Mark 12:28-44

God’s most important command

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.'

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.

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."

Footnotes

• [a] Deut 6:4-5
• [b] Lev 19:18
• [c] Ps 110:1
• [d] Or two lepta (the smallest Greek copper coin, each worth 1/128 of a single day’s pay), that is, a kodrantes (the smallest Roman coin, equal in value to two lepta)