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Mark: A Walk With Our Savior (Day 55)

Posted on Jan 20, 2018 in Mark: A Walk With The Savior |

Read Mark 12:41-44

A POOR WIDOW GIVES ALL SHE HAS

There were several boxes in the Temple where money could be placed. Some were for collecting the Temple tax from Jewish males; the others were for freewill offerings. These particular collection boxes were probably in the Court of the Women.

In the Lord’s eyes, this poor widow gave more than all the others put together, although her gift was by far the smallest. The value of a gift is not determined by its amount but by the spirit in which it is given. A gift given grudgingly or for recognition loses its value. When you give, remember that gifts of any size are pleasing to God when they are given out of gratitude and a spirit of generosity.

Mark: A Walk With Our Savior (Day 54)

Posted on Jan 19, 2018 in Mark: A Walk With The Savior |

Read Mark 12:35-40

RELIGIOUS LEADERS CANNOT ANSWER JESUS’ QUESTION

Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 to show that David considered the Messiah to be his Lord, not just his son. The religious leaders did not understand that the Messiah would be far more than a human descendant of David; He would be God Himself in human form.

The punishment for these teachers of religious law would be especially severe because as teachers they were responsible for shaping the faith of the people. But they burdened people with petty rules, while they lived greedily and deceitfully. Their behavior oppressed and misled the very people they were supposed to lead.
Jesus again exposed the religious leaders’ impure motives. The teachers of religious law received no pay, so they depended on the hospitality extended by devout Jews. Some of them used this custom to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had and taking advantage of the rich. Through their pious actions they hoped to gain status, recognition, and respect.

Jesus warned against trying to make a good impression. These teachers of religious law were religious hypocrites who had no love for God. True followers of Christ are not distinguished by showy spirituality. Reading the Bible, praying in public, or following church rituals can be phony if the motive for doing them is to be noticed or honored. Let your actions be consistent with your beliefs. Live for Christ, even when no one is looking.

Mark: A Walk With Our Savior (Day 53)

Posted on Jan 18, 2018 in Mark: A Walk With The Savior |

Read Mark 12:28-34

RELIGIOUS LEADERS QUESTION JESUS ABOUT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

By Jesus’ time, the Jews had accumulated hundreds of laws. Some religious leaders tried to distinguish between major and minor laws, and some taught that all laws were equally binding and that it was dangerous to make any distinctions. This teacher’s question could have provoked controversy among these groups, but Jesus’ answer summarized all of God’s laws.

God’s laws are not burdensome. They can be reduced to two simple principles: Love God and love others. These commands are from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6; Leviticus 19). When you love God completely and care for others as you care for yourself, then you have fulfilled the intent of the Ten Commandments and the other Old Testament laws. According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all God’s laws. Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions. When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself which course of action best demonstrates love for God and love for others.

This man had grasped the intent of God’s law as it is so often stressed in the Old Testament: that true obedience comes from the heart. Because all the Old Testament commands lead to Christ, his next step was faith in Jesus, Himself. This, however, was the most difficult step to take.

Mark: A Walk With Our Savior (Day 52)

Posted on Jan 17, 2018 in Mark: A Walk With The Savior |

Read Mark 12:18-27

RELIGIOUS LEADERS QUESTION JESUS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION

According to Old Testament law, when a man died without a son, his brother had to marry the widow and produce children to care for her and allow the family line to continue. The first son of this marriage was considered the heir of the dead man (Deuteronomy 25).

After the Pharisees and supporters of Herod failed to trap Jesus with their tax question, the Sadducees stepped in with a question they were sure would stump Him. This was a question that they had successfully used against the Pharisees, who could not come up with an answer. The Sadducees did not believe in life after death because the Pentateuch – Genesis through Deuteronomy – had no direct teaching about it, and the writings of Moses were the only Scriptures they followed. But Jesus was about to point out that Moses’ books support the idea of eternal life.

What life will be like after the resurrection is far beyond our ability to understand or imagine (Isaiah 64; 1 Corinthians 2). We need not be afraid of eternal life because of the unknowns, however. Instead of wondering what God’s coming kingdom will be like, we should concentrate on our relationship with Christ right now because in the kingdom, we will be with Him. If we learn to love and trust Christ now, we will not be afraid of what He has in store for us then.
The Sadducee’s real question was not about marriage but about the doctrine of resurrection. Because the Sadducees believed only in the Pentateuch, Jesus quoted from Exodus 3:6 to prove that there is life after death. The Pharisees had overlooked this verse in their debates with the Sadducees. God spoke of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob years after their deaths as if they still lived. God’s covenant with all people exists beyond death.

Jesus’ statement does not mean that people won’t recognize their spouses in the coming kingdom. It simply means that God’s new order will not be an extension of this life and that the same physical and natural rules won’t apply. Jesus’ comment was not intended to be the final word on marriage in heaven. Instead, this response was Jesus’ refusal to answer the Sadducees’ riddle and fall into their trap. Sidestepping their question about the much-married woman, He gave a definitive answer to their question about the resurrection.

Mark: A Walk With Our Savior (Day 51)

Posted on Jan 17, 2018 in Mark: A Walk With The Savior |

Read Mark 12:13-17

RELIGIOUS LEADERS QUESTION JESUS ABOUT PAYING TAXES

The Pharisees were primarily a religious group concerned for ritual purity; the supporters of Herod were a Jewish political group that approved of Herod’s compromises with Rome. Normally the two groups had nothing to do with each other.

The Pharisees did not like Jesus because He exposed their hypocrisy. The supporters of Herod also saw Jesus as a threat. Supporters of the dynasty of Herod the Great, they had lost political control when, as a result of reported unrest, Rome deposed Archelaus, Herod’s son, who was over Judea, and replaced him with a Roman governor. The supporters of Herod feared that Jesus would cause still more instability in Judea and that Rome might react by never allowing the Roman leaders to step down and be replaced by a descendant of Herod.

Anyone who avoided paying taxes faced harsh penalties. The Jews hated to pay taxes to Rome because the money supported their oppressors and symbolized their subjection. Much of the tax money also went to maintain the pagan temples and luxurious life-styles of Rome’s upper class. The Pharisees and supporters of Herod hoped to trap Jesus with this tax question. Either a yes or a no could lead Him into trouble. A yes would mean He supported Rome, which would turn the people against Him. A no would bring accusations of treason and rebellion against Rome and could lead to civil penalties.

The Pharisees and supporters of Herod thought they had the perfect question to trap Jesus. But Jesus answered wisely, once again exposing their self-interest and wrong motives. Jesus said the coin, a laborer’s daily wage, bearing the emperor’s image should be given to the emperor. Our life, which bears God’s image, belongs to God. Are you giving God all that is rightfully His? Give your life to God: you bear His image.