Mark 12

And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, and put a wall around it, and dug a pit for the winepress, and built a watchtower, and rented it out to farmers, and went away on a journey.

And at the time of the harvest he sent a servant to the farmers to receive his portion of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers.

And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

And again he sent to them another servant, and they hit that one on the head and treated him shamefully.

And he sent another, and they killed that one; and they mistreated many others, beating some and killing others.

He still had one left to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

But those farmers said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

Now, what then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers and will give the vineyard to others.

Have you not read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This came from the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes?’”

And they were seeking to arrest him because they knew that he spoke the parable against them, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap him in his words.

And when they arrived, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and are not concerned about anyone’s status because you do not show favoritism, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay a census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?”

But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it.”

And they brought it. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to him, “Caesar’s.”

And 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 greatly amazed at him.

And some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him, saying,

“Teacher, Moses wrote to us: If a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife, but leaves no child, that man must take his brother’s wife and raise up offspring for his dead brother.

There were seven brothers. And the first took a wife and when he died he left no offspring.

And the second took her and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.

And so the seven left no offspring. Last of all, the woman also died.

In the resurrection, whose wife will she be since all seven had her as a wife?”

Jesus said to them, “Isn’t this the reason you are mistaken: you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

For when they rise from among the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

“Now concerning the dead being raised—haven’t you read in the scroll of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”

And one of the experts in the law came and heard them disputing with one another, and when he saw that Jesus had answered them well, he asked him, “What commandment is the most important of all?”

Jesus answered, “The most important is: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone,

and so you are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.

The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

And the expert in the law said to him, “Well said, teacher. You have spoken the truth that he is Lord alone, and there is no other except him,

and you are to love him with all your heart, and with all your intelligence, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

And as he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus answered and said, “How can the experts in the law say that the Christ is the son of David?

David 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.’

David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ and so how is he his son?” And a large crowd was listening to him with delight.

And as he was teaching, he said, “Beware of the experts in the law who like to walk around in long robes and to receive greetings in the marketplaces,

and to sit in the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts.

They cheat widows out of their houses and make long prayers just for show. These people will receive a harsher punishment.”

And he sat down across from the offering box and watched a multitude of people put money into the offering box, and many who were rich put in large amounts.

And a poor widow came, and she put in two leptons, which make a quadrans.

And he called his disciples to himself and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than any of those who put money into the offering box,

because they all put in money out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had—all she had to live on.”