Fake Performance or True Worship? (Video)

This Sunday is the final part of our series: How Then Shall We Live? We’ve been working through Mark’s account to see how Jesus responds to questions and issues of his day – and what this means for us. Our theme: Fake Performance or True Worship?

In our reading from Mark 12, Jesus exposes the teachers of the law as hypocrites. They give their religious performance to bring attention and honour to themselves – yet they exploit widows! In reality, they are fakes and fraudsters.

Then as Jesus sits and watches people contributing to the temple treasury, he points his disciples (including us) to a poor widow who gave her last two copper coins to God. I wonder: What does this tell us about her relationship with God? And: What might this mean for us?

Jesus came to bring us into a relationship with God, where we can freely come into his presence without fear, give him our praise and honour, share whatever is on our hearts with him, seek his guidance and help in all that we do, and join in his eternal plans by blessing others in Jesus’ name. Secure in his love for us in Jesus, we get to love God above all else; and love others as ourselves.

So why do we settle for religious performance, where we go through the motions to placate God or impress people? The problem with religion is the perpetual focus on self: seeking to impress God or others with my outward behaviour.

Jesus warns against religious performance or showing off to impress others. Our 24/7 life of worship is to be real, without pretence or pride, and focussed on bringing glory to God and his Son Jesus. As we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: Your kingdom come…Your will be done… Yours is the kingdom the power and the glory. Amen?

Joy in Jesus!

Pr Rolly Stahl