Day 49: Jesus judges powerful teachers and praises a poor widow
In today’s passage, we see a sharp contrast between how Jesus speaks about two different kinds of people. First, Jesus criticizes the teachers of the law (which Miranda has started writing as TOTL!). Then, Jesus commends a poor widow. Most people of His day would have been much more impressed by the TOTL. But Jesus is much more impressed by the widow.
Who does Jesus warn people to watch out for in verse 38?
What examples does Jesus give of the TOTL showing off in verses 38–39?
People in our culture would show off in different ways than this. What examples of showing off in church might be similar to what the TOTL are doing here?
How is showing off like this the opposite of what Jesus taught about leadership in His kingdom (see Mark 10:42–44)?
What does Jesus accuse the TOTL of doing at the beginning of verse 40?
Taking care of widows and orphans was a really important part of the Old Testament law. In Psalm 68:5, God is even called “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,” because He cares about widows and orphans so much and calls His people to provide for them. But the teachers of the law of Jesus’ day seem to be doing the opposite.
What else does Jesus accuse the TOTL of doing in verse 40?
Why do you think Jesus criticized the TOTL for showing off with long prayers to God while they were failing to take care of widows?
What does Jesus say will happen to the TOTL in the end (v. 40)?
Where did Jesus go and sit down in verse 41?
How much money were rich people putting in the temple treasury (v. 41)?
How much money did the poor widow put in (v. 42)?
What did Jesus say about the money the poor widow had put in compared to the money the rich people had put in (v. 43)?
How does Jesus explain what He means in verse 44?
God doesn’t need our money to do His work in the world. But He calls us to give today to support the spread of the gospel in the world and to care for the poor, so we can join in with His work.
Do you think the rich people felt good about how much money they were giving to God’s work?
How much faith did it take for the rich people to give a lot of money?
How much faith did it take for the widow to put in her two small coins?
Ask God to help you be like the widow and unlike the teachers of the law. Pray that He would help you to be generous with even the small amount of money you have now and not to look for other people to praise you for the things you do at church, but instead to have a humble heart.