Whom Do You Admire?

Church, turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 20, Luke chapter 20, beginning at

Luke 20 · chapter mention Luke 20 · chapter mention

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.

Luke 20 · chapter mention

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, 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.

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.

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.