Mark 12

¹And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

²And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

³And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

⁵And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

⁶Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

⁷But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.

⁸And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

¹⁰And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

¹¹This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

¹²And 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.

See this parable explained in Barnes Notes on Mt 21:33-46

¹⁸Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

¹⁹Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

²⁰Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

²¹And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.

²²And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.

²³In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

²⁴And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

²⁵For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

²⁶And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

See this passage fully explained in Mt 22:23-33.

²⁵For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Are as the angels. That is, as the angels in respect to connexions and relations. What that may be we know not; but this passage teaches that the peculiar relation of marriage will not exist. It does not affirm, however, that there will be no recollection of former marriages, or no recognition of each other as having existed in this tender relation.

²⁶And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

How in the bush. At the burning bush. See Ex 3:6. In that part of the book of Exodus which contains the account of the burning bush. When there were no chapters and verses, it was the easiest way of quoting a book of the Old Testament by the subject, and in this way it was often done by the Jews. Mk 12:28-34. See Mt 22:34-40.

²⁸And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

²⁹And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

³⁰And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³¹And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

³²And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

³³And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

³⁴And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

See Mt 22:34-40.

Verse 28. Perceiving that he answered them well. That is, with wisdom, and with a proper understanding of the law. In this case the opinion of the Saviour corresponded with that of the Pharisees; and this question seems to have been one of the very few candid inquiries made of him by the Jews, for the purpose of obtaining information. Jesus answered it in like spirit of kindness, and commend the conduct of the man.

²⁹And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Hear, O Israel. This was said to call the attention of the to the great importance of the truth about to be proclaimed. See De 6:4,6.

The Lord our God, etc. Literally, “Jehovah, our God, is one Jehovah.” The other nations worshipped many gods, but the God of the Jews was one, and one only. Jehovah was undivided; and this great truth it was the design of the separation of the Jewish people from other nations to keep in mind. This was the peculiar truth which was communicated to the Jews, and this they were required to keep and remember for ever.

³⁰And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And thou shalt love. If Jehovah was the only God, then they ought not to love any other being supremely. Then they might not bow down before any idol. They were required to love God above all other beings or things, and with all the faculties of their minds.

³²And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

³³And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

³⁴And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

This answer of the scribe is not found in Matthew.

Verse 32. Is more than all. Is of more importance and value.

Discreetly. Wisely, according to truth.

Not far from the kingdom of God. Thou who dost prefer the internal to the external worship of God--who hast so just a view of the requirements of the law--canst easily become a follower of me, and art almost fit to be numbered among my disciples. This shows that a proper understanding of the Old Testament, of its laws and requirements, would prepare the mind for Christianity, and fit a man at once to embrace it when presented. One system is grafted on the other, agreeably to Gal 3:24.

No man durst ask him any question. That is, no one of the scribes, the Pharisees, or the Sadducees, durst ask him a question for the purpose of tempting him, or entangling him. He had completely silenced them. It does not appear, however, but that his disciples dared to ask him questions for the purpose of information.

³⁷David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

The common people heard him gladly. The success of our Saviour in his preaching was chiefly among the common or the poorer class of people. The rich and the mighty were too proud to listen to his instructions. So it is still. The chief success of the gospel is there, and there it pours down its chief blessings. This is not the fault of the gospel. It would bless the rich and the mighty as well as the poor, if they came with like humble hearts. God knows no distinctions of men in conferring his favours; and wherever there is a poor, contrite, and humble spirit--be it clothed in rags or in purple--be it on a throne or a dunghill--there he confers the blessings of salvation.

³⁸And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

In his doctrine. In his teaching, for so it should be rendered.

Beware of the Scribes. Be on your guard, Be cautious about hearing them, or following them.

Scribes. The learned men of the Jewish nation.

Which love to go in long clothing. In long flowing robes, as significant of their consequence, leisure, and learning.

Salutations, etc. See Mt 23:6,7.

⁴⁰Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Which devour widows’ houses. Which devour the families of widows, or the means of supporting their families. This they did under pretence of counselling them in the knowledge of the law, and in the management of their estates. They took advantage of their ignorance and unprotected state, and either extorted large sums for their counsel, or perverted the property to their own use. No wonder that our Saviour denounced them! If there is any sin of peculiar enormity, it is thus taking advantage of the circumstances of the poor, the needy, and the helpless, and wronging them out of the pittance on which they depend to support their families. And as God is the Friend of the widow and the fatherless, it may be expected that such will be visited with heavy condemnation.

For a pretence. For show, or pretending great devotion.

⁴¹And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

Sat over against. Opposite to, in full sight of.

The treasury. This was in the court of the women. See Mt 21:12. In that court there were fixed a number of places or coffers, made with a large open mouth, in the shape of a trumpet, for the purpose of receiving the offerings of the people; and the money thus contributed was devoted to the service of the temple--to incense, sacrifice, etc.

⁴²And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

Two mites. The word translated mite denotes a small coin made of brass, the smallest in use among the Jews. The precise value cannot now be easily estimated. It was much less than any coin we have, as the farthing was less than an English farthing. It was in value about three mills and a half, or one third of a cent.

⁴³And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

This poor widow hath cast more in, etc. That is, more in proportion to her means, and therefore more that was acceptable to God. He does not mean that this was more in value than all which the others had put in, but it showed more love to the sacred cause, more self-denial, and of course more sincerity in what she did. This is the rule by which God will reward us. Compare 2Cor 8:12.

⁴⁴For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Of their abundance. Of their superfluous store. They have given what they did not need. They could afford it as well as not; and in doing it they have shown no self-denial.

She of her want. Of her poverty.

All her living. All that she had to live on. She trusted in God to supply her wants, and devoted her little property entirely to him. From this passage we may learn:

(1.) That God is pleased with offerings made to him and his cause.

(2.) That it is our duty to devote our property to God. We received it from him; and we shall not employ it in a proper manner unless we feel that we are stewards, and ask of him what we shall do with it. Jesus approved the conduct of all who had given money to the treasury.

(3.) That the highest evidence of love to the cause of religion is not the amount given, but the amount compared with our means.

(4.) That it may be proper to give all our property to God, and to depend on his Providence for the supply of our wants.

(5.) That God does not despise the humblest offering, if made in sincerity, He loves a cheerful giver.

(6.) That there are none who may not in this way show their love to the cause of religion. There are few, very few scholars in all our Sabbath schools, who may not give as much to the cause of religion as this poor widow; and Jesus would be as ready to approve their offerings as he was hers, and the time to begin to be benevolent and to do good is in early life, in childhood.

(7.) That it is every man’s duty to make inquiry, not how much he gives, but how much compared with what he has; how much self-denial he practises, and what is the motive with which it is done.

(8.) We may remark that few practise self-denial for the purposes of charity. Most give of their abundance--that is, what they can spare without feeling it--and many feel that this is the same as throwing it away. Among all the thousands who give to these objects, how few deny themselves of one comfort, even the least, that they may advance the kingdom of Christ!