Day 3: Jesus in The Temple Teaching
Day 3: Jesus in The Temple Teaching
https://www.esv.org/Luke21:1–4,34–36
Week 15: 04/04/2023. Tue
The accompanying picture showed some of the remnants of the Temple of Jesus' time on the floor of the present Temple Mount (near Solomon's Temple, Jerusalem). Those items placed on pedestals for visitors displayed how utterly destroyed/flattened the Temple was after being attacked by the Romans in A.D. 70. With Jesus now in the Temple as at Luke 21, He pointed to a widow's sacrifice and the teaching thereon, as well as a warned others to watch out for the consequences of disobedience.
Firstly, rich or poor, all were required to respond to God with what they have. This was Jesus' consistent teaching all along (e.g. various parables on receiving talents apply). For this, quantity of offering was not weighed with an absolute measure ($, or kg), but calculated based on ratio (A:B), just like calculating BMI for ideal weight (where big or small sized person can both have equally healthy weight/height BMIs).
While "they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on" (21:4). The same message continued to apply—it was the devotion of the heart that counted for Jesus. This devotion was more important than the amount of money put into the "offering box" (21:1), when many practitioners of Jesus' time established a facade of holiness and piety when in fact their hearts were far away (a sham).
Secondly, Jesus continued His warnings to listeners by pointing to the "trap" that can "come upon you suddenly" (21:34–36). This trap would be set when practitioners of the religion naively (or carelessly) insert activities/programs into their personal/family calendars (or wrong values) such that "your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life" (21:34).
ACTION: We need to encourage one another, look out for one another, pray for one another to be ready to escape the consequences of the trap on the day when all have "to stand before the Son of Man" (21:36). With the Lord of the temple teaching in the temple "every day" (21:37), readers of Luke must especially pay attention to Jesus' praise and warnings.
Travel light, so that our hearts be not weighed down.