28.   And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all? 29   Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30   and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. 31   The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32   And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he: 33   and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. 34   And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
      41.   And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42   And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. 43   And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury: 44   for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Verse 28. What did this scribe perceive in Jesus' answers? Did all of them have that much good sense? What problem did he propound to Jesus?

Verses 29, 30. Read this as it stands in Deut. 6. What does it first tell us about God? What is the commandment? Can any one render true obedience without love? Is anything done from any other motive acceptable? (1 Cor. 13:3; 16:14, 22). How is our love of God manifested? (1 John 5:3). What is it to love God with all the heart? with all the mind? (2 Cor. 10:5) with all the strength? (1 Thess. 1:3). Can the natural man do this, or must there first be an operation performed upon him? (Deut. 30:6). When do we receive this circumcision? Col. 2:11, 12.

Verse 31. What is the second commandment? Does the first one have to be first? Can we obey the second one until we have entered into the first one? (1 John 4:19, 21; 5:1, 2). Can there be any real love of man until there is first the love of God? Why are these the greatest commandments? (Matt. 22:40; Rom. 13:10). But what new commandment greater than the second, did the Lord Jesus give us regarding our brethren? (John 13:34).

Verse 32, 33. In what was this scribe superior to the others? Did he show great spiritual insight as well as honesty and fairness? Does God care for our sacrifices and gifts if we do not love Him? But if we

Verse 34. What does it say Jesus saw? How did Jesus commend this scribe? Who are nearest the kingdom? (Matt. 5:3; 18:3). What effect did this conversation have on the rest of the hearers?

Verse 41. Does Jesus still watch over the treasury, and behold what each casts in? How did He teach us to give? 2 Cor. 9:7.

Verses 42-44. How much did the poor widow cast in? Was that a great amount in itself? But what did Jesus say of it? Why did he rate it so? Does Jesus estimate merely by the size of the gift, or by the proportion of it? Does He estimate the gift or the spirit and motive of it? (1 Cor. 13:3). [197] Does a real sacrifice please Him? Is the gift measured by the amount given or by now much is left? How much did this widow have left? Didn't the Lord scold her for her impudence? How would she get along after that? 2 Cor. 9:8; Phil. 4:19. Who is likely to give in greater proportion--the rich or the poor? 2 Cor. 8:1-3.

CLASHING WITH THE LEADERS.

      The time is at the last visit to Jerusalem, after the Lord's "triumphal entry," and very shortly before His sufferings. Day by day there were sharp clashes with the scribes and Pharisees. The Sadducees and Herodians also tried to entangle Him. The conflict ended with the seven Woes and vehement denunciations of the false shepherds of Israel and a final lamentation over Jerusalem (Matt. 23). The first thing in our lesson-chapter is

THE PARABLE OF THE HUSBANDMEN. (Mark 12:1-12).

      The picture Jesus draws of the Vineyard reminds very much of the Song in Isa. 5; only in this parable the elders and teachers of Israel are the "husbandmen." To them the Owner (God) sends from time to time a servant, to receive His due, and without exception they mistreat those messengers, beating, wounding, killing them. (Acts 7:52). "He had yet one, a beloved son"--not how the Son is distinguished far above the servants in person and rank (Heb. 1:1-3)--"he sent him last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard." Question: What will the Lord of the vineyard do to these men? Matthew shows that His hearers, not aware that they were pronouncing their own sentence, gave the answer themselves: "He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons." (Matt. 21:41); which verdict Jesus confirmed; while some of the hearers, thinking of the possibility of such a fate, said, "God forbid" (Luke 20:16). Then Jesus reminded them how the scriptures predicted just such a deed on part of the leaders of Israel. Then they perceived that the parable was spoken against them, and would have seized Him then--but whatever the immediate hindrance, the true reason they could not take Him was that His hour was not yet come.

THE TRIBUTE MONEY (Mark 12:13-17).

      Look up "Herodians" in any good Bible Dictionary, and see what their world-loving policy was. That was a strange combine--Pharisees and Herodians! And they had agreed for no good purpose (Isa. 29:21). See their hypocritical approach, with false flatteries and commendation of His fearlessness, hoping thereby to encourage Him to speak out freely. The question they asked whether it was lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not. They thought they had Him ensnared in this in any case, whether He should answer one way or the other, or refuse to answer at all, He would stand implicated. It was the cunning of Satan matched against the wisdom of God, and the outcome was not to be doubted. No wonder "they marvelled greatly at him." As to His answer, and its application to us--What are the things that we owe to Caesar? and what the things that are God's? The latter has the right-of-way, and includes all our duty to Caesar. (Acts 5:29; Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 1 Pet. 2:13-17; Rom. 13:1-7).

THE SADDUCEES' QUESTION. (Mark 12:18-27).

      The ground of the Sadducees' error (Mark 12:24) accounts for all error in matters of faith, and especially the errors of unbelief and materialism (Acts 23:8)--they know not the scriptures, nor the power of God. From the fact that God called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Lord shows that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not extinct or annihilated--for it would be no glory to God to call Himself the God of nonentities, of dead names of the past; but they live and will in due time rise again, that God's good promises may be fulfilled unto them. [198]

Source: Fourth Lord's Day Lesson of May. Lesson 8. May 26, 1918. Jesus Silences Adversaries (Mark 12:28-34,