Mark 9:1-8
Jesus Takes 3 of His Disciples To a High Mountain
Mark 9:9-13
Three Disciples Question About The Transfiguration
Mark 9:14-29
The Disciples Are Helpless And Ineffective
Mark 9:30-37
Disciples Arguing About Who is The Greatest
Mark 9:38-50
Jesus Says Greatness Comes From Serving Others
Mark 10:1-12
Is it Lawful For a Man to Divorce His Wife?
Mark 10:13-22
Possessions Don’t Help You Obtain Eternal Life
Mark 10:23-31
Hard For The Rich to Enter The Kingdom of God
Mark 10:32-45
Willingness to Give Extra Service
Mark 10:46-52
Every Male Jew Must Attend Passover
Mark 11:1-11
Jesus Rides a Donkey Into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday
Mark 11:12-18
Jesus Said The Temple is a Den of Thieves
Mark 11:19-26
Jesus Cursed The Fig Tree And it Dried Up
Mark 11:27-33
Jesus Questioned on His Authority
Mark 12:1-12
Jesus Tells About The Owner Of a Vineyard
Mark 12:13-17
Pharisees Ask Jesus About Paying Poll Tax
Mark 12:18-27
Whose Wife Shall She Be in The Resurrection?
Mark 12:28-34
“You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.”
Mark 12:35-44
Jesus Makes Charges Against The Scribes
Mark 13:1-13
Prediction of “The Time of Tribulation”
Mark 13:14-23
False Teachers in The End Times
Mark 13:24-32
A Description of The Second Coming
Mark 13:33-37
We Must Not be Found Sleeping
Mark 14:1-9
Jesus Anointed With Perfume
Mark 14:10-16
Judas Arranges For Jesus Betrayal
Mark 14:17-26
Lord’s Supper Replaces The Passover
Mark 14:27-31
Peter’s Heart Was in The Right Place
Mark 14:32-42
Jesus in The Garden of Gethsemane
Mark 14:43-52
Judas’ Arrival to Betray Jesus
Mark 14:53-65
Jesus is Brought Before The Sanhedrin
Mark 14:66-72
Peter Denies His Lord Three Times
Mark 15:1-5
Jesus is Brought Before Pontius Pilate
Mark 15:6-15
Barabbas is Released
Mark 15:16-23
Simon Commanded to Carry The Cross
Mark 15:24-32
Jesus is Nailed to The Cross
Jesus Makes Charges Against The Scribes
Mark 12:35–44
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, Mother asked 4-year old Johnny to return thanks. “But I don’t know what to say!” the boy complained. “Oh, just say what you hear me say” his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and … More
Jesus asks a very important question of: Who is the Messiah (v. 35)? Then he quotes (Psa. 110:1) to show that David considered the Messiah to be his Lord, not just his son (v. 36). 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 (v. 37).
In this passage Jesus makes a series of charges against the scribes (vv. 38-40). They liked to walk about in flowing robes. They liked greetings in the marketplace (v. 38). They liked the front seats in the synagogue. They liked the highest places at feasts (v. 39). They devoured widows’ houses and were notorious for their long prayers (v. 40). Jesus warns against any attempt to make a traffic of religion. It is still possible to use religious connections for self-gain and self-advancement. But this is a warning to all who are in the church for what they can get out of it and not for what they can put into it.
In those days widows depended on the scribes to draw up legal papers for them and these pious, praying men would take advantage of them by taking a large share of their property. According to Jewish history an expert in the law was not supposed to take any pay for his services, but was supposed to have a trade by which he earned his daily bread. However, these legal experts had convinced the people that there was no higher duty than to support a Rabbi. It is true that many people accept an office in the church because they think it gives them special honor and privilege, rather than their desire to give selfless service. It is still possible to use religious connections for self-gain and self-advancement. But, this is a warning to all who are in the church for what they can get out of it and not for what they can put into it. Jesus then makes a contrast between the pride and hypocrisy of these wealthy scribes and the devotion and sacrificial giving of a poor widow who gave all that she had (vv. 41-44).
Application
It has been said that, “The greatest gift is that which costs the giver the most.” Ask - Is it easier for me to give than to receive? Why? List some of my goals of giving both of myself and my finances.
Mark 12:35-44 (English Standard Version)
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