Daily Bible Reading Tuesday 14th January 2020
by William Moody
Luke 20:41–21:4
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Beware of the Scribes
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Offering
21:1 Jesus1 looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.2 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Footnotes
[1] 21:1
Greek He
[2] 21:2Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer) (ESV)
Jesus quotes here from Psalm 110 to tease out the mystery of how the Christ would be greater than David and yet a descendant of David (v41-44). David in Psalm 110 is saying how the LORD (Jehovah) with say his Lord (Christ) sit at my right hand, the place of all power.
The mystery of how David’s descendant would be greater than David, is resolved in that the Christ would be both man and God. Jesus was a person with two natures, He was fully God and fully man.
Jesus then speaks of the teachers of the law (v46-47), who had just commended Him (v39). They put on a pretence of holiness but are a people who lack love and grace in their hearts.
The religion Jesus wants is not proud outward show, but the humble, sacrificial giving like the widows (v1-4).
Giving humbly out of heart of love, is worth more than religious show. Are you someone who likes attention for what you do, or a humble giver?
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