Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²⁴ Christ did not go into a holy place made by men's hands. The holy places on earth only show in a little way what the true holy place in heaven is like. He went into heaven itself. Now he stands before God for our sake.

²⁵ Christ did not have to offer himself as a sacrifice many times. He is not like the high priest who went into the Holy Place every year and took blood that was not his own blood.

²⁶ If Christ were like him, he would have had to die many times ever since the world was first made. But as it is now, Christ came once in the last days of the world. He came to clean away what is wrong by giving himself as a sacrifice.

²⁷ People must die, and after that they will be judged.

²⁸ So Christ gave himself as a sacrifice only once. He took on himself the wrong things many people have done. He will come a second time. But he will not come to do anything about the wrong things people have done. He will come to save those who are looking and waiting for him.

³⁸ Jesus went on to teach them. He said, `Take care. Do not let the scribes fool you by the way they do things. They like to walk about with long gowns. They want people to greet them in the market.

³⁹ They want to sit in the front seats in the meeting houses. They want to sit in the best places at feasts.

⁴⁰ They take away the homes of women whose husbands are dead. They cover up the wrong things they do by talking to God a long time. They will be punished more!'

⁴¹ Jesus sat down in the temple near the place where people put in their money. He saw how the people put in money. Many rich people put in much money.

⁴² A poor woman, whose husband was dead, came. She put in two small pieces of money.

⁴³ Jesus called his disciples. He said, `I tell you the truth. This poor woman has given more money than all the other people.

⁴⁴ All these people had plenty of money and they gave only a part of it. She was poor and she gave everything she had. She has nothing left to live on.'