Matthew 22:34-40
Mark 12:28-34
Intro Questions
Jesus Discusses
the Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–34
Mt 22:34When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together in the same place. Mk 12:28One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all? [Mt 22:36Which commandment in the law is the greatest?]”
29“This is
the most important [Mt 22:38greatest
and most important commandment],” Jesus answered: “ ‘Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is one Lord. 30And you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength.’ 31The second is: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment
greater than these. Mt 22:39bAll the Law and the Prophets depend on
these two commandments.”
Mk 12:32–33Then the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher! You have spoken in
truth that He is one, and there is no one else except Him. 33And to
love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, and with all the
strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is far more important than all
the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You
are not far from the kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to question Him any longer.[1]
[1]
Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp.
194–195). Holman Bible Publishers.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
More Resources:
Mark 12:28-34 — Kingdom Priorities
http://johnmarkhicks.com/2012/05/14/mark-1228-34-kingdom-priorities/
Series: The Generous
Life “Open Heart & Hands”
Title: When Giving Hurts
Bookmark: Click Here
Opening
Thoughts: Most of us have a
"generosity threshold." Our giving rarely exceeds our comfort level.
But what would happen if we gave until it hurt? Sacrificial giving forces us to
give up control and rely on God.
v Imagine dating question. How
much effort do I need to give to be okay with you?
o Where is your “Generosity Threshold”?
===============================================================
Text: Mark
12:38-44
Warning
Against the Teachers of the Law
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for
the teachers of the law.
They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the
marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats
in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They
devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most
severely.”
The Widow’s
Offering
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the
offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the
temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But
a poor widow came
and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus
said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They
all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
===============================================================
Summarize the main
story: Describe the events of the story in your own words.
v Review and
retell the story.
Reflections
for applications:
v
They
are calling attention to themselves (vs. 38-40)
v
The
widow gives attention to God. (vs. 41-44)
o
Many Christians have
one issue that haunts them and never falls silent. The issue that haunts me is
money. It hangs over me. It keeps me off balance, restless, uncomfortable,
nervous. I feel pulled in opposite directions over the money issue. Sometimes I
want to sell all that I own and join a Christian commune and live out my days
in intentional poverty. At other times I want to rid myself of the guilt and
enjoy the fruit of our nation's prosperity. –Philip Yancey
o
Does
Jesus expect us to give everything?
o
Luke
18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have
and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow
me.”
v
What
are some handles for this?
o
Consider stretching your threshold of generosity.
o
Are you giving until it hurts?
Digging
Questions:
·
How
will you respond in generosity?
·
What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
·
What is God calling us to do?
Take Away
Challenges
·
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in
this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
·
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
·
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What
beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?
Hash tags #Give #Generosity
Sunday sermon link
https://youtu.be/OWXSgz52KLA
Kevin’s Blog Link to more resources: Click here for Kevin’s Blog Notes
Comments and
resources with some more resources:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12%3A38-44&version=NIV
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