Abusing the Poor

Basic human needs come first with God before religious offerings.

Listen God's law was never given to impoverished people to help them man was not made for the law but the law was made for man 10 on all of those passages but the fact is, a lot of people get the meaning of those verses wrong. How about you, is it possible that you've missed powerful truth that those passages convey, consider that with John MacArthur here on grace to you as he sets the record straight on some verses that are often mishandled. That's the title of John study John the passages you will be looking at in this series are certainly well-known and often quoted even by unbelievers. And yet, these are some of the most misunderstood or misused verses of Scripture anywhere. I'm wondering what you think causes that kind of misunderstanding.

Is it poor teaching at church or a lack of personal Bible study or something else. I think it's all of the above. If you have a misunderstanding of Scripture.

It could come from poor teaching is plenty of that around right it could come from of failure to study the Bible carefully, thoughtfully and correctly it could come from some personal bias so that you hold and you want the Bible to say what you wanted to say so can be any of those things, but it isn't important how you got it wrong what is important is how do you get a right and how do you do what we are basically enjoying to do and that is to be diligent to approve to be approved of God work when needing not to be ashamed because we rightly handle the word of truth. So, correct interpretation is really critical and I think where you have the mishandled text that that yield a misunderstanding of the text.

It's not just that it's wrong is that you miss the truth you miss the truth of God's divine revelation. If you don't get it right so this is gonna be a great series.

It's titled, mishandled, subtitle setting the record straight on frequently abused versus a few of those that you would be familiar with Matthew 71 Judge not lest you be judged or there's one that's used all the time in a wrong way.

Matthew 1828 were two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them, or even the story of the prodigal, the parable of the prodigal. Luke 15 is a for some people a lesson on parenting in Luke 21 the widows offering is supposed to be a lesson on giving and that's far from what it is. So these are fascinating, fascinating accounts that we've mentioned those in the Gospels and elsewhere to get you to the truth of these in the correct interpretation, so you know exactly what the Lord was really revealing and working to start today looking at a correct interpretation of the word of God which is the only way you should ever handle Scripture. Stay tuned as we look at this compelling series called mishandled yes and friend. I am really excited about this series as you see what these verses mean you will be strengthened and encouraged and better equipped to interpret God's word.

When you studying it on your own. John begins today in Luke 21 so if you have your Bible go there now and here's John to launch his study titled mishandled.

Luke chapter 21 and I want to read this somewhat familiar portion of Scripture to you to establish it in your mind and then were going to look at it. I trust in a beneficial way. Luke 21 and verse one.

Speaking of Jesus, the text says and he looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury and he saw certain poor widow putting into 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. 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 let's back up a little bit before we look at the actual interpretation and remind ourselves where we are. This is Wednesday of passion week. This is the final week of our Lord's life on Monday. He entered the city on Tuesday. He cleansed the temple all day Wednesday. He has been teaching the multitudes in the temple area and has been confronted by the false religious leaders of Judaism who have endeavored to trap him in his word so that they might have some cause to have him executed. He has silenced them every time with his answer thwarted them every time with his answer so that they're going to have to lie and fabricate a reason for the Romans to execute them on Friday there, done asking questions.

It's over. At this point. On this Wednesday after a long day of teaching.

He no longer addresses the crowd, the fickle crowd that hailed him as Messiah and will cry for his blood. Not too long after this Wednesday. He has no more to say to the crowds in general. He has no more to say to the false religious leaders.

He has denounced them and given them his last invitation and given his last invitation to the crowds as well. In fact, follow the flow here because in chapter 21 starting in verse five.

The theme is judgment. The time of invitation is over the ministry of our Lord in these three years has come to its end.

No more gospel invitations. No more clarifications to the crowds and to the leaders he's finished and their final assessment is that he is not the Messiah. They wanted and they reject him leaders and people, and so starting in verse five comes a long message on destruction, judgment, judgment that will come in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the temple and the city and the nation Israel and a judgment of God beginning in 70 A.D. that will stretch all the way till the return of Jesus Christ. Through all of these, 2000 years and until our Lord come. In fact, the last words of chapter 20 are clearly words of judgment, beware of the scribes warning the people about how dangerous they are. And you remember that Luke only gives us a couple of verses regarding our Lord's warning concerning the scribes and the Pharisees. Matthew gives us the full account of his message on the danger of these false religious leaders.

It's chapter 23 verses one through 39 is pronounced judgment on the leaders and therefore judgment on the nation for following those leaders and rejecting him. So between the condemnation of the false leaders and the pronunciation of judgment that will last and has lasted 2000 years until Jesus comes. Is this little vignette about a widow dropping two copper pennies into an offering receptacle in the temple. The question is what is this have to do with anything. How does this fit. Why does Jesus inject this moment of reflection on a widow giving an offering in the Temple into this section between Adia tribe against false relators and all the people that follow them and a pronunciation of judgment on the temple on the city and on the nation and the judgment that will last until the second coming. Why is this here universally.

Commentators tell us that our Lord is giving us a little glimpse of true worship in the middle of the false worship that dominates the temple. They tell us that it's a beautiful little story in the midst of ugliness, a little light in the midst of darkness.

An illustration of giving till it hurts contrasted with the selfishness of the spiritual leaders. This is the traditional. This is the universal explanation of this passage. In fact, scholars agree that this is a lesson on giving. But interestingly enough, they can't agree what the lesson is and if you were to go through, say, 25 or 30 or 50 or hundred commentators on this passage, they would suggest many lessons they don't all agree. Here are the options are some of one Jesus is teaching that the measure of a gift is not how much you give, but how much you have after you give that's the measure of the guess the measure is not the amount of the gift, but the amount left over. And that's the lesson the Lord is trying to teach us and many have waxed eloquent on that lesson. Another option, the second one is that the true measure is the self-denial involved.

The cost to the individual which is just another way to say the first one, but that the percentage given is really what the issue is relative to one's expression of self-denial in that percentage.

Obviously the woman gave the highest percentage every so it's about the percentage you give third possibility also related to the other two is that the true measure of any gift is the attitude with which you give that is itself less humble surrender.

Expressing love for God. Devotion to God and trust in God, the widow, we are told, had the least left behind gave the highest percentage and must of had the best attitude. Fourthly, this is another option that some have suggested that the gift that truly pleases God is when you give everything and take a vow of poverty and all of these and combinations of all of these are defended by virtually all those who write on this text. Teachers have waxed eloquent on all of them at this point I will confess to you in spite of the popularity these views, in spite of the universality of these views. None of these explanations makes any sense to me. None. In fact, all of those interpretations are imposed on the text and you know how I feel about imposing things on the Bible text. Not good.

You say, why do you say there imposed because Jesus never made any of those points. Jesus never said anything about what's left behind. What percentage what attitude or do the same and give everything. He didn't Jesus never makes any of those points. He does not say the rich gave relatively too little they had too much leftover he doesn't say the rich gave to lower percent. He doesn't say the widow gave the right amount.

He doesn't say the rich had a bad attitude, and the widow had a good attitude or a good spirit doesn't say that in fact he didn't say anything about their giving except that she gave more than everybody doesn't say why with what attitude whether she should or shouldn't have, or they should or shouldn't have her outward action is all that you see is no more or less good bad or indifferent, humble, proud, selfish, unselfish than anybody else's act. There is no judgment made on her act as to its true character.

There is nothing said about her attitude or her spirit. She could be acting out of devotion. She could be acting out of love. She could be acting out of guilt you could be acting out of fear. We don't know because Jesus doesn't say anything done say anything about the rich than say anything about the widow doesn't draw any conclusions doesn't develop any principles doesn't command anything doesn't define anything. Why because none of that matters. The only thing I can conclude is if Jesus wanted to say any of that here you could set it if you want to say 90 liquor like the widow she had a good attitude and she gave a maximum percentage and what she had left behind was little.

This is the kind of sacrificial giving that we are after. He doesn't say that say anything story, then, is not designed to teach any of those things is not designed to teach us about percentages about how much you have left over about attitudes not designed to teach anything about giving. If there is one thing apparent here and and this is the bottom line if there is one thing apparent it is that she gave everything so if there's one lesson that would be obvious and wouldn't need to be stated, it is that God expects you to give 100% of what you have ridiculous that's ridiculous that's irresponsible that's foolish it's not designed to talk about the principles of giving is only one comment that the Jesus makes she gave with her two copper coins relatively a great deal more than all the others because all the others gave out of their surplus which means they had some with. She gave out of her poverty. All she had to live on. That's all there is no common that the Lord appreciated her no, that the Lord loved her, commended her no comment that she was now in the kingdom of God. No invitation to the disciples to reach into their little money bags and go up there and throw in everything they had, as it was good enough for the widow should be good enough for the disciples of Jesus. She was truly spiritual. That should be truly spiritual as well. For these reasons the traditional exclamations of this text. Make no sense to me at all. One thing I do know is this. The Lord does not expect you to give 100% of what you have, so that you have absolutely nothing left but that's the only obvious principle here. If you're going to draw a principal. Besides, why would you inject a principal and giving in a context like this.

This is no place to interject all by the way, a few words on giving. That sounds like a traditional Baptist sermon in the middle of everything you always have a few words on giving. What in the world is that of the do with anything the Lord makes no comment about giving, except that she gave more than everybody else relative to what she had. She is not commended. They are not condemned no one's attitude or spirit in the giving is discussed and no principal regarding giving is drawn by our Lord.

The narrative is not intended to deal with any of those matters. The reason the Lord and saying about is us. Now it's about. And if you look at the context before and after this is all about the kind damnation of the wicked spiritual leaders and a corrupt religious system that is about to be destroyed. In fact in verse five the passage immediately after this summer talking about the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gift that he said as for these 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. This little vignette is in the middle of a deed tribe against a false religious system and a pronouncement of judgment on that system judgment that is still going on today. So what exactly is this about one more comment or two before we look at it is not obscure. Anybody can read it and read exactly what it says is not profound.

It's not got some deep hidden secret meaning.

This is not one of the great spiritual insights in the Bible.

This is not one of the great revelations of Scripture.

This is one of the great brilliant things that Jesus said, that has all kinds of deep meaning it's simple clear. He saw widow good morning everybody else. In other words, her involvement in religion cost her more than a cost. Anybody else because it cost her everything I saw. Just an observation. And the disciples were confused about date and they didn't ask questions about it is patently obvious. Another thing to think about the assumption in interpreting this as a model for Christian giving is that Jesus was pleased with what she did done say that absolutely doesn't say that 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. How would you feel your person loves the Lord your person. The loves your brother, and cares about people cares about their needs. How would you feel if you saw a destitute widow who only had two coins left to buy her food for her next meal give those two coins to a religious system. How would you feel you would say something is wrong with that system when that system takes the last two coins out of the widow's hand. That's what you would say you would be right to say that giving your last two coins to a false religious system. How would you feel if you saw a destitute impoverished person give to her religion. Her last hope for life to go home perhaps and die. You'd be sick. You feel terrible you would be repulsed any religion that is built on the back of the poor is a false religion.

What a sad misguided woeful poor victimized lady's tragic, painful, and I think that's exactly how Jesus saw it exactly.

He saw that corrupt system taking the last two pennies out of a widow's pocket in desperation, hoping that maybe in that legalistic system or two coins would buy some blessing trying to be dutiful. The rabbis it said with alms you purchase your salvation. Trying to buy your way into heaven, trying to buy relief from your desperation, your destitution, contemporary quote unquote evangelist called the seed faith give me your money and Gotto multiply it back to you. God doesn't want a widow to give up her last two cents couldn't find that in the Bible any place that's the last thing God wore widow did it.

Look at Matthew 15 for a moment and I'll show you this. Matthew 15 and here, the Pharisees and scribes are again confronting Jesus and their upset because the disciples don't go through certain ceremonial washings of the hands which they have invented so they say. Why do your disciples verse to transgress the tradition of the elders with no wash their hands in the bread and Hansen said to them, why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition.

See what they had done is create a false religious system in the name of God, a false religious system that transgress the commandment of God. And here's a perfect illustration of how they did it. This is so interesting for God said back in Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5 for God said honor your father and mother, and he who speaks evil of father or mother, let them be put to death while but you say follow this whoever shall say to his father or mother anything of mine. You might have been helped by has been given to God. They were saying they were supposed to support their mother and father honor their father and mother boils down to make sure their needs are met in order to get around that and to parade their righteousness into by salvation. Instead of giving to their mother or father. They would say all we are giving to God and leave their mother and father destitute and sold by the tradition of giving money to God that belonged to the needy. They violated the law of God. Verse six he says, you invalidate the word of God for the sake of your tradition, you hypocrites.

Verse nine he says you worship me in vain teaching as doctrines the traditions of men.

The point that I want you to understand is this God is concerned that people have their needs met his response. It is the responsibility in the 10 Commandments of children to provide for their parents when their parents need care and provision to say we can't do that because we given it to God, is to violate the law of God with your tradition. 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 include that this woman was part of a system that took the last two cents out of her hand on the pretense that this was necessary to please God to purchaser salvation and to bring her blessing.

She was manipulated by a religious system that was correct.

Disease, grace to you with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us. John's been grace to use featured speakers since 1969. He's also Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and today's lesson is the first in a series titled mishandled.

It's a look at well-known passages that Christians often interpret the wrong way. Keep in mind you can get a copy of this series on CD or you can download the messages in MP3 or transcript format pickup John study titled mishandled when you contact us today. The five CD album is reasonably priced and shipping is free to order, call 855 grace or visit our website Jide TY.org and again. You can also download all five messages from John series mishandled from our website Jide TY.org and friend. Keep in mind it's the support of listeners like you that keeps verse by verse teaching like you just heard on the air to partner with us and to play an important role in taking the word of God to spiritually hungry people across the globe. Mail your tax deductible donation to grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412. You can also donate online@jidety.org or when you call 855 grace by the way that toll-free number translates to 800-554-7223 and thanks especially for your prayers that your most important ministry for us now for John MacArthur and the staff. I'm Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television this Sunday. Check your local listings for channel times and be here at the same time tomorrow when John MacArthur continues his study on some of the Bible's most frequently abused versus it's another half hour of unleashing God's one verse at a time on racing