CHAPTER 12
Then
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.
At harvest time,
he sent
a servant
to
the
tenants
to
collect
his share of
the
fruit
of the
vineyard.
He sent
still another,
and this one
they killed.
He sent
many
others;
some
they beat
and
others
they killed.
But
the
tenants
said
to
one another,
‘This
is
the
heir;
come,
let us kill
him,
and
the
inheritance
will be
ours.’
What
then
will the
owner
of the
vineyard
do?
He will come
and
kill
those
tenants
and
give
the
vineyard
to others.
At this,
the leaders sought
to arrest
Jesus,
for
they knew
that
He had spoken
this
parable
against
them.
But
fearing
the
crowd,
they left
Him
and went away.
“Teacher,”
they said,
“we know
that
You are
honest
and
are swayed
by no one.
Indeed,
You are impartial
and
teach
the
way
of God
in accordance with
the truth.
Now then, is it lawful
to pay
taxes
to Caesar
or
not?
Should we pay them
or
not?”
But
Jesus saw through
their
hypocrisy
and said,
“Why
are you testing
Me?
Bring
Me
a denarius
to
inspect.”
So
they brought it,
and
He asked
them,
“Whose
likeness
is this?
And
whose
inscription?”
“Caesar’s,”
they answered.
Then
Jesus
told
them,
“Give
to Caesar
what is
Caesar’s,
and
to God
what is
God’s.”
And
they marveled
at
Him.
“Teacher,
Moses
wrote
for us
that
if
a man’s
brother
dies
and
leaves
a wife
but
no
children,
the man
should marry
the
widow
and
raise up
offspring
for
his
brother.
Then
the
second one
married
the widow,
but he also died
and left
no
children.
And
the
third did
likewise.
Jesus
said
to them,
“Aren’t you mistaken
because
you do not know
the
Scriptures
or
the
power
of God?
When
the dead rise,
they will neither marry
nor
be given in marriage.
Instead,
they will be
like
the angels
in
heaven.
And
regarding
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?'
Now
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?”
and
you shall 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.’
No
other
commandment
is
greater
than these.”
“Right,
Teacher,”
the
scribe
replied.
“You have stated
correctly
that
God is
One
and
there is
no
other
but
Him,
and
to love
Him
with
all
your
heart
and
with
all
your
understanding
and
with
all
your
strength,
and
to love
your
neighbor
as
yourself,
which is
more important
than all
burnt offerings
and
sacrifices."
When
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.
While
Jesus was teaching
in
the
temple courts,
He
asked,
“How
can the
scribes
say
that
the
Christ
is
the son
of David?
Speaking by
the
Holy
Spirit,
David
himself
declared:
‘The Lord
said
to
my
Lord,
“Sit
at
My
right hand
until
I put
Your
enemies
under
Your
feet."'
David
himself
calls
Him
Lord.
So
how
can He be
David’s
son?”
And
the
large
crowd
listened
to Him
with delight.
In
His
teaching
Jesus also said,
“Watch out
for
the
scribes.
They like
to walk around
in
long robes,
to receive greetings
in
the
marketplaces,
They
defraud
widows
of their
houses,
and
for a show
make lengthy prayers.
These men
will receive
greater
condemnation.”
As
Jesus was sitting
opposite
the
treasury,
He watched
the
crowd
placing
money
into
it.
And
many
rich people
put in
large amounts.
Then
one
poor
widow
came
and put in
two
small copper coins,
which
amounted to
a small fraction of a denarius.
Jesus called
His
disciples to Him
and said,
“Truly
I tell
you,
this
poor
widow
has put
more
than all
the
others
into
the
treasury.
For
they all
contributed
out of
their
surplus,
but
she
out of
her
poverty
has put in
all
she had
to live on.”