Mar 12 | ISV | STEP | The Parable about the Tenant Farmers Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.

Mark 12

1 The Parable about the Tenant Farmers Matthew 21:33-46; Luke 20:9-19Then Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.Matt 21:33; Luke 22:9 2 At the right time he sent a servant to the farmers to collect from them a share of the produce from the vineyard. 3 But the farmers ^{▼▼Lit. they} grabbed the servant, ^{▼▼Lit. him} beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. 4 Again, the man ^{▼▼Lit. he} sent another servant to them. They beat the servant ^{▼▼Lit. him} over the head and treated him shamefully. 5 Then the man ^{▼▼Lit. he} sent another, and that one they killed. So it was with many other servants. ^{▼▼Lit. with many others} Some of these they beat, and others they killed. 6 He still had one more person to send, ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks more person to send} a son whom he loved. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8 So they grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven't you ever read this Scripture:Ps 118:22

‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone. ^{▼▼Or capstone}

11 This was the Lord's doing,

and it is amazing in our eyes’?” ^{▼▼Ps 118:22-23}

12 They were trying to arrest him but were afraid of the crowd. Realizing that he had spoken this parable against them, they left him alone and went away.Matt 21:45-46; Mark 11:18; John 7:25, 30, 44

13 A Question about Paying Taxes Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:20-26Then they sent some Pharisees and some Herodians ^{▼▼I.e. Royal party sympathizers} to him, intending to trap him in what he said.Matt 22:15; Luke 20:20 14 They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere. You don't favor any individual, for you pay no attention to external appearance. Rather, you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or should we not?”

15 But Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} recognized their hypocrisy and said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.”

16 So they brought one. Then he asked them, “Whose face and name is this?”

They said to him, “Caesar's.”

17 So Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

18 A Question about the Resurrection Matthew 22:23-33; Luke 20:27-40Then some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. him} and asked him,Matt 22:23; Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, he should marry the widow and have children for his brother. ^{▼▼Deut 25:5-6}Deut 25:5 20 There were seven brothers. The first one married and died without having children. 21 Then the second married her and died without having children, and so did the third. 22 None of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died, too. 23 In the resurrection, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?” ^{▼▼Lit. had her as wife}

24 Jesus said to them, “Aren't you mistaken because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power? 25 For when people ^{▼▼Lit. they} rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.1Cor 15:42, 49, 52 26 As for the dead being raised, haven't you read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ^{▼▼Exod 3:6}Exod 3:6 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

28 The Greatest Commandment Matthew 22:34-40; Luke 10:25-28Then one of the scribes came near and heard them arguing with one another. He saw how well Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”Matt 22:35

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,Deut 6:4; Luke 10:27 30 and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ^{▼▼Deut 6:4-5} 31 The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^{▼▼Lev 19:18} No other commandment is greater than these.”Lev 19:18; Matt 22:39; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14; James 2:8

32 Then the scribe said to him, “Well said, ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks said} Teacher! You have told the truth that ‘God ^{▼▼Lit. he} is one, and there is no other besides him.’ ^{▼▼Deut 6:4}Deut 4:39; Isa 45:6, 14; 46:9 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”1Sam 15:22; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8

34 When Jesus saw how wisely the man ^{▼▼Lit. he} answered, he told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to ask him another question.Matt 22:46

35 A Question about David's Son Matthew 22:41-46; Luke 20:41-44While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ ^{▼▼I.e. the Messiah} is David's son?Matt 22:41; Luke 20:41 36 David himself said by the Holy Spirit,2Sam 23:2; Ps 110:1

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ ^{▼▼Ps 110:1; other mss read until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’}

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ Then how can he be his son?” And the large crowd kept listening to him with delight.

38 Jesus Denounces the Scribes Matthew 23:1-36; Luke 20:45-47As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces,Matt 23:1; Mark 4:2; Luke 11:43; 20:46 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses ^{▼▼I.e. rob widows by taking their houses} and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!”Matt 23:14

41 The Widow's Offering Luke 21:1-4As Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} sat facing the offering box, he watched how the crowd was dropping their money into it. ^{▼▼Lit. into the offering box} Many rich people were dropping in large amounts.2Kings 12:9; Luke 21:1 42 Then a destitute widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, worth about a cent. 43 He called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this destitute widow has dropped in more than all of those who are contributing to the offering box.2Cor 8:12 44 For all of them contributed out of their surplus, but she, in her poverty, has dropped in everything she had to live on.”Deut 24:6; 1John 3:17