Mark Chapter 12
The last chapter ended with the Pharisees confronting Jesus about his clearing out the money changers.
This chapter starts with the parable of the tenants. The whole vineyard is constructed by the owner. He does all the work before the tenants are even called. He leaves it in their care, expecting a return on his investment - something for the labor he put into it himself. The man owned it all. It was ALL his, and yet he arranged to receive only a part from the tenants. They would not give him any of it, and even beat the servants he sent. Finally the man sends his own son, and these despicable tenants kill him also, thinking that will be the end of it, and they will now ultimately own what belonged to the builder. But not so. The owner will come, and will remove the usurpers, and re-establish his ownership. 2020 - No, his ownership is never in question. He will take the vineyard from those who killed his servants first and then his son, and he will give it to others. This is about the Gentiles also. This could also be said to be a reference to 70 AD. That is when the vineyard is going to be taken from them. Killing the son is the last straw. God sent His most loved, most treasured, to try and get these to keep their bargain - the Sinai covenant - and they killed that son. That broke all bargains, and "maintenance" of the vineyard went to others. That is what the church is doing. We are maintaining the vineyard, we are supplying fruit to the owner in season. This is what the original tenants were to do and did not.
2024 - So...during this present age, the vineyard, the favor, the blessing of God is NOT on Israel. They are "serving their sentence" for the way they treated the vineyard owner. It says "...he will come and destroy the vine-growers". They are just on their own right now. No different than any other nation. Until they turn back to Him they are NOT guaranteed success at any level! It was AFTER this that the Romans drove the Jews completely out of Israel! There's nothing that says that cannot happen again. Perhaps 1948 was just another test to see if, after all the persecution they'd suffered at the hands of the Nazis would wake them up. Apparently, it did not. As might have been expected given the history of Israel.
2024 - A little later...unless this is referring all the way back to 11:27, and the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. I suppose we ought to consider that it was the whole "legal system", with the priests in charge that might have been referenced. Hmm...That is a pretty distinct possibility. Vs 12, where "they were seeing to seize Him", points to this as the correct interpretation, rather than Israel as a whole. That would leave the door open for some Jews to participated in the New Covenant, which they did and still do. That is probably more accurate.
Render unto Caesar.
The Sadducees pose their dilemma about the wife of seven husbands.
Mark is running in parallel with Matthew 22 here. Same parables, same questions to entrap, and so on.
2021 - These parables are spoken in Jerusalem during Jesus' last days before crucifixion. These are surely important. The tenants, rendering to Caesar, no marriage in heaven, and the widow's mites. These ought to be given particular heed.
2021 - Note the difference in the question posed by the scribe in vss 28-34 as contrasted with the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees. The scribe notices the wisdom in Jesus' answers, and truly seeks to learn from Jesus with his question. He is a seeker. And Jesus recognizes this also, and says he is "not far" from the kingdom of God. But something was still missing. That something was that this scribe still didn't recognized that Jesus was the son of God, the Messiah. And he did not repent. He recognizes that devotion is more important than sacrifices, but he does not swing his allegiance from the Law to the Messiah.
2021 - 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet."' [Mar 12:36 ESV]
Jesus confirming that the scriptures are written in the Holy Spirit. They are inspired by God - God controls the very words so that there is no doubt. This would be good to memorize as a proof text for verbal plenary inspiration. God's words do not "expire" neither to they waste away with the ravages of time. The KJV language is dated, but the underlying scriptures are not.
In Mark's account, Jesus warns the crowds about the deceit of the scribes, who make themselves "above" everyone else, but in reality they "...devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers". Jesus is showing that they have not come to question him seeking knowledge, nor for the benefit of themselves or the crowd. They have come to destroy his credibility, to undermine his teaching if they can. His teaching was to the poor, the lame, the halt. To the widows. It is from these that are already considered the lowest of the low that the elite want to steal. In Matthew, we don't see this warning until the next chapter.
The story of the widow's mites. I have heard this used as an example of great faith, that she gave even what she needed to live on. I always had a hard time with this. I have also heard it said that Jesus' point was that false religion - perverted religion - takes and does not give. It required more of a lowly widow than it did of the rich. It favored the wealthy, and they got honor not for their sacrifice, but for their giving. It goes all the way back to Saul sacrificing oxen he had taken as spoil. He didn't buy them, they were nothing to him, and so nothing to God. The same with the offerings of the wealthy. If they don't miss it anyway, why should God honor it. This widow though, she will go hungry because of the offering she's made. The elite won't honor her, but God certainly will.
2021 - There is nothing here though, really, that seems an indictment of "false religion". Not in Mark's account anyway. Jesus seems to be using the widow as an example of trusting in God in all circumstances. Of devoting all to him. I see no indication that Jesus was trying to show that religion was at fault in her giving even what she had to buy food. Taking her last dime. I know that's what is going on, but I don't think Jesus was trying to convey that. He was conveying the love of God in the widow's heart as contrasted to the "show" of those who had so much.