True vs False Spirituality
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Mark 12:38-44
Mark 12:38-44
38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Jesus said ‘Beware’ the scribes - or literally in the Greek ‘watch’ be on guard for them. Not all scribes, not all teachers but for those who do these things.
Jesus identified the traits of a false teacher for us - in order that we might be able to tell the difference between the true and the false. This was part of His doctrine v38, and therefore it must be part of our doctrine. Many get uncomfortable at this kind of content today, they find it too negative or condemning - but it was consistently what Jesus taught and His apostles after Him. And so the Christian church must continue to warn of false teachers today.
Why? Because He says for all their show, for all their posturing, for all their wealth, they will receive the greater condemnation. We don’t want any of you to face the same fate.
These 6 points also relate to us. We have to be able to check our hearts and ask whether we on some level are doing these things.
Three signs of a false spirituality
Everything is for show
Long flowing robes, They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long - Matt 23:4-5
They have to be seen as ‘super spiritual’. They use clothing, accessories and whatever they can to gain the edge. This happens today - and not just in high churches where the ministers wear long flowing robes. But even in modern evangelical churches.
Preachers n Sneakers
There is an unhealthy desire to be noticed. Virtue signalling. No good work can go unmentioned.
We all have the holy spirit, a Pastor is not ‘more spiritual’ than His flock.
Whatever we do in religion, let us never wear a cloak. Let us be real, honest, thorough, and sincere in our Christianity. We cannot deceive an all-seeing God. - JC Ryle
2. They need to be honoured
When a scribe walked down the street or passed through a marketplace, everyone (with the exception of laborers) was expected to rise before him. Such position and privilege fostered the desire to make an impression - Edwards
How do you tell if you’re someone who needs to be honoured? How do you react when you are not honoured? How do you react when you are treated badly, or even just overlooked? Does it ruin your day? Do you need to run those people down in order to feel better again?
Story about … not being reserved seats on the front row at a conference
False teachers create a celebrity culture around themselves. Their leaders are those people who stroke their ego the best - it has little to do with being Biblically qualified to lead.
They cannot handle being criticised.
Toxic honour culture
3. Financial greed
Josephus (Ant. 18.81–84) tells of a Jewish scoundrel exiled to Rome who affected the ways of a scribe (“he played the part of an interpreter of the Mosaic law and its wisdom”) and succeeded in persuading a highstanding woman named Fulvia to make substantial gifts to the temple in Jerusalem. The bequests, however, were embezzled, and Rome—from Emperor Tiberius on to plebs in the street—was outraged
Scribes were not like the Sadduccees, they weren’t aristocratic, they weren’t rich. They were dependent on gifts and offerings from worshipers and patrons. Some abused their position in order to abuse the trust of their donors.
False teachers devour widows houses. House = finances. They prey on the weak and the vulnerable, promising them blessings and wealth if they’ll keep giving.
Giving financially is a healthy practice - but we are to give according to what we decide in our hearts, not under compulsion. False teachers apply pressure to give more, they are never satisfied.
Greed is blind. The greediest people don’t see themselves as greedy. Like the American tele-evangelist who claims he needs his private jets and his private runway because he simply couldn’t travel on public transport like everyone else. Or the pastor who argues that it’s necessary for him to have a multi-million dollar mansion while his donors live in poverty in order to give them hope.
Isn’t it interesting that none of the apostles left this world with great wealth and yet that is exactly what false teachers tell us is the sign of a blessed life?!
Three signs of healthy spirituality
Humility
The widow was poor, she drew no attention to herself. We can imagine that no one even noticed her as she put her offering into the box, but Jesus did!
True teachers don’t attempt to draw attention to themselves through what they wear or throught their possessions. They often won’t be the ones on God TV or TBN.
We are often given to thinking that our secret good works mean nothing. Doing good quietly is one of the most undervalued things in the world! If Jesus sees you, it doesn’t matter who ignores you!
Keep going about your business quietly.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
2. No need to be honoured
She quietly placed all she had in the offering box and walked away. No wailing, no announcement of the great and faithful thing she had just done.
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
True teachers do not create a celebrity culture around themselves - they have a lower view of themselves than of others. We ought to esteem others as better than ourselves
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
3. Gives all that they have to God
Jesus counted the widows offering as greater than all of the large sums of money the others were giving, why? Because they all gave of their abundance, but she gave all she had.
For Jesus, the value of a gift is not the amount given, but the cost to the giver - Edwards
Notice Jesus didn’t stop her giving her offering, he didn’t tell her she couldn’t afford it, He was honoured by her giving. Just like the woman who poured all that expensive ointment over him and washed his feet with her hair, Jesus wasn’t offended, He didn’t chide her for wasting it, He honoured her.
Christ still watches what is offered to Him, He knows how much is given and how much is held back. He counts the offering that costs us as greatest - David and the field.
22 Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.
Jesus gave everything for us - let us not hold back anything from Him.
“These wounds were meant to purchase me. These drops of blood were shed to obtain me. I am not my own today. I belong to another. I have been bought with a price. And I will live every moment of this day so that the Great Purchaser of my soul will receive the full reward of His suffering.” - Zinzendorf