Sermon Tone Analysis
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*The Christian’s Crucible*
*Luke 20:20-26*
* *
v Scipio, a roman consul in the 3rd century AD is given credit for the coining the phrase…
Ø “Politics makes strange bedfellows”
§ It means that Political interests can bring together people who otherwise have little in common
· And that is no more true than in the text we come to today
* *
*READ v. 20*
* *
Ø “They”, according to Mark’s parallel account in *Mk 12:13*, are the Pharisees and the Herodians
§ Two political groups that could not be further apart in their interests and beliefs
· The Pharisees were the ruling religious party
· The Herodians were the ruling political party
· Pharisees were extremely nationalistic
¨ Believed in the Messianic Kingdom and the overthrow of the Romans
· Herodians had sold themselves out to the Romans
¨ They were the “puppet” Jewish rulers of Judea
· Pharisees represented conservative Judaism
¨ The “right-wingers” if you will
· Herodians were liberal and syncretistic
¨ The “left-wingers”
· The Pharisees believed in cautious resistance to the Romans
· The Herodians practiced wholesale accommodation
¨ However, they were brought together on this day by their mutual hatred of Jesus
v Thus the day of testing continues
Ø The Teacher, Chief priests and Elders questioned where Jesus’ authority came from…
§ Now, the Pharisees and the Herodians approach Jesus with a question designed to get at one thing…
· *Who has ultimate authority over a person’s life (Big Idea)*
v However, they take a different approach then the teachers, priests and elders…
* *
*READ v. 21-22*
A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.
The fox wanted that piece of cheese and so he walked up to the foot of the tree and said, "Good-day, Mistress Crow.
How well you are looking to-day, how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye.
I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does.
Let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."
The Crow lifted up her head and began to sing her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by the Fox.
"That will do," he said as he ate the cheese
*Moral: Flattery is not a proof of admiration*
v And Jesus knew this well
Ø He heard the flattering words of the Pharisees and Herodians
§ But he also knew the words of *Prov 5:3*
· /For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil/
§ He remembered the words of *Prov 26:28*
· /A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin/
§ And he knew the trap of *Prov 29:5*
· /Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet/
v And that is exactly what the Pharisees and the Herodians were doing when they approached him
Ø Spreading a snaring of flattery
Ø Hoping that their feigned admiration would trick him into siding with them
§ For if Jesus sided with them and said it was not right to pay taxes to Caesar…
· Then the Romans would have arrested and killed him for insurrection
§ However, if Jesus had said it was right to pay the hated poll tax…
· Then he would have alienated himself from the people
¨ *It was again a win-win situation for them!*
v And flattery was their tool of deceit
Ø And we would do well to remember that
§ Many times the world and its trappings comes to us in an ingratiating way
Ø Jesus warned us…
§ /In this world you will have trouble…/ (*Jn 16:33*)
· But trouble does not always present itself as trouble
¨ Many times it presents itself as flattery, praise, and sweet talk
Ø *Ps 27:21~~ *(The Living Translation)
§ Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by flattery
v *Q: But how is a person tested by flattery?*
Ø I think the greatest form of flattery that we all deal with in one form or another is…
§ Acceptance
· Acceptance by the world, our peers, our company, our crowd
¨ And as Christians we are tested when the way of the world and the way of the Lord part
Ø */That is the crucible for the Christian/*
§ The world or the Word (Jesus Christ)
§ For Christian teenagers it is the flattery of acceptance by their peers
· Do they go along with what the crowd is doing to be popular and accepted
· Do they begin to swear because it is cool
· Do they smoke because everyone is doing it
· Do they drink or do drugs because not doing it would mean being ostracized
¨ Or do they choose not to and go against the crowd…
Ø Choose the way of The Word
§ Adults face the flattery of acceptance as well
· Do we laugh at the dirty jokes
¨ Or risk standing out if we do not
· Do we badmouth our wives or husbands for a cheap laugh
¨ As is the custom of the world
Ø Or do we praise our partners
· Do we participate in gossip
¨ For gossip is just the reverse image of this type of flattery
Ø Gossip is saying something behind their back that you would never say to their face
Ø Flattery is saying something to their face that you would never say behind their back
§ And succumbing to flattery is as easy as succumbing to gossip
§ These are all the pressures of acceptance
· Flattery can be a real crucible for Christians
Ø *Illustration: Taco Bell *
§ The flattery, praise…the *affirmation* of the world drew me away from prioritizing the Lord
· Drew me away from my loyalty to Christ
¨ I failed the world or The Word test
v But that is the test that they place in front of Jesus
Ø Which is it, Jesus?
Ø Where do you loyalties lie?
Ø Who has the authority?
§ The world or the Word
*READ v. 23-25*
v Jesus’ answer surprised everybody
Ø They asked an “either~/or” question
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