Mark 12

The Story About a Vineyard

1-2 Then Jesus started telling them stories. "A man planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, erected a watchtower, turned it over to the farmhands, and went off on a trip. At the time for harvest, he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect his profits.

3-5 "They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him off empty-handed. So he sent another servant. That one they tarred and feathered. He sent another and that one they killed. And on and on, many others. Some they beat up, some they killed.

6 "Finally there was only one left: a beloved son. In a last-ditch effort, he sent him, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'

7-8 "But those farmhands saw their chance. They rubbed their hands together in greed and said, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him over the fence.

9-11 "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others. Read it for yourselves in Scripture:
That stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone! This is God's work; we rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!"

12 They wanted to lynch him then and there but, intimidated by public opinion, held back. They knew the story was about them. They got away from there as fast as they could.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13-14 They sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait him, hoping to catch him saying something incriminating. They came up and said, "Teacher, we know you have integrity, that you are indifferent to public opinion, don't pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

15-16 He knew it was a trick question, and said, "Why are you playing these games with me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it." They handed him one.
"This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?"
"Caesar," they said.

17 Jesus said, "Give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his."
Their mouths hung open, speechless.

Our Intimacies Will Be with God

18-23 Some Sadducees, the party that denies any possibility of resurrection, came up and asked, "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry the widow and have children. Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her. He died, and still no child. The same with the third. All seven took their turn, but no child. Finally the wife died. When they are raised at the resurrection, whose wife is she? All seven were her husband."

24-27 Jesus said, "You're way off base, and here's why: One, you don't know your Bibles; two, you don't know how God works. After the dead are raised up, we're past the marriage business. As it is with angels now, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding the dead, whether or not they are raised, don't you ever read the Bible? How God at the bush said to Moses, 'I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? The living God is God of the living, not the dead. You're way, way off base."

The Most Important Commandment

28 One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?"

29-31 Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

32-33 The religion scholar said, "A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that's better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!"

34 When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, "You're almost there, right on the border of God's kingdom."
After that, no one else dared ask a question.

35-37 While he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it that the religion scholars say that the Messiah is David's 'son,' when we all know that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said,
God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." "David here designates the Messiah 'my Master'—so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?"
The large crowd was delighted with what they heard.

38-40 He continued teaching. "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end."

41-44 Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all."

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.