Mark 12:28–44

Question of the Greatest Commandment

Matt. 22:34–40

^28pThen one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, ⁹perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the ¹first commandment of all?”

²⁹Jesus answered him, “The ²first of all the commandments is: ^q‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰And you shall ^rlove the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³This is the first commandment. ³¹And the second, like it, is this: ^s‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than ^tthese.”

³²So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, ^uand there is no other but He. ³³And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, ⁴with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, ^vis more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

^wBut after that no one dared question Him.

Jesus Questions the Leaders

Matt. 22:41–45; Luke 20:41–44

^35xThen Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? ³⁶For David himself said ^yby the Holy Spirit:

^z‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

³⁷Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his ^aSon?”

And the common people heard Him gladly.

Jesus Condemns the Leaders

Matt. 23:1–14; Luke 20:45–21:4

³⁸Then ^bHe said to them in His teaching, ^c “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, ^dlove greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹the ^ebest seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, ^40fwho devour widows’ houses, and ⁵for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

^41gNow Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money ^hinto the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. ⁴²Then one poor widow came and threw in two ⁶mites, which make a ⁷quadrans. ⁴³So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that ⁱthis poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; ⁴⁴for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, ^jher whole livelihood.”