The Lord of David & The Sins of the Scribes
Sermon 87 in Series
Luke 20:41-21:4
[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.”
[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.”
DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1. How do the words “tension” and “superiority” help to sum up what we’re seeing at this point in Luke? What impact has Jesus’ superiority had on you?
2. What was wrong with the prevailing interpretation about the Christ being the Son of David? How does Jesus use Psalm 110 to correct that confusion?
3. What are some of the alternatives to laying hold of the biblical Christ? What would it really look like for you to devote yourself to being a student of the person and work of Christ each day?
4. How does Jesus describe the sinful practices of the scribes? How do Christians sometimes fall into these same traps?
5. As we read how the scribes treated widows, what do we learn about the power of sin to take us further than we ever thought possible? How can this specifically play out with the love of money?
6. How does Jesus contrast the poor widow with the scribes? How does she serve as an example for us?
References: Acts 2:22-41 (corporate reading); John 1:1-3, 14; Mark 12:35; Matthew 22:41; 2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 89:35-36; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Luke 1:32, 69; 18:38; Psalm 110; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26; Matthew 23:7; Luke 11:43; 14:7; 11:39; 16:14; James 1:27; Matthew 6:5, 7; Luke 5:28; 12:33.