Chapter Twelve
Mk. 12:1. And He began to speak to them in parables: A certain man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, and dug a winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went away.
Mk. 12:2. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, to receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
Mk. 12:3. But they, having seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
Mk. 12:4. Again he sent to them another servant; and at him they threw stones, wounding him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
Mk. 12:5. He sent yet another: and him they killed, and many others, beating some and killing some.
Mk. 12:6. But having yet one son, his beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying: They will reverence my son.
Mk. 12:7. But the vinedressers said to one another: this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.
Mk. 12:8. And they seized him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
Mk. 12:9. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the vinedressers to death, and give the vineyard to others. The vineyard signifies the Jewish people, which the Lord planted: "Protect," it is said, "that which Thy right hand hath planted" (Ps. 79:16), and Moses says: "Bring him in and plant him in the mountain of Thine inheritance" (Ex. 15:17). By the "hedge" is understood the Law, which did not allow the Jews to mingle with other nations. The "tower" is the temple, which was magnificent. By the "winepress" is signified the altar, upon which sacrificial blood was poured out. God gave His people over to "vinedressers," that is, to the teachers and rulers of the Jews, each in their own time. He sent first one servant, that is, as one may suppose, the prophets who lived around the time of Elijah, for example Micaiah, whom the false prophet Zedekiah struck (3 Kings 22:24); He sent another, whose head they wounded with stones and thus subjected to utter disgrace — this may be referred to the times of Hosea and Isaiah; He sent also a third servant, which may be understood of the prophets of the time of the Jewish captivity, for example Daniel and Ezekiel. Finally, God sent His Son (who is called a man on account of His love for mankind), saying: "They will reverence My Son." He said this knowing what they would do to His Son, but expressing what, according to His intention, ought to have been and what was possible. But the wicked husbandmen, knowing that this was the Heir of the vineyard, led Him out of the vineyard, that is, out of Jerusalem, and put Him to death. Christ was indeed crucified outside the city. For this reason the Lord of the vineyard, the Father of the slain Son, or rather, the slain Son Himself, will destroy those husbandmen, delivering them over to the Romans, and will give His vineyard to other husbandmen, that is, to the apostles. Do you wish to know how the apostles cultivated this vineyard? Read the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and you will see how three thousand (Acts 2:41) and five thousand souls at once (Acts 4:4) believed and began to bring forth fruit to God.
Mk. 12:10. Have you not even read this in the Scripture: "The stone which the builders rejected," that very one "has become the head of the corner;
Mk. 12:11. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes" (Ps. 117:22–23).
Mk. 12:12. 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. Through all this the Lord shows that the Jews are rejected and the Gentiles are accepted. The "stone" is the Lord Himself, and the "builders" are the teachers of the people. Thus, He Whom these teachers rejected has "become the head of the corner," having become the Head of the Church; for the corner signifies the Church, which gathers and unites all—Jews and Gentiles—just as a corner joins two walls, bringing them together in itself. This corner, that is, the Church, is "from the Lord and is marvelous in our eyes," the eyes of the faithful, whereas for the unfaithful even the miracles themselves seem to be falsehood. And so the Church is marvelous, because it is founded upon miracles, "the Lord working with" the apostles "and confirming the word with signs following" (Mk. 16:20).
Mk. 12:13. And they send to Him some of the Pharisees and Herodians, in order to catch Him in a word.
Mk. 12:14. And when they were come, they say unto Him: Teacher! we know that Thou art truthful and carest not about pleasing anyone, for Thou regardest not the person of any man, but truly teachest the way of God. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?
Mk. 12:15. But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them: why do you tempt Me? Bring Me a denarius, that I may see it.
Mk. 12:16. They brought it. Then He says to them: whose is this image and inscription? They said to Him: Caesar's.
Mk. 12:17. Jesus said to them in answer: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's. And they marveled at Him. Concerning the Herodians, we have said elsewhere that this was a certain newly-appeared sect of people who called Herod the Christ, for the reason that in his time the succession of Jewish kings came to an end. But others say that the Herodians here refers to the soldiers of Herod, whom the Pharisees brought along so that they might be witnesses of what Christ would say, and then could seize Him and bring Him to trial. But observe their malice, with what flattery they attempt to deceive the Lord! "We know," they say, "that You do not regard the persons of men, and therefore You will not fear even Caesar himself." Yet all this was nothing but cunning, so as to trap Him in any case. For if He had said that one must pay tribute to Caesar, they would have accused Him before the people of enslaving the nation to a foreign yoke; and if He had said that one must not, then they could have accused Him of inciting the people against Caesar. But the Fountain of wisdom evades their snares. "Show Me," He says, "a coin," and seeing upon it the image of Caesar, He said: what bears such an image upon it, render to the one depicted, that is, to Caesar; and "the things of God to God." That is, the obligation to pay tribute to Caesar in no way hinders you in the matter of worshipping God, for you can both render to Caesar what is due and give to God what is owed. But each of us has a Caesar of his own sort: it is the unavoidable necessity of the body. And so the Lord commands us to give to the body its proper food and needful clothing, and "the things of God to God," that is, vigil to the extent of one's ability, prayer, and the rest. But to the devil as well — to this Caesar too — throw back what was given to you by him, such as anger and evil desire; and to God bring what is God's: humility, temperance in all things, and the rest.
Mk. 12:18. Then the Sadducees came to Him, who say there is no resurrection, and they asked Him, saying:
Mk. 12:19. Teacher! Moses wrote for us: if someone's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no children, then his brother should take his wife and raise up seed for his brother (Deut. 25:5).
Mk. 12:20. There were seven brothers: the first took a wife and, dying, left no children.
Mk. 12:21. The second took her and died, and he also left no children; likewise the third.
Mk. 12:22. Seven had her as wife and left no children. After them all, the wife died also.
Mk. 12:23. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife shall she be of them? For the seven had her as wife.
Mk. 12:24. Jesus said to them in answer: is it not by this that you are led into error, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?