Suffer With Me Session 4 – Tuesday (Part Two)

Suffering Increases Jesus faces off with the Pharisees one last time on Tuesday: to lament over Israel, to judge the Pharisees with woes, and to point to the model of the Kingdom of God. Jesus suffers as His own disciples misunderstand the meaning of His burial anointing at Bethany.

Events of the Day Woe to the Pharisees Lament Over Jerusalem The Widow’s Mite Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Woe to the Pharisees –Mt 23:1-36, Mk 12:37b-40, Lk 20:45-47 Mark and Luke are short texts while Matthew is much longer. Matthew lived in a Jewish community dealing with a separation from Judaism when he wrote his gospel. These might be seen as a negative to the Eight Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12). We will look at the differences between Matthew and the others

Woe to the Pharisees Government and Education: Long robes Economic: Respectful greetings in public market places Religious: Chief seats in synagogues Social: Places of honor at banquets Social, Economic, and Government: Devour widows’ houses Religious and Education: Offer long prayers Receive greater condemnation Mark and Luke have in common:

Matthew and the Others Matthew has in Common: –v. 6 – Honor at banquets and chief seats in synagogues –v. 7 – Respectful greetings in market places Matthew adds teaching about humility and the Eight Woes.

Matthew’s Teaching Humility (vv. 8-12) –Three negatives dealing with designations and titles (vv. 8-10). Greatness is only for the Father in Heaven. Teacher Father Leader –vv – Choose to be the humble servant

Matthew’s Teaching Here we see Jesus pointing out the reason for judgment: Pride! Jesus suffers because in their pride, the religious leaders’ power struggle for the people’s attention will be their ultimate downfall. This is no longer about them being popular; this is now about their eternal souls, and the souls of others.

Matthew’s Eight Woes Woe #1: v. 13 – They keep others from entering the Kingdom of God and also do not enter. They are a hindrance! Woe #2: v. 14 – Hypocrites who practice compartmentalism (You pray, but you devour the marginalized!) –This is seen as a textual variant in most Bibles because it repeats Lk 20:47 (cf. Mk 12:40)

Matthew’s Eight Woes Woe #3: v. 15 – Converting men to the Law instead of teaching them to live in relationship with God. Their zeal makes them twice as hard to convince otherwise! Woe #4: vv – Oath takers who separate sacred objects from the sacred practices –The temple and the gold – The temple sanctifies the gold. –The offering and the altar – The altar sacrifices the offering. –Heaven and the Throne of God – The throne is the source of heaven.

Matthew’s Eight Woes Woe #5: vv – They follow the written law and neglect the heart of the law when they should have done both. –Worry about the smallest thing, but miss the biggest and most important thing! Woe #6: vv – They look good on the outside but are rotten to the core. –We often do this. We don’t tell fellow Christians about our struggles because we are afraid of what they may think. Keeping it all inside leads to this!

Matthew’s Eight Woes Woe #7: vv – They look alive but they are actually dead. It’s a facade to cover up unrighteousness and sin! Woe #8: vv – They didn’t kill the prophets, and say they never would have, but they are about to put Jesus on a cross.

A Quick Word… Many consider the next paragraph (vv ) anti-Semitism. –This section is rooted in historical accuracy. –As God’s chosen people, the Israelites are the direct murderers of God and all of His messengers. –But let us not be like them and say that we would have never murdered Jesus if we were there, for by our own sin, we put our Lord on that tree. –It is not just the Israelites fault; we too have much to meditate upon.

Woe to the Pharisees Jesus suffers as he delivers the judgment and points out all of the past events that have grieved God. The judgment is final. They are left speechless and smoldering. Jesus will pay – with his life.

Lament Over Jerusalem –Mt 23:37-39, Lk 13:34-35 Israel’s repeated rejection of God has finally reached its breaking point. Here is the final reply to Jesus’ rejection. From this time on, He will no longer deal with the religious leaders, but will stick to His disciples only. Moses used the Hen illustration in Deut. 32:11.

Lament Over Jerusalem “Blessed is He who comes…” is a direct reference to the Triumphal entry. This shows Jesus’ complete rejection. He has not forgotten how they have treated Him. Jesus suffers because He must deliver the final decision to judge. There is now no turning back! Israel’s judgment is now certain.

The Widow’s Mite –Mk 12:41-44, Lk 21:1-4 The amount that the woman put in was drastically less than the poorest rich person. –Rich People > Widow The woman gave all that she had and the rich gave a little out of their large wealth. –Rich People (10%) < Widow (100%) It is not about the actual amount: It is about giving everything to God!

The Widow’s Mite Mark ends with, “all she had to live on.” –Rich Man Principle: Give God back some of the surplus from the money I have earned. (Contributory, Honorary) –Poor Woman Principle: Give God all that I had, so that He can provide for my continued life. (Sacrificial, Provisional) Luke – the Kingdom of God has only one price: the whole soul wholly devoted to God. That’s the only thing He wants to work with.

Jesus Anointed At Bethany –Mt 26:6-13, Mk 14:3-9, Lk 7:36-50, John 12:1-8 Can you see Jesus’ suffering caused by His own disciples? Imagine if someone decided they would spend money on you because they found you so valuable, but your closest friend condemned them for their “waste.”

Jesus Anointed At Bethany Jesus’ suffering here is caused by disciples who are more concerned with the poor in the near absence of their Messiah. Jesus suffers because almost no one has a clue that this was a burial anointing.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany His own disciples miss out on the whole point. There is no judgment here, because Jesus has finished His words of judgment to the religious leaders.

Jesus Anointed At Bethany Time Issue: –Mark – 2 Days before Passover: Tuesday night. –John – 6 days before Passover: Friday night. Let us quickly notice some differences in the setting of this event

Differences in Setting Time –John: Friday night –Mark: Tuesday night Host –Matt and Mark: Simon the leper –Luke: A Pharisee –John: Lazarus, raised from the dead The Woman –John: Mary, sister to Lazarus –Matt & Mark: a woman –Luke: a sinful woman of the city Place –Matt, Mark & John: Bethany –Luke: unknown

Differences in Setting I believe there are two similar events here, not one event. –Matt, Mark, and John are the burial anointing close to the Passover –Luke is a different story at an earlier time Here is why I think so:

Two Different Stories Mt, Mk, Jn –In the house of Simon the Leper (Lazarus, Mary, Martha were visiting) –Mary, a woman –Indignant disciples (the some of Mk.) Lk –In the house of a Pharisee –Sinful woman of the city –Pharisees testing if Jesus is a prophet

Two Different Stories Mt, Mk, Jn –Expense of perfume big deal (denarius = 1 days wages, 300 days wages “wasted”) –A concern for the poor (except for Judas, cf. John) Lk –Not worried about expense of perfume –The lesson learned was that the woman sinned much and was forgiven much –An object lesson for the Pharisees

Jesus Anointed at Bethany In Mt, Mk, and John, –Mary anointed Jesus for burial, hence the weeping –There was a misunderstanding of the disciples. Not realizing this as a burial, they were concerned for the poor. Jesus reminded them that they would not always have Him amongst them.

Next Week… On Wednesday, Jesus began to draw back and speak only with His disciples. The main point was eschatology. –Signs of the Times –The Temple Will be Destroyed –False Christs and Prophets –The Coming of the Son of Man