Today's Scripture
Bearing Fruit – Mark 11:12-18
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Isaiah 50-52; Mark 12:28-44(CEB)
28 One of the legal experts heard their dispute and saw how well Jesus answered them. He came over and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord,30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 The legal expert said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have truthfully said that God is one and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love God with all of the heart, a full understanding, and all of one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is much more important than all kinds of entirely burned offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered with wisdom, he said to him, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Jesus corrects the legal experts
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “Why do the legal experts say that the Christ is David’s son? 36 David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said, The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right side until I turn your enemies into your footstool.’[c] 37 David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ so how can he be David’s son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight.
38 As he was teaching, he said, “Watch out for the legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They want to be greeted with honor in the markets. 39 They long for places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. 40 They are the ones who cheat widows out of their homes, and to show off they say long prayers. They will be judged most harshly.”
A poor widow’s contribution
41 Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money. 42 One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny.[d] 43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury.44 All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.”
What does this passage mean to me/us
The three stories seem to be independent, but they have a common thread.
God wants our heart.
The legal expert comes to Jesus asking the most important commandment. Jesus shares how we are called to love God and others.
And as the legal expert agrees, Jesus saw his heart and shared how the kingdom was near for him.
While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he talks about other legal experts. Jesus then condemns how they might be following the law well, but their heart is not in the right place.
And then, Jesus watches the poor widow comes and puts two copper pennies in the offering box. He praises the act of the widow because he knew she was giving God her everything.
It shows that no matter what we do, if our heart is not in the right place, God will not be pleased with our acts.
Where is our heart’s focus?
Prayer
Lord, help us focus our hearts to your call. Throw away, for us, all distractions that make us lose focus of your call. In Christ name, we pray, AMEN.
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.