Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

At the end of Mark 12, Jesus teaches about the least, the great, and the greatest. 

First, the greatest–Messiah. Jesus posed a riddle to the teachers of the law. “We know the Messiah will be a descendant of David,” he said, “but David called him ‘Lord’. We also know an ancestor is always greater than his descendants, so how can David’s son be greater than David?” 

A buzz rippled through the crowd. They loved seeing hoity-toity teachers of the law get stumped. 

Second, Jesus taught about the great–or at least, those who thought they were great.

He warned, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They dress in style with flowing robes. They take seats of honor at the synagogue and banquets. They make long and showy prayers. But watch out! They are peacocks in public but sharks in private. They rip off widows and vulnerable people.”

So what’s that all about?

It’s Jesus exposing the law teachers’ ignorance with riddles about the Messiah, exposing their false motives, their flowery and insincere prayers, and their bankrupt ethical standards.

Yes, that’s Jesus at street-level, Jesus the critic. Who’s next?   

Jesus watched people giving money at the temple. Handfuls from the rich, hardly anything from the poor. Like that widow and her pennies. 

Jesus said, “Who’s most generous? The rich? No. They only give if it doesn’t hurt. Consider the widow.  She’s least in importance, last in social hierarchy, lowest in bank balance, invisible at the back of the synagogue. But she put in her grocery money. Everything! What will she live on now?” 

True greatness is not a show you put on for God or people. It’s not the prayers you pray in public, the diplomas on the wall, or trophies in your man cave. True greatness is the widow, giving everything to God and not worrying what you will live on now or tomorrow. 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, like the rich people, I give handfuls of cash, but I’m careful not to let my giving hurt my lifestyle. I dress up for church and pray in turn. Am I like the peacock teachers you criticized? 

In your presence, Jesus, I sense something hollow at the center of my life. What is missing in my commitment to you? What is untrue in my religious observance? What is self-serving in my public life? Or false in my life at home?  

O Jesus, greater son of David, search my heart, cleanse my motives. Hear my prayer. Accept the money I donate and the prayers I offer. 

Be the source and center of my life. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Mark 12, a teacher of the law asked Jesus, “What is the most important law God gave?” (v. 28)

Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Then he added, “The second command is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No laws are greater than these.” (v. 29-30)

“Well said, Teacher,” the man replied. “To love God and love your neighbor is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (v. 32-33)

Jesus said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (v. 34)

In his book The Year of Living Biblically, AJ Jacobs tells about a year he spent trying to follow all the rules in the Bible as literally as possible. (https://ajjacobs.com/books/the-year-of-living-biblically/)

A secular Jew from New York City, Jacobs made a list of over 700 biblical commands, everything from the Ten Commandments to obscure rules like don’t trim the corners of your beard and don’t eat shellfish. Then he set out to follow them for a year.

Oddly enough, his book mentions Jesus’ most important rule, “Love God” only once, in passing. “Love your neighbor as yourself” gets a four-page discussion, where Jacobs concludes, “If you try to literally follow . . . love your neighbor as yourself . . . well, you can’t.” (p. 323) 

But in an interview about what he learned that year, Jacobs said, “My Bible year taught me something I wish I had known the first 38 years of my life: If you want to be happy, pursue other people’s happiness. Do good things for others.” (https://sojo.net/articles/year-living-biblically-interview-author-aj-jacobs) 

I wonder if Jesus would say to Jacobs, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

Hmmm. I wonder if Jesus would say that to me.

Let’s pray. 

O father, we try to follow your laws, to do our duty to you and family and friends and church. But how can we know we love you? 

We know because we are sad when we don’t sense your presence.
Because we grieve when we grieve your spirit. 
Because we are glad when we find ourselves lost in worship. 
Because we are joyful when we hear you say “Well done.”

May we find, as Jacobs did, that obeying your commands changes us. That expressing gratitude, avoiding gossip, practicing sabbath, living with reverence, gives us new life and new perspectives. 

Teach us to live biblically. Teach us to love you and others. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Mark 12, the Sadducees, a sect of Judaism that didn’t believe in the resurrection, told Jesus this story.

A married man died without leaving children. Following the law of Moses, his brother married the widow, but he died too. Five more brothers married her and died. Finally the exhausted woman died. 

“Who will be her husband in the resurrection?” the Sadducees asked, suggesting that Jesus’ whole idea of the resurrection was plainly ridiculous.

Jesus replied, “When people are resurrected, there won’t be marriage. They will be like the angels” (Mark 12:25). 

Two questions:

1. Where did Jesus get this information? Not from the Old Testament, which says almost nothing about resurrection. And he didn’t have artificial intelligence to hallucinate an answer for him. 

2. Was Jesus saying that when we are resurrected, we lose our identity as men and women? Will our resurrection transition us to another gender, or to no gender at all?

After teaching the Sadducees about resurrection marriage, Jesus commented on their resurrection-denial theory. 

He said, “Do you remember the burning bush, hundreds of years after Abraham died? When God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham’”. To Moses, Abraham was long dead, but to God, Abraham was still alive.  

Jesus concluded, “You’re wrong not to believe in the resurrection, because everyone who ever lived is alive to God.” 

Thinking about Jesus’ interpretation, it seems to me “I am the God of Abraham” can mean different things. Like, “I am the God who spoke to Abraham when he was alive. And now that he’s dead, I’m speaking to you, Moses.” 

Or God’s statement could mean, as Jesus interpreted it, “Lots of people appear dead to you, but everybody is alive to me.” 

Jesus put a lot of weight on the words “I am the God of Abraham”. He interpreted the present tense to mean Abraham was still alive to God. Many scripture interpreters try to imitate Jesus by squeezing deep meaning from every noun, verb, and preposition in scripture. Few are as succinct or as convincing as Jesus. 

Let’s pray. 

O father, whatever gender means in the resurrection, whatever Jesus understood in the grammar of scripture, we believe you are the God of the dead and the living. That you are the God of resurrection. 

Take these dying lives we live, have compassion on us as we debate scripture and grieve for the dead and wait for our end to come. Guide us on our fleeting journey. Draw us into resurrection life with you.

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Mark 12, the Pharisees compliment Jesus: “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity, and you teach God’s truth without wavering” (Mark 12:17).

Lovely. 

But it was only flattery, followed by a loaded question, “Is it right to pay tax to Caesar?” 

Rome had occupied the Promised Land God gave to Israel. If Jesus recommends paying taxes, his popularity tanks. If he recommends not paying taxes, Rome will crucify him as a rebel.   

Jesus said, “Show me the tax money” (Mark 12:15), and he asked, “Whose image is on the coin?” 

“Caesar’s,” they replied. Jesus said, “So what’s your problem? Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17).  

Let’s consider three ways of interpreting this story. 

Roman Catholics say that all authority, religious or secular, is instituted by God. Secular governments are not only supposed to prevent murder, theft, chaos, and abuse, they are to maintain peace and order. Religious authority comes from the pope, Christ’s representative on earth. 

This interpretation takes Jesus’ comment about taxation as a general principle that  Christians must support secular governments and religious authorities–especially when the religious authority is the pope.  

In another interpretation, Gandhi said Jesus’ statement was ironic. He said that when they showed Jesus the coin, Jesus replied with withering scorn, “You honor Caesar by keeping his picture in your pocket, spending his money, and receiving the benefits of Roman rule? The whole trajectory of your life supports Caesar’s system, and you squabble about taxes?” Gandhi believed Jesus’ teaching supports non-cooperation with the ruling powers. (Wikipedia, Render Unto Caesar (June 8,2025))

A third interpretation divides life into two categories: things that belong to God and things that belong to Caesar. The difficulty? How to fit everything into the right slot. 

When my church needs money, they don’t ask, “What are those pictures on the money you’re donating? Surely they’re not corrupt politicians? We don’t want that kind of money in our church!” No indeed. My church says, “Your money belongs to God. Give some to the church, no matter the picture, and we’ll give you a receipt so Caesar can give you a tax break.” 

My money and I participate actively in Caesar’s kingdom and Christ’s. But my heart and mind belong to Christ, not Caesar.

Let’s pray. 

O Father, as willing participants in world commerce, we enjoy protection and tax deductions from secular governments. 

Help us not to give more to Caesar than we should. Our hearts belong to you. Our trust is not in armies and presidents and constitutions because our salvation is a gift from you alone. 

Politicians are nefarious, governments capricious, money fleeting, and philosophies illusory. But your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

Help us find our place in your kingdom, in this world and the next.  

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Mark 12, Jesus tells a story about a man who plants a vineyard, rents it to farmers, and goes on a trip. When he sends a servant to collect rent, the farmers beat him up and send him away. The owner sends another servant who is also abused. A third servant, the farmers kill.  

Finally the owner sends his son. The merciless farmers kill the son, dispose of the body, and say, “The vineyard is ours!” 

Jesus said, “What do you think the owner will do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others” (Mark 12:9).

Some comments. 

Jesus was building on a story the Old Testament prophet Isaiah told about a man who planted a vineyard. When it produced only bad fruit, the owner gave up his plans and destroyed the vineyard. Isaiah concludes,
    God’s vineyard is the nation of Israel. 
    He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; 
         for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. 
             (Isa 5:7) 

In Jesus’ version of the story, it’s not just the vineyard-nation that’s a problem. Jesus points to the tenants, those occupying and managing the vineyard. The religious leaders, in charge of the Jewish religion, were deeply offended. 

But were they so deeply offended that they might kill the son who was trying to collect rent? Jesus thought so. He was the son. 

A second comment. Why wasn’t Jesus more friendly to the Jewish religion? After all, it’s the religion God gave Moses. It’s based on the Jewish scriptures. It’s the religion the Pharisees studied and followed. Sure, they made mistakes, but doesn’t everyone? 

Jesus’ complaint? The Pharisees did religion without growing in their understanding of God. They were trying to own the vineyard rather than see themselves as renters and stewards of God’s property. 

Now let me look in a mirror: I understand their problem. Me? I want to own the scriptures. I want to interpret them and tell everybody exactly what they mean. I want an organized, well-funded church. I don’t need Jesus telling me I’m wrong. I just need him as a saviour. In short, my approach to religion is uncomfortably close to that of the Pharisees. 

Let’s pray. 

O Father, you gave us scripture and commentaries and preachers and churches that create the religion we follow, and tell us what you want us to do. 

But where are you in our religion? Are you in the songs we sing, the sermons we preach,  the sacrifices we ask of ourselves and others? Are you chairman of the board? Are you chief financial officer?  

Help us find you as we practice religion. Help us recognize your presence. Teach us to know you and love you. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube