Beware the Wiles of Worldlings! Mark 12:13-27

Text: “And they (religious rulers) send unto Him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.”

Mark 12:13.

 Good morning, besieged Christian!  Because the Lord God has blessed you with His gift of faith to believe (trust) in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the great forgiveness of our vile sins; and the wonderful Eternal Salvation He alone can give us – you are often besieged by worldly, unsaved, detractors; unbelieving detractors whom, because of their total inability to believe the Gospel, would dearly desire to ruin your true belief, and your trust in the risen Christ Jesus.  There are none as ruthless in irreverence than those that do not, and indeed just will not, believe the Gospel truths.

I well remember my own personal experiences when just a ‘babe in Christ’, a young believer just saved from my vile catalogue of serious sins – the questions worldlings put to me were continuous and at times premediated carefully.

“Oh yeah.  You’re a Christian now then? Okay, well tell us, how did this Noah guy get dinosaurs into the ark he built?”  Or, “You believe that old Bible, do you?  Okay, where did Cain get his wife from?”  And, “How can you believe in a God you cannot see, feel, touch, or taste?”

Of course, of myself, I had no answers to such well premeditated and anti-Christian questions – but some of the answers I gave these ‘wise guy worldlings’ went like this: “Dinosaurs? Went into the ark two by two!” (Genesis 6:19) “Cain got his wife ‘in the land of Nod’”. (Genesis 4:16-17) And then I asked them did they believe in electricity and of course, they said they did.  So, I then asked them the question that they had originally asked me, “How can you believe in something that you cannot see, feel, touch, or taste?”  They answered, “Because we see the effect of electricity, we can feel its warmth, we can believe in its power.”  I would then smile at them for a moment, and say, “You and I can see the effect that God has had in my life, a man you guys were once afraid off. I can feel the warmth of Christ’s all-encompassing love, forgiveness, and Presence each and every day; and His power to transform an evil, murdering UFF terrorist like me is presented to you guys every day here in this maximum-security political prison.” 

Most of my detractors and would-be tormentors would then slowly drift away, unable to deny my Christian conversion – but some would never allow themselves to even believe the proof of their own unbelieving eyes.  God had not given many of them Spiritual eyes to see.

“…The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned.”                 (1 Corinthians 2:14)  

It is not, primarily, that the reprobate mind/heart will not want to believe – it is the FACT that they cannot believe, due to their being rejected (reprobate) of our Sovereign Lord God. Unpopular teaching in this apostate day, but true to God’s own infallible Word.

“No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him/her: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) 

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us observe in the beginning of this passage, how men of different religious opinions can unite in opposing Christ. We read of “Pharisees and Herodians” coming together to “catch our Lord in His words,” and perplex Him with a hard question. The Pharisee was a superstitious formal­ist, who cared for nothing but the outward ceremonies of religion. The Herodian was a mere man of the world, who despised all religion, and cared more for pleasing men than God. Yet when there came among them a mighty teacher who assailed the ruling passions of both alike, and spared neither formalist nor worldling, we see them making common cause, and uniting in a common effort to stop His mouth.

“It has always been so from the beginning of the world. We may see the same thing going on at the present day. Worldly men and formalists have little real sympathy with one another. They dislike one another’s principles, and despise one another’s ways. But there is one thing which they both dislike even more, and that is the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. And hence, whenever there is a chance of opposing the Gospel, we shall always see the worldly man and the formalist combine and act together. We must expect no mercy from them: they will show none. We must never reckon on their divisions: they will always patch up an alliance to resist Christ.

“Let us observe, for another thing, in this passage, the exceeding subtlety of the question propounded to our Lord. His enemies asked him, “Is it lawful to give tribute to César, the Roman emperor, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?” Here was a question, which it seemed at first sight impossible to answer without peril. If our Lord had replied “give,” the Pharisees would have accused him before the priests, as one who regarded the Jewish nation as under subjection to Rome. If our Lord had replied, “Do not give,” the Herodians would have accused him before Pilate, as a seditious person who taught rebellion against the Roman government. The trap was indeed well planned. Surely, we may see in it the cunning hand of one greater than man. That old serpent the devil was there.”  (J.C. Ryle’s Exposition of Mark’s Gospel)

“Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not.”  (John 8:44-45)

Thought: Stand fast then, Christian! No matter how besieged you are by unbelieving tormentors, detractors, or those set on ridicule.  You have the Eternal Victory – in Christ Jesus.  It is FINISHED!  Victory is ours through the shed Blood of Christ.