read

00:37:59.900 --> 00:38:01.079
 this story time and again.

00:38:01.760 --> 00:38:02.800
 But look at how

00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:04.019
 the Lord used her gift.

00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:05.019
 Look at how

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:06.260
 he has been glorified

00:38:06.260 --> 00:38:07.960
 for 2,000 years now

00:38:07.960 --> 00:38:09.380
 because of the worship

00:38:09.380 --> 00:38:10.160
 of this woman.

00:38:11.660 --> 00:38:12.340
 And you may never

00:38:12.340 --> 00:38:13.079
 know the impact

00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:13.780
 of your devotion

00:38:13.780 --> 00:38:14.559
 on others either

00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:16.820
 but you can be sure

00:38:16.820 --> 00:38:18.260
 that God is always

00:38:18.260 --> 00:38:18.720
 working.

00:38:19.260 --> 00:38:20.240
 He's working in you

00:38:20.240 --> 00:38:21.240
 and he's working

00:38:21.240 --> 00:38:22.019
 through you

00:38:22.019 --> 00:38:23.660
 to glorify his son

00:38:23.660 --> 00:38:25.360
 and uplift his gospel.

00:38:25.780 --> 00:38:26.519
 And that's exactly

00:38:26.519 --> 00:38:27.500
 what Jesus did

00:38:27.500 --> 00:38:28.860
 with this poor woman.

00:38:28.860 --> 00:38:30.920
 I like how James

00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:31.740
 Edwards said it.

00:38:32.599 --> 00:38:33.400
 How powerfully

00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:34.740
 ironic is the word

00:38:34.740 --> 00:38:36.360
 more in Mark's

00:38:36.360 --> 00:38:36.820
 description

00:38:36.820 --> 00:38:38.559
 because everything

00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:39.500
 about this woman

00:38:39.500 --> 00:38:40.380
 has been described

00:38:40.380 --> 00:38:41.780
 in terms of less

00:38:41.780 --> 00:38:43.680
 particularly in

00:38:43.680 --> 00:38:44.640
 comparison to the

00:38:44.640 --> 00:38:45.940
 scribes and wealthy

00:38:45.940 --> 00:38:46.440
 crowd.

00:38:46.820 --> 00:38:47.300
 And yet the contrast

00:38:47.300 --> 00:38:49.019
 between her genuine

00:38:49.019 --> 00:38:50.119
 piety and faith

00:38:50.119 --> 00:38:51.360
 and the pretense

00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:51.960
 of the wealthy

00:38:51.960 --> 00:38:54.539
 is beyond compare.

00:38:55.639 --> 00:38:56.619
 And by Jesus'

00:38:56.840 --> 00:38:57.239
 account

00:38:57.239 --> 00:38:59.199
 she gave more

00:38:59.199 --> 00:39:00.320
 than all of the

00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:00.820
 other people

00:39:00.820 --> 00:39:01.480
 who contributed

00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:02.099
 that day.

00:39:02.980 --> 00:39:03.739
 And we know

00:39:03.739 --> 00:39:04.179
 there's some

00:39:04.179 --> 00:39:04.980
 mathematicians

00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:05.940
 among the disciples.

00:39:06.659 --> 00:39:07.860
 Matthew was a tax

00:39:07.860 --> 00:39:08.599
 collector prior

00:39:08.599 --> 00:39:09.480
 to coming to Christ.

00:39:09.599 --> 00:39:10.139
 We know he knew

00:39:10.139 --> 00:39:10.659
 how to count.

00:39:11.159 --> 00:39:12.039
 Judas we're told

00:39:12.039 --> 00:39:12.940
 in John's gospel

00:39:12.940 --> 00:39:13.759
 was skimming money

00:39:13.759 --> 00:39:14.400
 off the top

00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:14.980
 so we know that

00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:15.739
 he knew how to count

00:39:15.739 --> 00:39:16.280
 as well.

00:39:16.579 --> 00:39:17.000
 And perhaps

00:39:17.000 --> 00:39:17.880
 they're sitting there

00:39:17.880 --> 00:39:18.300
 and they're counting

00:39:18.300 --> 00:39:19.000
 up on their fingers

00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:19.680
 there's no way

00:39:19.680 --> 00:39:20.720
 Jesus how do you get

00:39:20.720 --> 00:39:21.940
 that she gave

00:39:21.940 --> 00:39:23.019
 more than anybody else.

00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:23.940
 So he explains

00:39:23.940 --> 00:39:24.740
 in verse 44.

00:39:25.740 --> 00:39:26.200
 For they all

00:39:26.200 --> 00:39:26.940
 contributed out

00:39:26.940 --> 00:39:27.780
 of the abundance

00:39:27.780 --> 00:39:30.140
 she out of her

00:39:30.140 --> 00:39:30.599
 poverty

00:39:30.599 --> 00:39:32.000
 has put in

00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:32.960
 everything she had

00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:34.539
 all she had

00:39:34.539 --> 00:39:35.059
 to live on.

00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:37.980
 So we find out

00:39:37.980 --> 00:39:38.960
 at the end of the day

00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:39.640
 in the accounting

00:39:39.640 --> 00:39:40.240
 process

00:39:40.240 --> 00:39:41.099
 Jesus is not

00:39:41.099 --> 00:39:41.780
 concerned about

00:39:41.780 --> 00:39:42.840
 the sum of your

00:39:42.840 --> 00:39:43.280
 gift

00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:44.800
 but the proportion

00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:45.340
 of it.

00:39:46.500 --> 00:39:47.519
 He's not concerned

00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:48.239
 about the amount

00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:48.940
 of currency

00:39:48.940 --> 00:39:49.599
 you give

00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:50.500
 but the amount

00:39:50.500 --> 00:39:51.360
 of sacrifice

00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:52.340
 that you make.

00:39:53.320 --> 00:39:53.800
 Why?

00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:56.079
 Because God

00:39:56.079 --> 00:39:56.599
 doesn't need

00:39:56.599 --> 00:39:57.079
 our money.

00:39:58.539 --> 00:39:59.280
 God doesn't

00:39:59.280 --> 00:39:59.820
 need our money.

00:40:01.179 --> 00:40:02.059
 Giving to God

00:40:02.059 --> 00:40:02.539
 is like

00:40:02.539 --> 00:40:03.619
 at Christmas

00:40:03.619 --> 00:40:05.039
 this year

00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:05.519
 the girls

00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:06.880
 will save money

00:40:06.880 --> 00:40:07.599
 throughout the year

00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:08.039
 and as soon

00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:08.800
 as we go to Target

00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:09.380
 they'll hit that

00:40:09.380 --> 00:40:10.259
 $3 section

00:40:10.259 --> 00:40:10.759
 and they'll blow

00:40:10.759 --> 00:40:11.300
 all their money

00:40:11.300 --> 00:40:12.619
 on stamps

00:40:12.619 --> 00:40:13.179
 and papers

00:40:13.179 --> 00:40:14.239
 and markers

00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:15.019
 and things like that.

00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:15.800
 And then Christmas

00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:16.519
 will roll around

00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:17.039
 and Ashlyn's

00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:17.340
 going to say

00:40:17.340 --> 00:40:17.860
 dad I really

00:40:17.860 --> 00:40:18.239
 want to get

00:40:18.239 --> 00:40:19.239
 mom a Christmas

00:40:19.239 --> 00:40:19.480
 gift

00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:19.880
 can you give

00:40:19.880 --> 00:40:20.460
 me some money

00:40:20.460 --> 00:40:20.960
 so I can go

00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:21.559
 get you and mom

00:40:21.559 --> 00:40:22.219
 a Christmas gift

00:40:22.219 --> 00:40:23.420
 and I will gladly

00:40:23.420 --> 00:40:24.239
 give Ashlyn some

00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:25.039
 money and she'll go

00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:25.480
 and she'll buy

00:40:25.480 --> 00:40:26.079
 a Christmas gift

00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:26.679
 and then on Christmas

00:40:26.679 --> 00:40:27.039
 day I'm going to

00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:27.579
 open the gift

00:40:27.579 --> 00:40:28.019
 and I'm going to

00:40:28.019 --> 00:40:28.779
 be so happy

00:40:28.779 --> 00:40:29.500
 to receive that

00:40:29.500 --> 00:40:29.699
 gift

00:40:29.699 --> 00:40:30.480
 but it was a

00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:30.900
 gift that I

00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:31.219
 bought.

00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:33.000
 That's what

00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:33.639
 giving to God

00:40:33.639 --> 00:40:34.199
 is like isn't

00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:34.400
 it?

00:40:35.500 --> 00:40:36.420
 It all belongs

00:40:36.420 --> 00:40:36.800
 to him.

00:40:37.759 --> 00:40:38.320
 It's all

00:40:38.320 --> 00:40:39.619
 controlled by him.

00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:40.500
 He can take

00:40:40.500 --> 00:40:41.139
 it away as soon

00:40:41.139 --> 00:40:41.800
 as he gives it.

00:40:42.420 --> 00:40:42.960
 It's all from

00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:43.139
 him.

00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:43.880
 He owns the

00:40:43.880 --> 00:40:44.639
 cat on a thousand

00:40:44.639 --> 00:40:45.239
 hills the

00:40:45.239 --> 00:40:45.679
 psalm says.

00:40:45.879 --> 00:40:46.819
 He doesn't need

00:40:46.819 --> 00:40:47.819
 our money but

00:40:47.819 --> 00:40:48.679
 just like I will

00:40:48.679 --> 00:40:49.419
 be just as

00:40:49.419 --> 00:40:50.039
 pleased with that

00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:50.679
 Christmas gift

00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:51.319
 that Ashlyn and

00:40:51.319 --> 00:40:51.899
 Harper give me

00:40:51.899 --> 00:40:52.399
 though it even

00:40:52.399 --> 00:40:53.039
 comes from my

00:40:53.039 --> 00:40:53.599
 bank account

00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:54.839
 so is Jesus

00:40:54.839 --> 00:40:56.039
 so pleased when

00:40:56.039 --> 00:40:57.239
 we give to him

00:40:57.239 --> 00:40:57.959
 though he's the

00:40:57.959 --> 00:40:58.719
 one that has

00:40:58.719 --> 00:40:59.339
 blessed us to

00:40:59.339 --> 00:40:59.899
 give to begin

00:40:59.899 --> 00:41:00.199
 with.

00:41:00.779 --> 00:41:01.759
 God doesn't need

00:41:01.759 --> 00:41:02.739
 our money.

00:41:03.079 --> 00:41:03.839
 He's not concerned

00:41:03.839 --> 00:41:04.819
 about the sum

00:41:04.819 --> 00:41:05.239
 here.

00:41:05.839 --> 00:41:06.839
 He's not biting

00:41:06.839 --> 00:41:07.799
 his nails every

00:41:07.799 --> 00:41:09.259
 Sunday hoping that

00:41:09.259 --> 00:41:09.939
 our church will

00:41:09.939 --> 00:41:10.819
 meet budget this

00:41:10.819 --> 00:41:11.119
 week.

00:41:12.079 --> 00:41:13.139
 God doesn't do

00:41:13.139 --> 00:41:13.339
 that.

00:41:13.340 --> 00:41:14.400
 He's not

00:41:14.400 --> 00:41:15.200
 impressed by

00:41:15.200 --> 00:41:16.240
 vast sums that

00:41:16.240 --> 00:41:16.960
 we may give.

00:41:17.300 --> 00:41:17.980
 He owns it all

00:41:17.980 --> 00:41:18.600
 and he provides

00:41:18.600 --> 00:41:18.880
 it all.

00:41:19.180 --> 00:41:19.700
 But what God

00:41:19.700 --> 00:41:20.400
 is undoubtedly

00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:21.360
 concerned about

00:41:21.360 --> 00:41:22.460
 is the measure

00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:23.200
 of sacrifice

00:41:23.200 --> 00:41:23.940
 and worship

00:41:23.940 --> 00:41:25.420
 demonstrated in

00:41:25.420 --> 00:41:26.180
 what we give.

00:41:27.360 --> 00:41:27.940
 And by the way

00:41:27.940 --> 00:41:28.900
 the point of this

00:41:28.900 --> 00:41:29.480
 story lest you

00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:30.320
 misunderstand me

00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:31.240
 the point of

00:41:31.240 --> 00:41:31.780
 this story is

00:41:31.780 --> 00:41:32.680
 Jesus is not

00:41:32.680 --> 00:41:33.440
 telling us and

00:41:33.440 --> 00:41:34.180
 commanding us to

00:41:34.180 --> 00:41:35.120
 give all of our

00:41:35.120 --> 00:41:35.680
 money to the

00:41:35.680 --> 00:41:35.980
 church.

00:41:36.079 --> 00:41:36.900
 That's not what

00:41:36.900 --> 00:41:37.660
 he's saying here.

00:41:38.240 --> 00:41:39.000
 He's not even

00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:39.900
 passing a judgment

00:41:39.900 --> 00:41:40.539
 on whether or not

00:41:40.539 --> 00:41:41.300
 this woman should

00:41:41.300 --> 00:41:42.100
 have given in the

00:41:42.100 --> 00:41:42.960
 way that she did.

00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:43.920
 He's acknowledging

00:41:43.920 --> 00:41:44.720
 what she did.

00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:46.820
 The lesson here is

00:41:46.820 --> 00:41:47.860
 that Jesus is

00:41:47.860 --> 00:41:48.659
 teaching that we

00:41:48.659 --> 00:41:49.480
 are to give not

00:41:49.480 --> 00:41:50.220
 all of our money

00:41:50.220 --> 00:41:51.360
 but to give all

00:41:51.360 --> 00:41:52.880
 of ourselves to

00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:53.159
 him.

00:41:53.260 --> 00:41:54.280
 All of ourselves.

00:41:55.519 --> 00:41:56.159
 Can't you say

00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:56.840
 God doesn't want

00:41:56.840 --> 00:41:57.300
 your money.

00:41:57.559 --> 00:41:58.480
 He wants you.

00:41:59.260 --> 00:42:00.420
 But you can't give

00:42:00.420 --> 00:42:01.380
 him all of yourself

00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:02.240
 apart from your

00:42:02.240 --> 00:42:03.039
 money because that's

00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:03.760
 a part of it.

00:42:04.679 --> 00:42:05.539
 And this is what

00:42:05.539 --> 00:42:07.119
 motivated Paul to

00:42:07.119 --> 00:42:07.579
 write of the

00:42:07.579 --> 00:42:08.579
 Macedonians in

00:42:08.579 --> 00:42:09.720
 2 Corinthians 8.

00:42:10.059 --> 00:42:10.980
 He said we want

00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:11.639
 you to know

00:42:11.639 --> 00:42:12.559
 brothers about the

00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:13.500
 grace of God

00:42:13.500 --> 00:42:14.259
 that has been

00:42:14.259 --> 00:42:15.139
 given among the

00:42:15.139 --> 00:42:15.639
 churches of

00:42:15.639 --> 00:42:16.339
 Macedonia.

00:42:17.159 --> 00:42:18.039
 For in a severe

00:42:18.039 --> 00:42:19.400
 test of affliction

00:42:19.400 --> 00:42:21.539
 their abundance of

00:42:21.539 --> 00:42:23.059
 joy and their

00:42:23.059 --> 00:42:24.359
 extreme poverty

00:42:24.359 --> 00:42:26.719
 have overflowed in a

00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:27.960
 wealth of generosity

00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:29.400
 on their part.

00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:31.319
 For they gave

00:42:31.319 --> 00:42:32.159
 according to their

00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:33.119
 means as I can

00:42:33.119 --> 00:42:34.859
 testify and beyond

00:42:34.859 --> 00:42:36.119
 their means of

00:42:36.119 --> 00:42:37.079
 their own accord

00:42:37.079 --> 00:42:38.819
 begging us earnestly

00:42:38.819 --> 00:42:40.019
 for the favor of

00:42:40.019 --> 00:42:40.960
 taking part in the

00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:41.860
 relief of the saints.

00:42:41.940 --> 00:42:42.420
 And here's what he

00:42:42.420 --> 00:42:42.739
 says.

00:42:43.179 --> 00:42:44.280
 And this not as we

00:42:44.280 --> 00:42:44.800
 expected.

00:42:45.039 --> 00:42:45.900
 We didn't put the

00:42:45.900 --> 00:42:46.800
 pressure on them to

00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:47.380
 do this.

00:42:47.900 --> 00:42:48.659
 He said but they

00:42:48.659 --> 00:42:49.599
 gave themselves

00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:52.139
 first to the

00:42:52.139 --> 00:42:54.139
 Lord and then by

00:42:54.139 --> 00:42:55.000
 the will of God to

00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:55.280
 us.

00:42:55.380 --> 00:42:56.259
 They gave themselves

00:42:56.259 --> 00:42:57.639
 first and then when

00:42:57.639 --> 00:42:58.340
 there was a need in

00:42:58.340 --> 00:42:59.519
 another church it

00:42:59.519 --> 00:43:01.059
 wasn't a problem for

00:43:01.059 --> 00:43:02.300
 them to sacrifice out

00:43:02.300 --> 00:43:03.119
 of their poverty to

00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:03.980
 give because they'd

00:43:03.980 --> 00:43:04.820
 already given it all to

00:43:04.820 --> 00:43:05.539
 the Lord anyways.

00:43:06.340 --> 00:43:07.219
 They'd already said

00:43:07.219 --> 00:43:08.039
 Lord I'm yours.

00:43:08.559 --> 00:43:09.380
 Everything I have is

00:43:09.380 --> 00:43:09.820
 yours.

00:43:10.140 --> 00:43:11.460
 My family is yours.

00:43:11.880 --> 00:43:13.079
 My money is yours.

00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:14.720
 My job is yours.

00:43:15.099 --> 00:43:16.440
 My church is yours.

00:43:16.900 --> 00:43:18.360
 Use it however you

00:43:18.360 --> 00:43:18.760
 want.

00:43:20.280 --> 00:43:21.200
 Of course this doesn't

00:43:21.200 --> 00:43:21.980
 apply only to our

00:43:21.980 --> 00:43:22.360
 money.

00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:24.880
 It's about our time.

00:43:26.300 --> 00:43:27.940
 We give our time to

00:43:27.940 --> 00:43:28.800
 the work of God.

00:43:29.640 --> 00:43:31.220
 It's about our talent,

00:43:31.800 --> 00:43:32.420
 our gifts.

00:43:33.099 --> 00:43:35.280
 We use them for the

00:43:35.280 --> 00:43:36.559
 glory of God.

00:43:36.860 --> 00:43:37.579
 It's about our

00:43:37.579 --> 00:43:38.220
 affection.

00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:41.839
 giving it not to

00:43:41.839 --> 00:43:44.139
 ourselves, not to

00:43:44.139 --> 00:43:46.179
 meet the cravings and

00:43:46.179 --> 00:43:48.000
 lust of our life, but

00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:49.339
 setting our affections on

00:43:49.339 --> 00:43:50.139
 the things of God.

00:43:50.279 --> 00:43:51.419
 When we give all of

00:43:51.419 --> 00:43:53.919
 ourselves to him, it's

00:43:53.919 --> 00:43:54.980
 no surprise when we're

00:43:54.980 --> 00:43:56.559
 willing to sacrifice

00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:58.179
 tremendous resources in

00:43:58.179 --> 00:43:59.959
 time for his glory and

00:43:59.959 --> 00:44:00.239
 work.

00:44:00.599 --> 00:44:01.799
 That's the point of what

00:44:01.799 --> 00:44:02.839
 Jesus is pointing out.

00:44:03.139 --> 00:44:04.039
 He's not saying you got

00:44:04.039 --> 00:44:04.579
 to give your whole

00:44:04.579 --> 00:44:05.480
 paycheck to the church.

00:44:05.480 --> 00:44:06.460
 He's saying you got to

00:44:06.460 --> 00:44:07.139
 give your whole paycheck

00:44:07.139 --> 00:44:08.960
 to him, which means

00:44:08.960 --> 00:44:10.139
 glorifying him with it

00:44:10.139 --> 00:44:11.099
 may be paying the bills

00:44:11.099 --> 00:44:12.460
 this week, and it may be

00:44:12.460 --> 00:44:13.380
 helping your kids this

00:44:13.380 --> 00:44:15.260
 week, and it may be doing

00:44:15.260 --> 00:44:16.139
 other things to help

00:44:16.139 --> 00:44:17.639
 others, and it may be

00:44:17.639 --> 00:44:19.440
 giving to the church and

00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:20.159
 giving to the Lord.

00:44:20.280 --> 00:44:20.940
 He's just saying it's all

00:44:20.940 --> 00:44:21.280
 his.

00:44:21.659 --> 00:44:22.320
 It's all his.

00:44:24.820 --> 00:44:26.039
 The lesson Jesus was

00:44:26.039 --> 00:44:26.820
 teaching in the temple

00:44:26.820 --> 00:44:27.400
 wasn't new.

00:44:27.400 --> 00:44:31.119
 It's the same lesson when

00:44:31.119 --> 00:44:32.460
 we step back and view

00:44:32.460 --> 00:44:33.700
 these passages together.

00:44:33.860 --> 00:44:35.000
 It's the same lesson on

00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:36.160
 true discipleship that

00:44:36.160 --> 00:44:37.160
 we've seen over and over

00:44:37.160 --> 00:44:38.579
 in Mark's gospel, right?

00:44:40.599 --> 00:44:41.760
 Remember in chapter one,

00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:43.139
 Jesus is walking by the

00:44:43.139 --> 00:44:44.039
 Sea of Galilee, and he

00:44:44.039 --> 00:44:45.320
 sees four fishermen, and

00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:47.280
 he says, hey guys, come

00:44:47.280 --> 00:44:47.780
 and follow me.

00:44:47.820 --> 00:44:48.680
 I'll make you fishers of

00:44:48.680 --> 00:44:48.940
 men.

00:44:49.280 --> 00:44:50.380
 And Peter and Andrew and

00:44:50.380 --> 00:44:51.380
 James and John, it says

00:44:51.380 --> 00:44:52.480
 they left everything.

00:44:52.619 --> 00:44:53.579
 They left their nets.

00:44:53.700 --> 00:44:54.619
 They left their boats.

00:44:54.720 --> 00:44:55.740
 They left their livelihood.

00:44:55.739 --> 00:44:56.739
 They left their business

00:44:56.739 --> 00:44:57.979
 to follow Christ.

00:44:59.459 --> 00:45:00.479
 And we see it time and

00:45:00.479 --> 00:45:01.259
 again in Mark's gospel.

00:45:01.339 --> 00:45:02.199
 We get to chapter eight,

00:45:02.359 --> 00:45:03.319
 and Jesus actually

00:45:03.319 --> 00:45:04.339
 explicitly says it.

00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:05.119
 He says, if you're going

00:45:05.119 --> 00:45:06.500
 to come after me, deny

00:45:06.500 --> 00:45:07.699
 yourself and take up your

00:45:07.699 --> 00:45:08.699
 cross and follow me.

00:45:10.739 --> 00:45:12.619
 For whoever seeks to

00:45:12.619 --> 00:45:13.739
 save their life will lose

00:45:13.739 --> 00:45:14.799
 it, but whoever loses

00:45:14.799 --> 00:45:16.179
 their life for my sake in

00:45:16.179 --> 00:45:17.139
 the gospels, the same

00:45:17.139 --> 00:45:18.500
 will save it, Jesus says.

00:45:18.679 --> 00:45:19.819
 And he says, what does it

00:45:19.819 --> 00:45:21.059
 matter if you gain the

00:45:21.059 --> 00:45:22.059
 whole world and at the

00:45:22.059 --> 00:45:23.079
 end of this life you lose

00:45:23.079 --> 00:45:23.879
 your own soul?

00:45:23.880 --> 00:45:25.760
 And he says, if you

00:45:25.760 --> 00:45:26.720
 want to follow me, if

00:45:26.720 --> 00:45:27.539
 you really want to be my

00:45:27.539 --> 00:45:28.340
 disciple, you have to

00:45:28.340 --> 00:45:29.280
 give everything, leave

00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:30.340
 everything behind and

00:45:30.340 --> 00:45:31.700
 follow me with your

00:45:31.700 --> 00:45:32.619
 heart and with your

00:45:32.619 --> 00:45:33.960
 affection with 100%.

00:45:33.960 --> 00:45:34.800
 We're leaving everything

00:45:34.800 --> 00:45:35.340
 behind.

00:45:35.940 --> 00:45:36.820
 And then we get to this

00:45:36.820 --> 00:45:37.700
 woman here and what do

00:45:37.700 --> 00:45:38.420
 we see in her?

00:45:38.820 --> 00:45:40.180
 In contrast to the

00:45:40.180 --> 00:45:41.180
 scribes, we see true

00:45:41.180 --> 00:45:42.039
 discipleship.

00:45:42.200 --> 00:45:43.300
 A woman who has been

00:45:43.300 --> 00:45:44.300
 willing to put everything

00:45:44.300 --> 00:45:45.980
 behind, everything behind

00:45:45.980 --> 00:45:47.200
 in order to be devoted

00:45:47.200 --> 00:45:48.079
 to her God.

00:45:48.400 --> 00:45:49.400
 And once again, we see

00:45:49.400 --> 00:45:50.960
 this beautiful picture of

00:45:50.960 --> 00:45:52.200
 what it means to actually

00:45:52.200 --> 00:45:53.519
 be a disciple of Christ.

00:45:53.519 --> 00:45:56.280
 true discipleship is when

00:45:56.280 --> 00:45:57.880
 we forsake everything, all

00:45:57.880 --> 00:45:59.980
 sin, all ambition, all

00:45:59.980 --> 00:46:01.139
 relationships, all

00:46:01.139 --> 00:46:02.980
 ideologies to believe in

00:46:02.980 --> 00:46:04.139
 Jesus and follow him as

00:46:04.139 --> 00:46:04.440
 Lord.

00:46:05.360 --> 00:46:06.579
 It doesn't look like the

00:46:06.579 --> 00:46:07.759
 pretentious scribes.

00:46:08.179 --> 00:46:09.139
 It looks like the

00:46:09.139 --> 00:46:09.800
 faithful widow.

00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:12.920
 And the question for us is

00:46:12.920 --> 00:46:13.960
 which one of those people

00:46:13.960 --> 00:46:14.960
 do we most resemble?

00:46:16.280 --> 00:46:17.420
 Are we in this for

00:46:17.420 --> 00:46:19.019
 ourselves using God's name

00:46:19.019 --> 00:46:20.400
 and using God's work to

00:46:20.400 --> 00:46:21.739
 build ourselves up and put

00:46:21.739 --> 00:46:22.539
 other people down?

00:46:23.539 --> 00:46:25.059
 Or are we actually devoted

00:46:25.059 --> 00:46:26.319
 to Christ in reality?

00:46:28.019 --> 00:46:29.219
 And of course, there's a

00:46:29.219 --> 00:46:30.559
 gospel parallel here, isn't

00:46:30.559 --> 00:46:30.739
 there?

00:46:31.279 --> 00:46:32.259
 It's easy to see it.

00:46:33.519 --> 00:46:34.879
 The woman gave everything

00:46:34.879 --> 00:46:35.939
 out of love for God.

00:46:37.439 --> 00:46:39.039
 Jesus gave everything out of

00:46:39.039 --> 00:46:40.359
 love for us.

00:46:40.360 --> 00:46:44.019
 He takes the wrath of God

00:46:44.019 --> 00:46:45.840
 against our sin as he dies

00:46:45.840 --> 00:46:46.480
 on the cross.

00:46:47.920 --> 00:46:49.820
 But he offers eternal life

00:46:49.820 --> 00:46:51.000
 and forgiveness to whoever

00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:53.000
 will come to him in faith

00:46:53.000 --> 00:46:56.559
 and repentance to be a true

00:46:56.559 --> 00:46:57.420
 disciple.

00:46:59.300 --> 00:47:00.620
 Will you come to him?

00:47:02.099 --> 00:47:03.660
 Will you receive him?

00:47:03.659 --> 00:47:06.960
 Is he the treasure in the

00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:07.299
 field?

00:47:08.059 --> 00:47:10.299
 Is he the pearl of great

00:47:10.299 --> 00:47:10.759
 price?

00:47:11.980 --> 00:47:12.460
 Yes.

00:47:13.359 --> 00:47:14.139
 Follow him.

00:47:14.139 --> 00:47:44.119
 Thank you.