The religious leaders continue to challenge Jesus. A teacher of the law asks a question....
Mark 12:28-34, The most important commandment
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
The second is this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
This teacher is a bit more open and supportive. After this Jesus's opponents give up and stop asking questions. Why?
Now Jesus begins to ask the crowd some questions.
The Old Testament quote in verse 30 is from Deuteronomy 6:4-5. This is the Shema Israel passage, familiar to all Jews. The quote in verse 31 is from Leviticus 19: 18.
Now Jesus begins to ask the crowd some questions.
Mark 12: 35-37, David's son is his lord?
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "`The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'
David himself calls him `Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "`The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'
David himself calls him `Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
The Old Testament quote in verse 36 is from Psalm 110:1 a well-known messianic passage.
Mark 12: 38-40, Self-righteous teachers
As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Wherever religion dominates, there are those who use religion for personal gain. That was true in Jesus's day and is true today. It should be noticed by the Christ-follower that Jesus consistently confronted religious hypocrisy and that it was about the only place in which he was harsh. I'd say more about American religious hypocrisy and "religious-right" politics ... but this is not Facebook!
Mark 12: 41-44, Two small coins
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
Mark 12: 41-44, Two small coins
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
According to the NIV footnotes, in verse 42, the Greek phrase translated "small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny" is really "2 lepta equal to a kodrantes." The lepton was a Greek coin, the kodrantes a Roman coin. As this blog points out, the information conveyed by Mark (and Jesus) is that the woman gave all that she had, not that it was a trivial amount.
In the next chapter, Jesus teaches about the end times and the upcoming Apocalypse.
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