Big Idea: In three final conflicts between Jesus and the leaders, he (1) reveals himself as more than the royal Messiah, (2) warns about the hypocritical scribes, and (3) contrasts them with the humble widow, who gives her all to God.

Understanding the Text

While verses 35–37 belong with the controversy stories of 11:27–12:37, they also are part of the final three narratives that conclude the section, presented together as Jesus’s teaching in the temple grounds. There is a double contrast: (1) Jesus’s true nature as Lord (vv. 35–37) versus the depravity of the scribes (vv. 38–40), and (2) the wickedness of the scribes versus the widow as a symbol of true devotion and radical discipleship (vv. 41–44).

Interpretive Insights

12:35  Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is th…