Jesus’ enemies, “somebodies” all, tried urgently to create a cause for his death. They tried to get him to criticize paying Roman taxes, or to agree with them that faith in a resurrection was absurd. But neither their trick questions nor their great outward show of piety fooled Jesus. For him, greatness lay not in earthly rank, but in people like the humble widow, whose tiny gift only he noticed.

• Jesus described pious frauds in verses 46-47: “In long robes … love being greeted with honor … places of honor … cheat widows out of their homes … to show off they say long prayers.” Why do people like that often achieve prominence, often even if many people “see through them”? What inner choices do you need to make to avoid being like that?
• ?The Sadducees didn’t believe in resurrection, and they tried to make the idea sound ridiculous. What made absolute trust that death was not the end, that “the worst thing is never the last thing,” of crucial importance to Jesus? Do you share his confidence? If so, in what ways does it shape your day-to-day life for the better?