Whom(!) You Need [Family Worship lesson in Mark 12:13–37]

How can we give to God what is God’s? Mark 12:13–37 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twenty-five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we can know, love, and obey God rightly only in Christ, by His grace. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional examines the interactions in Mark 12, moving from questions about civil authority and the nature of the resurrection to the central inquiry regarding the greatest commandment. It reasons that while submission to government and belief in the resurrection are important, the primary theological focus is the scribe's realization that love for God and neighbor surpasses ritual sacrifice. Pastor emphasizes that although the scribe was not far from the kingdom, he lacked the ability to fulfill this on his own, bringing us to our ultimate need: Christ Himself, Who is our perfect righteousness, required for entry into the kingdom.