Mark 12

The Vineyard and the Beloved Son

1Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away. 2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to receive some of the vineyard’s fruit from them. 3But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4Again the owner sent another servant. They struck this one on the head and treated him shamefully. 5He sent another, and they killed him. He sent many others; some they beat and some they killed. 6He still had one person left: a beloved son. He sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not read this Scripture:
‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone; 11this came from the Lord,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12They wanted to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Caesar and God

13They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words. 14They came and said, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not show favoritism. You do not judge by outward status but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not? 15Should we pay, or should we not?” Knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so I can see it.” 16They brought one. He asked, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 17Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

Resurrection and the God of the Living

18Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother should take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20There were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died without leaving offspring. 21The second married her and died without leaving offspring, and the third did the same. 22None of the seven left offspring. Last of all, the woman also died. 23In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? All seven had married her.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is this not why you are mistaken: you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25When people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. 26And concerning the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly mistaken.”

The Greatest Commandments

28One of the scribes came near and heard them debating. Seeing that Jesus had answered them well, he asked, “Which commandment is first of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The first is: ‘Hear, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken truly: he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33And to love him with all the heart, all the understanding, and all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

David’s Son and David’s Lord

35While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36David himself said by the Holy Spirit,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet.’ 37David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” The large crowd listened to him gladly.

Scribes and a Poor Widow

38In his teaching Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, receive greetings in the marketplaces, 39have the best seats in synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40devour widows’ houses, and make long prayers for appearance. They will receive a greater judgment.” 41Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched how the crowd put money into it. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth very little. 43Jesus called his disciples and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others putting money into the treasury. 44They all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”