The time has come for Jesus to die. Now the forces of evil, which he has been so powerful against, will be allowed to do their worst. It begins with the scheming, greedy crooks up at the temple being ready
Big men, little woman
Jesus has silenced his opponents. But he will not be silent. Instead, he asks questions about the legal experts. Why do they struggle to see the most important commands? It’s not because they lack in intellect or knowledge. Their problem
A legal problem
After a number of group attacks, an individual comes to Jesus. This scribe wants to ask which law in all 613 of the Old Testament commandments comes first and provides the core principle that unites all the others. Jesus’ answer
Seven husbands?
Another group tackles Jesus’ authority to teach in the temple. These Sadducees try to show how Jesus’ belief in resurrection fails to understand Moses’ law. But he easily turns it around to show how they fail to understand God who
Let man not separate
In the previous sermon we looked at Jesus’ conversation with his opponents and disciples about divorce. His teaching shocked and challenged them. This sermon goes out from Jesus’ words to look at the topic more broadly. Although each area can
What God has joined
Travelling to Jerusalem, Jesus is pushed by enemies into a debate on divorce. The wrong answer could be disastrous for his campaign. But Jesus won’t be controlled by these hypocrites who claim to keep God’s laws but actually manipulate them
Putting down others; falling down ourselves
Jesus lists examples of the wickedness we can generate inside. What’s included? Slander is there, where we use the amazing power of words to dishonour other people unfairly to benefit ourselves. Arrogance is there, where we proudly think too highly
Thoughts which lie, shame and resent
Jesus lists examples of the wickedness we can generate inside. What’s included? Deceit is there, where we use our cunning to manipulate others to our benefit, without a concern for truth. Lewdness is there, where our thoughts become indecent even
A mind which takes and hates
Jesus pulls no punches as he speaks of the wickedness of the human heart and its evil thoughts. His list of examples started with sexual immorality. Next he speaks of theft and murder. The temptation to satisfy ourselves and not
What’s inside?
Jesus is speaking plainly about the sinful human heart, to counteract his opponents’ self-righteousness. We aren’t made bad by our environment but by what’s wrong inside all of us. Thoughts rise up from within, often occupying our minds, which are