In this passage, Jesus warns against corrupt religious leaders, and then gives an example of one of its victims. This “victim” might surprise you. Learn how to watch out for corrupt religious leaders in this message.
We apologize, but due to a technical difficulty, the recording starts about 3.5 minutes into the sermon.
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A Victim of Corrupt Religious Leaders
Luke 20:45 – 21:4
There have always been corrupt religious leaders in the world, and there always will be until Jesus Christ returns. I’m talking about false teachers, false prophets, liars, deceivers, fakes, charlatans, and hypocrites. The Bible over and over warns us to beware of these people.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.”
And, it is not just what they teach that is damnable, but how they live. Peter writes in 2 Peter 2:2-3, “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
These are just a very brief sampling. If we had time, we could read scores of passages just like these in the New Testament.
Well, in our text this morning, Jesus is dealing with this very issue – corrupt religious leaders, and their victims. Let’s read our text. “And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,
who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation. And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.
And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
Jesus is in the final week of His life. He has come to Jerusalem to die for the sins of the world. During this week, the religious leaders have been questioning Him closely, seeking to get Him to say something that would get Him arrested and hopefully executed. However, He has answered with such wisdom, that it says in Luke 20:40, “For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.” So, when they were done questioning Him, He questioned them. He quoted Psalm 110:1, and asked them how David could call his own son his Lord. This was our Lord’s attempt to help them see His own identity. Jesus was the Son of David, the Messiah. Yet at the same time He was also the Son of God.
At this point, Jesus begins to speak to the disciples about the corruption within the Jewish religious leaders. Our text divides itself into two parts. First Jesus gives a warning against corrupt religious leaders, and then I believe He shows us a victim of corrupt religious leaders.
1. A Warning Against Corrupt Religious Leaders
I say this is a warning, because Jesus begins with the word “beware.” He’s saying “watch out”; “stay away from them”; “don’t let them influence you.” Now, Jesus begins to describe the religious corruption of the scribes. The scribes belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, who were zealous for God’s law. They were the lawyers, the legal experts. They not only interpreted the Law, but also applied it for the people. And it was not just in religious matters, but in civil and social matters as well. They were supposed to be the ones who taught the people the truth. They were to lead the people into all the will of God. However, Jesus told His disciples to beware of them. It’s an awful thing when you can’t trust the very people who are supposed to be leading you into the truth! Mark and Luke give us only an abbreviated version of Jesus’ message to the scribes and Pharisees, but Matthew gives us an entire chapter – chapter 23! In that chapter, Jesus tells us why these religious leaders were such a threat. In Matthew 23 Jesus tells us that they were blind guides leading the blind. He says they were sons of hell making their disciples sons of hell. He tells us that they are serpents. He calls them hypocrites 7 times in that single chapter alone. And so, Jesus’ message is “watch out and stay away from those phony religious hypocrites are pretending to be holy, but are actually sons of hell!” Now, there are two things Jesus says about these scribes.
They Used Their Position to Obtain Honor.
They like to walk around in long robes. In Numbers 15:37-41, God told the people of Israel to put tassels on the corners of their garments, and to put a cord of blue on each tassel. These blue cords on their garments were to remind them of God’s Law, and that they were accountable to keep that Law. Well, as the centuries passed, some of the Jews decided that these blue cords dangling from the corners of their robes were the symbols of their religious glory. So, they made these tassels larger and larger. Jesus said in Matthew 23:5, “They do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.” In order to demonstrate just how holy they were, they made these tassels larger and larger. It was probably ridiculous how large they had made their tassels. It was all to attract attention, and be exalted in the eyes of men. Truly, man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
They love respectful greetings in the market places. As they walked among the people in their fancy, showy robes, they expected them to address them with titles of honor. What kind of titles? In Matthew 23:7-10, Jesus tells us. They loved the title of “Rabbi”, “Father”, and “Leader”. Rabbi meant “teacher”, but it really had more of the idea of “doctor so and so.” In Jewish life, often people would address teachers of the law with exalted titles like “O knowledgeable one, O great one, O exalted teacher.” And when people addressed them that way, they just ate it up! It fed their huge egos. When they walked about in their long flowing robes, they loved it when people called them “O excellent teacher, father, leader.” Interestingly, the Catholic church teaches people to address the Pope as “Your Holiness”, or “Most Holy Father.” Often people refer to a famous Bible teacher as “Doctor so and so” or “Reverend so and so.” It’s far better not to make a big deal with titles in the church. It is a good thing to show respect for leaders, but it is easy to take it way too far. Someone once called Spurgeon “Reverend Spurgeon”, and he replied, “I very much object to the designation “to the Reverend C. H. Spurgeon”, for no reverence is due to me! Assuredly, “Reverend” and “sinner” make a curious combination. And as I know I am the second, I repudiate the first. To me it is surprising that such a flattering title should have been invented, and more amazing still, that good men should be found who are angry if this title be not duly given to them.”
They loved the chief seats in the synagoguges and places of honor at banquets. In the synagogues, there was a raised platform, and the scribes loved to sit up there, because it elevated them above the people. They loved for others to think they were exalted above them. They also loved the places of honor at banquets, the seats next to the host. That was where they could be the center of attention. You might remember in Luke 14:7, that when Jesus was invited to a banquet, he saw all the people scrambling to choose the places of honor.
For appearance’s sake offer long prayers. They weren’t really interested in seeking God, and having communion with God, and worshiping God. They were pretending to pray in order to gain the applause of men. They wanted men to think they were holy and devout and closer to God than they were. Jesus instructs us in the Lord’s Prayer not to use vain repetition. Well the religious leaders were experts at using repetition to gain honor from men.
All of these things point to the fact that the scribes were doing everything in their power to gain recognition, esteem, and honor in the eyes of men. They were using their position to exalt themselves. Debbie and I were in a church for 8 years as young Christians where the Pastor did this very thing. It is a really ugly thing when you see it going on.
They Used People to Amass Wealth.
They devour widows’ houses. These religious leaders were supposed to be the shepherds, the protectors of the people. If there is anyone that needs to be protected it would be widows. However, instead of protecting them, they were ripping them off! There are many references to how God’s people were to take care of widows. Exodus 22:22, “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.” James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress.” Well, the scribes were doing the exact opposite! They devoured widows’ houses. They ate them up, they consumed them. How did they do it? Well, if a widow had an estate, she would ask a scribe to use his legal expertise to secure that estate for her. The scribe, pretending to protect the estate for her, would end up taking it from her. When the widow grew old and began to lose her mental abilities, the scribes would cheat her out of money. When she died, they would take her home in lieu of the debt that she had not paid. If the widow had children, there would be nothing for them, because the scribe had just enriched himself at her expense.
And that was not the only way the scribes were abusing widows. They taught them, and all people, that they had to give in the temple in order to purchase blessing and salvation from God. There were 13 trumpet shaped receptacles in the Court of Women in the temple, where people would go to give their offerings. The more money people gave to the temple, the richer the religious leaders got. Jesus said that the temple was supposed to be a house of prayer, but they had made it into a robber’s den. It was racket. In Luke 16:14 we read that the Pharisees were lovers of money. In 2 Peter 2:3, Peter says that false prophets will exploit you with false words in their greed. You know you have frauds and hypocrites when you find people who insist that you must give, and all the while they are benefiting from the gifts.
They Will Receive Greater Condemnation. Oh, how sober these words are! Many people think that if you are religious, surely you won’t be condemned. The truth is, if you are using religion and God to seek man’s approval or amass wealth, you will not just be condemned. You will receive greater condemnation! Religious hypocrites will face the hottest portion of hell. The more light you have, the more responsible you are! That person who knows the least about God and the gospel will face lighter punishment, than the religious person who has been exposed to the truth of the gospel, but ignored it.
So here we have Jesus’ warning against corrupt religious leaders. That leads us to Him showing us a Victim of Corrupt Religious Leaders in chapter 21:1-4.
2. A Victim of Corrupt Religious Leaders: 21:1-4
The Commonly Held View. Almost all commentators teach that though Jesus condemned the religious leaders, He commended this poor widow who put in her last two coins. They teach that she is given to the disciples as an example to them of sacrificial giving. Many teach that the lesson we are to learn from this little story, is that we are to give everything, and that the true measure of our giving is not how much we give, but how much we have left over after we have given. I confess, that I have taught this text in that way. And honestly, this may be the correct interpretation of the passage. However, I have been rethinking that view.
The Context. Whenever you interpret a passage, you must look at the context very carefully. In other words, whatever you are reading must make sense with what comes before it, and what comes after it. Well, what comes before this little story about the widow giving her last two copper coins? Jesus is warning His disciples not to follow their religious leaders, because they are going to receive greater condemnation. And specifically, He tells them that these religious leaders devour widows’ houses. What comes after this little story? Starting in Luke 21:5, and following on through the rest of the chapter, Jesus prophesies that God is going to judge the nation of Israel, and the temple will be destroyed. In fact, not one stone will be left standing on another. Before the story of the widow the context is judgment upon Israel’s religious leaders. After the story of the widow the context is judgment upon the nation of Israel. So, why then did Jesus interrupt Himself, to give a lesson sacrificial giving. It just doesn’t fit the context. If you learn anything from me, I hope you learn that “Context is King.” If your interpretation of a verse doesn’t fit the surrounding context, you have probably misinterpreted the verse!
What Jesus Didn’t Say. Notice also that Jesus doesn’t tell His disciples that they are to imitate this widow. He doesn’t say that she had a godly attitude. He doesn’t even say that she was a believer. We are not told what her motives were, or whether this act on her part pleased the Lord. We might infer that from Jesus’ statement that she put in more than all the rest, because she put in all she had to live on.” However, His statement may not be a positive statement at all. This can’t be an example of Christian giving, unless Christian giving is to give everything you have. If that’s the truth, then none of us are giving the way God wants us to. None!
An Alternative View. I want to propose an alternative view. I do this a bit hesitantly, because almost all commentators teach the first view. And, I may be wrong. You need to be the judge. You need to search the Scriptures to see whether what I am saying is so or not. After looking at this story again and again, I think she is probably not a model for Christian giving, but a victim of a corrupt religious system. This widow is not given to us as a model to follow, but as a victim to pity. Let me try to explain. Some rabbis taught that if you want the blessing of God, you must give alms. Now, this widow had a choice. She could take her last two coins and buy some dinner, or do what the scribes tell me, give them away, and obtain God’s blessing. Apostate Judaism had created a robber’s den in the temple. The religious leaders were stealing from the most vulnerable and destitute of the people – widows. I don’t think this story is about giving. I think it is about taking. The religious leaders had learned to manipulate the poor and destitute in order to line their own pockets.
This poor widow put in two small copper coins. The Greek word for these coins is “lepta.” A lepta was worth 1/64 of a denarius, which was a day’s wage for a common laborer. It was a very small amount. Jesus says that she put in more than all the rest. Comparatively speaking, she did put in more. She put in more, because everyone else still had something to live on, while she did not.
Now, let’s draw out some applications from this passage.
Conclusion
- Beware of Religious Leaders who Enrich Themselves at the Expense Others. This great sin has happened over and over in the history of the church. This is what was happening in the early 16th It was what drove Martin Luther to pin his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenburg Church. The Catholic Church was seeking to raise money to build the massive St. Peter’s Church in Rome, and so they sent out fund raisers throughout the land. These people would sell indulgences to the common people, which were believed to enable them to be released from the fires of purgatory sooner. He repeated a famous saying, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” And so, many of the poor peasants, dug deep, and gave very sacrificially. They believed that their giving could not only deliver them from purgatory early, but could deliver their dead relatives as well. This so infuriated Martin Luther that he asked for a public debate on the subject, and ultimately it led to the Reformation.
The same thing took place in the Unification Church. Reverend Sun Yung Moon became incredibly wealthy, while his followers gave up all of their earthly goods in order to follow him.
The same thing is going on today with many prosperity gospel preachers. I recently did a search on Google, “religious leaders who live in luxury”, and what I discovered sickened me. I found out that many of the most popular TV evangelists and preachers in our own country, are multi-millionnaires, living in 10,000 or 20,000 square foot mansions. Some of them that you might recognize are John Hagee, T.D. Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Robert Tilton, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Paul & Jann Crouch, Peter Popoff, and Creflo Dollar. They tell their TV audiences they need to give to their ministry so that God will bless them, or heal them, or prosper them. Sometimes they offer Miracle Spring Water, or Miracle Manna for free, but then follow it up with letter after letter appealing for money, saying that it won’t work unless they give to their ministry. Often, old women, living on social security checks, are found to be the most regular supporters of these ministries. It is reported that Benny Hinn regularly stays in $10,000 a night hotels. It is reported that T.D. Jakes minimum fee to speak is $122,000. Kenneth Copeland has claimed to be a billionnaire.
My friends, be very, very careful about giving your money to TV evangelists! Many are becoming richer and richer, while promising healing and prosperity to people who give them money. It seems the only ones who are prospering are them. The scribes in Jesus’ day were using the poor to amass wealth, and prosperity gospel preachers are doing the same today. I know many may disagree with me on this point, but I’m simply trying to warn you.
If a preacher is receiving a salary from God’s people, I believe that salary should be what an average person in his own church would receive, not twenty times as much. Did Jesus live in a mansion with servants waiting on Him hand and foot, while His disciples lived in abject poverty?! No, Jesus lived the same way His disciples did. The apostle Paul didn’t live in a mansion, while his followers sent him their last denarius. It seems very odd that these TV preachers are multi-millionnaires, while most of the people that support them live modestly. Many are lonely, hurting, desperate, or sick, and think that by giving to these ministries somehow God will heal, bless, or help them. Folks, when you invest your money, be wise! Invest it in a ministry in which no one at the top is getting filthy rich. Instead, invest it in a ministry where the people are living sacrificially to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
- Beware of Putting Religious Leaders on a Pedestal. There is a tension here. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 it says, “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” It is Biblical to appreciate and esteem highly those the Lord has put over you in the Lord to care for you and shepherd you. But it is unBiblical and dangerous to put any person on a pedestal, or to idolize them. The scribes loved it when people idolized them. Any man of God will be sickened when people idolize him. He knows he is fallen. He’s a fellow sinner, just like they are. No man should be elevated in such a way that we feel he is somehow better than everybody else.
I’ve heard stories of when the Pastor pulls up in his car to the church parking lot, the deacon runs out and carries his Bible for him. I’ve heard of churches where someone goes over and mows the pastor’s lawn for him. I was in a church where it was expected to give the Pastor blind obedience. The Pastor controlled the money, and no one in the church knew how much money was coming in or what it was being spent on. If you dared ask, you were suddenly a black sheep in the church. We ought to avoid giving exalted titles to men. “Pastor so and so” should be sufficient to show honor and esteem. When we begin to call men “Reverend” or “Your Holiness” or “Most holy Father”, I think we have crossed the line into idolizing men.
- Beware of Believing You Can Manipulate God by Giving. Essentially, this is what televangelists are communicating. No, they would never say it like that. But, at the bottom of their message, they are telling people that if they want God to heal them, or enrich them, or provide that miracle for them, then they need to sow a seed of money to their ministry. If they want God to do these things for them, then they need to give. In so doing, God is now in their debt, and must come through for them. Wow, when I say it that way, I’m appalled! It’s blasphemous to suggest that we, puny peons, can somehow put God in our debt, isn’t it?! Listen to the Word of God in Romans 11:35-36, “Who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” My friends, when you believe the lie that you can manipulate God by giving, you have substituted the gospel of grace, for a false religion of works. God is in no man’s debt. If God ever does anything for you, it won’t be because you have manipulated him through giving away some of your money. It will be because God is gracious, and kind to His people. Salvation is by grace, not of works. God’s blessings come to us by grace, not by works. Instead of trying to manipulate God, submit to God and thank Him for His gracious blessings.
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