Luke 20:41-21:4

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.

Luke 20 · chapter mention

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.

Luke 20 · chapter mention

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.

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.

Fist pump here.

We have got them.

Every time what happens?

Jesus wins.

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.

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.

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.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

2040.

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.

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.

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.

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, clink, clink,

clink, clink,

now all you hear

is just the faintest,

faintest little

tin tin,

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.

Learn from 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?

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.

Amen.