The Heart of Giving
Luke/Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning! Welcome to CHCC. We pick up our study of Luke’s gospel at the end of chapter 20. But before we dive in, I want to pose a question to you. Is the same sin more terrible if committed by one person than another? Is a sin more terrible if a seasoned believer commits it opposed to a non—believer?
According to Scripture—and the Westminster Larger Catechism, which is rooted deeply in Scripture—the answer is yes.
QUESTION 150 - Westminster Larger Catechism
Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
A: All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
One example the catechism gives is John 19:11. Here, Jesus is meeting with Pilate and he finds no guilt in Jesus. But the words of the crowd sends a shiver down his spine. The Jews said to Pilate, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God” (v. 7).
Pilate is trying to get Jesus off trial, but Jesus is not responding to his questions. Frustrated, Pilate exclaims to Jesus, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:10-11)
Theologians suggest that the one Jesus talks about here is either Judas or Caiaphas. I tend to believe it is Caiaphas, who presided over the Sanhedrin (ancient Israel supreme court). Caiaphas was a religious leader, he knew the Scriptures, and had first hand experience to Jesus’ teachings and ministry. Pilate did not have that same exposure.
And Jesus’ words say that the greater sin lies within the one who delivered him over to Pilate rather than Pilate himself. The Bible, in fact, has a lot to say about the stricter judgment and punishment for those in leadership positions. Sins of a pastor are more grievous than those who are new to the faith.
Why? Because those in positions of spiritual leadership are responsible for not only the proper teaching of the Word but also leading by example.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
This statement from James, no doubt, echoes Jesus’ remark about the Scribes at the end of chapter 20 which we will read later this morning. Up to this point, Jesus has been on the defensive from the constant attacks of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Scribes. Three times they try to trap Him, three times He puts them in their place. But now, Jesus takes to the offensive—attacking the religious leaders of His day.
For those who have their Bibles this morning, Luke 20, beginning in verse 41.
PRAY
Whose Son is the Christ?
Whose Son is the Christ?
But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
The first part of Jesus’ attack on the Scribes is a theological one that pointed out the flaw of their common belief of the Scriptures. He ends this with a logical question. Perhaps it was rhetorical, but either way, the question spurs us on to use our minds.
The understanding from the prophetic words of the Old Testament is that the Messiah (anointed one) would come from the lineage of king David.
The prophet Isaiah mentions that the Messiah would be a “shoot” from the stump of Jesse—David’s father (Isaiah 11:1). Jeremiah, utilizing a similar visual, tells us that the Messiah is a righteous branch from David (Jeremiah 23:5).
But the covenant comes to us in 2 Samuel.
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
The Scribes were correct in their understanding that the Messiah would come from the line of David. There is plenty of Scriptural evidence that this would be the case. Even Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ birth points this out on 4 separate occasions!
What they misunderstood was what this rule and reign would look like. Their understanding was rooted in the physical. They believed that, like king David, the Messiah would be a strong political leader who would bring the Jewish nation back to prominence and power.
The Scribes failed to look at the prophecies through a spiritual lens. So Jesus, after posing the initial question, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?” Jesus directs them to a beautiful passage in the Psalms where He quotes king David himself.
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
It is a very interesting proclamation by king David. The reference of “my Lord” is messianic because the idiom for “my Lord” represents a way of speaking to or about a king.
Also, the first “Lord” here is literally YHWH—the Hebrew word for God. So to translate it, “Yahweh says to my Messiah: Sit at my right hand.” With this understand, we can clearly understand the words of the passage in Psalm.
The Lord [YAHWEH] says to my Lord [MESSIAH]:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
The Lord [YAHWEH] sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter [MESSIAH].
Rule [—MESSIAH—] in the midst of your enemies!
Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
The Lord [YAHWEH] has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You [MESSIAH] are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
This whole passage presents a future Messiah (which we know to be Jesus) as an eternal King. And the early church believers come to understand this, which is why they quoted Psalm 110 so frequently. In fact it is the most quoted Old Testament passage with 27 direct quotes and allusions.
This passage was a central aspect to Peter’s incredible sermon at Pentecost.
The author of Hebrews makes Psalm 110 a main source of much of their writing.
And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
And also,
And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’ ”
Psalm 110 is entirely Messianic. But back to Jesus’ statement and question in Luke. He asks a question based on two facts. First, the Messiah MUST be a son/descendant of king David. Second, king David called the Messiah his Lord. So the question for the people is this: If David call him Lord, how is he also his son?
This is a question that is specifically puzzling to the ancient Jews, because a father would never call their son Lord! Even the royal lineage, this would never happen because a son would never be king over his father. He would only become “lord” once his father died and he then took up the throne.
Quite the riddle for the religious leaders. And if you’re like me, you might be looking for the answer. But there is no record in any of the synoptic (Matthew, Mark, Luke) gospels of Jesus explaining it to the Scribes.
But from our vantage point, two thousand plus years later, the answer has two stages. First, by birth, Jesus became a “son” of David. He was of the lineage. Second, by His death, resurrection, ascension, and position at God’s right hand, he now reigns as David’s (and everyone else’s) Lord.
For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Jesus, in His dealings here with the religious leaders in Luke 20, has brought to light on several occasions the realities of the resurrection. It was after His resurrection and ascension that Paul further clarified this reality in his letter to the Romans.
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
The issue with the Scribes was that they were unable to think beyond their traditions. They read the Scriptures from an entirely political lens that put the Messiah in a box based on their own flawed thinking. They reduced the Messiah to just a man and His reign to just political and physical. They simply made him another David. But what about us? R. Kent Hughes has some tough words.
We do the same with our lenses—an economic lens that turns every Scripture into advice for financial well-being, a racial lens that not too long ago edited out the Scriptural teaching on ethnic equality, a feminist lens that interprets and rejects the Scriptures as a tract for patriarchal dominance, a postmodern lens that subjectivizes Holy Scripture into “what it means to me.” We all have our lenses, and our lenses blind us to the glory of God’s Word. We must try to read God’s Word for what it is. And we must humbly seek the Holy Spirit’s help in bowing to what we read. The responsibility comes doubly upon teachers of the Word.
This is why it is SO SO important that we find ourselves committed to the Word of God! This is why, as a pastor, I feel so convicted to present God’s Word AS IT AS in its entirety. I do not want to allow my own thoughts or my own feelings dictate what God’s Word says. That is why I, on more occasion than I like to admit, feel convicted by the very words I preach.
But I must be careful—as anyone who is called to preach and teach God’s Word—to not wield Scripture to try and prove my own doctrine by cherry-picking passages or by ignoring certain passages. We call this—in the pastoral arena— “proof-texting” and “text-proofing.”
Proof-texting is lifting a section of Scripture from its context to prove a doctrine. Text-proofing is ignoring any and all texts that do not fit into our theological boxes. And pastors aren’t the only ones that can be guilty of this. ALL of us can be.
If our flesh isn’t offended by the Word of God, then we either aren’t reading it or we are ignoring the parts of it that call out our sin. And I know I’m kind of going off on a rabbit trail here, but I want us to understand that the reason the Scribes missed Jesus as Messiah is because they were unwilling to move away from their own pre-conceived notions of what God’s Word said. They refused to open the eyes of their hearts and receive Jesus as Messiah. And I would hate for us to do the same.
But let’s get back on track. With no answer provided to His question, Jesus then goes on the offense as He calls out the Scribes of His day, also providing us a fair warning to the leaders of our day.
BEWARE THE SCRIBES
Luke 20:45-47
And in the hearing of all the people he 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.”
I love that Jesus holds no punches. He’s speaking to His disciples, but He says it for everyone to hear—including the Scribes! And He calls them out for their hypocrisy and their pride. They look great! But it’s all a show, and all they do is for the wrong reasons. They love to be built up by the lowly commoners. They love the best seats in the synagogue. Why? Because they would sit facing the average joes while wearing those fancy robes all the while looking holy and pious. They loved the greetings in marketplaces—they loved to be noticed.
But the Scribes aren’t the only ones who can fall prey to such pride. I mean we actually have a term for well known pastors (super-mega church pastors) today. Celebrity Pastor! I think that is kind of an oxymoron. Should pastors be celebrities? I know not all well known and highly lauded pastors are bad. I think of the well known one that passed away this week. John MacArthur. He may be well known, highly esteemed, applauded. But this wasn’t his goal. His goal was to preach the Word of God faithfully and make is accessible to all.
There are a few “celebrity pastors” that come to mind. You can find them in the self-help section of most bookstores.
But we all—especially spiritual leaders—have to be very careful not to fall into this pit of pride. I think Joseph Bayly puts it perfectly:
No person can foster the impression that he/she is great, then exalt a great God
Furthermore, these Scribes—according to Jesus—”devour widows’ houses.” That sounds bad. What does it mean? While they didn’t literally eat their homes, they did destroy them. They were known for taking payment for legal aid to widows, even though it was prohibited to do such a thing. They were also known for cheating unknowledgeable widows out of their inheritance and mismanaging their properties, as well as accepting payment from widows in exchange for “special prayers.”
They were entirely corrupt. Rather than helping and serving the widows, they acted like a pack of wolves, devouring anything they had and ruining their lives in the process—all so they could line their own pockets. It’s despicable.
And shame on any spiritual leader if they “serve” the needy for the sake of financial gain.
And because of their position as spiritual leaders of the people, Jesus lays down the harsh reality of their judgment. “They will receive the greater condemnation.” As a pastor, I feel this is exactly how it should be (even though it puts a healthy dose of fear into me). R. Kent Hughes, who was also a pastor for many years, had this to say:
If we claim to have a full knowledge of God’s Word for his people, and further claim that we are charged to deliver it, we are more responsible to deliver it clearly and obey it. I, by virtue of my professed calling and study of God’s Word and having had the privilege of receiving more knowledge of God’s Word than many Christians, will undergo a stricter judgment. Increased responsibility means increased accountability.
This is what the Westminster Catechism explains. This is what makes “some sins more heinous than others.” Because, for some—most often those in esteemed positions—their sins not only offend God but may very well cause weaker brothers and sisters to stumble. They may also push non-believers away from receiving the Word of God altogether.
While I am FAR from perfect, it is my responsibility to not just tell you, “This is what God’s Word says, so obey it!” It is also my responsibility to live in such a manner that I can say, “This is what God’s Word says, so look at my life as a faithful demonstration.”
It’s an overwhelming prospect and one I am fully incapable of apart from God’s Word and God’s Spirit. But likewise, each of us—shepherd and sheep—have a responsibility to the world around us to live in such a way that we present the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A Humble Example
A Humble Example
Let us now turn to chapter 21 as we close with this final section of Scripture for our study this morning. After calling out the self-righteous, prideful Scribes, Jesus sees a beautiful example of a true heart after God. It doesn’t come from a religious leader, but one of these widows that the Scribes were so keen on taking advantage of. Let’s take a look.
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.”
Money has been a focus of Jesus’ teachings in Luke’s gospel. There was the parable of the Rich Fool back in chapter 12. There was the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in chapter 16. Also in chapter 16 is the parable of the Shrewd Manager where Jesus tells us in verse 13: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Then there was the rich ruler in chapter 18 who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. After telling Jesus he has kept the commandments since he was a young child, Jesus tells him he still lacks one thing—to sell all that he had and give to the poor and come and follow Jesus.
The rich ruler, it tells us, leaves sad because he had much wealth. On the other end of the spectrum, we see in chapter 19 the effect of a heart given over to Christ with Zacchaeus—the chief tax collector. Upon receiving Christ, he commits to give half his wealth to the poor and with the rest pay back any he defrauded 4 times the amount.
The response? Jesus tells him that salvation has come into this house! And here in chapter 21 Jesus focuses on the aspect of giving that reveals the state of ones heart.
So Jesus chooses this setting to contrast the fake righteousness of the Scribes, who “devour widows’ houses” (20:47), with true devotion to God as exemplified in the life of one poor widow.
Do you guys ever people-watch? It can be entertaining, sometimes disgusting, sometimes heartwarming. Jesus here has a perfect view of the giving at the temple. Remember, this is the week of Passover so the temple is full of people from Jerusalem and many visitors. The offering boxes were in public display where Jesus could observe the givers. And being Jesus, he could also observe the heart behind the giving.
The wording doesn’t necessarily suggest that all the rich who put their gifts in the box were disingenuous; some likely had a proper heart. What he could likely have seen was some Scribes making a show of their giving. There fancy robes flowing as they make their way to the offering box, dropping in each coin separately to be sure those nearby could hear just how much they were giving.
“Look at how giving I am. Look how righteous! Surely none give like me.”
But then Jesus’ eyes catch someone and I can imagine a warm smile reaches His lips. This widow, quietly, without any pomp or show, puts two small copper coins in the offering box.
First, how did Jesus know she was a widow? Widows in Jesus’ time wore distinctive clothing. Hers were likely tattered which gave away her poor status. The life of widows in Biblical times were known to be very difficult.
Part of me wonders of her predicament. Where did she live? How did she survive? How much did she suffer? But regardless of her rags, her poverty, her suffering—her heart was beautiful!
Her offering was two small copper coins. These were known as lepta which means “peeled” or “fine.” They were thin, very small coins. They were worth one-hundredth of a shekel, or about one-eighth of a cent.
R. Kent Hughes expounds on the heart of this widow:
Her motivation for such giving could only be love. There is no other explanation. She (not the religious leaders) was living out the Shema , loving God with all she was and had. When she slipped the two coins into the mouth of the “trumpet,” they fell inaudibly against the shekels of the rich. The temple was, in effect, no richer, but she was immeasurably poorer, for she had given all!
This reminds me of Jesus’ statement back in Luke 20 where He says render to God the things that are God’s. He asks for all of us, and this widow gives all she has. It might not be much, but in the eyes of God her offering was greater than the weighty offerings of the wealthy who gave not in any desire to love God, but rather to receive recognition.
What her offering effectually said was, “Here is my heart God. Here is all of me. It is yours.”
The whole passage is beautifully convicting. And this woman’s offering elicits a teaching from Jesus.
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.”
Picture all the gold and all the shekels of the rich poured out onto the ground on one side, and on the other just these two small copper coins. To God, the measure of those two small coins outweighs all the gold and shekels because she gave EVERYTHING.
What this passage tells us is very simple, but also very convicting. It tells us that when it comes to our giving, the heart behind it means everything. It reminds me of Amos 5. The nation of Israel was continuing to “perform” the Law. They had assemblies, they had offerings, they had songs of worship. But their hearts were far from God. They were worshipping idols and just going through the motions with everything else! Their hearts were not truly giving to God and He was having none of it.
“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Second, our passage here of the poor widow tells us that giving that pleases God costs us. C.S. Lewis puts it perfectly:
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.
Third, we must come to understand that God can great things with even the smallest offerings. Think of the countless hearts that have been changed and affected by this widow’s offering that totaled a quarter of a cent! We cannot think that just because we do not have much to give that it will make no difference. It will!
Another beautiful example of this heart of giving even in the midst of poverty and suffering is seen in the church of Macedonia which Paul applauds in his letter to the Corinthians.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for 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, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
The reality about these examples and Jesus’ teaching here tells us that money really isn’t the issue here. God doesn’t want our money; He wants our hearts! He wants us! And yet, we also cannot give ourselves to him apart from our money.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Money speaks!” It does! It tells us and it tells God where our hearts are. What does our giving tell God? What does it say about us?
The widow’s heart is beautiful and convicting. She gave EVERYTHING because God was EVERYTHING in her life. May we all adopt the heart of this widow.
PRAY
