28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 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.”’
37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.
38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 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. 44 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.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
A scribe came up and heard the discussions Jesus was having and saw that He answered them well. His question to Jesus did not seem like he was trying to trick Jesus, but was looking with a genuine search for the truth. He asked Jesus what is the most important commandment. Jesus replied that the most important was to love God with all you are (Deut 6:4-5) and then added a second, you should love those around you as you love yourself (Lev 19:18). If we focus on loving God with everything we are, then we will gain the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5-8) and naturally grow to love and serve those around us. When we love those around us we will be slow to anger and quick to forgive.
The Jewish teachers correctly taught that the Messiah would be the son of David, a ruler who would sit on David’s throne and deliver Israel. But their teaching was incomplete. The Messiah would also be David’s Lord as David himself had said in Psalm 110:1. For the Messiah to be both David’s son and his Lord means He must be both man and God. The Messiah was not just going to be a political deliverer. Jesus came first and foremost to save us from our spiritual bondage.
Jesus warned the crowds of the scribes hypocrisy. They enjoyed all the perks of their office and made elaborate shows of religion while exploiting the poor. Jesus warned that teachers like these will be punished most severely.
Jesus sat down where people were giving their offerings at the temple and watched many rich people put in large sums of money. When a poor widow put in just two small coins, Jesus pointed out her enormous generosity. While the rich had given just some of their abundance, she had given all of what little she had. Proportionately she had given the most. The widow completely entrusted herself to God to provide for her needs? How does your wealth limit your dependence on, or commitment to, God?