Mark 11:27-12:17

Living Bible

^26-28 [a]By this time they had arrived in Jerusalem again, and as he was walking through the Temple area, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders came up to him demanding, “What’s going on here? Who gave you the authority to drive out the merchants?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “I’ll tell you if you answer one question! ³⁰ What about John the Baptist? Was he sent by God, or not? Answer me!”

³¹ They talked it over among themselves. “If we reply that God sent him, then he will say, ‘All right, why didn’t you accept him?’ ³² But if we say God didn’t send him, then the people will start a riot.” (For the people all believed strongly that John was a prophet.)

³³ So they said, “We can’t answer. We don’t know.”

To which Jesus replied, “Then I won’t answer your question either!”

12 Here are some of the story-illustrations Jesus gave to the people at that time:

“A man planted a vineyard and built a wall around it and dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a watchman’s tower. Then he leased the farm to tenant farmers and moved to another country. ² At grape-picking time he sent one of his men to collect his share of the crop. ³ But the farmers beat up the man and sent him back empty-handed.

⁴ “The owner then sent another of his men, who received the same treatment, only worse, for his head was seriously injured. ⁵ The next man he sent was killed; and later, others were either beaten or killed, until ⁶ there was only one left—his only son. He finally sent him, thinking they would surely give him their full respect.

⁷ “But when the farmers saw him coming they said, ‘He will own the farm when his father dies. Come on, let’s kill him—and then the farm will be ours!’ ⁸ So they caught him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What do you suppose the owner will do when he hears what happened? He will come and kill them all, and lease the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Don’t you remember reading this verse in the Scriptures? ‘The Rock the builders threw away became the cornerstone, the most honored stone in the building! ¹¹ This is the Lord’s doing and it is an amazing thing to see.’”

¹² The Jewish leaders wanted to arrest him then and there for using this illustration, for they knew he was pointing at them—they were the wicked farmers in his story. But they were afraid to touch him for fear of a mob. So they left him and went away.

¹³ But they sent other religious and political leaders to talk with him and try to trap him into saying something he could be arrested for.

¹⁴ “Teacher,” these spies said, “we know you tell the truth no matter what! You aren’t influenced by the opinions and desires of men, but sincerely teach the ways of God. Now tell us, is it right to pay taxes to Rome, or not?”

¹⁵ Jesus saw their trick and said, “Show me a coin and I’ll tell you.”

¹⁶ When they handed it to him he asked, “Whose picture and title is this on the coin?” They replied, “The emperor’s.”

¹⁷ “All right,” he said, “if it is his, give it to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God!” And they scratched their heads in bafflement at his reply.