Well, good morning, everyone. Good morning. How lovely to see you. Thank you so much for coming out this morning.
Please, if you've got a Bible, grab it and turn to Luke chapter 20, those verses that Paul helpfully read for us earlier.
And this is where we're going to camp out this morning, Luke chapter 20, as we journey with Jesus as he heads towards Jerusalem.
Thank you so much, Fiona and the band, for leading us this far.
And let's bow our heads and still ourselves as we come to God's inspired word this morning. And let's pray.
Father, thank you so much for this morning.
Thank you for the truth that your mercies to us are new each and every day.
And we ask as we turn to your words now that you would refresh us and you would restore us and you would remind us and you would realign us all for your glory and for the upbuilding of this church.
We ask in Jesus name. Amen.
Well, before we, Alex and I, we moved to Edinburgh in 2012, we spent a bit of time working and traveling in Malawi.
And I remember meeting this man one day in the marketplace.
Now, back in 2012, I used to think I had a really good camera.
And when I dug out this photo, I realized actually technology has come on a long way since 2012.
So bear with me. I met this guy.
Okay.
And immediately his T-shirt drew me to him.
And I went to him expecting to find a wonderful story about how somebody had gone from believing that there was no God to believing that there was a God.
So I ran up to him.
They call white people in Africa Mzungus.
So this Mzungu ran up to him and I said, my friend, I love your T-shirt.
I love your T-shirt.
Even let me have a photo of it.
Can you believe?
I love your T-shirt.
And he looked at me puzzled.
And he shouted to his friend over here in Checewa, which is the local language, shouted in Checewa.
And his friend looked at me and translated what he had said into English.
And he said, he likes wearing the T-shirt, simply because he got a laugh and he got some people like me coming up to him.
He loves wearing the T-shirt, but he doesn't believe what it means.
You see, what I thought was true about this man from looking at the outside was not true about this man on the inside.
And this morning we're going to see Jesus challenge a people that their outsides and their insides are just not matching up.
Now, as we've journeyed through Luke's gospel over the last recent weeks,
we've seen Jesus being put through what you can only describe as an intense examination.
Okay.
The religious leaders are trying to get him to make a mistake so that they can get the excuse that they need to kill him.
Now, as we've journeyed through this over the last few weeks, I wonder if you've noticed the pattern that I've noticed.
What's the pattern?
Well, something like this.
They get together and they come up with their questions.
The questions that they're going to ask Jesus.
Pharisees have had a shot.
Sadducees have had a shot.
They get together and they think about their questions that they think are going to put Jesus in checkmate.
And every time you can almost hear them thinking to themselves,
we've got them this time.
I mean, we have got them this time.
Fist pump here.
We have got them.
Every time what happens?
Jesus wins.
Every time Jesus wins, you can almost picture them.
Can you not?
Coming together, whispering to one another, elbows in the ribs,
please stop asking them questions.
Because Jesus keeps winning.
He keeps winning.
Because so wise is Jesus that not only are his answers leaving his opponents absolutely dumbfounded,
his answers are causing his listeners to marvel.
Because his words have been speaking into the very souls of the people who are listening to him.
Now, if you've got a Bible there, follow with me as we see this pattern, okay?
1948.
Yet they could not find any way to do it.
1948.
That is arrest him.
Because all the people hung on his words.
2026.
And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what they said.
But marveling at his answer, they became silent.
Okay?
One more.
2040.
Okay, we're going rapid speed this morning, okay?
2040.
2140.
And no one dared ask him any more questions.
Do you see the pattern?
They think they've got him in checkmate.
Jesus wins.
Something about what Jesus was saying was striking a chord with every single person present.
The world which Jesus was explaining was so refreshingly resonating deep inside human hearts.
Do you see what's going on?
Here is Jesus, the one who has existed from all eternity.
Here is Jesus, the one through whom the world was created.
Here is Jesus, the one who sustains the stars and planets.
Here is Jesus, the one who holds our lives in his hands.
And here is Jesus' wisdom personified.
And what is he doing?
Speaking to his creation.
Speaking to his creatures.
Friends, if you are looking for words of life,
if you are looking for words of hope,
if you are looking for words of truth,
if you are looking for words of wisdom to help you make sense of yourself
and help you make sense of the world in which you and I live,
then come and listen to Jesus.
Come to God's words.
Do you see here as we see Jesus in action,
it tells us that our God, this God,
is not standing on the top of a hill somewhere waiting to be discovered.
He's come to us.
And the invitation from Jesus is come to me.
Come and listen to me.
As C.S. Lewis once said,
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen.
Not only because I see it,
but because by it,
I see everything else.
Jesus' words are capturing souls.
But that can't be said of the religious leaders who are challenging him.
And so in our verses this morning,
beginning at verse 41 of chapter 20,
what we're going to see is Jesus critique this generation's hypocrisy.
Because when it comes to their religious lives,
what Jesus is observing is outsides and insides that are not matching up.
Here's critique number one,
verses 41 to 44.
Jesus says,
on the outside,
you see knowledge,
but on the inside,
I see pride.
So if Jesus has been on the defensive over the past few weeks,
here he is about to go on the offensive.
And he's going to ask some questions of his own.
And the question he asks to the listening crowd
is a question that concerns his identity.
Because he wants them to think through,
to take time to consider
who he really is.
Now can I just say,
pause at this point,
if that is you this morning,
if you are taking time to consider who Jesus is,
maybe you've been here over the last few weeks,
but you wouldn't call yourself a Christian.
If that is you this morning,
then can I encourage you that what you are doing
is the most important thing in life.
To consider who this man Jesus really is.
In our verses,
do you see Jesus ask a question?
In fact,
Jesus asked two questions to the crowd.
Interestingly,
none of which he answers.
And even more tellingly,
none of which they answer.
Now to understand his questions,
remember that he's speaking to a generation of people
who are steeped in religious history.
And not only are they steeped in religious history,
but they are steeped in religious expectation
about a promised Messiah,
about a promised King,
about a promised Saviour
who God would send to rescue his people
from their enemies.
And when this Messiah would come,
he wasn't going to come from left field.
He was going to come from the line
of Israel's greatest and most celebrated king,
King David.
And this king,
this Messiah,
when he comes,
is not going to be inferior to David.
He's going to be superior to David.
In fact,
David himself even says so.
Jesus quotes there,
Psalm 110.
This great Psalm of David
which speaks about God's mighty king.
I mean,
this Psalm is a big deal in the psalmity.
It's a big deal.
Now these men
knew their Bibles from cover to cover.
They would have known this Psalm.
And they would have known that David,
as he thinks about God's mighty king,
the one to come,
refers to him as Lord,
Adonai,
Master.
That's how David sees this king to come.
And they know
that David bows the knee to this king
even though he is one of his descendants.
Now we've seen this over the past
few months or so
that people have begun
to join the dots
as to who Jesus is.
If you remember the blind man
back in chapter 18,
verse 38,
as he hears that Jesus
is about to pass by,
he seizes his opportunity
and what does he shout?
Jesus,
son of David.
He recognizes who Jesus is.
Now what is Jesus' point?
that if David saw God's king rightly
and the blind man saw God's king rightly,
then why will you religious leaders,
why will you not see God's king rightly?
And they will not give an answer.
And it's not because they can't think of an answer,
like the cat's got the tongue
or something like that.
They just don't want to give the answer.
I read a fascinating quote recently
from Winston Churchill
as he reflected on his own life
and as he reflected on human nature.
He said this about what we tend to do
with the truth.
We occasionally stumble over the truth,
but most of us pick ourselves up
and hurry off
as if nothing has ever happened.
Well, that is these religious leaders.
They will not see Jesus for who he is.
I wonder if that's some of us here this morning.
Maybe you've never considered Jesus for yourself.
Maybe you have not bowed the knee to him
as your lord and your king.
Well, if that's you this morning,
I'd love to chat to you.
Anybody you've seen up the front this morning,
maybe you came with a friend,
chat to them about who this Jesus really is.
But I also wonder for some of us here this morning
whether what is in our heads
needs to make it down to our hearts.
You know, I had a friend,
one of my best friends actually,
he lives in Vancouver in Canada.
I remember Alex and I,
we went to visit him and his wife
three or four years ago
and I went to see his study.
So he used to be a pastor
and he had a brilliant study
full of many, many leather-bound books.
But at the top of his study
was this old,
I want to say the word fusty,
that's a Scottish word,
you know what I mean?
Bible at the top of his shelf.
And I said to him,
why on earth have you got that Bible
at the top of your shelf
when you've got so many modern ones down here?
What is going on?
And he said,
well, that Bible is a family heirloom
and it's been passed down
from generation to generation of Smith.
So I inherited it from my grandpa.
But the thing about my family line
is that not everyone in my family line
is a Christian.
And so when I look at that Bible,
it reminds me how easy it is
to have a Bible in your hands
but not a saviour in your heart.
It's exactly what Jesus is saying here.
Jesus says,
you see knowledge on the outside,
but on the inside,
I see pride.
Here's critique number two,
verses 45 to 47.
Jesus says,
on the outside you see genuine,
but on the inside,
I see fake.
So with all the people listening,
Jesus turns to address his disciples
at verse 45.
He's been surveying these teachers of the law.
He's been watching how they behave.
He's been seeing how they tick.
He's been seeing what they love.
How are they acting?
That's a great description here
that Luke gives us.
What are they doing?
They're wearing religious clothes.
They're receiving religious greetings.
They're attending religious events.
They're speaking religious language.
All of this is supposed to add up
to give us the rounded impression
of total devotion and absolute piety.
And you have to say,
do you know,
as you read this description here,
that this is a religious life
that looks extremely impressive.
Now put yourself
in the position of the disciples
at this point.
Now remember who's in Jesus'
little band of followers
at this point.
It's the sinful,
the hated,
the broken,
the nebodies.
And so as they look
at these religious leaders
in action,
what must they be thinking?
Well as I was thinking
of that this week,
it reminded me
of the days
when I used to go to the gym.
Days which I'm sure
you can tell
are long behind me.
And I used to go
to the weights area
of the gym.
Again,
days which you can tell
are probably
well behind me.
And there was always,
and if you've gone to the gym,
if you go to the gym,
you'll know what I'm talking about here.
There was always that one person.
I used to go in,
I used to see him.
Sweatbands on.
Protein shaking hand.
Really tight t-shirt
that said
no pain,
no game on it.
Do you know that kind of person?
Making really exaggerated noises
as I used to go up
to the weights.
And I used to watch him
do this.
And then I used to look back
at me
and how did I feel?
Intimidated,
inferior,
useless,
out of place.
I'm sure that's how
these disciples felt
as they watched
these religious showmen
in action.
I mean,
who are we
in comparison
to them?
Well,
Jesus steps in
and says,
let me tell you
what's really going on there.
these men,
they live for the praise
of men
rather than the praise
of God.
These men live
to serve themselves,
not interested in others,
and they will even
exploit the most vulnerable
in society
for their gain.
Disciples,
don't let them fool you.
Don't let them fool you.
It's true,
isn't it?
As a society,
we hate hypocrisy.
Hate hypocrisy.
When people's lives
and people's lips
when they don't match up.
When following the news
over the last few weeks,
you'll see the outcry
that's come in response
to some of the findings
that went on at Oxfam.
As a society,
we hate hypocrisy.
But isn't it comforting
to know that as we read
these verses here
that God hates hypocrisy too?
God hates hypocrisy too?
And like we see here
in Jesus' words,
not only does God
hate hypocrisy,
not only does God
see hypocrisy,
but God will one day
do something about hypocrisy
and everything will be exposed
and everything will be dealt with.
That's these men here.
The consistent truth
of scripture
that man looks
on the outside,
but God looks
on the heart.
Let me ask you this morning,
what is the state,
the true state
of your heart this morning?
What is the true state
of your heart this morning?
So easy,
so, so easy
to slip into spiritual showmanship
just like these people.
Now I must say,
it's one of the biggest battles
for me doing this job.
One of the biggest battles
for me,
that I have to constantly
be on my guard
and make sure
that I'm reading
the Bible devotionally
well before I'm reading
it professionally.
That my public prayer life
is being fueled
by a private prayer life.
And we have to say,
do we not,
we know it to be true
as Christians,
it's so easy
to pull it off.
If you've been in Christian circles
long enough,
I mean,
you know this to be true.
You say amen
at the right moments.
Depending what church you're on,
you lift your hands
at the appropriate times
during songs.
You know the lingo
of an impressive prayer.
You attend the right meetings.
You keep the right circles.
But all the while,
your outside
is different from your inside.
Let me ask you,
when today is over
and when you go home
to your room
and when no one else
is watching,
who are you really?
You know,
Scottish minister
Robert Murray McShane
used to say
to his congregation
that what a person
is on their knees
alone before God,
that is what they are
and nothing more.
Jesus says
to this generation,
on the outside,
you see genuine.
But let me tell you,
on the inside,
I see fake.
Here's critique number three,
verses one to four
of chapter 21.
Jesus says,
on the outside,
you see cost,
but on the inside,
I see cheap.
Now, where is he?
He's sitting in the vicinity
of the temple
and he's continuing
his people watching.
I love to know
that Jesus isn't the only one
that loves the people watch.
Doing his people watching
and he sees
that people are offering
their gifts
at the temple treasury.
Now, in the temple treasury,
there were 13 boxes
in which you could put
your money
and each box
has a brass trumpet-shaped
opening
which was narrow
at the top
and wide at the bottom.
Now, in this day,
remember that we're not
talking about banknotes.
We're not talking about
contactless technology.
People would give coins.
Have you sat there
for long enough
as people put their coins
in these boxes?
Not only would you hear
the sound of the coins
going in,
but it wouldn't take you long
to distinguish the sound
that the different coins made
as they went into
these boxes.
So you can imagine,
can't you,
these rich people
that Jesus observes,
they walk up
to make their offerings
at the boxes.
They look around
to see if they are
being watched
before dumping
a full bag of coins
into the box.
Now, imagine
that satisfying noise
that it would make
as they hit the bottom
of the box.
Clink, clink, clink, clink,
clink, clink, clink, clink,
clink, clink, clink, clink.
Clink, clink, clink, clink,
clink, clink, clink, clink,
clink, clink.
People would love you.
You'd walk away
thinking to yourself,
isn't God lucky
to have me
or she
on his team?
Isn't God not lucky?
But Jesus looks
at these people
and he says,
their hearts
are all wrong.
All wrong.
It was Valentine's Day
and Wednesday.
For some of us,
I'm sure that was
an expensive day.
I looked up
some stats this week
on Valentine's Day.
Did you know
that it was estimated
that Americans
spent $19.6 billion
on the 14th?
I mean,
that is a lot of flowers,
is it not?
$19.6 billion.
It's an expensive day.
But,
if you were to walk
into any kind of shop
post-Valentine's Day,
you'll notice
that stuff is
heavily discounted.
Roses are going
for 50p,
chocolates are reduced
to clear.
Remember one year
for a joke,
I popped out
for a pint of milk
and what did I see?
I saw a cuddly toy lobster
for 50p
that said,
pinch me,
I love you on it.
So I bought it
for Alex.
She wasn't too impressed.
But men,
imagine if
to our loved ones
what we said
is that because
we were so,
so busy on Valentine's Day,
actually what we prefer
to do is give
our loved ones
our presents
on the 15th,
the day after
Valentine's Day.
All the while knowing
that your plan
in your head
was to go
to these shops
and just,
I mean,
take the whole lot
that were just
to clear items.
Discount I.O.
was getting hit hard
before returning
to your loved one
and saying,
Happy Valentine's Day.
What kind of gift
would that be?
It would be one
that wants all the credit
but wants none
of the cost.
All the credit
but none
of the cost.
That would be cheap.
And as Jesus
observes what's going on
here with these rich people,
what he says,
that gift
is something
where they're wanting
all the credit
but it's something
where they're paying
none of the cost.
And he's not even
making a dent
on their bank balance,
that gift.
It's cheap worship.
But,
someone else comes up
to the temple treasury
and whereas before
the coins
and the offering
went clink, clink, clink,
clink, clink, clink, clink,
clink, clink,
now all you hear
is just the faintest,
faintest little
tin tin,
tin tin.
It's a poor widow.
Love this poor widow.
Isn't it amazing
how often we've seen
widows in this gospel?
She offers
two small copper coins.
And to put that
into context,
a copper coin
in this day
is worth
one one hundred
and twenty-eighth
of a denarii.
Now if a denarii
is roughly
a day's wage,
her coins
are worth
one one hundred
and twenty-eighth
of a day's wage.
Okay?
And she's put in
two of them.
So,
in monetary terms
what she's put in there
is barely anything.
It is barely anything.
And Jesus sees her
and he says
to his disciples,
look at her.
You can imagine
the disciples
at this point,
can't you?
What do you mean?
Do you mean her?
Do you mean
two coin Carla
over there?
Totally agreed
Jesus.
We were hoping
you'd point that out.
I mean,
she is absolutely
pathetic,
is she not?
Will we go
and have a word?
Jesus says,
no,
don't lynch her.
Learn from her.
Look at what he says
at verse four.
The rich may have
put in more,
but let me tell you
it cost them nothing.
But this widow,
she might have
put in less,
but let me tell you,
it cost her
everything.
Now that's what
I call a sacrifice.
Do you know what
I'd never noticed
before reading this
this week?
This widow gave
two coins.
Now it's not like
when you go to a
restaurant and you
leave a tip
and you go into
your pocket and you
pull out a two pound
coin and you think
to yourself,
I would only normally
give one because I
can't be bothered
asking for change
of this two pound
coin,
I'll just give two.
It's not like that.
This woman has got
two coins.
She has legitimately
got the option
of holding one
of them back.
And we have to say
if there was anybody
who we've met in
this gospel so far
that we would think
is legitimately
being able to
hold one back,
surely it's this
woman.
Just in case.
Just in case the
unfortunate happens.
Just in case I need
it, maybe I'll just
hold one of them
back.
But you can imagine,
can't you,
she walks,
maybe she's leaving
the house that day,
going to the temple
treasury and she's
got her two coins
in her hand.
And she looks at
the first one and
she thinks,
yep, I'll give
that coin.
And she looks at
the second one
and she thinks,
but I really need
it.
I really need it.
I could really do
with it just in case
something happens.
But do you know
what?
God, I love you.
God, I trust that
you'll provide
everything that I need.
I'm going to give
that one as well.
That is a
sacrificial heart
of faith.
She walks away
from that temple
treasury probably
thinking to herself,
God, I've got
nothing else
other than you
and so I'm fully
reliant on you
to provide
everything that I
need.
So friends,
we have to ask
ourselves in
application,
as Jesus contrasts
the hearts of
these rich people
with that of this
woman,
is are we being
sacrificial?
As God's people,
are we being
sacrificial?
Not just with our
money, but with our
time and with our
energy and with our
diaries and with our
resources and with
ourselves.
Are we being
sacrificial as God's
people?
Are we playing it
safe?
Are we holding it
back?
Are we storing up
treasures on earth
for ourselves?
Are we treasuring
comfort?
Jesus says,
on the outside
you see cost,
but on the inside
I see cheap.
And just as we
work towards a
close this morning,
remember that the
one who is in
Jerusalem,
commenting on
sacrificial giving,
has travelled to
Jerusalem to offer
his own sacrifice.
And his sacrifice
is not two
copper coins.
He has not gone to
Jerusalem to show
us what sacrifice
looks like.
He's not gone there
to demonstrate
sacrificial giving.
He's gone there to
be the sacrifice.
This is the gospel.
This is this king
who we are following.
He's not giving
two copper coins.
Jesus is in this city
set on offering
his very life
as a sacrifice.
As he pays
the price of my
sin on the cross.
As he pays the
price of your
sin on the cross
so that you
and I could be
forgiven of our
sin.
And through Jesus
come to have
life with God.
What amazing
grace is right
at the heart of
this sacrifice
that Jesus
is about to
make for you
and I.
You see right
at the heart
of the gospel
is a saviour
who epitomises
sacrificial giving.
Meanwhile Jesus
exposes this
generation of
worshippers and
says,
On the outside
you see knowledge
but on the inside
I see pride.
On the outside
you see genuine
but on the inside
I see fake.
And on the outside
you see cost
but on the inside
I see cheap.
What does he say?
He says your
outsides
don't match up
with your
insides.
Let me close
just by telling
you a story
I was reading
this week
of a man
for whom
the opposite
of that
was absolutely
true.
Many of you
have heard
of William Booth
the founder
of the
Salvation Army.
Salvation Army
which started
out in 1865
as one man's
vision for
the people
of the East
End of London
and that
now vision
has turned
into a thriving
charity
the Salvation Army
that's doing
great work
the world
over.
And William
Booth was
once asked
what the
key was
to the
success
of the
Salvation Army
and here's
what he said.
I'll tell you
the secret
God has had
all of me.
Now there have
been men
with greater
brains than I
men with
greater opportunities
than I
but from
the day
I got
the poor
of London
on my
heart
and caught
a vision
of all
that Jesus
Christ could
do for
them
on that
day I
made up
my mind
that God
would have
all of
William Booth
that there
was.
And if there
is anything
of power
in the
Salvation Army
today
it is because
God has
had all
the adoration
of my heart
and all
the power
of my will
and all
the influence
of my
life.
William Booth
So let
us
let me
challenge
us
in fact
let me
let God's
word
challenge
us
this morning
as a
church.
Does he
have all
the adoration
of our
hearts?
And does
he have
all the
power of
our wills?
And does
he have
all the
influence
of our
life?
Does he
have our
outsides?
as well
as our
insights?
Let me
pray.
And maybe
just in
the silence
now,
maybe it's
just a time
to offer
your own
prayer to
God off
the back
of everything
that we've
seen and
sung this
morning.
take my
life and
let it
be
consecrated
Lord
to thee.
Take my
moments and
my days,
let them
flow in
endless
praise.
Take my
will and
make it
thine.
it shall
be no
longer
mine.
Take my
heart,
it is
thine
own,
it shall
be thy
royal
throne.
Father,
thank you
so much
for your
precious and
life-giving
words.
Help us
this week
to be
people,
to be a
church
who strives
for your
glory and
renown,
we ask
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.