Luke 20:45-21:6 (Mark 12:38-44)

We have spent the last few days in Matthew’s Gospel and Jesus’ pronouncement of woe on the shepherds of Israel.  But we should note that both Mark and Luke refer to this last public discourse of Jesus, though it is only in summary form.  That summary refers to three areas of spiritual abuse by the religions leaders: first that they love to be recognized as important; second that they have become rich by taking advantage of the weak, devouring widow’s houses; and third that they loved to parade their spirituality.  That certainly is a good summary of the discourse of Matthew 23.

But this summary also provides an interesting possibility for the transition from Jesus’ last public discourse to the first of two powerful private discourses with His disciples.  Those two are The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36, which will occupy the remainder of this booklet) and The Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17, published in a separate booklet). 

The Olivet Discourse begins with Jesus’ disciples noting the buildings that adorned the temple mount that Herod had made so amazingly beautiful.  Jesus’ response to their amazement was to say that the day was coming when not one stone of the temple would be left upon another, to which the disciples then asked when this would happen and what would be the sign of Jesus’ return.  

In between the summary of Jesus’ announcement of woes on the false shepherds and the disciples’ questions on Olivet both Mark and Luke describe the scene Jesus and the disciples saw of the widow placing the last of her money in the treasury at the temple.  This story has often been used in preaching as an expression of how everyone ought to give to the Lord.  According to Jesus she gave all she had while the rich gave easily from their riches.  

This is not a totally implausible interpretation but given the context and our understanding of the Mosaic Law we think that misses the point.  The Law never required a person to give all they had as an expression of love and worship.  The tithing laws were proportional; you gave a percentage of income.  Free-will offerings were just that, based on how much you desired to give to a project.  

So why did the woman give?  It makes sense when seen in the context.   The leaders, who devoured widow’s houses, laid a burden on her.  She was giving because she had been told that if she gave the little she had God would bless her with much in return.  In fact, the Law required the people to care for the poor, not to balance the books of the temple treasury by their sacrificial giving.  

Seen in this light Jesus is challenging an issue in our day.  To think that God is going to bless us materially in response to our generosity while we live in disobedience to Him was wrong in Israel and is wrong today in the Church!  It reduces God to an idol who promotes covetousness (Col. 3:5).  It provides a strong pictorial warning; let us see and heed.

Psalm 31

This Psalm of David has our Lord Jesus Christ written all over it!  It is not simply that it contains the last words of Jesus on the cross (v5).  It presents a picture of one in reproach (v11), a broken tool (v12), and in deep trouble.  He will be ashamed, unable to be what God intended him to be, apart from God’s help.  

The picture that best expresses this is that of the Son of God on the cross, slandered by those who passed by as well as those watching as His life ebbed away.  The thought of His enemies was that they had won, that the purpose of Jesus’ life was now unattainable.  Yet He is confident as He faces the end.  Like Jonah in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:8) Christ has hated useless idols and trusted instead in God’s mercy (Ps. 31:6-7).  And as Jonah was delivered from the fish, so the Son of Man would be delivered from the grave, redeemed (set free, 31:5) by His God (31:14).  

Yet let us now remember that the sufferings of our Lord are both for our salvation (He suffered in our place, bearing our sins) and our encouragement.  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Heb. 2:18).  He can sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15).  He is our faithful High Priest!  We are saved by His faith (Rom. 3:22; Gal. 2:20).  Let us have the same faith!

For your own study purposes consider this approach to the Psalm …

·        The God of the Faithful, v1-4.

God is both the strong rock on which to stand (v2) as well as the rock in which the faithful can hide (v3).  He is the house of defense (v2), a term used often of the temple/tabernacle (the house of the Lord) and truly we find comfort in the fellowship we experience when in His presence.

·        The Faith of the Faithful, v5-8.

Faith entrusts itself to God completely.  He rejects worthless idols (lying breaths or objects that are nothing; the same word as used in Ecclesiastes for vanity).  The picture of Christ on the cross, in the last moments, simply entrusting Himself as to a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19) expresses this faith perfectly.  He is about to take the last breath.  He will then be the “dead man” those around Him imagine Him to be (cf. 31:12).  He will be bound by an enemy that has never been defeated.  And yet His faith is well-situated.

·        The Adversity of the Faithful, v9-13.

This picture again perfectly fits the cross of our Lord.  His life is about ended.  And those around Him hurl their insults, imagining that IF He were the Son of God He would not be in this predicament.  And yet the truth of Scripture is that the very fact that Jesus was the Son of God is the reason He was faithful in affliction.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son … (John 3:16). 

·        The Plea of the Faithful, v14-18.

These verses are an expanded version, if you will, of the simple statement of faith in v5: Into Your hand I commit My spirit.  Here He confesses what we must be convinced of: My times are in Your hand.  What appears to be the highly celebrated victory of the enemy is given to His God that He might not be ashamed. 

·        The Confidence of the Faithful, v19-20.

Even in the face of death, having prayed the prayer of faith, He can say with deep conviction: How great is your goodness that You have laid up for those who fear You.  Here is the Old Testament version, if you will, of Romans 8:28: All things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. 

·        The Worship of the Faithful, v21-24.

First the blessing of God is personal.  Think of our Lord Jesus again, awakening in that tomb near Jerusalem.  I am cut off from before Your eyes.  Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications.  He had submitted Himself to the will of His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He did not call on the legions of angels to deliver Him from the pain of death.  He has been preserved through faith in His God!  His story is completed.  He then calls on those who would follow Him to love the Lord and walk in faith as He has.  Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Let us note that we have here the perfect example of how the believer in Christ is to grow in grace and knowledge.  We are called again and again to look unto Jesus, setting our affection on Him (Col. 3:1-4; Heb. 12:1-2, etc.).  Here we have seen the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus that then resulted in His powerful resurrection, breaking the bonds of death.  But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:18).