the Third Week of Advent
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Mark 12:35-44
It is now the turn of the Lord Jesus to put an embarrassing problem to His critics. How can the Christ be at one and the same time both the Son and the Lord of David? (see also Psalms 89:3-4; Psalms 89:23; Psalms 89:36). They do not know how to explain this and their pride prevents them from asking for the answer . . . from Christ Himself. For it was because of His rejection that the Son of David would occupy the heavenly position attributed to Him in Psalms 110:1-7.
In order to put the people on their guard against these unworthy rulers, the Lord then draws a sad picture of the scribes as conceited, covetous and hypocritical. Alas, these traits have sometimes characterized priesthoods other than Israel’s (1 Timothy 6:5).
V. 41 shows us the Lord Jesus sitting beside the treasury in the temple. With His penetrating look, which we have already seen, taking in everyone and everything, He observes not how much (the only thing which interests men) but how each one gives to the treasury. And here comes this poor widow with her touching offering: the few mites which she had left to live on. The Lord is moved with emotion and calls the disciples, telling them what He has just seen. This very special offering — "all that she had" — proved not only this woman’s affections for the LORD and His House but also the complete confidence she had in God to provide for her needs (cf. 1 Kings 17:13).
