Mark's Gospel: Chapter 12
You are not far from the Kingdom of God.
Key words
- Entrust: to give someone a thing or a duty for which they are responsible
He didn't look like the sort of man you should entrust your luggage to.
- Seize: to take using sudden force
The rebels seized control of the TV station.
- Empty handed: not having anything to bring or to take away
We can't go to the party empty-handed.
- Cornerstone: something of great importance on which everything else depends
In most countries, the family unit is still the cornerstone of society.
- Fraud: someone who deceives people by saying that they are someone or something that they are not
He says he’s been everywhere and done everything, but I think he’s a fraud.
Read the article to find the answers
- Who was the parable about?
- What did the builders reject?
- What does Jesus say we should give to God?
- What will people be like when they rise from the dead?
Jesus speaks to the priests in parables
"There was a man who planted a vineyard and entrusted it to labourers. Then he went on a long journey. When the time was right, he sent a servant to collect some of the produce of the vineyard from the workers. But they seized the servant, attacked him and sent him away empty-handed. He tried again, sending another servant, but they threw stones at him, injuring him badly. He sent another servant, but they killed him and many others."
"Finally, he sent his only beloved son, thinking that they would surely respect him. But the workers thought that if they killed him, the vineyard would be theirs. So they killed him."
"What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come and destroy those workers and give the vineyard to others. Haven't you read this scripture? The stone that the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone."
They knew the parable was about them, so they tried to seize Him, but they were afraid of the crowd and went away.
Priests try to trick Jesus
Some priests were sent to try to trick Jesus into saying something that would make Him look like a fraud. They told Jesus that they knew He was honest and taught the truth about God. Then they gave Him a Roman coin and asked Him if they should pay taxes to Caesar.
Jesus replied:
"Why are you trying to trick me? Whose image is on this coin? Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God."
Jesus explains the resurrection
Some said that Moses wrote a law saying that if a man died without children, his brother should marry the widow and have children to carry on his brother's name.
It was said that there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman but died childless, so his brother married her and died childless too. All seven brothers married her, but none of them had children. Eventually the woman also died.
They asked Jesus whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus replied:
"Don't you understand the Scriptures or the power of God? When people rise from the dead, they will not marry, but will be like the angels in heaven."
Jesus teaches His commandment
One of the scholars asked Jesus what the most important commandment is. Jesus replied:
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. That is the first commandment. The second is just as important: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than this."
After that, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.
Jesus warns the people
"Beware of leaders who like to wear expensive clothes and love to be famous. A poor widow who is generous, even in poverty, is better than those who take from her and make long prayers in public for show."
Discussion questions
- Do you have any questions about any of the vocabulary or grammar in this article?
- Do you know the Bible passage quoted at the top of this article?
- Who do you think the owner of the vineyard in the parable refers to?
- Who do you think the only beloved son in the parable refers to?
- Who do you think the other characters in the parable refer to?