Abusing the Poor B

This woman was part of the system. The took the last two cents out of her hand on the pretense that this was necessary to please God to purchase her salvation and to bring her blessing. She was manipulated by a religious system that was basic human needs, first time widow and her two mites, probably a sermon about being generous with your money. Or perhaps he views that passage is a proof text when arguing the merits of sacrificial giving.

But is that what this passage is about John MacArthur's answer might surprise you today on grace to you is continuing his study titled mishandled, setting the record straight on frequently abused versus if you have your Bible turn to the book of Luke, and here's John Luke chapter 21 now if you are beginning to say to yourself, here goes another message on sacrificial giving you might be right to expect that because that is the universal application of this text that is always used to tell us, we ought to give the way this widow gave someone this exactly is this about the assumption in interpreting this as a model for Christian giving is that Jesus was pleased with what she did say that absolutely doesn't say that it doesn't say that Jesus was pleased with her gift doesn't say Jesus was pleased with her attitude and say anything about his attitude. In fact, in fact, I think what she did. This pleased him immensely.

I think it is more than displeasing. I think it angered. I think what she did angered Jesus.

Let me put it this way, the system that had developed in Judaism abused poor people in it abuse them on a spiritual level.

Anyone who withholds money from needy parents in order to give it to God is in direct disobedience to God and is dishonoring God's word and substituting a man-made tradition for God's word basic human needs come first with God before religious offerings. Listen God's law was never given to impoverished people but to help them man was not made for the law but the law was made for man, we would conclude that this woman was part of a system. The took the last two cents out of her hand on the pretense that this was necessary to please God to purchase her salvation and to bring her blessing.

She was manipulated by a religious system that was correct. This is not an illustration of heartfelt sacrificial giving that pleases the Lord. This is not a model for all of us to follow Jesus never expect that in fact he told the servant who had very little should put your money in the bank and earn interest because you need that to meet your own physical needs something very different is going on here. This is not about Jesus honoring giving. This is about a victim of a corrupt system who is literally made absolutely destitute trying to live up to that system and earn heaven let's go back to the account now in Luke 21. You'll see how this unfolds. Verse one and he looked up. Now stop there.

That assumes that he was what looking down good that's less than one in exegesis. She looked up you had to have been looking down, that's really important. Really, really important mark in a parallel passage, Mark 1241 to 46 or so says he was sitting down and you need to understand what's going on here in verses 46 and 47 the end of the chapter you have a brief brief statement about his beware of the scribes speech, but the full speech is in Matthew 20 3K the full speech is in Matthew 23. He had just completed that speech at the end of a whole day of talking teaching confronting interacting conflict and exhausting day a whole day in the midst of massive crowds jostling listening interacting that in itself that the sheer physical effort in itself would leave him exhausted. But then, in addition to the physical exhaustion he is given this this denunciation. This damnation speech that is recorded in Matthew chapter 23 need to look at it for a moment. It's really it's the low moment in his life after all the years of incarnation all the years of ministry. All the sermons preached all the questions answered all the miracles done it all comes down to the leadership rejecting him in the nation following the leadership and also rejecting him and so he gives this Dia tribe. This blistering malediction against the false religious leaders and he uses the word wall repeatedly, which means curse damn consigned to judgment.

Matthew 23. It appears in verse 13 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites verse 14 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 15 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.

16 woe to you blind guides. Verse 17 fools and blind men. Verse 23 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites 24 blind guides. 25 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, blind Pharisee.

Verse 27 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 29 woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites and all comes down to verse 30 7O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling behold, your house is being left to you desolate silver judgment and it's going to be that way until you say Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord judgment will fall and last until Christ returns. This is the sad final message conclusion is devastating not only devastating to the leaders devastating to the nation but devastating to Jesus. This is where all his efforts and long judgment until the Lord's return on this nation. So it's not just the physical wariness. It's the agonizing sad reality of what our Lord says he feels deeply. The sinful rebellion and unbelief of Israel leaders and people he shed tears when he walked into the city.

Chapter 19 verse 41 Saud.

He wept and he still weeping breaching these words would be heart wrenching all these 33 years and this is how it ends, and exhausting emotional experience for him was over, no more calls to the kingdom. No more invitations to salvation. Only a pronunciation of damnation that would last 2000 years, and send generation after generation after generation after generation of these chosen people into a godless eternity after those tragic words acknowledged end of salvation, hope for the nation. He had come to his own and his own received him not. He must've been exhausted. He must've been spent. He must've been heartbroken and so Mark says he was sitting in his eyes must've been looking down as he contemplates the damning religion of Judaism and the fact that the temple where he sat which he had earlier cleansed was so corrupt its religion so ungodly that it, along with the city of Jerusalem and the whole nation of Israel had to be totally destroyed and kept under judgment for millennia, so there he sat in moments of thought before he turns to pronounce the judgment for all his disciples to hear and wonder. He was looking down, and when he looked up Mark 1241 says he saw opposite the treasury observing how people were putting money into the treasury. Jesus had said in Matthew six that you redo your giving in secret. But the religious system had developed a very public prominent way to do it and Pharisees came along and had trumpets blown announcing their arrival to give according to Matthew six, so he looks up and there he sees the people coming the treasury and he observes how people were putting money into the treasury.

What is the treasury well.

The court in which Jesus was sitting is a very very large open court in the temple area. It was called the court of the women there was an inner court, where only the men could go but this is the court where everyone could go men and women. Jesus taught here as indicated in John chapter 8. In fact, he taught on the light of the world. On that occasion and he taught in the court of the women, the great open court because it was where everyone could come. He calls it the treasury because of the section of it that their leaders had designed as the place you give your money they had set up 13 shofar trumpet shape.

You know the shofar is that so horn they had shed a set up. 13 of those in which people drop their money and each of them had a sign on the bottom of it indicating exactly what that money was to be used for old shekel dues new shekel dues bird offerings would incense gold free will. They all were labeled and people would go by and they would very open courtyard publicly put their giving on display. The treasury's actually the word God is off the lock eon from two Greek words Gaza meaning treasury flock a meaning prison when she dropped the men they were held in their this is the real heartbeat folks a false religion right. This is the real center of false religion. The center of false religion is the treasury folks. It's all about the money they do it. Says Peter, for filthy lucre. Luke 1614 Jesus said, the scribes and Pharisees were lovers of money, we know the Sadducees around the temple franchises were lovers of money, because Jesus said you've turned my father's house a house of prayer into a den of robbers is the extorted money out of people for sacrifices and coin exchange. False religion is always about the money.

When you get to the treasury you get to the heart of false religion, so is the wearied and spend then said heartbroken Savior lifts up his eyes and watches he sees the normal course of false religion.

Poor deceived souls putting their coins in trying to buy blessing and salvation and he sees verse one. The rich putting their gifts into the treasury.

Riches pollutes Eos in the Greek it simply means they have a full supply those with enough not mega rich, very rich superrich just they had enough. Those who could put some in and have some left the nonpoor people who could make offerings and still have enough to live. In fact, Mark 1241 says they were putting in large amounts. Pull-up much they were putting in much they were putting in a substantial amount and they still had plenty left over the religious system demanded money. The demanded money to make the guys who were in charge of it comfortable and prosperous and wealthy and that's what false religion always always does. This was a pattern then here they were in the open court where everybody could see coming along dutifully following the prescriptions and the demands of their leaders and the self-righteous acts of giving to buy favor from God, literally, to purchase their salvation and the most part Israel was a prosperous country people did okay they could afford it. But in watching this.

The Lord sees one widow he saw certain poor widow.

The word is Penick Ron meeting poor and needy but not totally destitute its way down there but it's not the bottom.

It would mean somebody with very very little pen across a certain poor widow putting in two small copper coins let lepton Jewish coins. The smallest coins they had. She puts this coin in their way to minute. A poor widow that sound familiar to you, my mind immediately goes back to verse 46 of chapter 20 doesn't. Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the marketplaces and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets who devour widows houses who devour widows houses. They build their success monetarily on the backs of widows while our Lord indicts them for their severe abuse of widows along with the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the scribes had a system that abuse the poor and the defenseless, for whom they had only disdain they viewed any poor widow as being under the judgment of God. That's why she was a poor widow and they would aid God in making life tough for them to punish them for whatever since God was punishing them for. Furthermore, widows were women and women were second-class and Pharisees every day, prayed Lord, make me not a Gentile or a woman. And because they were widows they were defenseless and easy prey when you have here you have a destitute widow in one of the one's justice question. Verse 47.

How could you not make that connection here is just a couple of sentences later, an illustration of a poor widow who is being devoured by religious system. Her last two since her life she gives to this system dutifully along with everybody else trying to live up to the system trying to buy her salvation and an act of charity and hope that it will earn her favor with God. She gives up her last two small copper coins smallest coin she dropped two of them in one of those 13 shofar's that was all. Nothing said about her attitude. Nothing said about her spirit. Nothing said about what she did in desperation or devotion.

Whether she did and legalism are loved and saying about that Lord doesn't commend her doesn't make her an example doesn't validate what she did say it was a worthy spiritual acted greatly pleased him all he said was this religious system is preying on widows. This cost her more than everyone else. She put in relatively comparatively more than any one yes the religious leaders were devouring widows and the more desperate they became, the more they needed. They thought by God's blessing, belittled by the establishment because they were thought to be in that state because of divine punishment second-class women. They were defenseless, easily exploited in the system exploited them to the max for the last two since of that poor woman and it was all universe forces, she had to live. It was literally her life should go home and die.

Now Scripture is full of commands and instructions for the people of God take care of widows is it not there are warnings all throughout Scripture to care for the poor, care for the widows and do not abuse them. The real tragedy that struck our Lord was the abuse of widows taking place in the name of God in the temple. The temple of God. They turn it into a den of robbers and they were robbing those who had the least is ugly exploitation of of widows in the house of God in the name of God.

Verse two says a certain poor widow pen across poor but not Patoka's. But then Jesus says in verse three. This poor Patoka's because once she gave up the last two coins. She went from Pentecost to Patoka's destitute nothing.

She gave up all her life.

Cost her this religious system cost that widow. Her life she can go home and die to get the picture that Jesus isn't commending her. She's a victim is not proud of her making her an example of sacrificial giving. This is an absurdity.

He is observing the corruption of the system that is going to be destroyed, under the leadership of these corrupted condemned leaders there exploiting the most defenseless, most impoverished Jesus certainly is not say she gave her lesson.

That's what you should do course, not doesn't want you to give up everything you got go home and die is given us richly all things to enjoy says nothing about percentages. Nothing about proportional giving nothing about giving with the right spirit. Nothing about the measure of the gift is what you have left nothing about giving up everything living on faith.

That's not here is observing the false religion the praise on the weak and the desperate and the defenseless, and holds out hope to the hopeless if they just give their money. I think Jesus was not happy.

I think Jesus was angry and that's why he says in verse six as for the things which are looking at the days will come, in which there will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down and the disciple say one's going to happen and he says it's going to happen and he describes it in the remainder of the chapter is this obvious if you saw widow give her last two sentences to some religious organization in the hope that she could purchase salvation or purchase blessing or by healing or by prosperity.

You wouldn't commend her you'd want to stop her and you'd want to shut down that religious system that praise on the desperate.

This act did not please our Lord. She simply been taught and she bought into the system that destroyed her, no praise is given of her act or her attitude. She's caught in the corruption of the system at the hands of those wretched leaders she has given her last coins to a false religion.

Jesus is angry and that's why he'll destroy this den of robbers judgment came 70 A.D. and it continues now one that temple on that city on that land until Jesus comes again. Listen to James 127. This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God, to visit orphans and widows in their distress. True religion does not abuse the poor administers generously graciously to their needs is an amazing of all the little things of all the little things that could have been the trigger to set off the destruction of the temple. It was one illustration of an abused widow that our Lord puts on the pages of Scripture. Woe to you who use women widows, the distressed downcast for sick with your lying promises to get their money. That's false and it will be destroyed. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary continuing a series here on grace to you titled mishandled John a question occurs to me that I'm sure a lot of our listeners have and it's this. If some of the most well-known and popular verses in Scripture are so badly and so often mishandled. How can anyone, especially a Christian who's never attended seminary or Bible college, how can he be sure he's interpreting the Bible correctly. There are people who would say will look at all these differences of opinion about those text that's proof that we can't really know for sure what the Bible means.

But I'll tell you what it is proof of its it's proof of the fact that you can get the Bible wrong right every aberrant, every unorthodox, every heretical teaching it's ever appeal to Scripture, is proof that you can get it wrong. In fact, it's more likely that you get around and get it right because of the required diligence to get it right but look. The Bible is Revelation and that means that God is revealing truth there and he didn't reveal it in some kind of obscure way I'm reading a biography of Martin Luther and one of the attacks that Luther made on the priesthood in the 1500s was that they had these bizarre interpretations of Scripture that had nothing to do with the grammar nothing to do with the words they were allegorical they were mystical they were fantastic. There is a link they called it fantastic schism or something religious, bizarre things, nothing to do with the Bible really meant so you can get it wrong it's it's been misinterpreted constantly.

That's why we we are told we have to rightly divide the word of truth.

Having said that, the assumption is that God is given us his word and we can know how to interpret it accurately.

It takes some effort, but it's worth the effort.

For sure I want to mention a free booklet how to study the Bible. This is a good starting tool. It will tell you how to get to the meaning of the Bible and the meaning of the Bible is the revelation so there to be four steps to this little booklet points you in the direction of reading the text interpreting the text meditating on the passage and even teaching the Bible to others strategies you can use in your own study of God's word.

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The book, how to study the Bible starts with a look at why you can trust the Bible that includes an overview of important terms like inerrancy and infallibility. The booklet also shows you how to bridge the gaps of history, culture and language begin how to study the Bible is yours free. All you have to do is ask. Call 855 race or go to Jide TY.org and if you want to put the principles you learned into practice. Let me suggest you pick up the MacArthur study Bible. It has detailed introductions to each book dozens of maps and charts and the standout feature 25,000 study notes from John covering virtually every passage of Scripture.

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The MacArthur study Bible, call 855 grace or shop online@jidety.org now for John MacArthur and the entire grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson.

Thanks for remembering to pray for this ministry and thanks for tuning in today be here tomorrow when John continues his series called mishandled with another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you