Mark 12:24-44 ▼

24 "Is not this the cause of your error," replied Jesus--"your ignorance alike of the Scriptures and of the power of God?

25 For when they have risen from among the dead, men do not marry and women are not given in marriage, but they are as angels are in Heaven.

26 But as to the dead, that they rise to life, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?'

27 He is not the God of dead, but of living men. You are in grave error."

28 Then one of the Scribes, who had heard them disputing and well knew that Jesus had given them an answer to the point, and a forcible one, came forward and asked Him, "Which is the chief of all the Commandments?"

29 "The chief Commandment," replied Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;

30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole strength.'

31 "The second is this: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as thou lovest thyself.' "Other Commandment greater than these there is none."

32 So the Scribe said to Him, "Rightly, in very truth, Rabbi, have you said that He stands alone, and there is none but He;

33 and To love Him with all one's heart, with all one's understanding, and with all one's strength, and to love one's fellow man no less than oneself, is far better than all our whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices."

34 Perceiving that the Scribe had answered wisely Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." No one from that time forward ventured to put any question to Him.

35 But, while teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it the Scribes say that the Christ is a son of David?

36 David himself said, taught by the Holy Spirit, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I have made thy foes a footstool under thy feet.'

37 "David himself calls Him 'Lord:' how then can He be his son?" And the mass of people found pleasure in listening to Jesus.

38 Moreover in the course of His teaching He said, "Be on your guard against the Scribes who like to walk about in long robes and to be bowed to in places of public resort,

39 and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues and at dinner parties,

40 and who swallow up the property of widows and then mask their wickedness by making long prayers: these men will receive far heavier punishment."

41 Having taken a seat opposite the Treasury, He observed how the people were dropping money into the Treasury, and that many of the wealthy threw in large sums.

42 But there came one poor widow and dropped in two farthings, equal in value to a halfpenny.

43 So He called His disciples to Him and said, "In solemn truth I tell you that this widow, poor as she is, has thrown in more than all the other contributors to the Treasury;

44 for they have all contributed out of what they could well spare, but she out of her need has thrown in all she possessed--all she had to live on."