Having silenced his enemies Jesus asks a question to reveal the error in Jewish thinking as to the identity of the long-awaited Messiah. The Jews of Jesus’ day thought merely of a human king; one who would ascend to Israel’s throne and rebuild their Temple, rule with justice, fight their battles, and bring Israel’s pagan enemies into submission. But the true Messiah is so much more. Jesus is not just ‘the son of David’ he is David’s ‘Lord’; the son of God who shares his fathers’ throne – a position which demands a response not of outward show or mere performance, but of humble and self-sacrificial giving.
• Do you see Jesus as David did?
• Are there any areas of your life which need to be (re)submitted to the lordship of Jesus?
• Can you think any ways in which your Christian faith has become a ‘performance’? If so, ask God for his forgiveness and for a heart like that of the poor widow.
• In what ways can you follow the poor widows’ example in living out your faith?
