relationships (Mark 12:41-44) True Giving

(Mark 12:41-44)

41 And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large amounts. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two lepta coins, which amount to a quadrans. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

There are several takeaways here.  

First takeaway, and the most obvious:  Jesus compares these various groups of people and their giving.  This is more of an ah-ha moment, to understand that God sees and knows all.  People would have watched and judged by appearances only.  But Jesus knew how much money everyone had- AND- He knew if their hearts were thankful, faithful and trusting, or if their hearts were selfish, arrogant and/or self-reliant. 

Second takeaway:  which answers my question about why Jesus didn't immediately help this poor woman out.  Well, first of all, this woman didn't go to Jesus to ask for His help.  He also knew that the temple would take a portion of what people gave, and would feed and help those in need.  And later, when the Christian church was being established, the apostles made sure to do this as well...

(Acts 6:1-4)  Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Third takeaway:  no where in the Bible does it tell us to give the church all our assets and money.  Nor does the Bible say that money is evil.  It is the LOVE of money that leads to all SORTS of evil.  And therefore, being rich is not a sin, otherwise God would have been sinning when He blessed king Solomon with not just wisdom, but with power, and more money than even Elon Musk!!!  It is also not a sin to be poor.  We are just not to be lazy moochers or criminals.

The Bible does say to give to the church "as one is able".  For tithing, which is to give ten percent of all income, is easy, and it takes care of "if one is able"...

(Malachi 3:10)  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

This is NOT supporting the ideas of prosperity-gospel or naming-it-and-claiming-it!  God will bless us in exactly the right way, which will include the important blessings of thankfulness, contentment, joy, certain hope, internal peace, etc.  I experienced this on the mission field, as well as when we were first married, and I will forever cherish those opportunities of seeing how mighty and faithful the Lord is!  Supplies miraculously last longer, and God provided us with whatever we needed.

And then, as one is able, we are encouraged to give gifts and offerings, which go above and beyond tithing.  Since the Bible also cautions us to not neglect the needs of our family, pray for wisdom to know exactly where and how much extra giving should go.  I heard a testimony of a millionaire, who had the gift of giving, saying, "The more I take out of the bank to give, the more the Lord puts back in!" 

So the fourth takeaway is:  we are to GIVE EVERYTHING TO GOD!!!  Virtually.  Mentally.  Emotionally.  Spiritually.  I'm not just talking about our finances and assets, but ourselves, our time, our energy, as well as our loved ones.  "Give" them to God!  Since we are in a personal relationship with the Lord, we have to know that He cares!  And the more we learn to trust Him in all things, we will see that He is by far the best manager, protector, healer, provider and Friend.

relationships (Mark 12:38-44) Knowing Leads to Cherishing

(Mark 12:38-39)

38 And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like personal greetings in the marketplaces, 39 and seats of honor in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Scribes had access to the scriptures, and had head-knowledge of the scriptures, but they did not necessarily have the heart-knowledge.  If one doesn't have a relationship with the Lord, which would be accompanied with cherishing His words, one will not apply God's directions with His love, wisdom and strength.  Just like these scribes, one will simply go through the motions pretending to be something one is not, to gain respect and honor from society, while twisting the scriptures to use to their advantage- which takes advantage of the weak and vulnerable.  

If and when someone knows God personally, we know that He wants us to look out for the weak and vulnerable.  We will also know that we are to understand and handle God's words with accuracy, which will help us recognize false prophets, lies, and deceptive teaching.  Unlike then, we now have access to God's words in so many different ways, not just hard copy, but also virtual.  Websites and apps (like Bible Gateway, and Olive Tree) can offer some excellent study aids to help us know God's words better, which will help us better know the Lord and His will.

relationships (Mark 12:35-37) Desire to be Close

(Mark 12:35-37)

35 And Jesus responded and began saying, as He taught in the temple area, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit,

     ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
     “Sit at My right hand,
     Until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’

37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

In these few verses, we see the Holy Trinity represented, and how they relate with each other, as well as how they relate with children of God.  David, being a man after God's own heart, was obviously a believer, and therefore a child of God.  Christians now all receive the indwelling Holy Spirit;  but before the Day of Pentecost, God would place His Spirit onto people.  So here we see David, led by God's Spirit, relaying a glimpse of the heavenly Father speaking with the Son.

Because David had a personal relationship with the Lord, not only was David able to communicate with the Lord and be personally guided by the Lord God, but through his own descendants would come Jesus, who would fulfill the Davidic covenant.  God had promised that David's throne would be everlasting.  How else would this be possible, except through God, Himself.

Jesus was- both the son of David- as well as the Son of God- fully man while still being fully God.  The Lord always knew that He would have to come to earth in flesh, in order to die on the cross to pay for all sin for all people of all time, and in His resurrection, have victory over sin and death. This was to provide the way for us to be reconciled with Him... because He loves us, and desires to have a relationship with each one of us.  It was why God created mankind in the first place.

Let's also not let the fact escape us that Jesus was right there, speaking directly to the people!  Not just speaking empty words, but words of truth, love and strength that leads us to Him and His salvation, peace, hope, joy, blessings and eternal life, which is victory over sin and death.

relationships (Mark 12:28-44) All About Heart-Knowledge

(Mark 12:28-44)

28 One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no other besides Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And then, no one dared any longer to question Him.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Scribes knew the scriptures very well, especially the Law of Moses, since part of their job was to meticulously copy, preserve, study and interpret all of God's words, accurately, often acting as royal secretaries, lawyers and teachers, to explain the rules for daily religious and social life.  So, here this scribe, being impressed with Jesus' knowledge and how He answered all the other questions leading up to this, asked Him this question- not to learn from Jesus (who literally wrote the book), but- to test His knowledge.

While the scribe asked which ONE commandment was most important, Jesus brilliantly summed up all Ten Commandments into TWO.  To which, the scribe approved of His answer.  But to show off his own knowledge, he added yet another biblical truth into what Jesus had just said.  Paraphrasing another verse, he stated that loving God, and loving people- is far more important than offerings and sacrifices.

We can be very sure that the scribe did not anticipate Jesus's last response!  The scribe--- "was not far from the kingdom of God".???  I'm pretty sure this scribe assumed that he had "already arrived"  He had the head-knowledge, but he did not have the heart-knowledge.  If only he could just get out of his own way, and really digest the paraphrased biblical point that he had just made-

It's not about do's and don'ts.  It's not about going through empty religious motions.  It's not about how much of the scriptures we know... or think we know.  All of that is pointless if one thinks that this will be their way into heaven.  Works, good deeds, tithing, sacrificial giving, serving the Lord God and others--- is only the evidence that a person has become a true believer!  

A believer has humbly repented of their sins and accepted Jesus into their heart as their Lord and Savior... because it is all about having a love relationship with Jesus, who then changes us from the inside-out!  Immediately a believer receives His indwelling Holy Spirit who seals us for eternity, and remains with us- to convict us, guide us, equip us, help us, strengthen us...  As we allow the Lord to continually work for us, in us, with us and through us, it is all done in His love, strength and wisdom, all to His glory.  He will even help us in staying focused on Him, so that He can then help us with all the other relationships in our lives.

relationships (Mark 12:18-44) Our Whole Purpose

(Mark 12:18-44)

18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, his brother is to marry the wife and raise up children for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21 The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22 and so the seven together left no children. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, which one’s wife will she be? For each of the seven had her as his wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 But regarding the fact that the dead rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

We just saw the Pharisees and Herodians working together to bring forth a question that would stump Jesus.  It was a practical question around taxes, since both groups depend on taxes for their livelihood.  If the people were too burdened with Rome's Imperial taxes, that would cause them to struggle in paying the Herodians' local taxes, as well as paying the temple taxes, which supported the Pharisees.  So, besides trying to trap Jesus, their question was out of greed for more money.  And in yesterday's post, we saw Jesus' brilliant answer.

Next came this question from the Sadducees, which was more out of arrogance and pride.  In all probability, years before this, there was at least one man who was studying God's laws (the levirate marriage, Deuteronomy 25:5-6) meant to protect widows economically, as well as protect birthrights for every family, of every tribe- and saw a legal problem in the afterlife.  Ergo, using earthly knowledge and logic, they decided that there could not be an afterlife- ergo- there was no resurrection, ergo- God and His word is not infallible, ergo- one can be smarter than God or anyone who believes in God.  

This kind of reasoning gave birth to the new school of thought, that being the Sadducees.  Just like secular scientists have established evolution as a fact, in efforts to explain away God.  All this does is try to reduce our entire purpose for being here on this earth- to be living by various do's and don'ts.  Which would lead people to believe that we can just make it all up, and do whatever we want.

So here, these very-well-read and educated Sadducean lawyers, thought that they could outsmart Jesus by bringing forth a very complex case, which seemed to conflict with God's law.  The case that they presented was actually based on a storyline taken from the Jewish book of Tobit.  Except that, these Sadducees described the seven husbands as being all brothers, even though they were not.

Well, who knows God's laws better than the Lord God, Himself!?  Not only is Jesus part of the Trinity, as God's Son, He was there at creation, speaking the universe into existence.  And creating mankind out dust and breathing life into him, with the purpose of having an eternal relationship with us.  Since mankind chose to sin, which introduced physical and spiritual death to the entire world, this brought a separation between us and God.  So now, each person must choose to accept the Lord Jesus into our lives, in order to be reconciled to Him in a personal relationship, and enjoy eternal life in heaven with Him.

Therefore, to the Sadducees' question, Jesus began by pointing out their lack of understanding, of both God's words, as well as God's power.  How often do we "limit" or "minimize" God's power according to what we can only understand or imagine?  If we think that we can fully comprehend... think again!  Yet, God gives us His word so that we can very clearly know and understand the things that we need to know and understand.

To the Sadducees, Jesus then imparts some information that only God could know- the fact that in heaven- after all believers are resurrected, we will receive glorified bodies, which will be "like" angels.  (Note: Jesus doesn't say that we will "be" angels!)  Therefore, in heaven, there will be no marriages.  There will be no need!  Believers will all be with the Lord- completely complete, and fully fulfilled!

To finish His response, Jesus actually used a standard method that the Pharisees liked to use when debating the Sadducees on this very topic... Jesus quoted a portion from the book of Exodus (3:6) which has God telling Moses that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob --- in the present tense --- to emphasis and back up Jesus' statement that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

This is the main takeaway:  The Lord Jesus created us with the purpose of having an eternal love relationship with us.  And the Lord Jesus came in flesh to pay for our sins on the cross, so that we can be reconciled to Him, so that we can have and enjoy that eternal love relationship with Him!

(Colossians 1:15-20) 

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

relationships (Mark 12:14-44) Putting Things Into Perspective

(Mark 12:13-44)

13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and do not care what anyone thinks; for You are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God in truth. Is it permissible to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 Are we to pay, or not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 And they brought one. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at Him.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees, who disagreed on many things and typically didn't get along, all agreed that Jesus threatened their religious and political positions and influence.  Here, they all put on their thinking caps, trying to come up with questions that would expose Jesus as a fake, but what they really did was help reveal the fact that He is the Son of God- the Lord God in flesh!  

We don't know if there was only a series of three questions, but these three are the ones that are recorded, and this was the first one.  One would think that it was the easiest to answer, since it is about paying taxes!  But there is a relational and spiritual entity to it.

Keep in mind that we are to tithe to the Lord.  And for Israel, it was even more than honoring God with our first fruits, which is a physical demonstration of our thankfulness for all that God has given, and a demonstration of our trust in the Lord, that He will continue to provide.  For Israel, it was also their "taxes" (if you will), which would support the temple and local community.  

Initially, with the purpose of being an example and a light to all nations, to demonstrate God's power, truth and love, God set up the nation of Israel to be a theocracy, based on the covenant He made with Abraham.  This is NOT the same as church-and-state, which is where a government collects and spends tax money, while using a religion to influence and control the people.  God, being sovereign, as well as holy, truth and love, is able to govern a nation perfectly.  Therefore, having the Lord God as their King, when the people followed Him and His way, they would thrive, and experience peace and blessings!  (By the way, this is what the Millennial kingdom will look like, when Jesus physically returns to earth and is accepted as King of kings.)  But...

For some crazy reason, the Israelites wanted to be like other nations, and cried out for a physical king... someone who is not perfect.  Well, God let the people know that when their physical king was righteous and followed the Lord, they would continue to experience peace and blessings, but when their physical king rejected God and His way, there would be consequences... oh, and lots and lots of taxes!

Now let's go to the situation that Israel found themselves in at this point.  They were still to tithe (that being the regional temple tax).  Then there was the Herodian local tax which went to the illegitimate king Herod the Great.  And then there was the Roman Imperial taxes that went to Caesar and the Roman Empire.  So these three groups that approached Jesus were hoping that He would speak out against the Roman Empire and those taxes.  But Jesus never got political.  He only ever challenged the spiritual leaders, who were leading the people astray.

Regarding our relationship with government, we are to respect, pray for, and submit to those in power, as unto the Lord.  We are to obey the laws, unless they go against God's.  And, we should pay our taxes.  So, in the grand scheme of things, our hope, faith and trust should not be in the government, or in a spouse, or even in our own strength.  Whoever or whatever we put first in our lives, is our god and "king".  I don't know about you, but I make a terrible king.  

God, being sovereign, holy, truth and love- makes Him, not only a perfect King, but the best friend and most excellent "soulmate"!  And when we allow the Lord to reign in our lives, He will guide and help us in all other relationships, allowing us to thrive and experience His peace and blessings, no matter what is happing to us, or around us..

relationships (Mark 12:13-14) Caring-Not-Caring

(Mark 12:13-14)

13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and do not care what anyone thinks; for You are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God in truth. Is it ...

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

To catch Jesus in some sort of error, before throwing a barrage of questions at Him, the Pharisees and Herodians (and scribes) actually insulted Jesus.  The statements were an underhanded guise of "compliments", which would cause most people to become distracted by their own bravado.  Or, if an astute person, with a level of integrity, realized the slight, they might want to address the details of these first, which would diminish whatever point was to be made later.  Or, in brushing it off, the subtle insult might continue to gnaw away at their ability to stay focused on properly answering the question/s put forward.

Well!  We ARE talking about Jesus, here!  So not only did He remain humble and focused, He answered all of questions brilliantly.  The first key lesson for us is that as we are asked questions, or as we are presented with an opportunity to share God's message of truth, we should be asking the Lord for His wisdom and guidance, and for Him to give us the right words to speak.  As well, It helps to be prepared!  In other words, we should be looking at His word, daily, so that we will be gaining more and more knowledge and understanding of both Him, and His truth.

Now for the second lesson.  Since the devotion's topic is "relationships", I do want to dissect the deceptive flattery of the Pharisees and Herodians, because I know that I could easily fall into any of those reactive categories.  Also, it would be helpful to understand what is true about Jesus, as it relates to our relationship with Him.

1st "COMPLIMENT":  

"while You are truthful- You do not care what anyone thinks."  

TRUTH: 

- yes, the Lord God and His word is truth  

THE TRUTH with the THEN, IF, AND, OR, BUT:

- He does care what everyone thinks

----- but He will not waver on truth!  

- He knows what everyone is thinking, and because He does care

----- then He is timely in how and when He presents truth and directions.

.......... (Hebrews 4:11-13)  Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we must answer.

2nd "COMPLEMENT":  

"while You teach the way of God in truth- You are not partial to anyone."  

TRUTH:   

- yes, the Lord Jesus not only teaches the way of God in truth, Jesus is the way, and He is the only way!  

THE TRUTH with the THEN, IF, AND, OR, BUT:

- He is impartial (to all people), judging with justice and fairness

----- but He cannot tolerate or accept sin or evil

----- and He will forgive all those who come to Him to humbly repent

.......... (Deuteronomy 10:17)  For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe.

.......... (Acts 10:34b–35) ...God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

.......... (Psalm 5:4)  For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You.

- He is impartial, showing no favoritism based on race, wealth, status, or background

----- because He loves all people, suffered and died for all people, and desires that all come to know Him

----- and so, He saves and adopts anyone who chooses to follow Him

----- and, to those who follow Him, in His mercy- He withholds the eternal death and punishment that we so deserve

----- and, to those who follow Him, in His grace- He bestows eternal life and blessings, which we do not deserve

.......... (Ephesians 2:4-10)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

- He is impartial towards His children, seeing us all as important, and giving each one of us purpose

----- yet, as He sees fit, being omniscient and caring, He gifts each of us differently and uniquely, so that we are equipped to serve the Lord and others

.......... (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

As we can see, those false compliments were loaded with details that one could spend days unpacking. I only scratched the surface!  But because Jesus knew that they were trying to trap Him, He did not need to show off His vast knowledge, nor did He become defensive or offensive.  While caring, and because He cares, Jesus peacefully, wisely, and considerately stayed on topic, and answered their questions, even though He already knew that they were not going to appreciate His answers.