Jesus' Leadership: Mark 12

The Tenants
vv 1-12. Jesus displays incredible courage, knowing that He represents the son who is killed. What self-less resolve in knowingly going toward this end.

Taxes
vv 13-17. Jesus' reputation as one of integrity proceeds Him. And again He shows His incredible wisdom in not being trapped by the Jewish leaders' questions. To them, if He answers "yes" then He would lose the support of the people. If "no" then He is guilty under Roman law and they can bring a charge against Him. Instead Jesus answers them with a question that pierces their souls. Brilliant!

Marriage
vv 18-27. Jesus' question "are you not in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God" was surely quite an affront to these leaders! As He did earlier, Jesus uses an argument based on what His opponents find to be authoritative, in this case scripture, to both debunk their facade question and then to address their true issue.

The Greatest Commandment
vv 28-34. Jesus affirms the man who is seeking the Kingdom. I wonder what the disciples were thinking as they watched Jesus debate?

Jesus' Identity
vv 35-40. As the crowds are delighted and the disciples look on, two things are clear to me. For one, Jesus knows Scripture through and through and bases His arguments off of this authority. This is a great encouragement for me to follow - to know the Word and to trust it as having value and authority among men. Second, Jesus is certainly not afraid of challenging the establishment. And again what is interesting, Jesus does not attack Rome, but the Jewish leadership. Again, this would be today like not blaming the government but calling the church leadership to account.

The Widow's Offering
vv 41-44. Jesus makes a great teachable moment out of a seemingly insignificant event. This surely wold have left a deep impressing on the disciples, especially as they remembered this final week of Jesus' life in Jerusalem. Jesus reminds them that it's not about the act. it's about the heart. For us practically, giving isn't about a discrete amount, it's amount percentage.