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28 Then one of the scribes [an expert in Mosaic Law] came up and listened to them arguing [with one another], and noticing that Jesus answered them well, asked Him, “Which commandment is first and most important of all?”(A) 29 Jesus answered, “The first and most important one is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’(B) 31 This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] [a]love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(C) 32 The scribe said to Him, “Admirably answered, Teacher; You truthfully stated that He is One, and there is no other but Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to [unselfishly] love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(D) 34 When Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfully and intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.

35 Jesus began to say, as He taught in [a portico or court of] the temple, [b]How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?(E) 36 David himself said [when inspired] by the Holy Spirit,

The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (the Son, the Messiah),
Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’(F)

37 David himself calls Him (the Son, the Messiah) ‘Lord’; so how can it be that He is [c]David’s Son?” The large crowd enjoyed hearing Jesus and listened to Him with delight.

38 In [the course of] His teaching He was saying, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes [displaying their prominence], and like to receive respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and [they love] the [d]chief seats in the synagogues and the places of distinction and honor at banquets, 40 [these scribes] who devour (confiscate) widows’ houses, and offer long prayers for appearance’s sake [to impress others]. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Mite

41 And He sat down opposite the [temple] treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the [e]treasury. And many rich people were putting in [f]large sums.(G) 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a [g]mite. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in [proportionally] more than all the contributors to the treasury. 44 For they all contributed from their surplus, but she, from her poverty, put in all she had, all she had to live on.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:31 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
  2. Mark 12:35 It is no coincidence that Jesus raises this question after His preceding discussion with the lawyer/scribe. Matthew (22:35) notes that the lawyer had questioned Jesus to test Him. His goal was to extract from Jesus the admission that there is only one God (see v 32), and eventually to use that admission against Him when He claimed to be the Son of God and therefore God Himself. In reality, Jesus had admitted nothing that posed a problem for the concept of one God existing as three distinct Persons, and He drew attention to this fact by raising the issue of David’s relationship to the Messiah.
  3. Mark 12:37 Lit his.
  4. Mark 12:39 These seats were located near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation in the synagogue.
  5. Mark 12:41 Thirteen trumpet-shaped chests were placed around the wall in the Court of Women in the temple.
  6. Mark 12:41 The thirteen receptacles for the money were metal and the heavy silver coins contributed by the wealthy would have made quite a noise when they were deposited, calling audible attention to the size of each contribution. By contrast, the widow’s coins (v 42) would have barely made a sound.
  7. Mark 12:42 The least valuable Roman coin, which amounted to only one sixty-fourth of a day’s wages for a laborer; traditionally called the “widow’s mite.”

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