The King Looks at the Heart
Jeremy Bell
Luke 20:41-Luke 21:4
March 7, 2021
Sermon Video/Audio
Luke 20:41–47
[41] But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? [42] For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
[43] until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
[44] David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
[45] And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, [46] “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, [47] who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (ESV)
Luke 21:1–4 [1] Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, [2] and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. [3] And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. [4] For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (ESV)
I. A Declaration of Kingship (chapter 20, verses 41-44)
“Your house and your kingdom will endure forever” – 2 Samuel 7:16
II. Beware of the Scribes – A Warning to All Disciples (chapter 20, verses 45-47)
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. – v.13
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. – v.15
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. – v.23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. – v.27
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
“You will see still greater abominations” Ezekiel 8:6
III. Widow’s Offering — God Looks at the Heart (chapter 21, verses 1-4)
The Widow Gave:
- Sacrificially
- Dependently
- Humbly
- Worshipfully
Questions For Discussion/Application (Care Groups):
- Re-read the text, Luke 20:41-Luke 21:4. What initial observations and insights do you have from reading this text?
- The essential point of verses 41-44 is that Jesus is King and Jesus is Lord. What implications do these truths have for us as believers? In other words, what does it mean for us personally, individually, specifically, that Jesus is King of all and Lord of all?
- How do we struggle, at times, to yield, to submit to Christ as King?
- What was the problem that Jesus identified with the scribes?
- What is the danger of adopting a “keeping up appearances” form of Christianity — where we are concerned more about how “spiritual” others perceive us to be than we are about truly growing in holiness?
- What are some practical steps we can take to pursue honest, true, genuine fellowship in our friendships with one another?
- What is the main lesson we can learn from the window’s generous giving? How do we apply this lesson to our own lives?
- Consider taking time to pray that God would help us:
- To continually submit our lives to Jesus as king and Lord.
- To seek after the Lord with a true heart without guile, pretense or hypocrisy.
- That we would be generous towards God and His kingdom purposes.
Questions For Discussion/Application (parents with younger children):
Note to Parents: This would likely be three separate devotionals.
Part 1:
- Re-read the text, Luke 20:41-44
- Explain: The point of verses 41-44 is that Jesus is King of all and Lord of all.
- Ask: What are some qualities/characteristics of kings?
- Ask: What does it mean that we submit and obey Jesus as our King?
- Color: Who is my King?
- Prayer Point: Ask God to help us to obey Jesus as king every day.
Part 2:
- Re-read the text, Luke 20:45-47
- Explain: The scribes were religious leaders who were hypocrites. A hypocrite is someone is says one thing and does the other. For example: A hypocrite is someone who says “don’t lie” but lies themselves all the time. It is important that as Christians we don’t just try to look good to others, but truly seek the Lord with our whole hearts?
- Ask: What does it mean to seek the Lord with a true and sincere heart?
- Explain: We seek God with a true and sincere heart…
- When we ask for His help daily.
- When we spend time in His Word and pray for others.
- When we sin and are honest with our parents and God about it.
- When we confess our sins to God and sometimes other people when we sin against them.
- Prayer Point: Ask God to help us to walk honestly and truthfully before Him.
Part 3:
- Re-read the text, Luke 21:1-4
- Explain: The widow had very little, but she gave all she had — two small copper coins — to the Lord.
- Ask: What would it be like to give everything you own to the Lord?
- Explain: This doesn’t mean we have to give away all our stuff and all our money! It does mean we should use what we have to be generous to God and others!
- Ask: How has God been generous with us?
- Explain: God has been generous to us in many ways (perhaps recount some of the ways). The biggest way He has been generous in giving us His Son to be our Savior!
- Ask: How can we be generous to God and other people?
- Color: Widow’s Offering Coloring Page
- Prayer Point: Ask God to help us live lives where we are generous towards others and towards God and His purposes.