Mark 12:13-17
SOME PHARISEES AND SOME MEMBERS OF HEROD'S PARTY. For notes on this attempt to incriminate Jesus, see notes on Matthew 22:15-22.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOME PHARISEES AND SOME MEMBERS OF HEROD'S PARTY. For notes on this attempt to incriminate Jesus, see notes on Matthew 22:15-22.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOME SADDUCEES CAME TO JESUS. For notes on this question about rising from death, see Matthew 22:23-33.... [ Continue Reading ]
A TEACHER OF THE LAW WAS THERE. Matthew tells that this man asked Jesus the question to "trap him." See notes on Matthew 22:34-40. YOU ARE NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Jesus said this because the teacher of the Law recognized that loving God and fellow man was more important than sacrifices. The... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW CAN THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW SAY. The Jewish leaders thought Jesus was only a man, nothing more. What he asks here is to make them aware of the true meaning of David's prophecy. See notes on Matthew 22:41-46. THE LARGE CROWD HEARD JESUS GLADLY. It was not the common people who rejected Jesus. The... [ Continue Reading ]
WATCH OUT FOR THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW. Mark condenses Matthew 23:1-36 into just three verses. See notes there. WHO LIKE TO WALK AROUND IN THEIR LONG ROBES. Only Mark gives this. These long robes, sweeping the ground, imitated those of the priests of Rome. The teachers of the Law wore these to impres... [ Continue Reading ]
AS JESUS SAT NEAR THE TEMPLE TREASURY. Matthew does not tell this, but Luke does. This incident of the widow's offering shows up the hypocrisy of the teachers of the Law. TREASURY. Thirteen box-like chests, called "trumpets" because of their shape, which were placed in the Women's Court of the templ... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN A POOR WIDOW CAME ALONG. In the world in which Jesus lived, widows had almost no job opportunities, and so were extremely poor. TWO LITTLE COPPER COINS. The very smallest of the Jewish coins, together worth about a penny. Mark mentions their value for his Roman readers.... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT MORE IN THE OFFERING BOX. She gave an extremely small gift, yet Jesus praises her for it. She gave "more" in proportion to what she had! God looks at "quality," rather than "quantity.... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT IN ALL SHE HAD. The true value of a gift is what it cost the one who gave it. _The_ widow gave _all she had to live on_! Out of her love, she gave everything to God, trusting his providence to take care of her.... [ Continue Reading ]