Sermon Notes - People Are Not Always What They Appear

People Are Not Always What They Appear, Mark 12:35-44
J. Josh Smith, MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, attended January 24, 2010

Perception is often different from reality. God always sees the reality however. He sees the heart behind the veil. He knows, sees and will expose it all.

1. Jesus is greater than He appears to be – Mark 12:35-37

The scribes had an incorrect and inadequate view of Jesus. Inadequate in that they didn’t think of Him as great as He actually was. Incorrect in that He was the son of David but they didn’t think of Him as the Son of God.

The church is filled with people who have created their own Jesus. A comfortable Jesus. They have created a Messiah they want, just like the scribes.

2. The scribes are not as great as they appear – Mark 12:38-40

Warning others to beware of the scribes while in a room of scribes is very bold. They had the appearance of wealth, respect, notoriety and the appearance of a good relationship with God. Appearance is not necessarily reality however.

They took advantage of widows. They appear to love God and others but in reality love neither. They are not what they appear to be. They have used God to benefit themselves. Jesus does not tolerate those receiving glory for themselves in the name of Jesus. They deceive people into thinking they were something they weren’t.

3. The widow is greater than she appears – Mark 12:41-45

Jesus seems to be people watching here. We just see activity however. He sees the activity and the motivation. He is still doing that today.

This is one of only three times that He calls the disciples over to Himself. The last person He interacts with in Mark is this woman.

"Truly, I say to you…” – in our terms this isn’t a true statement. Large sums are bigger than small. In God’s economy however she put in much more. Her gift cost her something. The other gifts cost them nothing. This is a picture of greatness in the kingdom of God. Greatness is a matter of how God views you, not others.

It is really easy to neuter Christianity so that it has no power, no cost, and no sacrifice, so that it fits in with our life and agenda. Being a Christian, by its very nature, means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. Is your life characterized by selfless love for Christ, self-denial, and costly sacrifice?

Vague thinking neuters Christianity more than anything else. This text is an example. We don’t stop to think carefully about what it means to us. We don’t let it transform us. He is calling us, just like He did the disciples, to come and look at something. He wants us to learn something here.

What caught His eye?

Her offering was valuable not because of the amount but because of the cost – If she had only one coin she could have given everything or not. With two coins she could have kept one coin and still given fifty percent of her income. By giving two she had nothing left for herself. What does it mean to give everything? Mark 8. It means that you place more value on the things of the Lord than the things you want or need.

God doesn’t work on a % basis. We have messed up if we think our Christianity is done when we give ten percent. That is a great place to start. It is basic. Remember that 100% of your money comes from God. Are we even really sacrificing when we give 10%? It has cost us nothing. We haven’t missed a meal. The widow understood sacrifice. To whom much is given, much is required.

Money is a training ground for learning to sacrifice for Christ. Do we love Him more than ourselves? The issue goes back to a deeper issue of contentment. Could you be content with living on only what you need, and not all the things you want? Not only could you? Do you? Are you willing? This is a tough question because we often confuse our needs and wants, but this is a question and issue we must settle. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)

Her offering not only revealed her poverty it revealed her heart – Matthew 6:21

She values the work of God more than she values food. If the priority was herself then she would have given less. He doesn’t need your money, He wants your heart. Money is a way to determine where you are. Your heart follows your treasure.

Her offering doesn’t reveal her commitment to Christ but it does reveal ours – This is not necessarily a model for faith in Jesus but a model of self-denial. If she is a model of self-denial then how are you doing? Are you catching the eye of Jesus?

Every time Jesus reveals who someone really is He reveals who I really am. Am I someone who likes to have the appearance of a self sacrificing lover of Jesus Christ? He knows. Who I am before God matters more than who I am before you. It ultimately doesn’t matter how others view you.

The good news is that God loves to give new hearts.