Summary Chapter twelve continues the discussion of Jesus' authority, beginning with a parable of a rich landlord who had rented his vineyard to some farmers in agreement for a portion of the vineyard's produce.  The landlord sends servants to claim the rent, but they are abused, some wounded, and some even killed.  The landlord next sends his son to claim payment; the son, also, is killed.  The landlord himself, now with government backing, will come authorized to take what is his.  This leads directly into the discussion of paying Caesar's poll-tax.  This is a political question, and it is followed by a theological question concerning the resurrection.  Jesus grounds his answer in scripture; the next question about which commandment is greatest is genuine and raised by a teacher of the law.  Jesus asks the next question, directing it to the teachers of the law, asking them concerning the messianic title Son of David. The last two episodes both discuss the sincerity of the act: the scribes are condemned for outward show while the widow is commended for giving everything she has.

To understand the parable of the vineyard in Mark twelve, one must first do some background reading. Isaiah's vineyard is interpreted clearly to talk about God's relationship to the nation of Israel.  In this case, the vineyard has been planted and  tended to by God so that nothing else could have been provided. The vineyard has not, however, yielded grapes so is to be destroyed.  Isaiah then interprets the parable:

7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts

is the house of Israel,

and the people of Judah

are his pleasant planting;

he expected justice,

but saw bloodshed;

righteousness,

but heard a cry!

In this parable in Mark, too, the application is clearly to what is about to happen to Jerusalem in 70 CE when the temple is destroyed.

9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture:

‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

11 this was the Lord’s doing,

The Jews standing about realize now that this parable has been told against them; they would like to arrest Jesus, but they are afraid to do so because they suspect the crowd will turn against him. They simply leave.

One should probably recognize that this parable of the absent landlord is familiar to the people listening to Jesus.   If it is recalled that the masses of people were poor and that land was owned by the wealthy but attended by the poor, one will recognize resentment directed against prevailing conditions in Galilee.  Many estates in Galilee at this time were owned by foreign landlords and tended to by Galilean peasants.

Next, Jesus is badgered by Herodians who have joined the Pharisees and asked about paying the taxes due Caesar:

13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?" But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it." 16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor’s." 17 Jesus said to them, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s." And they were utterly amazed at him.

Jesus recognizes that these loyal to Caesar and the Pharisees are merely attempting to test him.  The provincial poll-tax being addressed has been paid by the Jews since CE 6 and is extremely unpopular; it reminds the Jews that they are a subject people.  If Jesus denies the legitimacy of the tax, those who observe and report officially to the Caesar are likely to implicate him in rebellion to authority; on the other hand, his saying to pay the taxes would alienate him from the people.  As long as Caesar is demanding money which bears his image, then a people who have acknowledged their subservience should pay the tax; however, Caesar, has not right to demand anything that belongs to God. Jesus has once again adroitly missed the trap, and the people are utterly amazed.

The conversation has now been directed to spiritual matters, and the priests and Sadducees now attempt to make belief in the resurrection look ridiculous; remembering that the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, one hears a smugness in their question:

18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, 19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man † shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 20 There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; 21 and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22 none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. 23 In the resurrection † whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her."

As has been the case before, though, Jesus points out that these outwardly pious people have missed the very implication of spirituality; Jesus provides scriptural authority for the belief and anchors it in its very different reality:

24 Jesus said to them, "Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong."

Jesus alludes to God's revelation of Himself to the living Moses:

4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then he said, "Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said further, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

In this revelation, God reveals His relationship to men who are no longer alive: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. The relationship is present, implying God's continuing care for these individuals. The Jews have not yet begun to understanding that Jesus defines life spiritually: He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong."  In this case, it is to be implied that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been raised by the power of God into life. The power of God effects resurrection.

Another scribe, having been an observer of the earlier conversation, comes forward now and asks what the greatest commandment is.  The Jews, of course, know the answer, the Shema of Deuteronomy, since they recite it daily:

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

Jesus goes well beyond the requirement and tells them what the second great commandment is, linking his answer to Leviticus 19:18:

but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

His full answer, as recorded in Mark, bears quoting fully:

"The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 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.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."

Heart, soul, and strength are familiar to the Jewish audience; added here, however, is mind which reflects the hellenistic dichotomizing of body and mind but also emphasizes that loving God is a complete act. The scribe who has asked the question now summarizes what he has heard:

2 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Jesus has not addressed burnt offerings; this comes from the scribe; the reply of Jesus, however, confirms the truth of the scribe's observation: "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Next, Jesus is again teaching in the temple; he addresses their messianic expectation:

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

"Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet." ’

37 David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

At issue here is the same one addressed earlier in the question of resurrection: the mistaking of flesh for spirit.   The messianic expectation that has developed is that David's earthly kingdom will be established; Jesus has, from the beginning, addressed the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of man. He points out that the scripture has had David acknowledge the messiah as Lord, not son.

The last two episodes in this chapter of Mark address the issue of sincerity in act.  The scribes are condemned for hypocrisy, and the widow is commended for genuine commitment.   The scribes wear the traditional flowing robes marking their profession and the deference they expect others to show them.   They, however, extort funds from those who are needy, and they engage in long and showy prayers.  They carry out acts of injustice under the very guise of religion:

38 As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

The poor widow, on the other hand, gives everything she has, holding nothing back:

44 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."

That others have contributed out of abundance makes her contribution of all she has, meager in comparison, even more significant.