Mark 12

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

1Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

2At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.3But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4Then he sent them another servant, and casting stonesa they struck him over the head and sent him away,b treating him shamefully.

5He sent still another, and this one they killed.

He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.

6Finally, having hisc one beloved son, he sent him to them last.d ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

7But the tenants saide to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9What thenf will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.10Have you never read this Scripture:

‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

11This is from the Lord,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’g?”

12At this, the leaders soughth to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words. 14“Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawfuli to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”

15But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denariusj to inspect.”16So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered.

17In responsek Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

And they marveled at Him.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.l20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.21Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.22In this way, none of the seven who had herm left any children. And last of all, the woman died.23In the resurrection, then,n whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”

24Jesus answered them,o “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.

26But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’p? 27He is not the God of the dead, but the Godq of the living. Thereforer you are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment

28Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

29Jesus replied, “This is the most important of all the commandments:s ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’t This is the first commandment.u31The second, like it,v is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’w No other commandment is greater than these.”

32“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him, 33and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your soulx and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

And no one dared to question Him any further.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

35While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,y He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 36Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand

until I make Your enemies

a footstool for Your feet.”’z

37Thereforeaa David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?”

And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.

Beware of the Scribes

38In His teaching Jesus also said to them,ab “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, 39and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.40They defraud widows of their houses,ac and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

41As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.42Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.ad

43Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury.44For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”