66: My Life… Whose Glory? (Luke 20:45-21:4)

Jackie Watts

The Gospel of Luke: The Greatest Story Ever Told • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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I have a friend whose husband’s name ROCKS. She just told me they will be with our church tomorrow. After I asked if she would be there, she responded, "Me & Jesus will be there.” (that’s her husband's name) My response: “Good, I’ve been praying Jesus will show up tomorrow (yours and ours)!” Would that be GREAT!? If we would desire for Jesus to show up today! PRAY

Good teams have players who are more interested in TEAM glory than SELF glory. It might be said this way: ‘Good teams are more interested in bringing glory to the name on the FRONT of the jersey rather than the name on the BACK of the jersey.’

In Jesus’ day many claimed to live for God’s glory, but lived for SELF-glory. What will be said of you & me? Today's study will expose our intentions by answering one question: 'My Life...Whose Glory?'

Jesus is still at the temple when He says these words…

Luke 20:45–47 (NIV)

45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has warned of the religious elite who honor God with their lips, but whose hearts are far from Him. Not only do they often have wrong interpretations, but their actions were proving they also had the wrong intentions.

If they were to do a self-examination…My Life…for Whose Glory? Most teachers of the Law would SAY they lived for God’s glory, but many lived for their own glory. This was certainly not true of every teacher of the Law (e.g. Nicodemus), but was true of many.

Because of that, Jesus fires a warning shot across the bow of all who will listen. Let’s dive a little deeper.

Luke 20:46 (NIV)

46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes…

Rather than imitating the religious elite, Jesus warns the people NOT to be like them.

Beware - watch out for. Is not a term of trust, but a term of mistrust.

Instead of modeling a servant's heart, many of these men were puffed up, full of pride, & actually leading people AWAY from the God they were supposed to be leading people TO!

Jesus exposes these religious elite for their pride & hypocrisy, using this negative portrait to show what His followers should NOT be like.

What’s the significance of long flowing robes? What they wore caused them to be identified as the spiritually elite. Their robes were likely made of expensive material which distinguished them from other Jewish people.

Matthew notes more of what Jesus says about them…

Matthew 23:5 (NIV) “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;

The phylactery was a little box containing verses from Scripture (Exod. 13:1–10, 11–16; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21) that adult men wore during time of prayer. Whether the box containing the Scripture was more broad or the strap was more broad, it was different from the average Joe-seph.

So too, following the command from Numbers 15:37-38, Jews tied blue tassels attached to the outer garment as a reminder to follow God’s commandments. Evidently, these teachers of the law again made their tassels much more obvious than other people…so people would be sure to notice how seriously they took God’s commands.

All these were intended to be reminders to remember & keep God’s Law and therefore bring glory to Him. Instead, these teachers of the law used this as a tool to bring glory to themselves.

That’s the danger of knowledge & privileged position - it can lead one to think he/she deserve to be treated better than others.

Jesus continues…

Luke 20:46 (NIV)

46 “[They] love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

They look forward to getting into public, not to serve BUT to be served. They love to be greeted with respect, have the most important seats, & places of honor. Jesus condemned this attitude of front-row elitism. By comparison, followers of Jesus should go into public, not to receive applause, but to communicate value to others as they HONOR the One true God.

We have already seen that Jesus commanded His disciples to humble themselves and take the lowest place.

Luke 14:10–11 (NIV) 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

These teachers of the Law warned His audience about USED people to gain power & prestige. But Jesus exposed this facade.

Movie Buildings are often just a facade: a front that looks real, but has very little structure behind it…it looks real, but it’s a fake…just a show to fool other people

Jesus continues…

Luke 20:47 (NIV)

47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers…

We don’t know exactly what was going on, but what is clear is that these men were using their positions to somehow take advantage of widows. The Scriptures made CLEAR that God expected His people, especially His leaders, to PROTECT widows & orphans, not manipulate them. But, like their long flowing robes, their - lengthy public prayers are all a facade, a show to fool people. They ‘sound’ Godly, but they’re not.

Question: Is that true of YOU? Others might think you’re Godly, but you know what’s behind the facade.

Look at Jesus’ judgment on these hypocritical leaders.

Luke 20:47 (NIV)

47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

When these guys stand before the JUDGE of all, their answer to the question My Life…Whose Glory? will be followed with severe judgment. While they might have fooled others, God was NOT fooled. And that’s true of us as well. You see…

BIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONSBIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONSBIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONSBIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONS

BIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONS

Neither are hidden from His sight.

When you do what is right, even when no one else sees…He does.

When you do RIGHT…but for the wrong reasons…He sees.

When you openly disobey, He knows.

BIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONS

And Jesus wants His disciples to make sure that live as pure, humble, servants who clearly communicate MY LIFE for HIS GLORY. But now just days before His crucifixion, Jesus used living examples to continue to teach around Him.

Luke 21:1(NIV)

1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.

The temple treasury was in the Court of the Women, and would have been filled with many out of town guests who had traveled to Jerusalem for Passover.

The treasury consisted of 13 brass collection funnels called 'trumpets', as that's what they looked like. People chose to give to various purposes that were marked on the giving boxes. These contributions that were not obligatory tithes, but freewill offerings, and this is precisely why this story is SO intriguing. It makes sense that it was the 'rich' who were bringing their gifts there. They had plenty and they chose to be generous with the extra they had been blessed with. But then something odd happened.

Luke 21:1-2 (NIV)

1 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.

A widow approached with an insignificant gift - almost worthless offering...two coins, so small they were called 'lepta' (literally, “peeled” or “fine,” the idea being a tiny thin coin). It was worth about 1/8th of a penny.

What do you do when you see a penny on the ground?…most people pass it by. I think I lost a $20 bill a few weeks ago, fell out of my vehicle...and I bet you someone didn't pass THAT by...if that was you...you're welcome.

But a penny? WHO would even care about that?…Someone pretty important. Mark 12:43 tells us that Jesus called his disciples to spotlight what had just happened. Imagine this moment with me. Hundreds of people are walking through this courtyard. Many are bringing offerings…and Jesus points out this poor widow…

’See her?…the widow no one is paying attention to…’

3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

Wait a second…she put in her 2 cents…but that was NOTHING compared to what the others gave. So why would Jesus say this? You ask great questions. First, Jesus doesn’t fault these wealthy people for giving to God’s work, but He doesn’t ELEVATE her gift above all others, and here’s why:

4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

They give from EXTRA, surplus. Question: She gives WHAT? All she has!

She’s not wearing a placard with saying, “I gave it all!”

I have a question: WHO could have known that this woman was giving ALL she had?

Only God or those God reveals it to. Jesus, God in skin, knew. He doesn’t call her over & award her publicly. He didn’t even speak to her in a private conversation. Instead, she drops ALL SHE HAS…and disappears in the crowd.

Kent Hughes writes: “When the widow passed by, though he sat still, inwardly he was on his feet applauding. This widow was a rare flower in a desert of official devotion, and her beauty made his heart rejoice.”

You see…

BIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONS

He knew this woman GAVE from a heart of love.

She didn’t give because she HAD to…she gave because she WANTED to!

Her ACTIONS & INTENTIONS silently said to God, “I love you. I trust you. Here’s my life. It’s not much, but I give it all! My life…for YOUR Glory!”

And 2000 years later, disciples of Jesus are challenged by this humble example, as we’re reminded that

"Giving that pleases God is giving that costs us.”

Giving that pleases God demonstrates trust that God will provide for our future.

Giving that pleases God means giving our time, talents, & treasure to God…out of gratitude!

Let me calm your beating heart: We’re not about to collect an offering, although we are grateful for those who give to the work of Fellowship & other worthy ministries furthering the message of Jesus.

Today, the Scripture reminds us that…

BIG TRUTH: God pays attention to our ACTIONS & INTENTIONS

He sees our pride or humility, our desire to serve…or our desire to be served, our acts of obedience or disobedience.

And like the hypocritical teachers of the Law and the widow who gave it all, ONE DAY, the Judge of all will reveal the answer to the question: ‘My Life…Whose Glory?’.

And if that doesn’t cause you to squirm just a little, then you need a spiritual checkup.

PRAY “God, what are you asking me to do?” (Band approaches)

If you had to answer the question honestly…ask yourself, ‘My Life…Whose Glory?’

Is God pleased with WHAT you do? Is God pleased with WHY you do WHAT you do?

Is God pleased with where you give your time, talents, & treasure?

Amen…

Turn from sin & Trust Jesus. Go

Serve with a Smile! Go to the back of the line, hold the door open, pay for another’s meal. Give of your time, talents, treasure - serve in our church & community!