Mark Chapter 12
Mark Chapter 12 is superb reading material from the Gospel of Mark to learn by phonics. This chapter is slightly longer than average but not nearly as long as Chapter 14.
Key words practiced in this chapter include:
Phonetic words
- intellectual
- inheritance
- capitation
- annihilate
- commandment
- messenger
- abundance
- sacrifice
- poverty
- epigram
Sight words
- Caesar
- heir
- vineyard (silent "e")
- Israel
Chapter 12
Jesus began to teach them parables. "A businessman planted a vineyard and placed a hedge around it. He dug a place for the vinepress, built a tower, rented it to tenant vinedressers, and traveled abroad. When the grape season arrived, he sent one of his slaves to them, to return with the fruit of the vineyard. But they caught him, beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. So the owner sent another slave, but they threw stones at him, wounding him in the head. He too was rebuffed, badly treated. The owner sent a third, and they killed him, as well as many others. They beat some, killed some. He still had a son, whom he loved, and sent him to them last, thinking they would respect his son. But the tenants plotted with each other: 'This is his heir. If we kill him, we can take the inheritance.' So they killed him and left his body outside the vineyard. So what should the vineyard owner do? He will return to annihilate the tenants and give the vineyard to other, more honest tenants. Have you not read in the Scripture, 'The stone rejected by the builders becomes the cornerstone. This is the Lord's way, and it is wonderful to see'?"
Furious, the intellectual classes wanted to seize him, but feared the public; they knew this parable was directed at them. They gave up for now and walked out. Instead they chose a group of Pharisees and Herodians, and sent them to Jesus to try and catch Him out by using His own words against Him. When they came, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and play no favorites among men. You are no respecter of persons, but teach the Way of God in truth. Now: is it lawful to pay capitation taxes to Caesar, or not? What do we do: give, nor not?" But He, knowing full well how hypocritical they were, said to them, "Why are you always testing Me? Bring me a shilling, so that I may examine it."
They brought one. He said to them, "Whose face and epigram is this?" They told him, "Caesar's." In answer, Jesus told them, "Give Caesar what is Caesar's, and God what is God's." And they were struck completely speechless by Him.
Then some Sadducees came to Him. They say that there is no such thing as the resurrection. They asked Him, "Teacher, Moses wrote this law: 'If a man's brother dies, and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up a son to inherit his brother's estate.' Now there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, and died without issue. Then the second married her, then died, and also left no issue. So did the third. Indeed all seven married her, and left no issue. Last of all the woman died. Now: in the resurrection, when they're all risen from the dead, whose wife will she be? After all, all seven married her!"
Jesus replied, "You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. You see, when they rise from the dead, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. They'll be like God's Messengers in heaven. And while we're on the subject: I'll prove to you that the dead will rise. Haven't you read in the Books of Moses, how God spoke to him in a burning bush, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' He isn't the God of dead men, but the God of living men. So you are vastly mistaken."
One of the scribes came, who had heard them debating this issue, and realizing that He had given a good answer to the riddle. So he asked Him, "Which is the most important commandment of all?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength. This is the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is just like it: you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. No other commandment is more important than these two." The scribe said back to Him, "Well, Teacher, You speak the truth: 'There is one God, and there is no one else but Him, and to love Him with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love one's neighbor as one loves himself, is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices a man can make.'"
Jesus saw that he had given a sensible answer. So He said to him, "You aren't far from the Kingdom of God." After that, no man dared ask Him anything. Jesus said in answer, while He was teaching in the Temple, "How can the scribes say that Christ is the Son of David? After all, David himself said, under the influence of the Divine Guide, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit on My right hand, until I make Your enemies something to put Your feet on."' So David himself calls Him Lord. So how can He be his son?" And many people were glad to hear this.
In His lessons He told them, "Watch out for the scribes. They want to go about in long clothing, and want people to greet them in the public square. They want the seats of honor in the synagogues, and the ranking dining rooms at banquets. And they also devour widows' homes, and put up a pretense by making long prayers. They will receive an even greater punishment."
Jesus was sitting next to the treasury, and watched how people threw money into the treasury. Many rich people threw in a lot of money. Then came a certain poor widow, who threw in two mites, which together were worth a quarter-penny. He called His students to Him, and told them, "I tell you truly: This poor widow has thrown in more money than everyone else combined. All they did was to throw in a sample of their abundance. She, in her poverty, threw in everything she had, even everything she had to live on."
See also
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