Mark 12

The Story of the Renters

1 Jesus began to speak to the people by using stories. He said, "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went away on a journey.
2 "At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3 But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing.4 So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly.5 The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others.
6 "The man had one person left to send. It was his son, and he loved him. He sent him last of all. He said, 'They will respect my son.'
7 "But the renters said to each other, 'This is the one who will receive all the owner's property someday. Come, let's kill him. Then everything will be ours.'8 So they took him and killed him. They threw him out of the vineyard.
9 "What will the owner of the vineyard do then? He will come and kill those renters. He will give the vineyard to others.

10 "Haven't you read what Scripture says,
" 'The stone the builders didn't accept
has become the most important stone of all.

11 The Lord has done it.
It is wonderful in our eyes'?" (Psalm 118:22,23)
12 Then the religious leaders looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They knew he had told the story against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Is It Right to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

13 Later the religious leaders sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus. They wanted to trap him with his own words.
14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of honor. You don't let others tell you what to do or say. You don't care how important they are. But you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"
But Jesus knew what they were trying to do. So he asked, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a silver coin. Let me look at it."
16 They brought the coin.
He asked them, "Whose picture is this? And whose words?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God."
They were amazed at him.

Marriage When the Dead Rise

18 The Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead.19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us about a man who died and didn't have any children. But he did leave a wife behind. That man's brother must get married to the widow. He must have children to carry on his dead brother's name.
20 "There were seven brothers. The first one got married. He died without leaving any children.21 The second one got married to the widow. He also died and left no child. It was the same with the third one.22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.23 When the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her."
24 Jesus replied, "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God.25 When the dead rise, they won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven.
26 "What about the dead rising? Haven't you read in the scroll of Moses the story of the bush? God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.' (Exodus 3:6)27 He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. You have made a big mistake!"

The Most Important Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard the Sadducees arguing. He noticed that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer. So he asked him, "Which is the most important of all the commandments?"
29 Jesus answered, "Here is the most important one. Moses said, 'Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is one.30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength.' (Deuteronomy 6:4,5)31 And here is the second one. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' (Leviticus 19:18) There is no commandment more important than these."
32 "You have spoken well, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one. There is no other God but him.33 To love God with all your heart and mind and strength is very important. So is loving your neighbor as you love yourself. These things are more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely. He said to him, "You are not far from God's kingdom."
From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

35 Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard. He asked, "Why do the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said,
" 'The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your control." ' (Psalm 110:1)

37 David himself calls him 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?"
The large crowd listened to Jesus with delight.
38 As he taught, he said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They like to be greeted in the market places.39 They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at dinners.40 They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish those men very much."

The Widow's Offering

41 Jesus sat down across from the place where people put their temple offerings. He watched the crowd putting their money into the offering boxes. Many rich people threw large amounts into them.
42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins. They were worth much less than a penny.
43 Jesus asked his disciples to come to him. He said, "What I'm about to tell you is true. That poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others.44 They all gave a lot because they are rich. But she gave even though she is poor. She put in everything she had. She gave all she had to live on."

Mark 12

1 And he began to speak unto them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard.3 And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and him they wounded in the head, and handled shamefully.5 And he sent another; and him they killed: and many others; beating some, and killing some.6 He had yet one, a beloved son: he sent him last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard.9 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.10 Have ye not read even this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;

11 This was from the Lord, And it is marvellous in our eyes?

12 And they sought to lay hold on him; and they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spake the parable against them: and they left him, and went away.13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch him in talk.14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why make ye trial of me? bring me a denarius, that I may see it.16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.17 And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled greatly at him.18 And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,19 Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.20 There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed;21 and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise:22 and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.23 In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.24 Jesus said unto them, Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven.26 But as touching the dead, that they are raised; have ye not read in the book of Moses, in the place concerning the Bush, how God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: ye do greatly err.28 And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all?29 Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one:30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.31 The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.32 And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he:33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.35 And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David?36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

37 David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.38 And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and to have salutations in the marketplaces,39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts:40 they that devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.41 And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.42 And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.43 And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury:44 for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.