The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Study note
Jesus tells a thinly veiled allegory of Israel's history: God is the vineyard owner, the tenants are Israel's leaders, the servants are the prophets, and the beloved son is Jesus himself. The tenants' repeated abuse of the servants and murder of the son indicts the religious establishment for their persistent rejection of God's messengers and foreshadows their impending murder of God's Son. Jesus' quotation of Psalm 118 about the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone promises that God will vindicate the one they reject. The leaders understand the parable is against them but are restrained by fear of the people.
1 Then Jesus started teaching them using a story. "A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug out a pit for pressing the grapes, and put up a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and left for another country." 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.
2 "When the grapes were ready, he sent a servant to collect his share of the harvest from the farmers." And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 "The farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back with nothing." And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 "The owner sent another servant. They threw rocks at that one, cracked his skull, and humiliated him before chasing him away." 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.
5 "He sent yet another servant, and they killed that one. He kept sending more. They beat some and murdered others." And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6 "The owner had one person left he could send -- his own son, the one he loved most. He finally sent his son, thinking, 'Surely they will show respect to my son.'" Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
7 "But the farmers talked it over among themselves: 'This is the heir! If we kill him, everything will belong to us!'" But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
8 "So they grabbed the son, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard." And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 "Now what do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come back, destroy those farmers, and give the vineyard to someone else." What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
10 "Have you not read this verse in scripture? 'The stone that the builders threw aside has become the most important stone in the whole building.'" And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
11 "'The Lord made this happen, and it is an incredible thing to witness.'" This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
12 The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus then because they realized the story was aimed at them. But they were too afraid of the crowd, so they walked away. 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.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
Study note
The Pharisees and Herodians unite to trap Jesus with a question designed to be unwinnable: paying taxes to Caesar would offend Jewish nationalists, while opposing taxes would invite Roman prosecution. Jesus' brilliant response, 'Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God,' transcends both political options by establishing a framework for living under human governments while maintaining ultimate allegiance to God. The answer amazes even his adversaries and remains one of the most influential statements ever made about the relationship between faith and civic responsibility.
13 Later, they sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to Jesus. Their goal was to trick him into saying something they could use against him. And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
14 They approached him and said, "Teacher, we know you always tell the truth. You do not care about impressing anyone or playing favorites. You teach God's way honestly. So tell us: is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 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 Cæsar, or not?
15 "Should we pay up, or should we refuse?" Jesus saw right through their act and said, "Why are you trying to trap me? Hand me a coin and let me take a look at it." 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.
16 They gave him one. He asked, "Whose face is stamped on this? Whose name is written on it?" They answered, "Caesar's." And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cæsar's.
17 Jesus told them, "Then give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give God what belongs to God." They were stunned by his answer. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.
The Question About the Resurrection
Study note
The Sadducees, who deny any resurrection, pose a hypothetical scenario about a woman married successively to seven brothers, designed to make the concept of resurrection seem absurd. Jesus corrects their double error: they know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. In the resurrection, people will be like angels and not marry. More powerfully, Jesus argues from Exodus that when God says 'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,' using the present tense, he reveals that these patriarchs are alive, for he is the God of the living. This argument for resurrection from the Torah itself would have been particularly powerful since the Sadducees accepted only the five books of Moses.
18 Next, some Sadducees came to him. The Sadducees are the group that does not believe anyone comes back from the dead. They posed this question: Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19 "Teacher, Moses wrote a rule for us. If a man dies and his wife has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Then he should have children to carry on the dead man's name." 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.
20 "Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The first one got married and died without having any children." Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21 "The second brother married the widow and also died with no children. The same thing happened with the third brother." And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22 "In fact, all seven brothers married her one after another, and none of them had children with her. Finally, the woman herself died." And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23 "So here is our question: when everyone rises from the dead, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her!" In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24 Jesus said, "You have it all wrong. For that you do not know the scriptures or how powerful God is." And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 "When people rise from the dead, they do not get married. They are like the angels up in heaven." 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.
26 "Now about the dead coming back to life: have you not read in the writings of Moses about the burning bush? God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'" 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?
27 "God is not the God of dead people -- he is the God of the living! You have made a serious mistake." He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
The Greatest Commandment
Study note
A scribe, genuinely impressed by Jesus' answers, asks which commandment is the greatest. Jesus responds with the Shema from Deuteronomy, commanding love for God with all one's being, and adds the command from Leviticus to love one's neighbor as oneself, uniting vertical devotion and horizontal compassion as inseparable. The scribe's wise agreement that love surpasses all burnt offerings earns Jesus' commendation that he is 'not far from the kingdom of God.' After this, no one dares to ask Jesus any more questions.
28 A scribe who had been listening to the whole debate thought Jesus gave excellent answers. He walked up and asked, "Out of all the commandments, which one matters most?" 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?
29 Jesus answered, "The most important one is this: 'Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.'" And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 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. This is the first commandment. 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.
31 And the second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 The scribe replied, "Beautifully said, Teacher. You are right that there is only one God and no other." 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 "Love God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love other people like you love yourself. This matters more to God than all the burnt offerings in the world." 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.
34 Jesus could see the man had answered with real wisdom, so he told him, "You are very close to God's kingdom." After that exchange, nobody dared to challenge him with another question. 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.
David's Son and David's Lord
Study note
Jesus now takes the offensive, posing a question that strikes at the heart of messianic expectation: how can the scribes say the Christ is merely the son of David, when David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit in Psalm 110, calls the Messiah 'my Lord'? This question implies that the Messiah is greater than David and possesses a divine dignity that transcends mere human descent. The common people listen gladly, recognizing that Jesus has outmatched every challenger.
35 While teaching in the temple, Jesus raised a question: "The scribes say that the Christ is David's descendant. How do they explain this?" And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
36 "David himself spoke through the Holy Spirit. He said: 'The LORD told my Lord: Sit at my right side until I put all your enemies under your feet.'" For 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.
37 "David himself calls the Christ 'Lord.' So how can the Christ also be David's descendant?" The large crowd loved listening to him. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
Warning Against the Scribes
Study note
Jesus publicly warns against the scribes who love religious prestige, wearing long robes, receiving greetings in marketplaces, and taking seats of honor, while they devour widows' houses and make long prayers for show. Their exploitation of vulnerable people under the cover of piety makes their condemnation all the greater. This warning sets up the contrast with the widow who follows.
38 During his teaching, Jesus warned, "Be on your guard against the scribes. They love parading around in fancy long robes and soaking up greetings of respect in the marketplaces." 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 "They grab the best seats in the synagogue and the places of honor at dinner parties." And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
40 "They steal from widows and take their homes, and then they cover it up by praying extra-long prayers in public. Their punishment will be especially severe." Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
The Widow's Offering
Study note
Watching people give at the temple treasury, Jesus observes a poor widow deposit two tiny copper coins worth almost nothing. He declares that she has given more than all the wealthy donors combined, because they gave from their surplus while she gave everything she had to live on. This scene powerfully contrasts the scribes who devour widows' houses with a widow who gives sacrificially to God. It also raises the question of whether the corrupt temple system is worthy of her devotion, adding a layer of prophetic critique to the commendation of her faith.
41 Jesus sat down near the temple offering box and watched people drop in their donations. Many wealthy people threw in large sums of money. 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.
42 Then a poor widow walked up and dropped in two tiny copper coins -- together they were barely worth a penny. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 Jesus called his disciples over. He said, "Listen to this. That poor widow gave more than everyone else put together." 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:
44 "Everyone else gave from their extra money -- what they did not need. But she gave out of her poverty. She put in everything she had, the very last of her money to live on." 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.