Step 38

Mark 12:28-44 All in for God

About Mark: In the various discussions throughout this chapter Jesus refers to all the heroes of the Jewish nation; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the prophets (compare verse 33 with Isaiah 1:10-20). Now Jesus mentions King David, and raises a ticklish question that delights the crowd (12:37) as they see the scribes squirm.

King David, though flawed like everyone else, was remembered as the greatest king of Israel. His psalms show his dedication to God. He established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and planned the first temple. The Messiah, awaited by all Israel, was to be "a son of David", perhaps of genealogical descent, but certainly of spiritual descent. The title "Son of David" was already being attached to Jesus (see Mark 10:48-49). During the triumphal entry people shouted, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David" (11:10).
 
One of David's psalms, Psalm 110, begins with David saying, "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." Sitting at the right hand of the Lord God, located this person beside God himself. And David reports this person as "my (ie David's) Lord." So if David calls this person his "Lord," how can he be merely a genealogical descendent of David? This person had to be greater than David for David to address him thus. But he is also known as David’s son! How so?
 
The scribes were the theologians of the day. The overall conversation here is more about practical godliness than theology, but this snippet shows Jesus addressing the scribes on their own terms. The particular question here becomes one of the church's main texts for showing how Jesus was in fact the promised Messiah, and was equal with God and greater than David. Peter uses this text in his first sermon about Jesus (Acts 2:34).
 
Bible: Mark 12:28-44, The First Commandment

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 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 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other'; 33 and 'to love him with all theheart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' — this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question. 35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, by 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 can he be his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Jesus Denounces the Scribes
38 As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

The Widow's Offerings

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

 
Comment: ALL IN FOR GOD
SCRIBES were the guardians of the Scriptures. They copied them, taught them, and interpreted them in administering justice to the people of Israel. And they founded the synagogue service. All that Jesus asks here is that they live by the Scriptures that they taught to everyone else. If there is any remaining question of the orthodoxy of Jesus as a Jew who believed in the Old Testament, it is dispelled here. 

The answer of Jesus in 12:29 is utter orthodoxy. He quotes the shemah, the basic creed of Jewish faith, the quotation of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 recited in every synagogue service. The addition of "...and your neighbour as yourself" (12:31) is not novel. It is implied by the second part of the 10 commandments.
 
The manner in which Mark has the scribe repeating the words of Jesus (cf.29-31 & 32-33) provides double emphasis, and illustrates the intrinsic compatibility between pure Judaism and pure Christianity. Any person who held to the shemah as a philosophy of life was, indeed, "not far from the kingdom of God" (34). But instead of viewing a scribe as an example of giving all to God, and of the total commitment to God that the shemah expresses, Jesus presents them as public peacocks, who pray long in public but prey privately upon defenceless widows (38-40).
 
Jesus rather sees the fulfilment of the shemah personified in the offering of the very poor widow (41-44), perhaps made poor by a judicial ruling made by a scribe. By putting in everything she had, she was a model of the total commitment to God that the shemah described. This is a shocking example of the values of Jesus. He sees godliness better represented by a poor committed woman than by a religious expert. 

Discipleship today: As you read this account, you should see clearly that the terms of Christian discipleship are identical with the terms of discipleship known to the followers of God in earlier generations. They have never changed.
 
Faith in God has always demanded total commitment. The discussion with the scribes does warn us, however, that religion can be subverted into oppression, converted into public ritual, and diverted into theory without practice. Christianity must be based on biblical theology as Jesus shows. But what counts most is total commitment to God. That is God's FIRST commandment, and must be our FIRST commitment.