Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / Examining The Widow’s Offering | Mark 12:41-44 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

Transcript

Examining The Widow’s Offering | Mark 12:41-44 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Let's feed our joy, shall we, with the truth of God's Word.
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  Meet me in Mark chapter 12 as we examine the final verses of this
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  chapter and are coming closer and closer to the end of our
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  series in the book of Mark. Can hardly believe it.
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  If you want to know which verses we are covering today, we're
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  beginning in verse 41. So meet me in verse 41 of Mark
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  chapter 12 and let's read together.
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  And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people
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  putting money into the offering box.
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  Many rich people put in large sums, and a poor widow came and
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  put in two small copper coins which make a penny.
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  And he called his disciples to him and said to them, Truly, I
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  say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who
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  are contributing to the offering box, for they all contributed
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  out of their abundance. But she out of her poverty has
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  put in everything she had, all she had to live on.
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  Lord, we ask that you help us understand these verses.
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  Oh Lord, we pray that you would give us the spirit of wisdom and
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  revelation. Now be exalted in our
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  understanding of the truth and be greatly exalted in our
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  application of the truths that we uncover.
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  Help us Lord, the same one who is able to give us joy is able
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  to give us a mind that can comprehend the deep things of
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  God. And we look to you now believing
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  that you will do just that. In Jesus name we pray.
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  Amen. Amen.
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  I want to go straight to it. What is the main point of this
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  passage? Why is this in our Bibles?
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  Why is this here in our Bibles? Does this testimony of the
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  widow's offering present to us a challenge to an unwavering
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  commitment to give within the church regardless of one's
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  circumstances? Is this a New Testament heart
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  stirring illustration for people to radically and sacrificially
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  tithe, or is there a deeper meaning that the Spirit of God
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  desires to convey? The answer to that question is
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  the aim of our time together, and we will seek to know the
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  mind of God by the help of the Holy Spirit.
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  If you've been in evangelical circles long enough, then you
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  might agree that this text is commonly handled as a quick
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  reference to inspire generosity in believers.
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  Right? And that is often the extent of
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  how the Bible is taught with this peculiar passage, which is
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  found only in Mark and in Luke. There is no doubt that this
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  scene that you and I just read carries instruction for us,
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  because look again at verse 43 says here.
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  And he called his disciples to him and said to them, truly, I
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  say to you, evidently the Lord in watching and observing this
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  poor widow longs to yield something and to drive it into
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  the hearts of his disciples then and his disciples even now.
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  But here's my question. What is Jesus Christ intending
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  to communicate as this widow demonstrates sacrificial giving.
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  Upon closer examination, you and I are going to discern that the
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  spirits inclusion of this passage.
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  Listen very carefully to this serves a dual purpose.
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  It serves a dual purpose, and that dual purpose is going to
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  divide our thoughts today. These are the categories in
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  which you and I are going to uncover what is God wanting to
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  convey here? Number one, this scene presents
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  a very significant contrast. Remember that word?
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  It presents a very significant contrast.
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  Second to that, it is a confirmation for condemnation.
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  It presents a significant contrast, number one and two, it
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  stands as a confirmation for condemnation.
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  And so let us look at this together.
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  Let us consider the contrast. If you read this passage in
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  isolation, you will have limited insight, but when you honor the
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  placement of this account, ah, there lies an accurate
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  conclusion awaiting to be experienced.
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  What was the last thing we saw the Lord doing or saying right
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  before we witnessed this widow appear in the narrative Jesus
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  Christ taught and gave a scathing condemnation for the
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  scribes, the scribes who will receive a greater condemnation.
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  That is the last thing that you and I observed.
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  The gatekeepers of the law who are professionals at what?
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  Flaunting their superficial spirituality and capitalizing on
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  their authority by what? Gaining and securing societal
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  status and excessive wealth. But in Jesus, describing their
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  physical and external prosperity, also notes their
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  spiritual bankruptcy. Yeah, they might have gained
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  much on the outside, but they are condemned.
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  How much worse can you be? How much worse can they get for
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  somebody, spiritually speaking? You might have taken advantage
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  of others. You might have gotten away with
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  a lot. But know this, you will indeed
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  face judgement. So you have these men describe
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  with and by long robes and seating in the best places and
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  making long prayers. And now you come to this passage
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  and what do you encounter? Someone who stands in complete
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  contrast to that group of people?
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  A widow. A widow?
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  No, not just a widow. Look back again at verse 42.
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  And a poor widow, not just a widow.
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  So relational deprivation is not the only thing that this poor
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  lady is enduring. We also read that she was
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  abandoned to physical destitution, a poor widow.
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  And yet her lack of material wealth, resources, property does
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  not reflect on her spiritual condition.
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  And that's what Christ alludes to in verse 43.
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  Look at it with me again. And he called to his disciples
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  them and said to them, truly, I say to you, this poor widow has
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  put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering
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  box really in terms of monetary value that doesn't line up.
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  But Jesus here is saying and reminding his disciples and you
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  and I that there is a spiritual exchange rate that you can never
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  fail to take into account. And you have to remember that
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  spiritual exchange rate, especially when it comes to your
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  worship and devotion to the Kingdom of God.
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  You know, men might be impressed by these long robes and the
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  phylacteries and the long prayers and those who sit in the
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  best seats and are invited to the highest places in other
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  settings. But Christ is not moved by such
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  a standard. He looks for something else.
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  He perceives something else. Come back to verse 41 and he sat
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  down opposite the treasury and watch the people putting money
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  into the offering box. You know, I couldn't get past
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  verse 41 in my meditation this week.
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  What a moving sight. And Jesus doesn't even say a
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  word. Jesus parks himself across from
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  the offering box within the temple courts.
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  And all we're told here by Mark with great detail is that he
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  watched the people. Doesn't that move you?
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  Can you just envision it, the perfect servant of God sitting
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  there and observing that line of people putting in their
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  different sums of money, and he's watching and watching
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  silently. Christ is watching.
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  Do you think this widow perceived Jesus watching?
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  No, she didn't. Do you often perceive when
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  Christ is watching? I hope you always walk with a
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  conscious acknowledgement of His presence.
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  But let me remind you, just in case you forgot, He's watching
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  and Jesus here when he's watching is watching something
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  specific. Now if you have the NASB, the
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  new King James, or the King James versions, and I referenced
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  those versions because they are faithful word for word
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  translations. Those faithful translations add
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  a word to this verse that gives greater depth to what's taking
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  place. It says in those transition, the
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  ESP doesn't include it, but it says in those other
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  translations. And he saw and he beheld and he
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  observed how the people put the money into the treasury, not
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  just the people putting it in. Those translations say how they
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  put it in. And if you want to know what
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  Christ esteems the most out of man's worship above all else, it
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  is the heart of the worshipper. It's the heart of the worshipper
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  and that is a truth that you find consistently throughout the
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  Bible. You even find it in the 1st
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  place where the Bible mentions men offering something to God.
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  Let me take you there in Genesis, Genesis chapter 4,
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  Please meet me in verse three as we look at two brothers giving
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  something to the Lord near the inception of creation itself.
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  Genesis 4 beginning in verse three.
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  We'll read 2 verses together in the course of time.
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  Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the
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  ground, and Abel also brought of the first born of his flock, and
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  of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel
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  in his offering, but for Cain in his offering he had no regard.
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  So Cain was very angry and his face fell.
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  There's some debate around why it is that God accepted Abel's
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  offering and not Cain's. And what happens often is that
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  people try to compare the value of Abel's offering to what Cain
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  put together. And though that is an important
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  discussion to have, that is a factor that we must include in
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  the conversation and in the debate and investigation.
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  People often miss how the Spirit puts these truths together
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  because as much as what was being offered was important, the
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  Spirit wants to highlight that the offerers were evaluated, not
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  just the offerings saying, what do you mean?
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  We'll look back at verse four again, and it says here at the
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  last part of verse four. And the Lord had regard for
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  Abel, not Abel's offering for Abel and his offering, verse 5,
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  but for Cain's offering, No, but for Cain and his offering.
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  So you notice here that what's being presented is not just the
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  sacrifice, but the one who sacrificed.
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  And notice again the order. Both Cain and Abel are mentioned
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  before what they gave to the Lord.
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  Indicating what? That you better believe that the
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  Lord looks at the heart of the person before He looks at the
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  object of what's being given. So before any of us came in here
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  and as we entered into this place, guarantee that the Lord
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  looked at the inner chambers of your bosom before he heard your
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  lovely voice, or what we put in the plate, or how we're going to
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  serve after the service. He looked at Cain, He looked at
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  Abel before he looked at the offering.
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  And it's not until you go to Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 4
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  where you read what it is that God found in Abel that He did
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  not find in Cain. Do you know what it was says
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  here? By faith, Abel offered to God a
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  more acceptable sacrifice than Cain.
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  So when he looked at Abel, he saw faith.
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  When he looked at Cain, he did not find faith.
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  Evidently it wasn't about which sacrifice was more impressive,
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  but how and why it was sacrificed.
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  And there must have been some kind of revelation that Abel was
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  working with, maybe through the instruction of his parents, who
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  experienced God sacrificing for them and clothing them with
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  garments. Whatever the case may be, Abel
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  had this understanding that God requires this.
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  And my goal in coming before the Lord is to please him, so I will
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  please him. Now Cain came with something in
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  his hands, but he had a different heart.
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  Is Christ any different in his evaluation of men?
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  You come back to Mark chapter 12 and realize where his piercing
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  eyes landed on. It wasn't necessarily the amount
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  that was being given, but what the amount meant for each
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  person. Notice he doesn't discredit
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  those who gave large sums, he doesn't condemn them, but he
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  considers what that sacrifice meant to each party.
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  And when it came to this widow, comparatively, what she gave
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  wouldn't move an inch of what would be contributed to the
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  temple. A penny, 2 copper coins.
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  What's that going to do? And what does that look like in
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  comparison to the mountainous money that was being piled into
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  those chests? Yeah, it might have been
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  insignificant to the onlooker, but it wasn't insignificant to
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  her. And Christ saw that, and Christ
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  registered that. He realized that there was great
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  sacrifice behind that surrender, and he took note of it.
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  And here's where you and I have to pause and meditate, please.
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  I'm talking to those who worship God.
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  No, I'm not talking to those who need to be stirred up to
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  worship. I'm talking to those who are
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  walking in that place of worship.
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  You love the Lord. You serve the Lord.
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  Realize here and be comforted to know that when Christ looks at
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  each of us according to the truth, that we are all living
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  sacrifices. Every Christian in here, whether
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  you realize it or not, and I hope you realize it because you
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  signed up for it, when you said yes to Jesus Christ, you put
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  your whole being on an altar and you are a living sacrifice every
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  single day for the pleasure of God.
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  But when you consider that, realize that Jesus Christ bears
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  in mind for each of you on an individual basis, your
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  circumstances, your abilities, and your resources.
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  If you can't be convinced of that, you're going to be
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  extremely frustrated and prone to perpetual discouragement in
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  your quest to worship, love, and give to the Lord.
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  And I'm not talking about just giving money.
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  Your life, your time, your energy, your plans.
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  I remember when that truth dawned on me many years ago.
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  It liberated me in a way in which I can never read this
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  passage the same way again, to know that Jesus Christ looks at
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  me uniquely, and he looks at the season of life that I'm in.
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  He looks at the situation, He looks at my liberties, my lack
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  of whatever the case may be, and he considers that, evaluates
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  that, and he's honored by what I can do in that.
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  Do you know where I found inspiration for that truth?
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  Leviticus, Leviticus, Leviticus one turn there with me.
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  I want you to see it with your own eyes.
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  I've heard people say that there is no value in this book as
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  Christians. Shame on them.
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  Leviticus, I want you to look at chapter one, verse five.
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  In this chapter we're given instructions about what God
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  demanded of the people concerning a particular
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  sacrifice. That sacrifice is called the
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  burnt offering. You know what was unique about
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  that sacrifice? Everything about that beast was
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  given over to the altar. Everything was consumed, not
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  just bits and pieces. The whole beast was placed on
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  the altar. No reservations.
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  And so it's a wonderful picture of the sacrifice of Christ.
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  And in terms of Christians, it's a wonderful picture of what
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  we're supposed to do with our lives.
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  But I want you to see this detail.
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  Look at verse five of Leviticus one.
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  Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord and Aaron's
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  sons. The priest shall bring the blood
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  and throw the blood against the sides of the altar.
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  This is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
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  What animal was supposed to be given for the burnt offering?
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  The bull? That's a big beast.
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  That's a costly beast, expensive.
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  A bull can do a lot for a household, for a business, but
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  it was to be given as an offering, and look what it would
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  produce in verse 9. But its entrails and its legs he
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  shall wash with water, and the priests shall burn all of it on
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  the altar as a burnt offering, A food offering with a pleasing
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  aroma to the Lord. So the Lord would be pleased by
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  the fragrance of this complete sacrifice.
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  Now if it ended there, we would understand.
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  OK, everybody needs to get a bowl and give it to the Lord.
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  But the Lord doesn't end His instructions there.
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  You Scroll down and you read something else in verse 10 in
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  light of the fact that this is still about the burnt offering.
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  If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the
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  sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish.
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  Well, hold on. You told us about a bull.
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  But yeah, there's also the ability to give a goat or a
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  sheep. And if you were to give that,
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  what would the result of that be?
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  Look at verse 13. But the entrails and the legs he
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  shall wash with water, and the priest shall offer all of it and
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  burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food
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  offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
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  Huh. So I can give an offering, a
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  burnt offering with a goat or a sheep?
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  Not just with a goat or a sheep. He's not done yet.
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  Look at verse 14. If his offering to the Lord is a
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  burnt offering of birds. Then he shall bring his offering
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  of turtle doves or pigeons. And what would be the result of
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  that? Look at verse 17.
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  He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it
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  completely. And the priest shall burn it on
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  the altar, on the wood that is on the fire.
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  It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma
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  to the Lord. So hold on, comparatively, in
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  that economy, would you rather own a bull or a bird?
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  Bull for me. Bull.
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  I'll take a bull any day. But check this out.
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  Whether you gave a bull or a goat or a sheep or a bird to the
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  Lord, it was all the same. Why these different options?
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  Because not everybody could afford a bull and not everybody
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  could afford a goat. And so the poorest of the poor
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  would have to blame on giving a bird.
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  You know what the Lord is assuring in this chapter?
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  Whatever it is that you give me, I take into consideration what
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  you can give me and it's all a pleasing aroma to me saying
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  please help me apply Leviticus one in 2024.
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  I can tell you how to apply to me in a very busy season of my
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  life where there was so much happening was studying for my
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  masters. All these things and my days of
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  devotion at that time did not look that same when I was in
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  Canada without a full time job with more laid back classes.
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  You know what I found myself doing when it came to Leviticus
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  one and this dawned on me. I found myself saying to the
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  Lord, Lord, I was once able to give you a bull but for this
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  season I can only give you a sheep.
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  I want to give you a bull but this season right now in these
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  circumstances won't allow me. Please Lord, either remove the
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  circumstances and give me the ability to give you a bull or
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  please be satisfied with this goat that set me free.
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  And there are times where I don't know about you.
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  Even a common cold will knock me out and sometimes it used to be
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  change my diet and stuff which helped.
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  I could be out for weeks and it would debilitate me in so many
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  ways. You know what I found myself
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  doing in those days, Lord? You see me?
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  I'm giving you a bird. Please take this bird and be
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  satisfied. You know what Leviticus One
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  says, whether it's a bird or a bull, it's a pleasing aroma to
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  me. And I know many people, mothers
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  with newborns, people who are trying to take care of family
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  members and it's just so overwhelming.
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  And they feel guilty and they feel ashamed and they feel as
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  though there is this excel sheet that God has in heaven.
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  And if you don't meet that quota and if you don't do it this way,
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  if you don't give that amount, amount of time, it amounts to
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  nothing. Well, what about this one with
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  two copper coins? How does Jesus evaluate?
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  He says she gave more than everybody else.
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  Now, this is not a truth that should excuse or justify
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  downgraded devotion, weak devotion.
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  No, no, no, no, no. Because a true worshipper will
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  say I would want to give everything I can to the Lord.
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  But they're also understand that that's not always the case.
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  And so they come and they are comforted by the fact that the
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  Lord looks, and he looks more than just the amount.
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  He looks at what that meant for the person who gave it.
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  Does that set you free? What about the woman?
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  I often refer to this, It's a New Testament example, the woman
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  who broke the alabaster flask and poured on the feet of Jesus.
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  The disciples criticized her and Jesus defended her.
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  She didn't even open her mouth. When you're truly walking with
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  the Lord, you don't need to defend yourself all the time.
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  Christ defends her and this is what he says to those disciples.
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  She did what she could. She did what she could.
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  So we look at the contrast, the contrast with what this woman's
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  pure, simple piety in comparison to the fake carnal, externally
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  focused spirituality of the scribes.
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  That's the flow of thought after condemning these men.
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  Now we come in, the spotlight falls on this woman and we see
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  that this woman, though she was shabby and maybe she shuffled
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  her way into the temple. Jesus can say to his disciples,
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  check this out. I just told you about another
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  thing to check on. I'm saying those guys are going
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  to get the worst of the worst in judgment day.
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  But let me show you someone else who gave more than everybody.
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  That must have been shocking, but Jesus interprets and
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  evaluates and esteems way differently than we do.
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  But I told you in the beginning of this message that there is a
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  dual purpose to this passage. The first, yes, being that there
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  is a contrast, but second to that, this story stands as a
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  confirmation for condemnation. And this is where I believe I'm
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  persuaded that it's about this more than anything else.
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  So let's consider not the contrast, but the condemnation.
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  You know, to most, this woman's sacrifice is limited to an
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  inspirational act of generosity. But to the student of the
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  Scriptures, this text, what you just read about this widow, you
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  know what it should done? Alarm us, alarm us, alarm us.
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  Why? Look again at what this donation
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  would cost this poor lady in verse 44, for they all
• 25:50
  contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her
• 25:55
  poverty. So she's already poor coming in,
• 25:57
  but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had.
• 26:02
  This is not exaggeration. She gave everything she had to
• 26:05
  what point all she had to live on.
• 26:10
  You know what these two copper coins would equate to in modern
• 26:12
  day currency, like a little bit over a dollar.
• 26:18
  So she gave all that she had check this out to live on.
• 26:25
  So she could have gone to the grocery store and bought a
• 26:28
  chocolate bar to satisfy her belly for the day, but instead
• 26:34
  she goes to the temple and she puts it in the offering box.
• 26:40
  That is to say, she literally gave up her last penny.
• 26:44
  Not for the day, by the way, but she emptied her bank account.
• 26:50
  What's the problem with that? The problem with that is because
• 26:54
  the Lord created preventative measures in His law that would
• 26:59
  protect widows from spiraling into a place of being neglected
• 27:04
  and abandoned, into poverty and starvation.
• 27:08
  God has a special place in His heart for widows, and you see it
• 27:12
  throughout the Old Testament. And more than just having
• 27:16
  certain affections for them, He established certain measures and
• 27:20
  laws and commands in society so that they would be sustained and
• 27:27
  that they would escape coming to such a point in their lives.
• 27:32
  Here's one example. Turn with me to Deuteronomy
• 27:35
  chapter 14. I want you to see with your own
• 27:37
  eyes with me. Deuteronomy 14, verse 28.
• 27:49
  This is what God give to the people of Israel before they
• 27:52
  even step foot into the Promised land.
• 27:55
  And here's what He says concerning the tithe.
• 27:59
  Again, if you've been in evangelical circles long enough,
• 28:01
  you've probably heard many teachings on tithing.
• 28:05
  I'm pretty confident you didn't hear this one about tithing.
• 28:09
  Deuteronomy 142829 We think tithing is just 10% of your
• 28:13
  income. That's not the only tie that you
• 28:14
  find in the Bible. Here's one other one in
• 28:17
  Deuteronomy 1428. At the end of every three years,
• 28:23
  you shall bring out of all the tide of your produce in the same
• 28:27
  year and lay it up within your towns.
• 28:31
  So notice, this is not just a regular tithe.
• 28:34
  This is a tithe, a special tithe that takes place every three
• 28:37
  years. And where were they to bring
• 28:39
  this tithe of their produce? Not to the House of God, but to
• 28:42
  designated local towns, And they would drop off a portion of
• 28:47
  their produce and their resources.
• 28:48
  For what purpose? Verse 29 And the Levite, because
• 28:52
  he has no portion or inheritance with you.
• 28:55
  And the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who
• 29:01
  are within your town shall come and eat and be filled, that the
• 29:04
  Lord your God may bless you and all the work of your hands that
• 29:07
  you do. So there are members of society
• 29:11
  who can't take care of themselves to the same degree
• 29:15
  that others who are more and more profitable positions.
• 29:17
  And so God created a culture in which the wider population would
• 29:22
  be able to make contributions so that those who are less
• 29:25
  fortunate can be nurtured, can be taken care of.
• 29:31
  And one of the ways, this is not the only way, but one of the
• 29:33
  ways widows would benefit from this, is that every three years
• 29:36
  there would be a great deposit within these towns so that those
• 29:41
  who are destitute and those who are vulnerable and those who are
• 29:44
  weak can can ensure some kind of aid.
• 29:49
  Now listen, this is again not the only measure, but it is a
• 29:53
  major way in which God expresses His compassion for these least
• 29:56
  fortunate ones. And since this was inscribed in
• 30:00
  the law, you know what that means?
• 30:01
  The teachers of the law had to exhort the people.
• 30:04
  Don't forget about the fatherless.
• 30:06
  Don't forget about the sojourner, don't forget about
• 30:09
  the ministers, because they don't have land.
• 30:11
  There's no tribal allotment to the Levites.
• 30:13
  They are in these designated towns, but they don't have
• 30:17
  boundaries like you do. So take care of the ministers
• 30:20
  and take care of the widow. One of the ways you can do that
• 30:22
  is every three years you just read it.
• 30:23
  You're going to come to these towns and you're going to drop
• 30:25
  off a produce with joy. God's going to bless you for
• 30:27
  that. And so serious is God's law for
• 30:33
  such people that the Lord made a serious warning within the same
• 30:37
  book to the same people who are about to enter into a world
• 30:40
  where they had to honor such wishes.
• 30:42
  Look at Deuteronomy 27 verse 19 with me.
• 30:48
  You want to see how serious it is when widows are neglected?
• 30:53
  Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the
• 30:57
  sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.
• 31:03
  And all the people shall say Amen.
• 31:04
  You want to know what happens if you suspend justice?
• 31:09
  If you pervert justice, if you ignore or take advantage of such
• 31:14
  people curse, That's what you're going to inherit.
• 31:20
  And all the people shall say Amen.
• 31:22
  And they ended up saying Amen. But This is why we study the
• 31:26
  Hebrew Scriptures. What do we learn about the same
• 31:29
  people that they honor such an Amen?
• 31:32
  Have they always been faithful to uphold justice for such
• 31:35
  people? Was their leadership always
• 31:37
  mindful of those who are in need and to be assured that they'd be
• 31:43
  taken care of? Answer no.
• 31:47
  And that is clearly seen when Isaiah the prophet arrives early
• 31:50
  in his writings and he presents these scathing woes to the same
• 31:53
  nation of Israel. You'll see it in Isaiah 10,
• 31:57
  verse one. Woe to those who decree
• 32:00
  iniquitous decrees and the writers who keep writing
• 32:04
  oppression to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob
• 32:09
  the poor of my people of their right that widows may be their
• 32:14
  spoil and that they may make the fatherless their prey.
• 32:19
  What will you do on the day of punishment in the ruin that will
• 32:22
  come from afar? To whom will you flee for help,
• 32:26
  and where will you leave your wealth?
• 32:30
  So at this point in Israel's history, they have created
• 32:34
  iniquitous decrees. They have wrote, written these
• 32:36
  different oppressive laws and demands that ended up making
• 32:40
  widows into their spoil and through exploiting the truth and
• 32:45
  their position and demanding from widows in such a way they
• 32:49
  were able to accumulate wealth, abnormal measures of wealth.
• 32:54
  Isaiah indicates that at the end of verse 3, where are you going
• 32:57
  to leave your wealth? In what context?
• 32:59
  Judgments coming. You ignored the widow you you
• 33:03
  abused the widow. You know what's on its way?
• 33:04
  Invasion. And when the invasion comes,
• 33:06
  where are you going to put all your money?
• 33:10
  What's going to happen now once you've been caught fleecing the
• 33:13
  sheep? And so we see here that Isaiah
• 33:16
  assured the people that judgment was coming.
• 33:19
  And one of the reasons is because widows were made into
• 33:22
  their spoil. And so instead of caring and
• 33:26
  helping, it took advantage. And we see here that that is a
• 33:29
  consistent rebuke throughout the Old Testament.
• 33:33
  Here's another one of Malachi 3/5.
• 33:39
  Then I will draw near to you for judgement.
• 33:42
  I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against
• 33:47
  the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those
• 33:50
  who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the
• 33:55
  fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner.
• 34:00
  And do not fear me, says the Lord of Hosts.
• 34:02
  Now you might be here going to these passages and wondering
• 34:06
  what's your point? What's the point of this?
• 34:10
  Why are we looking at these things?
• 34:12
  And I'm going to answer that question with another question.
• 34:15
  Doesn't this backdrop what I always say, the foundation for
• 34:20
  understanding the New Testament? Does not these truths create a
• 34:25
  concern for you when you realize the nature and condition of that
• 34:30
  widow who went into the House of God and gave 2 copper coins?
• 34:38
  When she let go of those two things and they clinked and
• 34:41
  clanged, she gave all that she had, everything that she could
• 34:48
  give. She was impoverished when she
• 34:50
  walked in, and she was more impoverished when she left.
• 34:54
  And you should, in light of all those things with me, realize,
• 34:58
  huh, should she be in such a state.
• 35:07
  What did you and I learn last week when we studied about Jesus
• 35:12
  condemnation of the scribes? Go back with me to Mark 12 and
• 35:16
  look at verse 38 on the same day before this widow enters into
• 35:26
  the narrative we read right before Mark 1238.
• 35:30
  And in his teaching, he said beware of the scribes who like
• 35:33
  to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the
• 35:36
  marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues, in the
• 35:39
  places of honor at feast verse 40, who devour widows houses, Uh
• 35:46
  oh, and for pretence make long prayers, they will receive the
• 35:53
  greater condemnation. Is this a coincidence?
• 35:59
  Is it a coincidence that after the Lord Jesus mentions the
• 36:02
  scribes devouring widows houses, a destitute widows walks on the
• 36:09
  scene making a final donation to the same religious system that
• 36:14
  Jesus just finished condemning? This is not coincidence.
• 36:23
  No, no, no, no, no. This is confirmation.
• 36:27
  Confirmation to what? Of the wicked spiritual
• 36:31
  institution that preyed on the ones that God said you have to
• 36:34
  take care of and nurture. You have to watch over and
• 36:39
  serve. You have to give and not take.
• 36:48
  Yeah, this window widow. Widow.
• 36:49
  She's acting in simple faith. You ready for this shocking
• 36:53
  statement? Simple faith, Yes, but she's a
• 36:56
  victim to corruption more than anything else.
• 37:01
  What are you saying? Here's what I'm saying, that
• 37:04
  this widow who gave absolutely everything she had, listen for
• 37:08
  her survival, for her survival, did so because the perverted
• 37:16
  interpreters of the law demanded it from her.
• 37:21
  So she serves an illustration of what Jesus just finished
• 37:25
  criticizing in the previous verses.
• 37:29
  And you may not be convinced of this, but consider the strategic
• 37:32
  authorship of the Spirit when He put this story where He put this
• 37:36
  story. What comes after the story of
• 37:40
  the widow and her offering a new chapter, Mark 13.
• 37:46
  But the chapter inclusions and the verse references are not
• 37:50
  inspired. They were included later for our
• 37:53
  benefit, but they are not a part of the original writings.
• 37:57
  And if you're not mindful of that consistently, what can
• 37:59
  happen to your reading and understanding of God's words?
• 38:01
  When you come to a chapter break, you think there's a break
• 38:04
  in the thought or break in the theme.
• 38:07
  And so now you kind of just create a blank canvas in your
• 38:11
  mind. And you said, OK, I'm done with
• 38:12
  chapter 12 Now to come to chapter 13.
• 38:14
  What's what's tucked into this chapter that that's not helpful?
• 38:19
  So what do you have before the widow's offering yet Jesus
• 38:22
  condemning the religious leader and out of all the many evils
• 38:25
  that he could have brought up, one of the main things he brings
• 38:27
  forward is how they ate up and devoured and consumed widows.
• 38:34
  Their greed took advantage of those who are most vulnerable.
• 38:38
  Then you have this widow who comes on the scene and she goes
• 38:41
  into her pocket, pulls out 2 copper coins and Jesus says she
• 38:45
  gave absolutely everything she had to live on.
• 38:51
  And what do you find in Mark 13 verse one?
• 38:54
  And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples
• 38:57
  said to him, look teacher, what wonderful stones and what
• 39:00
  wonderful buildings. And Jesus said to him, do you
• 39:02
  see these great buildings? There will not be left here.
• 39:05
  One stone upon another that will not be thrown down.
• 39:10
  Judgment, judgment before the widow gave her offering.
• 39:16
  The widow gives her offering, judgment after she gives her
• 39:19
  offering. So when you come here, you
• 39:24
  realize there is a strong theme being communicated here.
• 39:28
  And so we see here that there is confirmation for what Jesus said
• 39:33
  he would condemn. And it's as though this is so
• 39:35
  important. This widow's plight is presented
• 39:38
  to us as one of the final evidences for the verdict of
• 39:41
  Jerusalem's downfall. So what's the main point of this
• 39:47
  passage? Is it to demand people to give
• 39:49
  to religious ministries and institutions regardless of one's
• 39:52
  poverty or their desperate need? Not at all.
• 39:57
  I believe it provides some inspiration for those who want
• 40:03
  to serve God, but maybe are tempted to feel that this is
• 40:06
  insignificant in light of what other people are doing and
• 40:09
  you're assured by Christ. Calling his disciples and saying
• 40:13
  she gave more that he appraises, appraises things differently
• 40:17
  than we do and that others do. Yes, be inspired by that because
• 40:21
  Jesus says something here about that.
• 40:24
  But more than that, it shows us that the watching eye of Jesus
• 40:27
  Christ is not just upon the offerers and those who
• 40:31
  sacrifice, but it's upon what? What did we see here in verse
• 40:34
  41? Jesus sat across the offering
• 40:36
  box and he watched the people. You know also he's watching
• 40:39
  corruption, corruption in the House of God.
• 40:45
  He is looking at sacrifice in the House of God, and he is
• 40:48
  going to shock the Church of Jesus Christ when we all stand
• 40:52
  at the judgement seat of Christ and realize what really Jesus
• 40:56
  was after all along. But his eye, his watching eyes
• 41:00
  also upon those who exploit and abuse and take advantage of
• 41:07
  those that leaders in the church are supposed to help and serve
• 41:12
  and love. So Jesus is watching.
• 41:18
  He's not just watching widows. He's watching what scribes and
• 41:25
  leaders and speakers are doing. 2 widows.
• 41:32
  And this is the truth of this passage.
• 41:35
  It speaks of a contrast and speaks of a confirmation for
• 41:38
  condemnation. And the overarching truth is
• 41:41
  this. The Lord Jesus Christ is
• 41:46
  watching. And that is an extremely
• 41:49
  encouraging thing for those who feel like they are overlooked,
• 41:53
  feel like they're not doing anything for the Kingdom of God.
• 41:57
  And it's a terrifying truth for those who think that they're
• 41:59
  going to get away by abusing and hurting and lying to those whom
• 42:04
  God said take care of. May we fear Him and love him,
• 42:10
  for He is worthy. Lord, we look to you together,
• 42:33
  and we thank you for opening our hearts to the complete truth of
• 42:38
  your Word. Lord, thank you for the
• 42:41
  assurance that your eye is upon the Sparrow and if it's upon an
• 42:46
  insignificant creature such as a little bird, how much more us
• 42:50
  created in your image. Thank you Lord, that your eyes
• 42:54
  not just on how we serve you, but it's on our suffering, it's
• 42:58
  on our praying, it's on our holiness, it's on our fears,
• 43:06
  it's on our worries. Lord, you're watching us, and in
• 43:10
  moments where we feel as though we are just a number, help us
• 43:13
  realize that you are one who praises that which men miss.
• 43:21
  But Lord, we also thank you for the assurance that you're
• 43:24
  watching the evil that seems to be taking place with no
• 43:28
  consequence. You will make that which is
• 43:34
  wrong, right? You will bring correction where
• 43:36
  there seems to be no retribution for.
• 43:42
  And Lord, we just are thankful that there is a time coming
• 43:44
  where you will judge. But we also, Lord, ask that you
• 43:49
  would convict those who have for a long time or even even now in
• 43:54
  entertaining the thought of trying to take advantage of the
• 43:57
  gospel, the church, the people in the church for their own
• 44:01
  personal gain. May this truth resound in their
• 44:05
  hearts that you are watching. And Lord, we just pray that with
• 44:11
  this truth you would hallow our hearts to be refueled with joy
• 44:18
  because we are to be the most joyful concerning the fact that
• 44:21
  we are in the truth. We love your truth, we love you,
• 44:26
  and we're here to worship you together in Jesus name, Amen.
• 44:29
  Amen. Let's stand and worship the Lord
• 44:31
  together.