1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,866 Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God 2 00:00:01,866 --> 00:00:03,733 our Father and from our Lord and Savior 3 00:00:03,733 --> 00:00:04,100 Jesus 4 00:00:04,100 --> 00:00:04,566 Christ. 5 00:00:06,166 --> 00:00:09,966 It seems like just about everybody wants 6 00:00:09,966 --> 00:00:11,666 to co-opt Jesus. 7 00:00:12,866 --> 00:00:15,500 In fact, what passes for political 8 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:18,266 argumentation in our day is a simple 9 00:00:18,266 --> 00:00:19,966 three-step process. 10 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,100 Call your political opponent a Nazi. 11 00:00:24,766 --> 00:00:27,066 Claim that Jesus is on your side. 12 00:00:28,933 --> 00:00:29,766 Mic drop. 13 00:00:31,566 --> 00:00:33,466 And many people who use this approach 14 00:00:33,466 --> 00:00:35,033 don't even believe in Jesus. 15 00:00:36,033 --> 00:00:38,400 Not only is He not their Lord in their 16 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,900 view, many of them don't even believe He 17 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:41,600 actually 18 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,800 walked on the earth and was a real human 19 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:44,233 being. 20 00:00:45,366 --> 00:00:47,966 They just want to use Him to accomplish 21 00:00:47,966 --> 00:00:49,100 something else. 22 00:00:49,166 --> 00:00:52,333 They just want to tell Him what to do. 23 00:00:53,466 --> 00:00:55,966 And we have similar problems in the 24 00:00:55,966 --> 00:00:56,633 church. 25 00:00:58,166 --> 00:01:01,133 If you ever want to ruin your day, read 26 00:01:01,133 --> 00:01:03,966 The Grand Inquisitor by Dostoevsky. 27 00:01:04,966 --> 00:01:08,233 In this imaginary story, Jesus returns 28 00:01:08,233 --> 00:01:11,300 for a quiet visit during the Spanish 29 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:12,600 Inquisition. 30 00:01:13,966 --> 00:01:16,166 The people recognize Him and they're 31 00:01:16,166 --> 00:01:16,933 overjoyed. 32 00:01:18,433 --> 00:01:20,700 The church leaders recognize Him and they 33 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:23,100 put Him in prison and plan to burn Him at 34 00:01:23,100 --> 00:01:23,700 the stake. 35 00:01:25,333 --> 00:01:27,833 And while He's in prison, The Grand 36 00:01:27,833 --> 00:01:30,800 Inquisitor talks and talks to Jesus about 37 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:31,733 how He and 38 00:01:31,733 --> 00:01:33,633 the other church leaders are right and 39 00:01:33,633 --> 00:01:34,466 Jesus is wrong. 40 00:01:34,833 --> 00:01:36,500 He says that they have finally got the 41 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:38,266 church working the way it should work and 42 00:01:38,266 --> 00:01:38,766 they are 43 00:01:38,766 --> 00:01:41,066 not going to let Jesus mess it up. 44 00:01:43,366 --> 00:01:45,966 But you don't have to go as far as 45 00:01:45,966 --> 00:01:48,933 Dostoevsky to see a religious community 46 00:01:48,933 --> 00:01:50,400 rejecting Jesus. 47 00:01:51,533 --> 00:01:53,333 It's right there in Mark 3. 48 00:01:55,266 --> 00:01:58,800 Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and the 49 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,266 Pharisees and Herodians plot to destroy 50 00:02:02,266 --> 00:02:03,066 Jesus. 51 00:02:04,066 --> 00:02:09,233 They are so certain that they are right 52 00:02:09,233 --> 00:02:14,566 and He is wrong that it is a sin to heal 53 00:02:14,566 --> 00:02:15,900 someone 54 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:20,400 on the Sabbath that they are sure that He 55 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,366 deserves to die. 56 00:02:25,366 --> 00:02:27,900 Interestingly, they also appear to think 57 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:30,400 it is fine to plot to destroy someone on 58 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:30,766 the 59 00:02:30,766 --> 00:02:33,033 Sabbath and they do. 60 00:02:34,933 --> 00:02:37,633 Jesus teaches His truth and the culture 61 00:02:37,633 --> 00:02:40,433 of the day rejects it and resists it and 62 00:02:40,433 --> 00:02:40,966 Jesus 63 00:02:40,966 --> 00:02:42,133 keeps teaching that truth. 64 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,233 In the book of Mark that puts Him at odds 65 00:02:44,233 --> 00:02:46,166 especially with the church leaders and in 66 00:02:46,166 --> 00:02:48,400 chapter 12 that conflict is becoming 67 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:49,400 quite intense. 68 00:02:50,066 --> 00:02:52,433 Jesus tells the parable of the tenants at 69 00:02:52,433 --> 00:02:54,133 the beginning of chapter 12. 70 00:02:54,900 --> 00:02:56,866 But those tenants said to one another, 71 00:02:56,866 --> 00:02:58,833 this is the heir, come let us kill him 72 00:02:58,833 --> 00:02:59,366 and the 73 00:02:59,366 --> 00:03:01,300 inheritance will be ours and they took 74 00:03:01,300 --> 00:03:03,266 him and killed him and threw him out of 75 00:03:03,266 --> 00:03:04,066 the vineyard. 76 00:03:05,700 --> 00:03:07,733 A little later in the chapter Jesus talks 77 00:03:07,733 --> 00:03:09,666 about the most important commandment. 78 00:03:10,033 --> 00:03:12,733 Jesus answered, the most important is, 79 00:03:12,733 --> 00:03:15,466 here O Lord, the Lord our God, the Lord 80 00:03:15,466 --> 00:03:16,166 is one. 81 00:03:16,633 --> 00:03:18,666 And you shall love the Lord your God with 82 00:03:18,666 --> 00:03:20,766 all your heart and with all your soul and 83 00:03:20,766 --> 00:03:22,700 with all your mind and with all your 84 00:03:22,700 --> 00:03:23,300 strength. 85 00:03:25,066 --> 00:03:28,733 But the scribes in our text have other 86 00:03:28,733 --> 00:03:32,533 priorities and Jesus calls them out for 87 00:03:32,533 --> 00:03:33,100 it. 88 00:03:34,366 --> 00:03:37,866 And when Jesus praises the widow, He is 89 00:03:37,866 --> 00:03:41,433 making it clear that He will not be told 90 00:03:41,433 --> 00:03:42,333 what to 91 00:03:42,333 --> 00:03:46,200 do by the scribes or the rich people of 92 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,166 His day or by you. 93 00:03:50,233 --> 00:03:53,533 Human beings have a terrible tendency to 94 00:03:53,533 --> 00:03:57,033 want to tell Jesus how to run His church. 95 00:03:57,766 --> 00:04:01,533 We often focus on small, irrelevant, 96 00:04:01,533 --> 00:04:03,300 unclear things. 97 00:04:03,633 --> 00:04:06,333 Jesus intends for us to follow Him, to 98 00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:09,066 know His word, to live it, to speak it, 99 00:04:09,066 --> 00:04:09,833 to stand 100 00:04:09,833 --> 00:04:11,066 upon it. 101 00:04:11,833 --> 00:04:15,166 But too often we grab hold of vague, 102 00:04:15,166 --> 00:04:18,866 small things, things we're even free and 103 00:04:18,866 --> 00:04:19,966 form some 104 00:04:19,966 --> 00:04:22,833 sort of a faction and say our faction is 105 00:04:22,833 --> 00:04:25,333 right and everyone else is wrong. 106 00:04:28,766 --> 00:04:29,900 Let me give you a few examples. 107 00:04:32,166 --> 00:04:35,366 When the pandemic was winding down, 108 00:04:35,366 --> 00:04:39,133 someone told me that one of the Concordia 109 00:04:39,133 --> 00:04:40,500 universities 110 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:43,800 is not really Lutheran because during the 111 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,633 pandemic they wanted people to wear 112 00:04:46,633 --> 00:04:47,366 masks. 113 00:04:48,733 --> 00:04:51,400 I said, I don't think you know what it 114 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,500 means to be really Lutheran. 115 00:04:56,566 --> 00:04:58,833 In another example, I know a young man 116 00:04:58,833 --> 00:05:01,266 who likes to receive the host, the Lord's 117 00:05:01,266 --> 00:05:01,766 body, 118 00:05:02,366 --> 00:05:03,666 directly in his mouth. 119 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:05,900 He likes it when the pastor puts the 120 00:05:05,900 --> 00:05:07,466 wafer right in his mouth. 121 00:05:08,033 --> 00:05:08,500 Wonderful. 122 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:10,566 May the Lord bless him and strengthen his 123 00:05:10,566 --> 00:05:11,833 faith and give him joy. 124 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:15,133 But on Facebook, he claims that that's 125 00:05:15,133 --> 00:05:16,733 the only right way to do it. 126 00:05:18,233 --> 00:05:21,133 And he insults people who would wrongly 127 00:05:21,133 --> 00:05:24,166 receive the Lord's body in their hands. 128 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:29,800 We take situations like COVID where we 129 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,900 should definitely dig into God's word and 130 00:05:32,900 --> 00:05:34,033 talk through 131 00:05:34,033 --> 00:05:36,500 it together and work together and find 132 00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:38,700 ways to deal with such a difficult 133 00:05:38,700 --> 00:05:40,033 situation together 134 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,266 and instead form factions and fight and 135 00:05:45,266 --> 00:05:48,633 claim that our way is for the real 136 00:05:48,633 --> 00:05:50,200 Lutherans and 137 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:51,066 the other way is wrong. 138 00:05:52,966 --> 00:05:56,000 We grab hold of things where we are free 139 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,966 and claim that we are not free and make 140 00:05:58,966 --> 00:05:59,633 it the 141 00:05:59,900 --> 00:06:02,966 pleasure of what a true Christian is. 142 00:06:04,133 --> 00:06:07,533 And in the process we replace salvation 143 00:06:07,533 --> 00:06:10,566 by grace through faith with our pet 144 00:06:10,566 --> 00:06:11,433 issues. 145 00:06:12,133 --> 00:06:14,633 We become so entrenched in our pet 146 00:06:14,633 --> 00:06:15,266 issues. 147 00:06:15,633 --> 00:06:18,133 They become so much a part of our 148 00:06:18,133 --> 00:06:20,833 identity that if Jesus came back and 149 00:06:20,833 --> 00:06:22,033 dared to tell 150 00:06:22,033 --> 00:06:25,300 us that He is not on our side, we would 151 00:06:25,300 --> 00:06:26,366 reject Him. 152 00:06:27,333 --> 00:06:30,800 We might even kill Him if we could. 153 00:06:33,966 --> 00:06:34,966 Listen carefully. 154 00:06:36,266 --> 00:06:39,200 You will not tell Jesus what to do. 155 00:06:39,566 --> 00:06:41,000 He will tell you what to do. 156 00:06:41,466 --> 00:06:43,533 You will not tell him how to run His 157 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:44,066 church. 158 00:06:44,366 --> 00:06:47,066 He will tell you how He's running His 159 00:06:47,066 --> 00:06:47,733 church. 160 00:06:48,866 --> 00:06:51,966 In our text, Jesus cuts through 161 00:06:51,966 --> 00:06:55,766 appearances to motives and to truth. 162 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,733 Jesus holds to his teaching, his kingdom, 163 00:07:00,733 --> 00:07:03,733 and the people reject it but He still 164 00:07:03,733 --> 00:07:04,400 holds 165 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,233 to it and he evaluates people based on 166 00:07:07,233 --> 00:07:09,900 His true teaching and His kingdom. 167 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:13,866 He finds the scribes wanting and He finds 168 00:07:13,866 --> 00:07:17,533 you wanting and He finds me wanting. 169 00:07:20,166 --> 00:07:22,566 Woe to those who like to walk around in 170 00:07:22,566 --> 00:07:24,733 long robes and like greetings in the 171 00:07:24,733 --> 00:07:25,733 market places 172 00:07:25,733 --> 00:07:27,766 and have the best seats in the churches 173 00:07:27,766 --> 00:07:29,766 and the places of honor at the feasts, 174 00:07:29,766 --> 00:07:30,433 who devour 175 00:07:30,433 --> 00:07:32,500 widows' houses and for a pretense make 176 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:33,333 long prayers. 177 00:07:33,766 --> 00:07:35,900 You will receive the greater 178 00:07:35,900 --> 00:07:37,033 condemnation. 179 00:07:38,433 --> 00:07:42,033 Woe to you who wear masks or don't wear 180 00:07:42,033 --> 00:07:44,333 masks to virtue signal. 181 00:07:45,933 --> 00:07:48,633 Woe to you who use the Lord's body and 182 00:07:48,633 --> 00:07:51,400 the gift of the Lord's Supper to win an 183 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:52,233 argument, 184 00:07:52,666 --> 00:07:57,066 to criticize others, to act superior. 185 00:07:59,333 --> 00:08:01,566 Woe to you who cling to pet issues 186 00:08:01,566 --> 00:08:04,433 instead of following the teaching of God. 187 00:08:07,033 --> 00:08:11,766 Jesus teaches us rather to love Him, to 188 00:08:11,766 --> 00:08:16,400 love the Lord with our whole heart and 189 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,100 life, heart 190 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:22,566 and soul and mind and strength, to love 191 00:08:22,566 --> 00:08:26,566 Him with everything that we have 192 00:08:27,433 --> 00:08:31,466 And in our text, it is the widow who does 193 00:08:31,466 --> 00:08:32,133 that. 194 00:08:33,333 --> 00:08:36,600 The widow gives everything she has. 195 00:08:37,133 --> 00:08:40,366 She is part of a broken religious system 196 00:08:40,366 --> 00:08:43,533 that devours widows' houses and yet she 197 00:08:43,533 --> 00:08:45,066 gives everything 198 00:08:45,066 --> 00:08:48,300 she has, trusting that the Lord is at 199 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:51,600 work in and through her gift, trusting 200 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:52,566 that the 201 00:08:52,566 --> 00:08:54,833 Lord will care for her. 202 00:08:56,533 --> 00:09:00,033 In our text, Jesus keeps teaching truth 203 00:09:00,033 --> 00:09:03,500 no matter how much the dominant culture 204 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:04,400 resists 205 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:04,766 Him. 206 00:09:05,133 --> 00:09:08,266 He keeps teaching truth until eventually 207 00:09:08,266 --> 00:09:10,833 the religious leaders kill Him. 208 00:09:13,966 --> 00:09:14,533 And He dies. 209 00:09:16,233 --> 00:09:18,833 He gives everything He had. 210 00:09:19,266 --> 00:09:20,900 Like the widow, He gives 100%. 211 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:26,466 In fact, He gives more, even His very 212 00:09:26,466 --> 00:09:32,033 life, for you to save you, to pay for 213 00:09:32,033 --> 00:09:33,833 your sins 214 00:09:34,566 --> 00:09:35,966 and to take them away. 215 00:09:37,133 --> 00:09:40,100 Jesus dies so that He can take your sins 216 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:42,266 upon Himself and give you His 217 00:09:42,266 --> 00:09:43,533 righteousness. 218 00:09:43,766 --> 00:09:47,133 He dies so that He may save you by grace 219 00:09:47,133 --> 00:09:49,066 through faith in Him. 220 00:09:50,133 --> 00:09:53,633 And He has done it and you are saved. 221 00:09:56,166 --> 00:09:59,066 And then He comes back from the dead to 222 00:09:59,066 --> 00:10:01,900 show that He has power even over death 223 00:10:01,900 --> 00:10:02,733 and that 224 00:10:02,733 --> 00:10:05,933 He has the authority to be our Lord and 225 00:10:05,933 --> 00:10:07,433 the Lord of all. 226 00:10:09,666 --> 00:10:13,066 Jesus has paid for all of your sins, your 227 00:10:13,066 --> 00:10:16,033 pettiness, your love arguments, your 228 00:10:16,033 --> 00:10:17,366 partisanship, 229 00:10:17,366 --> 00:10:20,433 your desire to be superior and arrogant. 230 00:10:21,466 --> 00:10:24,133 He's paid for it all and all other sins 231 00:10:24,133 --> 00:10:24,533 too. 232 00:10:25,233 --> 00:10:27,700 Every sin you have ever committed, every 233 00:10:27,700 --> 00:10:30,200 sin you ever will commit, he's taken care 234 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:30,766 of it. 235 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:32,333 Your account is settled. 236 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:34,366 You are saved. 237 00:10:36,333 --> 00:10:36,966 And you are free. 238 00:10:37,866 --> 00:10:39,733 You are free to stop trying to save 239 00:10:39,733 --> 00:10:41,933 yourself by coming up with works that you 240 00:10:41,933 --> 00:10:42,566 do better 241 00:10:42,566 --> 00:10:43,133 than others. 242 00:10:44,133 --> 00:10:46,233 Free not to become bitter and arrogant as 243 00:10:46,233 --> 00:10:47,233 you judge others. 244 00:10:47,633 --> 00:10:50,300 Free not to try to impress factions by 245 00:10:50,300 --> 00:10:53,033 carrying out their small and irrelevant 246 00:10:53,033 --> 00:10:53,800 details. 247 00:10:55,066 --> 00:10:57,600 You are free to receive the grace of 248 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,566 Jesus as a gift and to thank Him for it. 249 00:11:01,233 --> 00:11:03,666 And oh, what a gift it is. 250 00:11:04,566 --> 00:11:05,800 You didn't earn it. 251 00:11:05,933 --> 00:11:07,233 You couldn't earn it. 252 00:11:08,033 --> 00:11:11,000 But He earned it for you and gave it to 253 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:12,233 you as a gift. 254 00:11:14,333 --> 00:11:16,866 And we see this wonderful gift in the 255 00:11:16,866 --> 00:11:19,366 gift of baptism where he claims us. 256 00:11:20,666 --> 00:11:23,033 Jesus works through the water and the 257 00:11:23,033 --> 00:11:25,633 word to take our sins away, to deliver to 258 00:11:25,633 --> 00:11:26,233 us the 259 00:11:26,233 --> 00:11:28,433 grace that he earned for us on the cross 260 00:11:28,433 --> 00:11:30,600 and to give us life and life eternal. 261 00:11:32,166 --> 00:11:34,466 And in a few minutes, we will receive His 262 00:11:34,466 --> 00:11:35,400 body and blood. 263 00:11:36,433 --> 00:11:38,400 We will receive the body and blood of 264 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:38,833 Jesus. 265 00:11:39,666 --> 00:11:42,000 We will receive His forgiveness and His 266 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:42,733 salvation. 267 00:11:43,466 --> 00:11:45,633 He will be the host and we the guest. 268 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:49,000 And He will give us spiritual food. 269 00:11:51,166 --> 00:11:54,466 Like the widow, you belong to Jesus. 270 00:11:56,266 --> 00:11:58,666 And that means that the Holy Spirit is at 271 00:11:58,666 --> 00:12:00,866 work in you, teaching you and training 272 00:12:00,866 --> 00:12:01,200 you 273 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,266 to love the Lord with everything you've 274 00:12:04,266 --> 00:12:04,733 got. 275 00:12:06,466 --> 00:12:08,600 In many cases, that will mean that the 276 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,800 Lord will use the gifts and skills that 277 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:11,300 He has 278 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:11,833 given you. 279 00:12:11,833 --> 00:12:13,466 He will use your strength and your 280 00:12:13,466 --> 00:12:13,900 energy. 281 00:12:13,900 --> 00:12:16,733 He will use the money and the resources 282 00:12:16,733 --> 00:12:19,300 he has entrusted to you to care for 283 00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:20,233 others, to 284 00:12:20,233 --> 00:12:23,166 care for your family and friends, to care 285 00:12:23,166 --> 00:12:25,833 for your neighbors and co-workers and 286 00:12:25,833 --> 00:12:26,466 people 287 00:12:26,466 --> 00:12:29,166 in your church and others in His name. 288 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,300 The Holy Spirit is at work in you to lead 289 00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:37,200 you to give everything you've got in a 290 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:37,800 world 291 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,300 that is broken and lost, trusting that 292 00:12:41,300 --> 00:12:44,533 Jesus will work in and through you, 293 00:12:44,533 --> 00:12:46,000 trusting that 294 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,533 Jesus has taken care of you. 295 00:12:51,033 --> 00:12:53,033 The Holy Spirit is at work in you, 296 00:12:53,033 --> 00:12:55,166 leading you to speak His gospel in a 297 00:12:55,166 --> 00:12:56,400 world that doesn't 298 00:12:56,500 --> 00:12:59,133 want to hear it, trusting that the Holy 299 00:12:59,133 --> 00:13:01,833 Spirit will use that gospel to save many 300 00:13:01,833 --> 00:13:02,666 as He has 301 00:13:02,666 --> 00:13:05,533 saved you and to strengthen the faith of 302 00:13:05,533 --> 00:13:06,033 many. 303 00:13:08,266 --> 00:13:12,100 In our text, it is not important what the 304 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:15,766 scribes or the rich people think of the 305 00:13:15,766 --> 00:13:16,600 widow. 306 00:13:17,633 --> 00:13:20,466 What is important is what Jesus thinks of 307 00:13:20,466 --> 00:13:21,266 the widow. 308 00:13:21,866 --> 00:13:25,266 In a similar way, it is not important 309 00:13:25,266 --> 00:13:28,400 what some faction thinks of you. 310 00:13:29,633 --> 00:13:32,300 What is important is what Jesus thinks of 311 00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:32,666 you. 312 00:13:33,866 --> 00:13:36,533 And He doesn't just think, He knows. 313 00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:39,900 He knows that He has covered you with His 314 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:40,833 righteousness. 315 00:13:41,766 --> 00:13:45,100 He has saved you by grace as a gift and 316 00:13:45,100 --> 00:13:46,766 you belong to Him. 317 00:13:48,666 --> 00:13:48,866 Amen. 318 00:13:50,333 --> 00:13:52,133 And now, may the peace of God which 319 00:13:52,133 --> 00:13:54,066 surpasses all understanding keep your 320 00:13:54,066 --> 00:13:55,033 hearts and minds 321 00:13:55,033 --> 00:13:56,533 in Christ Jesus our Lord. 322 00:13:57,233 --> 00:13:57,400 Amen.