0 SAB Mark 12

What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 11:24

Trivia: In Mark 16, what five signs did Jesus say would identify his followers?

Mark

CHAPTER 12

A parable about a vineyard
12:1-12, Cf. Mt 21:33-46, Lk 20:9-19

1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

Jesus began to speak in parables, saying,

A man planted a vineyard. [1]

Then he went to a far country, renting the vineyard to someone else.

2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

The owner sent a servant to get the fruit of the vineyard.

3And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

The servant was beaten, and sent away without the fruit.

4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

The owner sent another servant, who returned after being wounded in the head from stones that were thrown at him.

5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

The owner sent another servant, who was killed.

Many other servants were sent.

Some were beaten, some killed.

6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

The owner finally sent his beloved son, saying,

"They'll respect my son."

7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's.

But they said to themselves,

"This is the heir. Let's kill him. Then the vineyard will be ours."

8And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

So they killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.

What should the owner of the vineyard do?

He'll kill the ones who rented the vineyard and give it to others.

Pay your taxes
12:13-17, Cf. Mt 22:15-22, Lk 20:27-40

13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to try to catch Jesus saying things that he shouldn't say.

14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

They said to him,

We know you speak the truth, so we'd like to ask you this:

Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

Jesus said,

Bring me a penny, so I can 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.

They brought him one and he said,

"Whose picture and name is on it?"

They said, "Caesar's".

17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Jesus said,

Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, [2]

and to God the things that are God's.

There are no marriages in heaven
12:18-27, Cf. Mt 22:23-33, Lk 20:27-40

18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

The Sadducees (which deny the resurrection) asked Jesus,

19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Moses said that if a man dies without children, his brother must marry his wife and raise children for his brother.

20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

Now what if there were seven brothers, and the first, after marrying, died without children. So his brother took his wife.

21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

22And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

Then the second brother died, and the third died without children, etc. to the seventh.

23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

In the afterlife, which of the seven brothers will be her husband?

24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Jesus said,

You don't know the scriptures of the power of God.

In the afterlife, no one marries, [3]

but are like the angels in heaven.

26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Remember how God in the bush spoke to Moses. [4]

27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

He's the God of the living, not of the dead.

The great commandments
12:28-34, Cf. Mt 22:34-40, Lk 10:25-28

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

One of the scribes asked Jesus,

What is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Jesus said,

The Lord our God is one Lord.

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: this is the first commandment.

Love God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

This is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

The second is like it:

Love your neighbor as yourself. [5]

There are no greater commandments than these.

32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; 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 soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

The scribe agreed with Jesus.

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.

And Jesus said,

You're not far from the kingdom of God.

Jesus is not the son of David
12:35-37, Cf. Mt 22:41-46, Lk 20:41-44

35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?

Jesus was teaching in the temple, when he said,

Why do people say that the Christ is the son of David?

36For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Because David said by the Holy Ghost,
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.

37David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

Since David called him Lord, how is he his son?

Beware of scribes (they'll get the worst damnation)
12:38-40, Cf. Lk 20:45-48

38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Jesus said,

Beware of the scribes who love to wear long clothing,

get the best seats,

devour widows' houses,

and make long prayers.

They'll get the worst damnation.

The widow's mite
12:41-44, Cf. Lk 21:1-4

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

Jesus sat and watched as people put money in the treasury.

Many were rich, and gave much.

42And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

A poor widow threw in two mites.

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

Jesus gathered his disciples and said to them,

This poor widow gave more than everyone else put together. [7]

44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Because they gave from their abundance,

but she gave all that she had.

VegetableEMPEROR10 months ago

The "no marriage in Heaven" idea from Mark 12:25 conflicts greatly with marriage being eternal, which I believe is mentioned in Matthew 16:19.

Some seem to think that once you've ascended, you're 'married' to God at that point and the common idea of spousal marriage doesn't matter. ...it kind of puts a damper on the thought of reuniting with your loved ones. What's comforting about the afterlife in this sense?

Steve Wells10 months ago

I agree with you about Jesus's "no marriage in heaven" idea. I've added it to the What the Bible says about Marriage page. Thanks!

But I wonder if you mean Matthew 19:9 for the eternal marriage verse. (Although it seems to have more to do with divorce than a continuation of marriage in heaven.) Or did you have some other verse in mind?

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