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Mark 12:28-43 Gems from Mark

We learn 3 valuable things from this section of Scripture.

First, verses 30 - 31. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

Second, verses 38 - 40 warn us of people who appear righteous and love the respect of others but hurt others to get ahead. Jesus says "Such men will be punished severely."

Third, verses 41-43 tells of the widow who gave until it hurt. She was generous with all that she had not just the things she could do without.

3 questions? Are you loving God and others as hard as you can? Are you being a hypocrite with your faith? Are you giving until it hurts?

December Ski Trip

Due to lack of interest in the ski trip district wide, the ski trip has been canceled.

Mark 12:18-27 (1 wife/7brothers)

1 Wife. 7 Brothers. That is the problem posed by the Sadducees to Jesus. They told Him of a woman who was married 7 times to 7 brothers because they all died. The Saducees asked Jesus, "Which one of the 7 brothers would the woman be married to after the resurrection?" Jesus basically told the Saducees that they were dumb and proceeded to wail on these guys intellectually. First Jesus said that their idea of the resurrection and the after life were messed up. Jesus tells us that no one will be married in the afterlife. Why not? I really like my wife! First there is no need for procreating which can be part of marriage. Secondly the oneness that spouses enjoy will be fulfilled by God not by another person. Its not that marriage isnt good, its that oneness with God is even better.

The real issue here is that the Sadducees didn't even believe in the resurrection of the dead. They were hoping to trap Jesus by the question. SO what does Jesus say?

Jesus then says that they do not even understand Scripture or God. Jesus says that when God spoke to Moses in the burning bush He said, "I am the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob." Jesus points out the difference in wording between "I am" and "I was." God is not the God of the dead but of the living. Remember: 1. We need to know our scripture so that we can speak about it intelligently and not appear like the Sadducees. 2. God is the God of the living not the dead.