But she, out of her poverty, has put in everything she had, her whole living. (Mark 12:44)

Jesus could really be rough on certain people, especially those whom He perceived to be falsely religious and self-righteous. Judging by some of the severe language we read in the gospels, you didn't want to be on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing administered by one Jesus of Nazareth.

When our Lord spoke to the scribes and Pharisees and to the other religious celebrities of His time, He used words like "hypocrites" (Mark 7:6), "ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15), "serpents" and a "brood of vipers" (Matthew 23:33). He used many other colorful epithets as well, including one of my favorites: "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but wit…