Mark 12:38
- A scribe was more or less a “Bible teacher” and, all things being equal, should have been a good role model for Jesus’ disciples. However, these scribes greatly abused their role.
- The scribes disliked ordinary work but liked people to look up to them, so they took advantage of people’s piety to receive gifts.
- Instead, a disciple of Jesus should “work and do something useful with his hands, so that he has something to share with those who need it” (Ephesians 4:28), choose the lowest seat at a feast (Luke 14:7-11), take care of widows in need (James 1:27), and pray in secret (Matthew 6:6).