Questions in the Temple Courts

Questions set as traps, answers that came back as love

The Temple · Holy Week · Tuesday · Mt 22:15–40 · Mk 12:13–44 · Lk 20:20–21:4

Story

The temple courts were taut with sharp questions. Pharisees and Herodians came up to Jesus. Teacher, is it right to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? It was a trap set to catch him whichever way he answered. Jesus had them bring him a denarius. Whose face is this, and whose inscription? The emperor's, they answered, and Jesus said, give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and to God what belongs to God.

Next came the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, with a story about a woman who married seven brothers one after another. A teacher of the law who had been listening to the exchange stepped forward and asked, which commandment is the first of all? Jesus' answer was astonishingly simple. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.

When the arguments had died down, Jesus sat down opposite the offering box and watched people putting in their money. The rich passed by, dropping in heavy sums. Then a poor widow came up and quietly let fall two small coins. Jesus called his disciples and said, this widow has put in more than anyone. They all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had to live on.

His Words

Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself.

This poor widow has given more than anyone. The others gave a little from their plenty, but she gave everything she had to live on.

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

The sayings are fresh renderings of the original meaning in today's language. Text: Mt 22:15–40 · Mk 12:13–44 · Lk 20:20–21:4

Background

Pause and Reflect