Audience of One • Luke 20:45-21:4
1:07:23 Teaching begins
Notes
You would think that God would be pleased with a group of men who make it the work of their lives to know His law and practice it. Jesus publicly disapproves of that group. They’re performing to the wrong audience.
You know you have a right relationship with God when you’re aware of God, and you live your life knowing He’s your audience. He’s an audience of One.
I’m reading in Luke 20 from verse 45 (to end of chapter).
1. Jesus publicly disapproves of the scribes.
A. No one wants to tangle with Him anymore because they’ll look bad.
B. These experts in the law of Moses have been opposing Him and speaking against Him without a cause. Jesus has only done good, demonstrated He knows and loves the Scriptures, healed the sick, given sight to the blind. He’s done the works no one else has done in the history of the world, fulfilling prophecy and covenant. But though they can find nothing wrong with Him, they still oppose Him.
C. He says to everyone, “Beware of the scribes.” Watch out, be on your guard. They are a danger.
D. They love to look special.
1. When you see someone dressed special that communicates that they are higher, distinguished.
2. That reinforces that appearances are important. You do judge a book by its cover. Clothes do make the man.
3. You feel special when you wear dress clothing. You move nicer, you have confidence. I look good.
E. They love to look superior, to be noticed.
1. Greetings in the marketplace: Oh rabbi, good day to you! Yes, random citizen, you have recognised my greatness, and I agree with you.
2. Those best seats in the synagogue and at feasts are so they can be seen by people to have high rank. They’re up there with the beautiful people. They are superior and we are not. We’re the bottom feeders.
3. They enjoy being noticed and being recognised because it agrees with their own opinion of themselves. I am superior to others.
F. These guys look superior but they are not like God.
1. They devour widows’ houses, whose husbands are dead, they can’t provide or protect them. You can’t pay the payment that is due, I foreclose and take the house. I don’t want to hear whining, this isn’t personal, this is not a charity, it’s business.
2. It’s legal to take a house when the widow defaults. But it’s also merciless. That is not like God, that’s not scriptural, you scribe of Moses.
3. Exodus 22:21-24 “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.”
G. For a pretence they make long prayers.
1. They demonstrate that they know scripture. They can express themselves clearly and impress people. It’s like a performance for the sake of who’s listening.
2. The impression they want to make is, this guy must really know God.
H. Jesus says they will receive the greater condemnation.
1. Greater than whom? Greater than a wicked person that doesn’t hide who he is. Who says openly, “Heckin’ yeah, I’m wicked, so what?
2. That openly wicked person is at least more honest than someone looking good outwardly but inwardly is violent, merciless, incapable of being ruled by God.
3. Those scribes will be judged more severely because they look like they have a relationship with God but they don’t. They want the worship. They want everyone to acknowledge they are worthy and superior.
2. Jesus privately observes a poor widow’s relationship with God, 21:1-4.
A. He’s in the temple, probably in the court of women. In there were thirteen collection boxes shaped like shofars, trumpets made from ram’s horns. People contributed to the temple by putting their offering into these boxes.
B. The rich are putting in their offerings. You can tell they’re rich from their clothing and their attitude. They’re smiling and they’re dressed special, and they are putting large bags in the boxes. Unless they’re putting in lots of pennies, everyone is aware that they’re putting in a lot of money.
C. Jesus notices a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.
1. He notices that it was the smallest allowable offering. Two copper coins called lepta.
2. He knows that it’s all she had to live on. She walks out of the temple broke.
3. We don’t know where she’s living, what she’s eating tonight. It’s possible she sleeps rough, she doesn’t eat until she somehow earns more money and feeds herself and finds a place to live.
D. It’s hard to understand her or God.
1. We might ask, how come she didn’t take care of herself first? What made her give everything she had away to God?
2. What kind of God would take a widow’s last coins?
3. Let’s look at her relationship with God.
A. It’s likely that this is not the first or second time she has offered to God. It’s the habit of a lifetime.
B. She did it when she was married and there was more money. Times were better then.
C. Now her husband is gone, she has no support or steady income. She’s described as “poor” so maybe there’s no children to support her, or they’re not old enough, or they’re married and gone. She’s alone. She has to work or beg.
D. Though her situation has changed her relationship to God has not changed. She still worships God because worship is that reasonable response to God, who He is, and what He has done for me.
E. Psalm 103:1-8 has a list to help you be aware of God.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
F. God has done a lot for this woman and she is returning thanks and acknowledging God’s goodness.
G. What about food? Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. She believes that. She trusts in the Lord to keep her. He listens to the lowly and the afflicted. He has never let her down and He never will. She’s thankful for that.
H. What about her husband? The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I. What about her situation? Psalm 37:25 I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread. Psalm 138:6 For though the LORD is exalted, yet He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.
J. But she put all she had in the box!
1. That’s the nature of offering. If it doesn’t cost anything, it’s not worth anything. You always offer what is precious to God.
2. This is how God thinks. When He makes an offering for sin, it costs Him more than the universe, valuable beyond money: the perfect, sinless life of His only unique Son.
3. Jesus says, truly, truly, I say to you, she has put in more than all the others. It’s not about the money, the money is the token of her heart. “I have put my whole soul and all that is within me in that box, for You. You are my God and I will praise You.”
K. There is only one person in her audience. She didn’t do that for anyone but God, and God noticed her. He’s impressed. He accepts her. They are in relationship.
L. Jesus doesn’t say anything to her, but I can’t believe that God didn’t take care of her. Something happened because God is faithful and He looks out for His people.
4. So what?
A. Jesus says, “Beware of the scribes,” because He doesn’t want you to end up like them. They are unaware of God. The emphasis is on them, and using the things of God to attract attention to themselves. Their religion is a cover for selfishness and hatred of God.
B. You don’t want a fake relationship with God, you want a real relationship with Him. That means the emphasis will always be on God. You will be aware of Him.
C. You’ll keep in mind what God has done for you. Especially that He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for your sins. Through Him you are cleansed by His blood. All your sins are washed away forever. You will live with the Father forever, but it begins here and now with receiving Jesus. Have you received Him?
D. Then, what you do, you do for God. You have an audience of One. Whatever you do, wherever you are, He is with you. You grow in your awareness of Him.
1. It changes how you live. It’s not, “Are people looking? Am I impressing them?” God sees you. Who are you before Him? You are like Jesus. He knew He was loved by God. That’s who He is. Your identity is “loved by God.” Are you aware of Him loving you?
2. Being aware of God changes how you pray. You are speaking to God, you would never think of trying to impress Him or tell Him what to do. You can tell Him what concerns you because He cares for you. You don’t pray to impress others. He knows the issues and knows the solution. You can pray with confidence.
3. When you’re aware of Him you submit to Him. You offer your whole self to Him. Anything You want, you can have it. That’s your reasonable service of worship.
4. You don’t have to please a fickle public. You only have to please the one constant in your life: God who is with you, God who is watching you.
He alone is your audience.
Let’s pray.