Church, turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 20, Luke chapter 20, beginning at
verse 45.
If you're looking in the Pew Bible, page 827.
Yes.
This spring, in the weeks leading up to Easter, we are looking at the closing chapters of
the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus is in Jerusalem and leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection.
This morning, we're looking at a short passage from chapter 20, verse 45, to chapter 21, verse
4.
So, let's read these words together, Luke chapter 20, beginning at verse 45.
In the hearing of all the people, Jesus said to His disciples, beware of the scribes who
like to walk around in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best
seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for
a pretense make long prayers.
They will receive the greater condemnation.
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and He saw a poor
widow put in two small copper coins.
And He said, truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.
For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had
to live on.
Who is someone that you admire?
Someone that you notice and respect?
Someone you look up to and want to be like?
Someone that you proudly associate with and publicly praise?
Someone that you want others to know about and come to love and appreciate?
Maybe it's a professional athlete or an actor or musician, an artist.
Perhaps it's an accomplished professor, a scholar, a pioneer in your academic field.
Maybe there's a political candidate or office holder who you think holds promise.
Maybe it's a personal friend, a family member, or an acquaintance.
Maybe you follow them on social media, or you listen carefully whenever they speak.
Unless we are complete narcissists who only think about and admire ourselves, most of us
have someone else in our life that we admire, for one reason or another.
And this is normal.
This is part of what human beings naturally do, beginning with young children who naturally
look up to their parents.
And as we grow up, our horizon expands.
This is part of how we learn and develop as human beings.
And it's also part of how we're meant to learn and develop as Christians.
As followers of Jesus, we're meant to honor and admire and emulate people who embody Christ-like
character.
That's why the Apostle Paul can say things like, follow me as I follow Christ.
It's not an arrogant thing that he's saying.
He's recognizing the reality that we're going to follow somebody.
We're going to pattern ourselves after somebody else.
And we should look to follow people who embody the characteristics of Jesus Christ.
But the passage we're looking at this morning highlights a problem.
Our admiration can often be misdirected.
We can admire people who we ought to beware of, and we can ignore people who we ought to
admire.
As one person put it, God's way of measuring reality is not our way.
So I want to look at this morning's passage in two parts.
Part one, the people we admire who we should beware.
That's the end of chapter 20.
Part two, verses 1 to 4 of chapter 21, the people we ignore who we should admire.
So first, the people we admire who we should actually beware.
Jesus is talking about the scribes in these verses.
Now, the scribes were highly respected, preeminent leaders in Israelite society.
A scribe was like a college professor combined with a civil lawyer and a spiritual authority
figure and a city council member, all combined in one person.
Now, they weren't necessarily the wealthiest people, but they were some of the most highly
respected people.
Most people back in those days were illiterate.
These men could read and write, and they had read and studied, often copied and commented
on the law of Moses that had been handed down for generations.
Their interpretations of the Bible were influential and carried weight.
Some of the scribes had political power.
They were members of the Sanhedrin.
That was the Jewish ruling council.
Others were consulted by the Sanhedrin for their expertise.
They also had the authority to record and handle official documents.
And they were distinguished from other people by the clothes they wore.
They wore flowing robes, full-length prayer shawls with tassels at the four corners.
So when the scribe was walking down the street, you would look at him and you knew exactly who
he was.
And in fact, when a scribe walked by on the street or walked into a room, everyone else
would rise to their feet to honor him.
So scribes were highly honored and admired in that society.
But Jesus says to his disciples, beware of the scribes.
Don't admire them.
Beware of them.
Now, so far in chapter 20, Jesus has been teaching the people, crowds of people in the temple
who are largely receptive and interacting with the temple leaders who are largely hostile.
So over the last few weeks, we've seen several conversations that have happened about some
pretty big theological topics.
So Jesus tells a story, the parable of the wicked tenants that summarizes the message of
the entire Old Testament in a parable.
He engages in a dialogue about religion and politics.
He's discussed the meaning of marriage and the resurrection from the dead.
And he concluded by challenging his hearers about the identity of the Messiah, David's
son and David's Lord.
But now Jesus turns specifically to his disciples, to the people who've been following him and
who've expressed loyalty to him and who've been walking with him for a long time.
But he doesn't pick up another big theological topic.
He focuses in here on the motives and intentions of the heart.
Why does Jesus warn his disciples, beware of the scribes?
Because what Jesus says is, despite their impressive appearances, the scribes were self-promoting
and self-serving.
Jesus says they love to be admired.
They like to walk around in the clothes that distinguish them from other people.
They love to receive honor in the various spheres of human activity, in the marketplace, the economic
sphere, in the synagogue, the religious sphere, at feasts, in the social sphere.
And in all these different contexts, they love to be first.
They love to be seen and known and admired and praised.
But Jesus says in their love of human praise, they harm vulnerable people and they dishonor God.
Jesus says they devour widows' houses.
Now, widows were some of the most vulnerable people in the ancient world.
They were not only grieving the loss of companionship and partnership in marriage,
they were also at risk in multiple ways.
Economically, widows had few job prospects, so their survival depended largely on two things,
their inheritance, if they had one, and the generosity of others.
Physically, the ancient world was a violent place, and the police could not be relied upon
to protect you.
A woman without a male protector was never really safe.
Legally, the testimony of women in court was not admissible under either Jewish or Roman law.
And so a widow couldn't easily advocate for herself legally if she was being mistreated.
Now, in the Old Testament, God had repeatedly instructed His people to care for the vulnerable.
And that included widows, that included orphans, that included foreigners, and that included the poor in general.
People who didn't have much protection.
Jesus specifically said, you as my people, look out for these ones.
And He spoke to the leaders in particular, do justice and show mercy to widows and fatherless children
and people who are all alone, strangers in a strange land.
But these scribes were neglecting and hurting the very people whom the law of God commanded them to specifically look out for.
Now, Jesus doesn't say exactly how this was happening, so different people speculate.
Did some scribes take advantage of widows' hospitality?
You know, back then, you would never say no to a scribe, right?
If they wanted to come over for dinner, you would feed them the best meal, right?
You wouldn't ask questions, and you certainly wouldn't refuse them.
Or did some scribes demand exorbitant fees for legal counsel?
Well, that's plausible.
That still happens today.
Did some scribes convince widows to let them manage their estates,
but then took more than their fair share as a commission?
Well, again, the widows didn't have much legal recourse if that was happening.
Now, it's possible that some scribes were intentionally malicious, preying on widows,
just like some telemarketers today intentionally target the lonely and the elderly.
You know, I think it's also possible that some scribes were mostly oblivious.
They were just living in their own ivory tower world.
They had gradually distanced themselves from the concerns and problems of regular people.
Who were all the people?
Well, they were everyone else who would stand up to honor them as they walked by.
Who's important?
They are.
They might not have even given a thought to how their actions were affecting widows.
You know, it's very possible to do lots of damage to vulnerable people
without explicitly intending to harm them,
just by being so self-absorbed that we don't consider how our actions affect people
who are in different life circumstances.
But however it was happening, not only were the scribes harming vulnerable people,
they were also dishonoring God.
Their spirituality had become a show for a pretense, Jesus says.
They make long prayers.
Now, there's nothing wrong with praying long prayers,
but there is a problem when prayer, which is meant to be directed toward God,
becomes a show to impress other people.
And so Jesus concludes,
those who seek greater honor for themselves at the cost of helping others
will ultimately receive the greater condemnation from God in the end.
Now, the example of the scribes is meant to be a warning to all of us.
Jesus isn't just haranguing the scribes.
He's speaking to his disciples, and he's saying, beware.
I think it's a warning to us in two ways.
First, this should cause us to reevaluate who we admire and follow.
Most of us naturally admire people who are gifted and successful.
But God's Word urges us to admire people
and follow people who are godly and sincere.
The Apostle Paul talks a lot about this contrast in the book of 2 Corinthians.
Because the Christians in Corinth had become attracted
to some teachers and preachers and public speakers
who could put on a good show.
They were strong, handsome, skilled, and entertaining.
But the central theme of their message was not Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Ultimately, these speakers gloried in themselves
rather than seeking to glorify Christ above all.
And so Paul warned the Christians in Corinth.
He writes,
Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen,
disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
He says, don't admire them.
Beware of them.
We should beware of people who are gifted and successful
but who are not godly and sincere.
Especially those who claim to be spiritual leaders.
Over the past couple of years,
a couple of or several prominent Christian leaders
have either renounced the faith
or been removed from their ministry positions in disgrace
due to personal moral failures.
Now, this isn't really a new trend.
It's just become a bit more discussed
in the age of social media.
But it's a fair topic of concern.
How should we think about public Christian figures?
Well, I think we should resist the temptation
to become cynical about all public Christian figures.
Some best-selling authors and pastors of megachurches
faithfully preach the gospel of Jesus Christ
and display the fruits of godly character.
Praise God for them.
And if their messages help you grow in love for Christ,
then listen to them
and read their books and articles
and commend them to others
who might also be helped by them,
but at the same time pray for them
and don't idolize them.
Pray that they would remain faithful to Christ
and not fall into temptations.
Pray for the elders here at Trinity
as we lead this church.
Pray that each of us would remain faithful to Christ
and not fall into Satan's traps,
the world's lies,
and our own fleshly weakness.
What does it mean to be a faithful Christian leader?
Well, to be a faithful Christian leader
is like being the best man at a wedding.
What's the job of the best man?
Well, the best man does whatever the groom
asks him to do
so that the wedding can go off without a hitch.
Right?
The best man never takes center stage.
The best man never tries to get the bride
to fall in love with him.
And in a similar way,
the goal of every Christian leader
is to help God's church fall in love with Jesus
for the rest of her earthly life
and then get out of the way.
The apostle Paul was not the most impressive personality.
He battled various health problems.
He may not have been the most entertaining speaker.
But Paul could say to the Corinthians,
we behaved in the world
with simplicity and godly sincerity
by the grace of God.
And later on, he said,
he even uses this imagery
he says,
I betrothed you to one husband,
even Christ.
And he says,
my greatest concern is that you,
God's people,
maintain a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
That's the kind of Christian leader
that we should admire and honor
and pattern ourselves after.
Someone who helps each of us
fall in love with Jesus
and stay in love with Jesus
and fix our eyes on Him
every day of our lives.
So we should reevaluate
who we admire and follow.
But second,
we should also consider
who we are becoming.
Over time,
we become like
the people
who we most admire,
for better or worse.
The scribes
were highly educated
and intellectually competent.
They had invested time,
energy,
and money
into studying
and expanding their knowledge.
They were the intellectual leaders
of their day.
But they had become self-absorbed,
filled with pride.
They had distanced themselves
from the concerns and problems
of ordinary people.
They were preoccupied
with image management.
Now, that's a danger
in almost any academic setting,
perhaps especially
at a place like Yale.
have we become puffed up
by pride?
Do we look upon others
with contempt?
Am I constantly
seeking attention
and approval
from other people?
But you know,
the scribes
hadn't just pursued
a general education.
They had been specifically
trained in the Bible
and in theology.
You might ask,
well, wouldn't that help?
But knowing the Bible
and theology
doesn't necessarily
produce Christian maturity
automatically.
If you've spent
a lot of time
studying the Bible
and learning theology,
maybe even getting
a degree from seminary
or divinity school,
have you devoted
a similarly strenuous effort
to rooting out sin
from your own heart?
cultivating godly habits
and healthy relationships.
You see,
for most of chapter 20,
Jesus was engaging
with people about
big theological questions.
And it's important for us
to give careful attention
to defining
and defending the faith
and to answering
difficult questions
that people ask
about Christianity
and studying the Bible
carefully
like Jesus models for us
in the first half of this,
in the early parts
of the chapter.
But Jesus is not only
concerned with the rightness
of our theological answers.
He also cares deeply
about our motives
and attitudes
and our integrity
and our behavior.
He's concerned
not only that we learn
to interpret Scripture
correctly,
but that we also respond
to Scripture faithfully.
when Paul wrote to Timothy,
who was a young pastor,
Paul did not just say,
keep a close watch
on your teaching.
He said,
keep a close watch
on yourself
and on the teaching.
Set the believers
an example
in your speech,
yes,
but also,
he says,
in conduct,
in love,
in faith,
and in purity.
So let me put it this way.
If you're a student
of any kind,
do you diligently study
your own soul
in the mirror
of God's Word?
One of the things
that God's Word
is meant to help us do
is to help us see
our own soul
more clearly.
Can you identify
when ungodly motives,
such as the ones
embodied by the scribes,
rear their ugly heads
inside you?
We're all battling
a sinful nature.
Let's not pretend
it isn't there.
Part of Christian growth
is recognizing
when sin rears
its ugly head
and then confessing
that to God
and perhaps
to a trusted brother
or sister in Christ
who can assure us
of God's forgiveness
and point us
to God's cleansing power
and renewing grace.
Let's take a specific example.
The scribes loved
to be admired.
What do we see
when we look
into our own soul?
Do we get overly attached
to other people
noticing us,
appreciating us,
thanking us
for our contributions?
Do we envy those
who seem more
outwardly gifted
and successful
than we are?
Are we constantly
living in a comparison
world?
Do we feel
overly resentful
when we are
overlooked
and underappreciated?
Yes, it happens.
Yes, it is a
genuine offense
to bear.
But it is also
part of the human
condition
and part of the
normal Christian life.
J.C. Ryle wrote,
true grace
can wait
for honor
and cares little
what it has
on earth.
So we see
Jesus warning
about the scribes,
the people
we might
naturally
tend to admire,
but actually
whom we should
beware.
and who we are
in danger
of becoming
like.
But in the next
section,
chapter 21,
verses 1 to 4,
we see Jesus'
praise of a widow,
a person
we might
naturally ignore,
who Jesus says
we should
actually admire.
Verse 1,
Jesus looked up
and saw the rich
putting their gifts
into the offering box.
Jesus is sitting
in the temple,
he glances up,
they would have
been in
the court
of women,
which meant
both women
and men
of Israel
could come
into that court,
and in that court
there were 13
offering boxes.
They were shaped
like trumpets
with the narrow
end at the top
and the larger
end at the bottom
to prevent theft.
Throughout the day,
people would drop
in their coins,
and then every so often
the temple officials
would come
and they would
empty the containers.
And so when the rich
people came
and dropped in
a whole bunch
of coins,
remember no dollar
bills back then,
everything's coins,
you would hear
clink, clink, clink,
clink.
But Jesus notices
a poor widow,
widows wore simple,
there was sort of
a traditional widow's
clothing,
she was probably
wearing that,
and she put in
two of the
smallest coins
coins in use.
Clink, clink,
you could barely
hear the sound.
Together,
these coins
were worth
one sixty-fourth
of a day's wage
for a laborer.
So think about it.
One-eighth
of an hourly wage
if you take
an eight-hour day.
What's that today?
Maybe a dollar
or two.
Enough for a coffee
at McDonald's
and not much else.
Most people
would not have
paid any attention
to this widow
and to her offering.
Think about it.
Think about the contrast.
The scribes,
well-educated,
well-dressed,
politically powerful,
financially stable,
highly respected
male leaders.
Almost certainly
the widow was
illiterate,
poorly dressed,
politically powerless,
financially desperate,
a visible representation
of loss and emptiness,
the most vulnerable
of women.
Her two cents
would make
no meaningful difference
to the annual budget
of the temple.
She would not make
anyone's list
of high-priority donors.
But Jesus
noticed her offering
and he made
a big deal
about it.
I mean,
consider for a moment
all the other things
that could have been
on Jesus' mind.
All the weighty
theological discussions
he's just had.
Boy,
we can get into those.
All the people
who are hanging
on his words.
All the temple leaders
who hated him
and wanted to do away
with him.
His own sense
that his betrayal
and suffering
and death
were not far away.
Most of us
would be easily
distracted by
any one
of those things.
But Jesus
was not too
preoccupied
with any of them
to notice
this poor widow
giving two
copper coins.
Jesus notices
people
who many of us
might pass by
without a second thought.
You know,
there are many things
that God sees
and values
that will never
make the nightly news
and that will never
be trending
on any social media platform.
But Jesus sees
and Jesus notices.
And so the widow
in this story
could sing
with the writer
of Psalm 40
who wrote,
I am poor
and needy
but the Lord
takes thought
of me.
You see,
if Jesus
takes thought
of us,
if he sees
and he notices,
that's all that matters
in the end.
Truly,
I tell you,
this poor widow
has put in
more than all of them
for they all
contributed
out of their abundance
but she
out of her poverty
put in all
she had to live on.
Now,
what does Jesus
mean by that statement?
Recently,
several scholars
have argued
that Jesus
was not actually
praising the widow
for giving her
last two cents.
Rather,
he was lamenting
the corrupt system
that took advantage
of vulnerable people
like her
and drained them
of all their resources
and left them penniless.
But I think
that interpretation
is inconsistent
with Jesus' words
and also condescending
toward the widow.
It's true
that Jesus
denounced the corruption
of the temple.
He overturned
the tables
of the money changers,
confronted the temple
authorities,
warned against the scribes,
said they were devouring
widows' houses
and in the next chapter,
which we'll look at
next week,
he foretold
and prophesied
the destruction
of the temple.
But that is not
the point
of verses 3 and 4.
If Jesus
was simply
lamenting
the widow's gift
as a sign
of a corrupt system,
then he was implying
that she too
had been duped,
that she was too
ignorant or cowardly
to resist
the influence
of the scribes.
If Jesus'
only concern
or primary concern
was to redistribute
all wealth equally,
he should praise
those who gave
out of their abundance
and he should tell
the widow,
keep your two cents
and you should demand
more
because you deserve
more.
But that is not
actually what Jesus said.
Jesus did not
see the widow
merely as a member
of an oppressed class.
He saw her
as a person,
an image bearer
of the Creator God.
And despite
the hypocrisy
and self-centeredness
that were corrupting
the temple
and causing distress
for people like her,
which Jesus certainly
highlighted those things,
Jesus saw
in this poor widow
an expression
of genuine
and self-sacrificing
love for God.
And so he publicly
honored and praised
her before
all his disciples
and everyone else
who was listening.
Think about it.
When was the last time
that this poor widow
was noticed
and publicly praised
by a man
who had no
ulterior motives?
When was the last time
her contributions
were sincerely appreciated
and valued?
You see,
for many people
the experience
of being poor
is not just about
lacking material resources,
it's also an experience
of feeling
regularly humiliated,
ignored,
voiceless,
and hopeless.
And so truly
helping people
and loving people
who are poor
and vulnerable
is not only a matter
of giving people
more material things,
important as that may be
at times,
it's also a matter
of honoring people
rightly
as Jesus does
and restoring
relationships
that have broken down.
In most people's eyes,
this widow was defined
by everything
she didn't have.
She didn't have money.
She didn't have a husband.
She didn't have
a well-off son
who was taking care of her.
But Jesus didn't see her
as a mere have-not.
Jesus saw
what she had
and Jesus saw
what she gave.
This poor widow,
he said,
has put in more,
more than all of them.
You see,
in Jesus' view,
the value of a gift
is not the amount
relative to the amounts
of other people's gifts.
The value of a gift
is the cost.
What we willingly sacrifice
in order to give.
The widow did not have
to give her last two cents.
If she followed
the law of tithing,
giving 10%,
she was not obligated
to give anything
if she only had
two cents to live on.
What's 10%
of the smallest two coins
that exist?
20%.
You round down,
you don't have
to give anything.
If she wanted
to be really generous
and give 50%
of what she had,
she could have given
one coin
and kept one coin.
I mean,
giving 50%
of all that you own
is exceedingly
generous, right?
But she put in all.
All she had to live on.
Perhaps she fasted
that day
because she had given
her last two cents.
When is the last time
that you gave
something away?
Whether it was money,
time,
or a precious possession,
and you felt
the loss.
J.C. Ryle wrote,
Some persons appear
to give much
who in God's sight
give very little.
And some appear
to give very little
who in God's sight
give very much.
many of you know
we're in the middle
of a building project,
a capital campaign
to raise money for it.
That's certainly
not the only
worthy cause
to consider giving towards,
but let me just speak
to us
for a moment.
If you only have
a little
compared to others,
be encouraged.
Every gift,
no matter how small
the amount,
given out of
genuine love
for God
matters.
If God has given you
a lot,
be challenged.
We should not think
more highly
of our giving
than God does.
Just because you give
a higher dollar amount
than others
does not make you
the most generous
in God's sight.
Or maybe you wonder,
well,
how much exactly
should I give?
This story
doesn't give us
a rule.
There is no
biblical law
that says
you must give
every last penny
in your savings account
to the church
building project
or some other
worthy cause.
There is plenty
of room for
thoughtful
and prayerful
discernment
in light of
the various
responsibilities
that God
has given you.
And just so you know,
I don't know
what you give
to the church.
None of the pastors
know who gives
what amount.
We want you
to give freely
out of love
for God
and not
in order
to be noticed
by us.
Not because
of any concern
of our
perception.
but shouldn't
the example
of this poor
widow
move us
to generous
and sacrificial
giving?
Whether it's
to the building
project,
to the church
in general,
to local
ministries,
to global
missions,
to people
you know
personally
who have
real needs,
I can think
of a few
examples
in my own
lifetime
when I have
seen someone
give of their
limited resources
as generously
and completely
and wholeheartedly
as this widow
did.
I will not
soon forget
them.
In 2 Corinthians
8,
the apostle Paul
tells us
of a group
of believers
who despite
their own
limited means
gave generously
and exceedingly
to help
famine-stricken
Christians
in another
part of the
world.
Paul writes,
in a severe
test of affliction,
their abundance
of joy
and their
extreme poverty
have overflowed
in a wealth
of generosity
on their
part.
For they
gave according
to their
means and
beyond their
means of
their own
accord,
begging us
earnestly for
the favor of
taking part
in the relief
of the saints.
They gave
themselves first
to the Lord
and then by
the will of
God to us.
You see,
the widow
in Jerusalem
at the temple
and the afflicted
believers in
Macedonia that
Paul was speaking
about,
they gave to
God what
belonged to
God,
their very
selves.
Jesus said,
she put in
all she had
to live on.
The widow
wasn't looking
to be admired
or recognized
by other
people.
She knew
her offering
would have
seemed minuscule
and tiny
compared to
almost anyone
else's,
but she gave
anyway out of
sincere love
for God
himself.
That is
true worship.
and it's
a beautiful
thing.
And her
sacrifice of
love for
God would
one day
produce a
harvest that
she could not
even imagine.
Think about
all the gifts
that were
given in the
temple that
day.
Which one
ended up
having the
most lasting
impact in
all of human
history?
undoubtedly
hers.
Against
all odds,
who would
have thought?
But just
think how
many people
over the
last 2,000
years have
been moved
to generous
and sacrificial
giving by
this poor
widow's
example.
Even though
she probably
had no clue
in her
entire earthly
life that
her offering
to God
that day
would have
more than
the most
negligible
impact.
But you
see, you
cannot
calculate in
advance what
will be the
impact of
an act of
worship that
is motivated
by genuine
love for
God.
In the
moment, it
may seem
completely
impractical.
And yet,
God can
bring such
a great
harvest if
He chooses.
But you
know, the
greatest
giver and
the most
wholehearted
worshiper in
this story was
not the
poor widow.
The
greatest
giver and
the most
wholehearted
worshiper was
the one who
noticed her
and praised
her.
Because you
see, we're
heading toward
the climax of
Luke's gospel.
And the
climax of Luke's
gospel is
when the
eternal Son of
God, Jesus
Christ, gives
His life, is
crucified, and
He offers His
life as a
sacrifice to
God on
behalf of
sinful human
beings.
The widow had
only a little.
Jesus Christ
had a lot.
Jesus Christ,
the eternal
Son of God, was
eternally rich,
highly exalted.
You can't
get higher
than that.
The widow
gave her
last two
cents, all
she had, and
Jesus gave
all He had,
which was
far more.
His honor, His
comfort, His
privileges, His
very life.
He held
nothing back.
The widow
gave, despite
being ignored and
mistreated by the
temple authorities,
Jesus gave His
life on the cross
surrounded by
people who were
taunting and
ridiculing and
humiliated Him.
But He stayed, and
He prayed, Father,
forgive them, for
they don't know what
they are doing.
Jesus didn't just
give out of His
abundance while
remaining comfortable
Himself.
He gave a great
cost to Himself
until it literally
killed Him.
And He did it
all out of the
most pure love
for God, His
Father.
Some of His last
words were, Father,
into Your hands I
commit my spirit.
He gave Himself to
God in obedience,
in love, on behalf
of guilty and corrupt
sinners.
You see, the widow
gave in an environment
that had become
corrupted.
Jesus gave His life
in a world that had
become corrupted for
the sake of those
who had been
corrupted by
self-centeredness and
all kinds of sin
that makes us
guilty.
And when Jesus
hung on that cross,
no one who looked
at Him could
imagine anything
good that would
come out of that.
And yet,
Jesus' act of
worship, Jesus'
sacrifice of love
for God on the
cross has produced
a harvest far
beyond what anyone
back then could
have imagined.
We are all here
today because of
Jesus Christ and His
self-giving love on
the cross.
Maybe you're only
hearing this message
for the very first
time, but that's
what Christianity is
all about.
That God Himself
sent His only Son that
Jesus willingly came
and gave His life
as a sacrifice
on behalf of
others
so that our sins
could be forgiven,
so that we could be
restored to a right
relationship with God
now and eternally.
The Apostle Paul
put it this way,
For you know the grace
of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
that though He was
rich, yet for your
sake He became poor
so that you by His
poverty might become
rich.
Do you see the beauty
of His self-giving
love?
Who do you admire?
Who do you look up
to and want to be
like?
Who do you want
everyone else to know
about?
Who are you not ashamed
to associate with and
publicly praise?
Do you see that Jesus
is worthy of all that?
He is worthy of our
admiration and honor
and endless praise.
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, we praise You
for warning us
against our own worst
tendencies,
against our self-promotion
and self-serving
impulses
that come out of our
hearts,
often even more than we're
conscious of.
love.
And we praise You
for the example of this
poor widow,
for her faithful love
for you,
for you pointing that
out to us as an
example.
But we thank You
above all
for Your self-giving
love,
that You gave
everything without
holding anything
back.
You gave us Your
life,
Your righteousness,
Your eternal joy.
You took our sin,
our guilt,
and our death.
What a glorious
exchange.
What a beautiful
gift.
Lord,
may we be moved
to worship You,
to delight in You,
to honor You,
to praise You.
And as we honor
and praise You,
we pray that we would
become more and more
like You,
that as You have
loved us,
that we would love
one another.
In Your holy name
we pray.
Amen.