MARK 11-12: DAY 112 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
April 22, 2023
MARK 11-12
DAY 112 JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
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Focus Verses For Today: Mark 12:41-44
Today’s journey through Mark begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) and concludes with a comparison of the religious leaders of His time to a poor widow lady.
Pray for God’s understanding as we journey through Mark 11-12. Read Mark 11-12. Let’s journey!
Mark 11-12: Our reading today begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus visits the temple briefly but leaves to spend the night in Bethany. Jesus curses a fig tree on His return to Jerusalem the next morning. Jesus arrives at the temple where His authority is questioned. Jesus gives the parable of the tenants, directed to the leaders of the temple. Jesus is questioned about paying taxes and marriage after the resurrection. Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment and whose Son is the Messiah. All the questions asked of Jesus, except which commandment is the greatest, were attempts to trick Him. They failed. Jesus warns against the teachers of the law and points out a poor widow’s offering. The subject of our focus verses for today. (Mark 11:1-12:44)
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
(Mark 12:41-44, NIV)
Unlike the leaders of the temple, the poor widow gave, the poor widow gave all she had. The leaders of the temple were not givers – they were takers. Jesus threatened them because the Truth (Jesus) exposed them as profiteering religious frauds. Jesus revealed to His disciples the genuine faith and commitment of the widow. She was all in. Once again, Jesus revealed, through the widow’s offering, that the price of discipleship isn’t the excess of a person’s life, their salvation army, goodwill castaways, it is all of their life. Are you the temple leader? Are you the poor widow? How does Jesus see you?
Godspeace!
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