after jesus has fended off the challenge of the religious leaders at the end of mark 11, he begins a series of teachings. some of them are in response to further questioning by his enemies, but the first is in the form of a parable in which jesus attacks those who seek to entrap him. in this parable, he tells of a vineyard owner who wants to collect his rent from evil tenants. the landlord repeatedly sends envoys to collect the rent, all of whom are attacked and some murdered. in a final act of desperation, the vineyard owner sends his son, thinking that his renters would not dare to harm his son. however, the tenants kill the son as well. jesus asks, "what then will the owner of the vineyard do?" in answer to his own question, jesus says, "he will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others" and proceeds by quoting a passage from the psalms: "the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes." knowing that they are the evil tenants in the parable, the religious leaders leave because they know that "the crowd" is supportive of jesus.
next "some pharisees and some herodians" pose a question to jesus, hoping to entrap him. they first flatter jesus and then ask him if it is "lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not." jesus sees through their ploy and asks them "why are you putting me to the test?" he then has someone hand him a coin, asking "whose head is this [on the coin], and whose title?" when he is told that it is the emperor's, he replies, "give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s." mark tells us that his interrogators were "utterly amazed at him."
jesus is next challenged by "some sadducees" who tell him a complicated story about a woman whose husband dies, but the widow has no children who can care for her. they say that according to the law, the brother of the widow is obligated to marry her. the woman has seven brothers-in-law, each of which marries her and then dies, and she has no children with any of the seven husbands. these sadducees want to know which of the men will be her husband in the resurrection. after explaining that when the woman and her husbands "rise from the dead" there is no such thing as marriage since those who are resurrected "are like angels in heaven," jesus goes right to the heart of their attempt to entrap him by attacking the sadducees' lack of belief in the resurrection. he tells them that the scriptures demonstrate that God "is God not of the dead, but of the living" and that they are "quite wrong."
in the last teaching in this chapter, "one of the scribes" hears those who are disputing with each other and that jesus "answered them well." he asks jesus, "which commandment is the first of all?” jesus tells him, "the first is, ‘hear, o israel: the lord our God, the lord is one; 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, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ there is no other commandment greater than these.” the scribe agrees that jesus is has spoken truly and tells jesus that following these two commandments "is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” jesus praises the man's statement, saying "you are not far from the kingdom of God.”
after this series of challenges, mark tells us that no one dared to question him further, leaving jesus alone to teach without interference. one of the additional teachings disputes the "scribes" belief that "the messiah is the son of david." quoting from the psalms, jesus demonstrates that, since david calls the messiah "lord," the messiah cannot be david's son. jesus goes on to denounce the scribes, "who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets," while at the same time, "they devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers." jesus points out a "poor widow" who has put "two small copper coins, which are worth a penny," into the temple offering. praising her to his disciples, jesus tells them that "this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. for all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
this chapter begins the longest series of teachings that mark provides in his gospel, and those in mark 12 sum up much of what is essential for followers of jesus. he condemns the false religion of the jewish leaders for whom religion is a practice of following rules, many designed to enrich themselves at the expense of others, thus subverting the whole point of the law, which is to love God and to love one's neighbor.
may we each practice that law, which is common to many religions. may our hearts be filled with loving-kindness and compassion, whatever our religion or lack of religion. may we see that-of-God in every sentient being. shalom.
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