Last week, we began to consider the indictments that Jesus levels against the religious leaders of his day. We’ve already seen the first indictment, which was leveled at the scribes who claimed to understand the law, but who failed to see the nature of the Messiah. You could say that this first indictment dealt with heresy – believing something about God that is not true. There are many heretics in this world. There are those who deny the nature of Jesus, claiming that he is the first of creation or an angel. There are those who deny that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. There are those who deny the trustworthiness of Scripture. But, there are also false teachers of a different sort. There are those who believe all the right things (or at least they say they believe them), but their actions do not match their words. Instead, they use the Word of God and their positions as teachers to benefit themselves. These false teachers are not heretics, but they are charlatans. Sadly, this is a tale that is as old as the church. In the 1500s, a Dominican preacher named Johann Tetzel sold indulgences for the church, guaranteeing that if you purchased a relic from him, you could take time off of purgatory. He infamously said, “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs.” It is this practice that led Martin Luther to protest, setting off the Protestant Reformation. Many of you will remember Jim and Tammy Bakker, who were convicted of mail fraud for selling lifetime partnerships in their organization. In 2020, it was revealed that Ravi Zacharias, the famous apologist, had used ministry funds and his spiritual authority to exploit women over many years.
The Bible repeatedly warns of and condemns charlatans, and we have one such warning before us today in Mark 12:38-40. Let’s read that together. From this text, I want you to see two points today: The Appearance of the Charlatan, and the Abuse of the Charlatan.
First, from verses 38 and 39, see the Appearance of the Charlatan. Jesus begins this indictment by warning: “Beware of the scribes.” The Greek word for “Beware” means to behold or perceive or be aware of. It is the idea of being constantly vigilant. This word sets the tone for the warning that Jesus is going to give, because false teachers are something that the church is warned to constantly guard against. Jesus says, in Matt. 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Romans 16:17 warns, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Unfortunately, the church is often not very good at following these warnings. We are very easily deceived by the appearance of false teachers. So, we should pay attention to the key attributes that Jesus highlights.
First, Jesus warns of men who insist on the recognition of their position. He says that the scribes “walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces.” The “long robes” he mentions were called stolais. They were formal garments that signified dignity and position. Today, we might equate this to the preacher who wears a three-piece suit because of the status if confers on him. Certainly, there was nothing wrong with these robes, as an item of clothing. There is also nothing wrong with a three-piece suit, if worn for the right reason. But so often, charlatans will wear clothes so that others recognize their importance. The same is true of the expected greetings. This was an expectation by the scribes that they be greeted with the proper honorific. It would be like a Reverend or Bishop being expected to always be addressed as such. Again, there is certainly nothing wrong with respecting a person’s position and honoring him as such. It’s proper, when introducing a speaker, to recognize his accomplishments and position. It’s good that church members respect the offices of pastor and deacon. This church shows me great respect and deference as your pastor, and I am humbled by it. But it would be very different if I were to demand, every time you address me, that you call me “Reverend Skipper”, not “Bro. Nathan” or “Preacher.” This insistence on recognition reveals a character flaw in the charlatan: he lacks humility. His pride in his position reveals that he does not recognize the grace and sovereignty of God that has put him in such a position. He does not recognize that, besides the call of God, he is just like the members he serves.
Second, Jesus warns of men who insist on the rewards of their position. In verse 39, he says that these charlatans “have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at feasts.” It was the practice in Jewish churches (synagogues), that those in high position would sit in the front of the church, even up on the stage with the rabbi. Again, there is nothing wrong with recognizing the importance of the office, but when it becomes an expectation – even a demand – it reveals a selfishness that is ungodly. The “places of honor at feasts” speaks to a similar practice, where those in high position were asked to sit on the right and left of the host. Of course, this meant that they got the choicest foods and the first of everything. James 2 warns of just such acts of recognition. He says, “show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the [wealthy man and invite him to sit up front while telling the poor man to sit on the floor], have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James goes on to say that you have not rightly understood the gospel if you do such things.
So, understanding the appearance of charlatans, let’s consider the abuse of the charlatan, from verse 40. Jesus goes on to describe the charlatan as someone who “devours widows’ houses and for a pretense makes long prayers.” In Jesus’s day, scribes were not paid a salary by the temple or synagogue. They were expected to make their income in one of two ways: working on the side, or through gifts. This expectation set up an opportunity for fraud. For one, there was the expectation that a scribe might give you a favorable interpretation of the law for a “gift”. It also created an opportunity for scribes, who were perceived as trustworthy due to their position, to be entrusted with the management of assets. So, imagine that you have a Jewish widow who cannot directly access or sell her assets because women had no financial standing in their society. This widow might ask her local scribe to handle her affairs, sell some of her sheep, so that she might have some money to live on. The scribe takes the sheep to market and sells them for $100, but when he returns with the money, he tells the widow that he only got $50 for the sheep. So it is today with pastors and evangelists who use their positions to weasel their way into the lives and finances of the vulnerable. There are pastors who will use their responsibility as a counselor to get close to a grieving widow or a divorced woman, and by that to sexually exploit them. There are TV evangelists who promise a blessing if some financially burdened widow will just purchase his tear-soaked cloth.
When Jesus says that charlatans “for a pretense make long prayers”, he is speaking of the practice of the Pharisees and Scribes who prayed in high and eloquent language. These men would stand on the street corner and pray lengthy prayers with high theological concepts that the common man could not understand, with the intention of impressing those who heard it. There is a way to speak in a way that seems spiritual, but which is really intended to manipulate the hearer. Recognize in this that a charlatan can use all the right words and yet be a false teacher with his intent and his deception. Consider the case of Mark Driscoll, a famous mega-church pastor who started a network of churches in the Seattle area in the early 2000s called Mars Hill Church. Mark is a dynamic preacher who aligns with everything I believe. I used to benefit from his sermons and books. But, over time, his true character began to show. The elders of his church ended up disciplining him for a quick temper, a pattern of arrogance, harsh speech, and domineering leadership. It was also revealed that he used church funds to buy copies of his book so that it would be boosted to the top of the charts.
This morning, there are three warnings for us in this text. First, beware of your own heart. Regardless of your position in the church, there are many opportunities to use your position as a means for personal gain. Committee members can act in pride. Deacons can use power to get their way. Long-time members can expect recognition for their years of service. These can all tend towards charlatanism, and we should watch and beware.
Second, beware of men and women who lack humility, demand recognition, and try to manipulate you with their position or their spirituality. There is no hard-and-fast rule in identifying these charlatans, but as Jesus warns – “You will know them by their fruits.” Do not judge them by what they say, because what they say will seem good and true. Judge them by the way they live. Judge them by how they serve others, by the time they put into their study, by the way they treat their spouse and children.
Finally, our church must be diligent to guard the flock against such false teachers. As Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Spirit has made you overseers… I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock… therefore, be alert.” We cannot naively accept revival preachers or fill-in pastors or new Sunday school teachers or TV evangelists who lack humility or expect some exorbitant fee or demand proper recognition, as all of these things are poisonous fruit that reveal who they really are. So, may we guard ourselves and each other as we live for the Lord.
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