Contrasting Kingdom Character
Mark 12:38-44
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
As a culture, the Jewish people are suffering under a leadership problem. Their leaders are not responding to God’s will and kingdom.
They are like this because they do not understand what God is doing.
And they object to Jesus’ ministry by and large because He does not affirm their “rightness.”
Jesus accuses them by His actions and by His teaching.
In many ways people are always in this kind of a situation. Leaders will always be imperfect, whether inside or outside of the church. There will always be a need for humility and grace and forgiveness. People would like for things to be simpler than they are. The best we can do is be humble and honest. The Jewish leaders are masking their weaknesses because of their pride. Jesus addresses their behavior in the first part of this passage.
- Watch Out for the Teachers of the Law
- Dangerous motivations
To please others
To be served and honored
To be “an expert”
A degree in theology does not cause one to “know God”
Example for us:
In our culture we value money/success in business. As such those can easily become values in the church.
- Hurtful actions
I’m more important than you.
My decisions are correct
I should be submitted to
Love is made less important
When people are in conflict, it is easy to become competitive.
Consider James 3: 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
- Reliance on appearances
Perception is reality?
Is there a God? Then reality is important.
Can God act? If He can and He has direction for our lives, then we are to adopt that direction!
In contrast to the Jewish leaders Jesus makes an example of the poor widow.
- Example of the Poor Widow
A huge part of this lesson Jesus is teaching is related to the contrast between the widow and the leaders. If we were to choose between the two of them, we would rather be the leaders. Why?
- No social influence
What possible impact on those around her can she have?
And yet, here we have her in the New Testament as an example of how we are to live. She is a rebuke for the teachers of the law!
What source of respect does this woman have? It doesn’t come from family, from husband etc. But she is created in the image of God and that never goes away. And Jesus is breaking down social barriers as they relate to value and purpose!
Acts 10 as it relates to race and religion.
Galatians 3 as it relates to race, religion, sex, or social status.
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We are all created in God’s image.
All who are in Christ are sons of God
All who are in Christ are recipients of Abraham’s blessings.
- Freedom to serve God
Since she has no influence, she has no need to compete! She can just focus on living to serve God.
Poor people give a larger percentage of their income to charitable groups than do rich people.
And God calls us to give proportionally!
To whom much is given, much will be required!
It is more blessed to give than to receive
In what way has God blessed you in Christ?
- He has adopted you into His family
- He has made you a part of His people, the church.
- He has given you forgiveness and the gift of righteousness.
- He has included you in His kingdom purposes.
Freely you have received, freely give! Matthew 10:8 when Jesus was sending out the twelve.
- Faithful to give
Regular giving:
Do not give to impress others! Matthew 6: 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret.
II Corinthians 9: 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Give cheerfully, NOT UNDER COMPULSION
Our giving results in God’s work being done
God promises to bless the giver!
Consider all of your motives and actions in life and…
III. Live Like God Exists
Not only does God exist, but God is at work!!
- His pleasure first
Parables in response to the question of how we are to make sure that we are ready for Christ to return and be in good standing with God:
Matthew 25:
‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
Does what we have belong to us or to God? Are we responsible to God for what we use our money, time, energy for?
- His will first
Example from the feeding of the 5,000.
Mark 6: 35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Jesus in the Garden praying:
Mark 14: 32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba,[f] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
- Build His kingdom for His glory
This woman is doing this! Who invested her with this important value? God shares this task with all of us!!
Ephesians 2: 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
John 17: 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Pray, give, serve, love. When you do you invest yourself in God’s pleasure and kingdom!
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