Mark 12.1-44 tells us Yeshua continues teaching in the Temple and gives a parable (midrashic aggadah) of the evil vine-growers. It also contains an argument with the Pharisees from Beit Shammai and the Herodians over paying taxes to Rome. There is also a debate with the Sadducees about who will be resurrected at the end of the age. The Pharisees from Beit Shammai, the Herodians, and the Sadducees were in an alliance against Yeshua. We will also learn what is the greatest commandment, and a discussion about in what sense the Messiah is the son of David, and a lesson on giving.
v 1…And he began to speak to them in parables (midrashic aggadot which are stories to illustrate a spiritual point), “A man (Yehovah) planted a vineyard (Israel-Isa 5.1-7) and put a wall around it (the Torah) and dug a vat under the winepress (teaching) and built a tower (the Temple), and rented it out to vine-growers (priests, teachers, scribes, etc) and went on a journey.
v 2…And at the season (for fruit) he sent a slave (a prophet or judge; it is plural in Matt 21.34) to the vine-growers in order to receive of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers (such as truth, judgment, justice, righteousness as defined by the Torah).
v 3…And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed (his ministry was not accepted).
v 4…And again he sent them another slave (servant, prophet, judge) and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully (they rejected the judges and the prophets Yehovah sent).
v 5…And he sent another, and that one they killed; and many others, beating some, killing others (this cycle repeated itself over and over again).
v 6…He had one more, a beloved son (Yeshua); he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
v 7…But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir (son of David, a lamp-1 Kings 11.36; John 11.48), come, and let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours (the only way to protect their power and influence over the people)!’
v 8…And they took him, and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard (as one cursed and having no part in the kingdom-Deut 21.22-23; Gal 3.13; Acts 5.30, 10.39).
v 9…What will the owner (Yehovah) of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine growers (the city and Temple destroyed) and will give the vineyard to others (who will believe; part of the basis for Paul’s Olive Tree theology in Rom 11).
v 10…Have you (the teachers and priests) not even read this Scripture, ‘The stone (a type of Messiah) which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone (to build the eschatological kahal-Matt 16.18; 1 Pet 2.6-8; 1 Cor 10.4);
v 11…this came about from the Lord (Yehovah), and it is marvelous in our eyes (this portion of Scripture is Psa 118.22-23 and part of what is called the Hallel, Psa 113-118, and sung in the Temple on Passover as the people offered their lambs and while Yeshua was on the cross)?’ “
v 12…And they were seeking to seize him; and they feared the multitude, for they understood that he had spoken against them. And so they left him, and went away (for now).
v 13…And they sent some Pharisees (from Beit Shammai) and Herodians (also known as “Boethusians”; Herod was the son-in-law of Shimon Ben Boethus, and he elevated this son of Boethus to high priest-see 8.15 notes).
v 14…And they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and defer to no one (impartial-they were trying to deceive him, saying he would not be influenced by anyone, not even Caesar); for you are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth (“way” and “truth” are terms for the Torah-Psa 119.1, 60; later on these same people will accuse Yeshua of lying). Is it lawful (permissible in the Torah) to pay tribute to Caesar or not (this was a census or poll tax that all citizens had to pay as a way of counting the people).
v 15…Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But he, knowing their hypocrisy (craftiness-Luke 20.23), said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.”
v 16…And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to him, “Caesar’s.”
v 17…And Yeshua said to them, “Render (give over) to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s (man is in God’s image, so give what is due to him in the Torah).” And they were amazed (marveled) at him.
v 18…And the Sadducees who say there is no resurrection (they were in alliance with Beit Shammai, the Zealots, and the Sicarii because they did not like Romans/non-Jews; they also did not believe in angels-Acts 32.7, or any Scripture outside of the Torah) came to him (they were next up), and questioning him (as if they were open-minded, but this was a fixed doctrine in their sect), saying,
v 19…”Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves no child, his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring to his brother (Deut 25.5-10 and possibly the scenario in John 4.18).
v 20…There were seven brothers; and the first one took a wife, and died leaving no offspring.
v 21…And the second one took her and died, leaving behind no offspring, and the third likewise;
v 22…and so all seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman died, too.
v 23…In the resurrection (which Yeshua claimed will take place, but the Sadducees didn’t believe in one), when they rise again (John 5.28-29, 6.39-40), which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had her as a wife.”
v 24…Yeshua said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand (know the facts of) the Scriptures or the power of God (about the resurrection-Matt 22.29; Luke 30.34)?
v 25…For when they rise from the dead (he states the one thing they don’t believe as a fact), they neither marry, nor are they given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven (spiritual body-1 Cor 15.44).
v 26…But regarding the fact that the dead rise again (again he refutes them and states what they didn’t believe as a fact; today there are some who believe in “soul sleep” or “annihilation” when one dies, but the following verses should be considered: Ecc 12.7; Rev 6.9-10; Luke 16.19-31; 1 Pet 3.18-19; Luke 12.4, 25.43; 2 Cor 5.6-9; Matt 22.31-32; Luke 24.37-39; John 11.25-26; Rev 20.4, 19.20, 20.10; Ezek 26.20, 32.17-32; Job 10.21-22; Phil 1.21-22; Dan 12.2; Luke 23.43), have you not read in the book of Moses (the Torah, the only Scriptures the Sadducees believed had any authority), in the bush how God spoke to him, saying, “I am (exist in the present tense) the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (they were living at that moment)?
v 27…He is not the God of the dead, but of the living (they were still alive awaiting the resurrection where they will join their new bodies); you are greatly mistaken.”
v 28…And one of the scribes came and heard their arguing (debating, reasoning), and recognizing that he had answered them well (accurately like a lawyer), asking him, “What commandment is the first (foremost in importance in relation to ethical and moral values) of all?”
v 29…Yeshua answered, “The first (in rank and priority) is, “Hear (“shema” implying obey) O Israel; Yehovah our God is one Lord (Yehovah-no one else, a composite unity-v 32);
v 30…and you shall love (this is not an emotion but an action towards God) the Lord (Yehovah) your God (eloheynu) with all your heart (affections), and all your soul (faculties), and with all your mind (intellect, understanding), and with all your strength (actions/energy).’
v 31…The second (in priority) is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor (this is not a feeling, but an action toward your neighbor that is beneficial to him) as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these (the first is in regards to our relation to God, and the second is in regard to other people as seen in Exo 20.1-17.”
v 32…And the scribe said to him (lawyer), “Right, teacher, you have truly stated that he is one; and there is no one else besides him;
v 33…and to love him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices (he combines Lev 19.18 and Hos 6.6 and 1 Sam 15.22).”
v 34…And when Yeshua saw that he answered intelligently (sensibly), he said to him, “You are not far (different or opposite in the sense of spiritual movement) from the kingdom of God (he was not in the kingdom yet as far as God ruling over him in action, but understood that love and obedience was required, but he needed to put his faith in the only one who could allow him into the kingdom-Acts 17.24-27). And after that, no one would venture to ask him any more questions (finding they could not get an advantage because they kept coming up short in their reasoning; he had silenced the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees and the scribes and they were bewildered and humiliated).
v 35…And Yeshua answering began to say, as he taught in the Temple, “How do the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David (an heir and no more than that-Rom 1.3-4)?
v 36…David himself said by the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha Kodesh), ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies beneath your feet.” ‘
v 37…David calls him ‘Lord” and so in what sense is he his son (how can one call his own son Lord unless he is both human and deity-Messiah was inferior to David in the flesh, but superior to him as Lord because of his two natures)?” And the crowd enjoyed listening to him (elated that his wisdom silenced his detractors).
v 38…And in his teaching he was saying, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes (enlarged tzitzit because they were pretentious) and love respectful greetings in the market places (where they were noticed),
v 39…and chief seats in the synagogues (where the rulers and elders sat), and places of honor at banquets (their chavurahs where meals consecrated to God were eaten, etc).
v 40…They are the ones who devour widow’s houses (convincing them to support their work or the Temple; they would try to impress them as being religious men and take their income, sometimes leaving them in financial need), and for appearances sake offer long prayers (to look spiritual); these will receive greater condemnation.”
v 41…And he sat down opposite the treasury (where 13 chests stood shaped like trumpets for people to put money into for various reasons), observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury (into one of the 13 chests); and many rich people were putting in large sums.
v 42…And a poor widow came and put two small copper coins (possibly given from the charity she received-Acts 6.1; Deut 14.22; 1 Tim 5.3-16) which amount to a cent (no fanfare like in v 38-39; maybe her estate was devoured by those in v 40).
v 43…And calling his talmidim to him, he said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;
v 44…for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on (this was the lesson Yeshua was trying to teach the ruler in Matt 19.16-22, Mark 10.17-27 and Luke 18.18-23).”
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