12:1 And he began to speak to them in parables: A man planted a vineyard and placed a fence around it and shoveled a winepress in it and built a tower, and rented it out to farmers and went-abroad.
12:2 And at the harvest time, he sent a bondservant to the farmers, in order that he might receive from the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers.
12:3 But they took him and whipped him and sent him away empty handed.
12:4 And again, he sent another bondservant to them, and having stoned him, they bashed his head and sent him away, having dishonored him.
12:5 And again, he sent another, and they killed him and many others, whipping some but killing others.
12:6 Therefore, he still had one, his beloved son; he also sent him last to them, saying, They will be revering my son.
12:7 But those farmers said to themselves, This is the heir. Come-here*. We should kill him and the inheritance will be ours.
12:8 And they took him and killed him and cast him forth outside the vineyard.
12:9 Therefore, what will the lord of the vineyard be doing? He will come and will destroy the farmers and will be giving the vineyard to others.
12:10 Did you* not even read this Scripture, 'The stone which the builders rejected*, this became the head of the corner;
12:11 this came* from the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes'? {Psa 118:22-23}
12:12 And they were seeking to take-hold of him, and yet they feared the crowd. They knew that he spoke the parable to them and they left him and went away.
{Mat 22:1-14.} {Mar 12:13-17 & Mat 22:15-22 & Luk 20:20-26 Courtyard of the Temple, Tues.}
12:13 And they send to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, in order that they might catch him in his speech.
12:14 Now after they came, they say to him, Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care concerning one 's appearance. You do not look at the countenance of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it legal to give tribute to Caesar or not?
12:15 Should we give or should we not give?
But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why are you* testing me? Bring* me a denarius {a standard day's pay} , in order that I may see it.
12:16 Now they brought it. And he says to them, Whose face is this image and inscription? Now they said to him, Caesar's.
12:17 And Jesus answered and said to them, Give* to Caesar the things which are Caesar's and give to God the things which are God's. And they marveled at him.
{Mar 12:18-27 & Mat 22:23-33 & Luk 20:27-39.}
12:18 And the Sadducees come to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him, saying,
12:19 Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If anyone's brother dies and if he leaves a wife behind him and if he leaves no child, that* his brother should take his wife and should raise* up seed to his brother. {Deu 25:5}
12:20 There were seven brethren and the first took a wife and dying left no seed;
12:21 and the second took her and died, and left no seed, and the third likewise*;
12:22 and the seven took her and left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.
12:23 Whenever they rise* up in the resurrection, whose wife will she be of them? For* the seven had her as their wife.
12:24 And Jesus answered and said to them, Are you* not being misled because of this, by not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?
12:25 For* whenever they rise* up from the dead, they neither marry, nor are they betrothed, but are like messengers the ones in the heavens.
12:26 But concerning the dead, that they are raised; did you* not read in the book of Moses, How God spoke to him at the bush, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob'? {Exo 3:6}
12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Therefore, you* are much misled.
{Mar 12:28-34 & Mat 22:34-40 & Luk 20:40.}
12:28 And one of the scribes came near and heard them debating together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all?
12:29 But Jesus answered, The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one';
12:30 and 'You will love* the Lord your God from all your heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength. ' This is the first commandment. {Deu 6:4-6}
12:31 And the second is similar, 'You will love* your neighbor like yourself. ' There is no other commandment greater than these. {Lev 19:18}
12:32 And the scribe said to him, Teacher, you said well in truth, that he is one, and there is no other except* him;
12:33 and to love* him from the whole heart and from the whole intelligence and from the whole soul and from the whole strength and to love* his neighbor like himself, is more-than all the whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.
12:34 And after Jesus saw that he answered with perception, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no one was daring enough to ask him anymore. {Mar 12:35-37 & Mat 22:41-46 & Luk 20:41-44.}
12:35 And Jesus answered and said, while teaching in the temple, How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
12:36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord says to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I should place your enemies as the footstool of your feet. ' {Psa 110:1}
12:37 Therefore David himself calls* him Lord, and from where is he his son? And the large crowd was gladly hearing him. {Mar 12:38-40 & Mat 23:1-39 & Luk 20:45-47 Courts of the Temple, Tues.}
12:38 And he said to them in his teaching, Beware* of things from the scribes, who wish to walk in long robes and to have greetings in the marketplaces,
12:39 and the foremost seats in the synagogues and foremost-places at the suppers.
12:40 They are those who devour widows' houses and are praying long prayers for a pretext; these will be receiving even-more condemnation.
{Mar 12:41-44 & Luk 21:1-4 In the Temple Treasury, Tues.}
12:41 And having sat down opposite the treasury, Jesus was viewing how the crowd cast brass coins into the treasury, and many who were rich were casting in much.
12:42 And a poor widow came and she cast in two bronze-coins, which is equal to a copper coin.
12:43 And he called his disciples to him and says to them, Assuredly I am saying to you*, This poor widow has cast in more-than all those who are casting in much into the treasury;
12:44 for* they all cast in out of what is abounding to them, but she cast in, out of her lack of all things, as many things as she had, her whole livelihood.
{Joh 12:20-50) In the Temple, Tues.} {Mar 13:1-23 & Mat 24:1-28 & Luk 21:5-24 Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. It is best to read Luke 21 first. See also: Luk 19:41-44 & Luk 23:28-31.}