And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Mark 12:41-44

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:41-44.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv43-44):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Jesus Knows Why We Give." 
• "With piercing divine insight Jesus saw both the gift and the heart, both the act and the motive behind the act. He knew those who gave only because others were watching, and He knew those who would have given if no one was watching. And then He once again turns the value system of the world on its head."  
• We are exhorted to give sacrificially as we pointed to William Kelly's commentary that shares: 'The test of liberality is not what is given, but what is left.' 
• The commentary then encourages us to study more deeply on what scripture says about God's purpose for money, sharing six purposes: "God wants to grow us spiritually by growing our faith (Luke 6:38; Philippians 4:19). God wants to finance His earthly ministry through us for His glory and our good (Malachi 3:10). God wants to unite Christians who have needs with those who have surplus (2 Corinthians 8:14-15). God wants to reveal clearly His infinite power (Deuteronomy 8:18). God wants to help give direction in our lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). God wants to fulfill His promise to supply our needs (Matt 6:31-33; Philippians 4:19)."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God who provides for all of my needs - most importantly my spiritual needs.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.

Mark 12:41-44

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. Mark 12:41-42

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:41-44.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of two) division (vv41-42):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "The Poor Woman Who Gave All She Had" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv41-44) is "[b]iblical giving is a voluntary act flowing from a thankful heart, which involves giving of one’s self and all that one has." 
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "Jesus Sees What We Give." 
• "The preceding paragraph mentioned widows as the object of religious exploitation (v. 40). The simple piety of this “poor widow” stands in stark contrast to the self-centered ambition of the scribes. She also must be contrasted with the rich young ruler (10:17-31) who loved his money more than he loved God. In this lady we find a marvelous example of one who “love[s] the Lord [her] God with all [her] heart, with all [her] soul, with all [her] mind, and with all [her] strength” (12:30)."  
• Hurtado's commentary on Mark highlights how the poor widow exemplified Mark 10:31 where the text shares how the last will be first. 
• "Our Lord always has an eye for the individual. He hears the cry of the blind beggar Bartimaeus when no one else does (10:46-52). Now He sees the generous and sacrificial gift of a poor widow when no one else sees a thing. No doubt she came alone, quietly hoping no one would notice her. Being poor and a widow and a woman, she was the least of the least in the cultural context of the day."  
• We are reminded of Samuel's search for a king that found David and that God focuses where man often does not - on the heart - see also 1 Samuel 16:7.

Believers should be grateful that God softens our hearts to be saved (Ezekiel 36:26), and our focus should then turn to how through spiritual disciplines such as daily study of God's Word and prayer transforms our heart and mind to be more like Him.  This is how we can love and give as the poor widow did. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God who loves and saves.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and mercy...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Mark 12:41-44

“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:41-44, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God knows both our actions and our intent - our heart, motives.  He is all knowing.  See these examples from scripture about how God knows everything.  He cares most about our heart and our intent.  Many people put large sums of money into the treasury (v41).   The poor widow put in a very small amount but her motive and intent was to give as a true sacrifice, depending on God for her provision.  That is what God seeks from us - motives, intent and a heart to obey His command to love Him and then others. See also vv28-34.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Many act as means to bring glory to themselves.  See v41 as an example where rich people put in large sums of money into the temple treasury - the text contrast this from the widow who gave out of sacrifice.  The actions of the rich people are prideful and not what God seeks.  We must glorify God (not ourselves) in all that we do - this is why we exist.  See 1 Corinthians 10:31.   
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid pride.  Follow the example of the widow to give sacrificially.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  You know everything about me, including my sin yet You loved me first, and while still an enemy and hostile to You, saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:35-40

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:35-40.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv38-40):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Coming of Jesus Results in a Greater Accountability."
• "“Revelation brings responsibility. The more you know, the greater is your accountability.” Where does this come from? It comes from Jesus (12:40; Matthew 11:20-24). One of the most dangerous vocations in life is being a theologian. One of the most dangerous places you can go is to a Bible-believing church that faithfully proclaims the gospel. Each time you hear God’s Word taught, your accountability before Him increases."  
• For those who go to such churches, myself included, we are warned to not become hardened by such faithful teaching of the Word. We are warned about hypocrisy and sin and for lack of fruit. 
• Using the scribes as examples of what not to do, per the commentary, Jesus warns us of seeking our own recognition and status vs that of God, of taking advantage of others (such as the poor, orphans, and widows) - see also condemnation from OT prophets (Isaiah 10:2, Amos 2, Micah 3 and Leviticus 19:18), and of practicing empty rituals for "show".  Ultimately we will all be judged.
• The commentary emphasizes that "[t]he greater our revelation, the greater our accountability (see Luke 12:48). To know what is right and not do it invites “the harsher punishment” in judgment. No wonder James would write in James 3:1, '"Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.'"
• "Indeed God will judge with special severity hypocritical religious leaders who strut like peacocks, abuse the less fortunate, and traffic in false worship that is all show with no substance. Such wickedness in motive and action makes plain they never embraced the greatest servant of all, the greater Son of David, Jesus the Christ."   
•  Instead we should be humble (see Matthew 23:11-12). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who reveals Himself through Your Word - thank You Jesus for these blessings and for my salvation!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in 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. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

Mark 12:35-40

And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, in 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. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. Mark 12:35-37

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:35-40.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of two) division (vv35-37):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Turning Theologians on Their Heads" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv35-40) is "Jesus’ identity as the true God-Man demands genuine devotion and obedience rather than hypocritical piety." 
• "Jesus has just answered the question on the greatest command (12:28-34). Prior to that He had addressed His authority (11:27–12:12), paying taxes (12:13-17), and the reality of the resurrection (12:18-27). Jesus answered these questions so well that “no one dared to question Him any longer” (12:34). It is now Jesus’ turn to ask a question, and in doing so He turns the theologians upside down. And He did not ask just any question; He asked the most important question. He asked the question concerning the identity of the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the world."  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "The Coming of Jesus Reveals a Greater David." 
• "Jesus begins simply enough by establishing that the Christ will be the son of David. No problem here."  See also 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:3-4; Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; 11:1-4, 8-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:9, 33:15-17, 22; Ezekiel 34:23-24; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11; and Micah 5:2-5. 
• Jesus shares text from Psalm 110. "Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament. The first verse reads, “This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” So Jesus asks, “David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how then can the Messiah be his Son?” Here is a problem no one had seen until Jesus raised it. The Messiah is both David’s Son and David’s Lord at the same time. Think about it. What father would ever call his son or great-grandson his Lord? The Messiah is not simply David’s Son; He is David’s Sovereign. He is God’s Son who reigns as King seated at His heavenly Father’s right hand. David’s words will not work if Messiah is just a human being. He must be more. This is where Jesus is trying to take them. This is what they had failed to see. Tragically, many still don’t see it." 

Indeed, once we hear of Jesus (and there are still many who have either not been reached or have very limited access to the Gospel - see the Joshua Project), we must all come to terms with who Jesus is and either accept Him or not.  If we don't we are eternally condemned - that is why the commentary refers to this as the most important question.  We are commanded to save people from all nations - see also Matthew 28:19-20 and Jude 22-23. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who saves!  Thank You Jesus for my salvation and for the mercies You pour out daily for me and that never cease!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:35-40

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:35-40, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy - vv35-37 - He is both the Son of God and the promised messiah from David's line.  See also 2 Samuel 7:9-17.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People are sinful and broken and without God they seek glory for themselves - vv38-40.  They also fail to obey God's Word (see yesterday's post as an example) to love others and as a result the poor and widows suffer (see v40).  The scribes' hearts are hardened towards God and ultimately will be eternally condemned. 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should not seek glory for ourselves but instead for God - we exist to bring Him glory. See 1 Corinthians 10:31.  This means we are assume a posture of humility, to pick up our cross daily, and to deny ourselves - loving God first then others. Of course Christ is our example.  

The text emphasizes humility.  Yes we are encouraged to understand God's Word.  But the scribes and Jewish elders used God's word to "puff" themselves up as described in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3.  Our understanding and knowledge of God's word should be used to renew our minds as described in Romans 12:2 such that His desires and will become our desires and will. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for loving me first and saving me.  I am not deserving of my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in in Your faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Mark 12:28-34

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:31

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:28-34.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv31-34):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "We Are Commanded to Love Others Genuinely." 
• "How you respond to the first [command] (loving God) will determine how you respond to the second (loving your neighbor). When you obey the second, it shows that you have embraced the first."  
• "Jesus adds Leviticus 19:18 to complement Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Growing out of my love for God, I love those who have been created by God in His image. “Neighbor” is not used here in a restrictive sense. All of humanity, even my enemies, are in view (see Luke 10:25-29)."  
• We are referred to a Don Carson sermon where he looks at the Parable of the Good Samaritan and Leviticus 19 and how the text instructs us to love our neighbors as ourselves, including commands from Leviticus 19: "care for the poor (19:10),  not steal (19:11),  not lie (19:11),  be fair in business dealings (19:14),  care for the deaf (19:14),  care for the blind (19:14),  deal justly with all (19:15),  avoid slander (19:16),  not “jeopardize” the life of your neighbor (19:16),  not “harbor hatred against your brother” (19:17),  rebuke your neighbor when necessary for his and your good (19:17), and not take revenge or bear a grudge against others (19:18)." 
• The commentary highlights v33 from the text for today and how Old Testament rituals "have no real meaning unless they are expressions of our love for Jesus and others."  We are referred to 1 Samuel 15:22, Proverbs 21:3, and Hosea 6:6.
• "Obeying rules and regulations will never get me into the kingdom because I can never measure up to God’s perfect standard. No, I need a new me. I need a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). I need the grace and mercy of my God who can make me a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). I need to draw near to Jesus, who has brought the kingdom of God near (Mark 1:15). One draws near and enters the kingdom not by religion but by a relationship with Jesus, a relationship that results in loving God supremely and others genuinely."  
• The commentary for today's text wraps by sharing 1 John 4:7-12. 

Comment and discuss this post.

 My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You loved me first and while I was still an enemy and hostile to You, I was snatched from the fire and saved.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.