Lesson 5279

 (Lesson 5279)(07-20-26) Mark 12:38-44 

   “And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” 

 

     In today’s quote, Jesus warned against religious leaders who seek to elevate themselves above the commoners by making public displays of piety. He then contrasted their greed with a poor widow who donated two small coins to the temple treasury, explaining that her sacrificial gift, which was everything she owned, held far greater value to God than the leftover wealth given by the rich. The sins of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees are represented well in today’s churches. ~ 

 

Lesson 5278

 (Lesson 5278)(07-19-26) Mark 12:35-37 

   “And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.” 

 

    In today’s quote, Jesus challenged the religious teachers' (Scribes) view that He is simply a human descendant of king David. He did so by pointing out that David himself called the Messiah his Lord in scripture, Jesus explained that He, the Messiah, being the third part of the Holy Triune, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, has a divine status that goes far beyond human ancestry. ~

Lesson 5277

 (Lesson 5277)(07-18-26) Mark 12:28-34 

   “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.” 

 

   In today’s quote, one of the Jewish scholars asked Jesus to name the most important commandment. Jesus answered that the highest priority is to love God completely with all your heart, mind, and strength, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Much unlike most today, the scholar recognized that these two commands carry far more spiritual value than any religious rituals or animal sacrifices, which prompted Jesus to tell the man that he had drawn near to the kingdom of God. ~ 

  

Lesson 5276

 (Lesson 5276)(07-17-26) Mark 12:18-27 

   “Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise. And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.” 

 

    Today’s quote relates that the Sadducees who deny the resurrection challenged Jesus with a riddle about a woman who married seven brothers, asking whose wife she will be in the afterlife. Jesus refuted them by explaining that after the resurrection, there will be no marriages in heaven, but rather, we will all be like the angels. He then used scripture to prove the reality of life after death, noting that God defined himself as the God of the living, meaning the dead in Christ are still very much alive to Him.  ~