Study Desk

One^(au) of the scribes^(av) approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, "Which command is the most important of all?"^[m]

"This is the most important," ^[n] Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord ^(aw) our God, the Lord ^(ax) is One. ^[o]

Love ^(ay) the Lord your God ^(az) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, ^(ba) and with all your strength. ^[p](bb)[q]

"The second is: Love your neighbor ^(bc) as yourself. ^(bd)[r] There is no other command^(be) greater than these."

Then the scribe said to Him, "You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one^(bf) else except Him.^(bg)

And to love^(bh) Him with all your heart, with all your understanding,^[s] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."^(bi)

When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." ^(bj) And no one dared^(bk) to question Him any longer.

So^(bl) Jesus asked this question as He taught in the temple complex,^(bm) "How can the scribes^(bn) say that the Messiah^(bo) is the Son of David?^(bp)

David^(bq) himself says by the Holy Spirit: ^(br) The Lord ^(bs) declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand ^(bt) until I put Your enemies under Your feet.' ^(bu)[t]

David himself calls Him ‘Lord'; how then can the Messiah be his Son?" And the large crowd was listening to Him with delight.

He^(bv) also said in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes,^(bw) and who want greetings in the marketplaces,^(bx)

the front seats^(by) in the synagogues,^(bz) and the places of honor^(ca) at banquets.^(cb)

They devour^(cc) widows'^(cd) houses and say long prayers^(ce) just for show. These will receive harsher punishment."

Sitting^(cf) across from the temple treasury,^(cg) He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich^(ch) people were putting in large sums.

And a poor^(ci) widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little.^[u]

Summoning His disciples,^(cj) He said to them, "I assure you:^(ck) This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury.^(cl)

For they all gave out of their surplus,^(cm) but she out of her poverty^(cn) has put in everything she possessed^(co)—all she had to live on." ^(cp)