Mark 12
12
The Parable of the Vineyard Owner
1He # 12:1–12 Mt 21:33–46; Lk 20:9–19 began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, # 12:1 Gn 9:20 put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away. 2At harvest time he sent # 12:2 Mk 3:14 a servant # 12:2 Mt 10:24 to the farmers to collect some of the fruit # 12:2 Mt 3:8; 7:16 of the vineyard from them. 3But they took him, beat # 12:3 Lk 22:63 him, and sent him away empty-handed. # 12:3 Col 2:8 4Again he sent another servant to them, and they # 12:4 Other mss add threw stones and hit him on the head and treated him shamefully. # 12:4 Other mss add and sent him off 5Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6He still had one to send, a beloved # 12:6 Eph 1:6; Phm 1 son. Finally # 12:6 Heb 1:1–2 he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9What then will the owner # 12:9 Or lord,# 12:9 Col 3:22 of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others. 10Haven’t you read this Scripture: # 12:10 Mt 26:54; 2Pt 1:20
The # 12:10–11 Ps 118:22–23 stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone. # 12:10 Ac 4:11; 1Pt 2:7
11 This came about from the Lord # 12:11 Col 4:1; Jd 5
and is wonderful in our eyes? ” # 12:10–11 Ps 118:22–23
12They were looking for a way to arrest him but feared the crowd because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. So they left him and went away.
God and Caesar
13Then # 12:13–17 Mt 22:15–22; Lk 20:20–26 they sent some of the Pharisees # 12:13 Mk 7:3 and the Herodians # 12:13 Mk 3:6 to Jesus to trap him in his words. # 12:13 Lk 11:54 14When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality # 12:14 Dt 1:17 but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes # 12:14 Mt 17:25 to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we? ”
15But knowing their hypocrisy, # 12:15 Mt 23:28; Lk 12:1; Gl 2:13; 1Tm 4:2; 1Pt 2:1 he said to them, “Why are you testing # 12:15 Jms 1:13 me? Bring me a denarius # 12:15 A denarius = one day’s wage,# 12:15 Mt 18:28 to look at.” 16They brought a coin. “Whose image # 12:16 Rv 13:14 and inscription # 12:16 Mk 15:26; Lk 23:38 is this? ” he asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” # 12:17 Rm 13:7 And they were utterly amazed # 12:17 Rv 17:6 at him.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
18Sadducees, # 12:18–27 Mt 22:23–33; Lk 20:27–40 who say there is no resurrection, # 12:18 Ac 23:6 came to him and questioned him: 19“Teacher, # 12:19 Mk 4:38; Eph 4:11 Moses # 12:19 Ps 77:20; Mt 8:4; Heb 3:2 wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child, # 12:19 Lk 1:7 that man should take the wife # 12:19 Mt 1:6 and raise up offspring for his brother. # 12:19 Gn 38:8; Dt 25:5,# 12:19 Gn 38:8; Dt 25:5–10 20There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring. 21The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22None of the seven # 12:22 Other mss add had taken her and left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. 23In the resurrection, when they rise, # 12:23 Other mss omit when they rise whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her? ”
24Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures # 12:24 Mt 26:54; 2Pt 1:20 or the power # 12:24 Lk 1:35; 6:19 of God? # 12:24 2Co 13:4; Rv 11:17 25For when they rise # 12:25 Lk 18:33 from the dead, # 12:25 Jn 5:25; 20:9 they neither marry nor are given in marriage # 12:25 1Tm 5:14 but are like angels # 12:25 Mt 13:49; Ac 5:19; Rv 14:6 in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised — haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: I # 12:26 Ex 3:6,15–16 am the God of Abraham # 12:26 Gl 3:6 and the God of Isaac # 12:26 Jms 2:21 and the God of Jacob? # 12:26 Ex 3:6,15–16 # 12:26 Mt 1:2; Lk 1:33 27He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”
The Primary Commands
28One # 12:28–34 Mt 22:34–40 of the scribes # 12:28 Mt 2:4 approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all? ”
29Jesus answered, “The most important # 12:29 Other mss add of all the commands is Listen, Israel! The Lord # 12:29 Col 4:1; Jd 5 our God, the Lord # 12:29 Dt 6:4 is one. # 12:29 Or the Lord our God is Lord alone. 30Love # 12:30 Lk 6:35 the Lord your God # 12:30 Dt 6:5; Lk 10:27 with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, # 12:30 1Jn 5:20 and with all your strength. # 12:30 Other mss add This is the first commandment.,# 12:30 Dt 6:4–5; Jos 22:5,# 12:30 Dt 6:4–5; Jos 22:5 31The second is, Love your neighbor # 12:31 Lk 10:29 as yourself. # 12:31 Lv 19:18,# 12:31 Lv 19:18; 1Jn 4:21 There is no other command # 12:31 Mk 7:8 greater than these.”
32Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one # 12:32 Rm 3:30 else except him. # 12:32 Dt 4:35,39; 6:4; Is 37:20; 43:10; 44:6; 45:21 33And to love # 12:33 Lk 6:35 him with all your heart, with all your understanding, # 12:33 Other mss add with all your soul and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” # 12:33 1Sm 15:22; Ps 51:16; Hs 6:6; Am 5:22; Mc 6:6–8
34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” # 12:34 Mk 1:15 And no one dared # 12:34 Lk 20:40 to question him any longer.
The Question about the Messiah
35While # 12:35–37 Mt 22:41–46; Lk 20:41–44 Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked, # 12:35 Ac 21:26 “How can the scribes # 12:35 Mt 2:4 say that the Messiah # 12:35 Mt 1:17; Eph 5:2 is the son of David? # 12:35 2Ch 1:1; Mt 1:1; Rm 1:3 36David # 12:36 Lk 1:27 himself says by the Holy Spirit: # 12:36 Jn 1:33; Ac 19:21
The Lord # 12:36 Lk 17:5 declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand # 12:36 Mt 20:21
until I put your enemies under your feet.’ # 12:36 Ps 110:1,# 12:36 Ps 110:1
37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How, then, can he be his son? ” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
Warning against the Scribes
38He # 12:38–40 Mt 23:1–36; Lk 20:45–47 also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes # 12:38 Rv 7:14 and who want greetings in the marketplaces, # 12:38 Mk 6:56 39the best seats # 12:39 Lk 11:43 in the synagogues, # 12:39 Jms 2:2 and the places of honor # 12:39 Lk 14:7–8 at banquets. # 12:39 Jn 13:2 40They devour # 12:40 Gl 5:15 widows’ # 12:40 Jms 1:27 houses and say long prayers # 12:40 Mt 5:44; Ac 12:12 just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”
The Widow’s Gift
41Sitting # 12:41–44 Lk 21:1–4 across from the temple treasury, # 12:41 Jn 8:20 he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich # 12:41 Gn 24:35; Rv 2:9 people were putting in large sums. 42Then a poor # 12:42 Mk 14:7 widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43Summoning his disciples, # 12:43 Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 he said to them, “Truly I tell you, # 12:43 Ps 72:19; Rv 22:21 this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. # 12:43 Jn 8:20 44For they all gave out of their surplus, # 12:44 1Co 15:58 but she out of her poverty # 12:44 Php 4:11 has put in everything she had # 12:44 Lk 15:12 — all she had to live on.” # 12:44 1Jn 3:17
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Mark 12: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Mark 12
12
The story about men that looked after a garden
1After that, Jesus told them all a picture story. He said, “A man planted some fruit trees in his garden. Then he built a strong fence around it, and he made all the things he needed to look after those trees properly. Then he got some men to look after those trees for him. They agreed to give him some of the fruit from that garden, instead of paying rent money for it. After that, the owner went away to another country.#Isaiah 5:1-2
2The time came for the men to pick the fruit, and the owner sent one of his work-men to get some of his fruit from the garden. 3But the men in the garden grabbed that work-man, and they beat him up, and they sent him back with nothing.
4Then the owner sent another work-man to the garden, but those men hit him on the head and said bad things to him. 5After that, the owner sent another work-man to the garden, and this time the men killed him. Again and again the owner sent work-men to get some of his fruit, but the men in the garden killed some of them, and they beat up the others.
6The owner of the garden had one more person to send to get the fruit from the garden. The owner said to himself, ‘I will try one more time. I will send my son. I love him, and those men in the garden will respect him too.’ So he sent his son to that garden.
7But the men in the garden saw the owner’s son, and they said to themselves, ‘After that old man dies this young man will get this garden for himself. Let’s kill this man now so that we can get the garden for ourselves.’ 8So they grabbed the young man, and they killed him and chucked his body out of the garden.”
9Then Jesus asked the people, “What do you reckon the owner of that garden will do? I’m telling you, he will go to the garden and kill all those men there. Then he will get other people to look after the garden for him.”
10Then Jesus said, “You mob can read this picture story in God’s book, so think about its message. God said,
‘Some workers built a house out of big stones, but those workers thought one of those stones was rubbish, so they chucked it away.
They were wrong. That stone was properly good, and now God made it the most important stone of all.
11Yes, God did that, and we are really happy about it. We reckon he did something great.’ ”#Psalm 118:22-23
12The Jewish leaders heard that story, and they knew that it was a picture of themselves, that they were the bad workers in the story. They got angry, and they wanted to grab Jesus and take him to jail. But they were frightened of the big mob of people there, so they just walked away and left him alone.
Some people tried to trick Jesus
13Then the Jewish leaders sent some other men to try to trick Jesus. They sent some of the law men that were called Pharisees, and they sent some men that were good friends of Herod. Herod was the big government boss at that time. Those men tried to get Jesus to say something wrong, so they could make trouble for him.
14They said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you always want to do the right thing, and you always say true words. You talk to everyone the same way, people that are important and people that are not important. You always teach God’s words the right way. Well, we have a question about the Roman government bosses over our country. Is it right or wrong for us Jews to pay tax money to them?”
15Jesus knew that if he said, “Don’t pay that tax money,” then he will be in trouble with the Roman bosses, and if he said, “Pay that tax money,” then he will be in trouble with the Jewish people. They wanted to be free from the Roman bosses. So Jesus said, “Don’t try to trick me. Have you got some money? I want to look at a coin.”
16The men gave Jesus a coin. He looked at it and said, “Who is this on this money? Whose picture is this? And whose name is this?”
They said, “That is Caesar, the Roman government’s big boss.”
17Jesus said, “Well, you have to give Caesar and the Roman government whatever belongs to them, and you have to give God whatever belongs to him.”
When they heard him say that they were all really surprised.
Other people asked Jesus a tricky question
18There were some Jewish people that believed that after somebody dies they will stay dead, and they will never come alive again. They were called Sadducees. They tried to trick Jesus too.#Acts 23:8 19They said to him, “Teacher, Moses wrote down God’s law like this, he said, ‘If a married man has no kids, and if he dies, then his brother has to marry his widow. Then they have to have kids, and everyone will call those kids that dead brother’s kids.’#Deuteronomy 25:5
20But what about this. There were 7 brothers. The oldest brother got married, but he died before his wife could have a baby. 21So the next brother married that woman to follow God’s law, but he died too, before they could have a baby. Then the next brother did the same, but he died too, before they could have a baby. 22The same happened to all of those brothers. They all followed God’s law and married the woman, but each of them died before they could have any kids. And then last of all, that woman died too.
23Well, you reckon that one day all the dead people will come alive again. So here is our question. If all those brothers and that woman come alive again, which brother will have that woman as his wife? All 7 brothers had her as their wife before they died.”
24Jesus said, “You mob have a problem. You don’t know God’s word properly, and you don’t know about God’s power. 25You see, after all the dead people come alive again, they will be like God’s angel messengers in heaven. Those angels never marry each other. And people that come alive again will be the same. Nobody will promise a wife to anyone, and nobody will marry anyone.
26-27You mob reckon that dead people will never come alive again, but think about this story about Moses. You can read it in God’s book. Moses saw a little tree on fire, and then God said to him,
‘I am the God of Abraham, and I am the God of Isaac, and I am the God of Jacob.’
He didn’t say, ‘At one time, I used to be the God of those men.’ He said that he is their God now. That means those men are alive, not dead. They are living right now, with God. You see, you mob are really wrong.”#Exodus 3:6, 15
The most important laws
28One of the Jewish law teachers listened to Jesus and thought that Jesus answered them well. Then he asked Jesus, “Which one of God’s laws is the most important one?”
29Jesus said to him, “The most important law is this one,
‘Listen to me, you Israel people, our God is the only God.
He is the number one boss over everybody.
30You have to love God properly, not just a little bit. You have to love God from right inside yourself.
You have to love God in the way you feel, and in the way you think.
And you have to love God in the way you do things.’#Deuteronomy 6:4-5
31The 2nd most important law is this one,
‘You have to love other people just as much as you love yourself.’#Leviticus 19:18
Those 2 laws are the strongest and most important laws.”
32The Jewish law teacher said, “That is a good answer, teacher. God is the number one boss over everybody. There is no other god, just him.#Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4; Isaiah 45:21 33We have to love God properly, not just a little bit. We have to love God from right inside ourselves. We have to love God in the way we feel, and in the way we think. And we have to love God in the way we do things. That is really important for us. It is not so important for us to do ceremonies, like we do when we burn meat to give it to God.”#1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6-8; Isaiah 1:11-15; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8
34Jesus heard the man’s words and knew this man was thinking the right way, so Jesus said, “You are right. You are nearly ready for God to take you into his family.”
After that, nobody was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions to try to trick him.
Jesus taught people in God’s special house
35Then Jesus taught people in the yard of God’s ceremony house. He said, “You know that David lived a long time ago, and now our Jewish law teachers say that one of his grand-sons will be the special man that God promised to send, called the Christ. What do they mean by that? 36Think about this. God’s Holy Spirit told David to write these words, and they are in God’s book. He wrote,
‘God said to my boss, “Come here and sit down beside me until I make you boss over all your enemies.” ’#Psalm 110:1
37You know, David was talking about that special man that God was going to send, and David called him boss, so how can that man be David’s grand-son?”
A lot of people listened to his words, and they were really happy with him.
38Jesus kept on teaching the people. He said, “Look out for those Jewish law teachers. They think they are great. They wear real good clothes so that people will think they are important. They like people to say hello to them whenever they go shopping. 39Those law teachers want everyone to respect them, so they want to have special chairs at the meeting houses, and if they go to parties, they want to have special places to sit. 40But they do bad things. They trick old women that haven’t got anybody to look after them. They take everything off those women. They take their houses and all their things, and then those law teachers go to the meeting house and say long prayers, so that people will think they are good. They just pretend to live God’s way. You know, God will punish them more than he will punish the other people that do bad things.”
A poor widow gave money to God
41Then Jesus sat down near the money box at God’s ceremony house, and he watched the people put money in the box to give it to God. Some rich people put in a lot of money. 42But then a poor widow woman came in, and she didn’t put much money into the money box. She just put in 2 very little coins.
43-44Jesus called his followers to him and said, “Listen, this poor woman gave more money than those rich people. You see, those rich people gave some of their money, but they still have lots more back at their homes. But that poor woman gave all the money she had. She kept nothing for herself, not even money to buy some food for herself.”
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