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12:1  And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it. · He dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower; then he leased it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
12:2  · At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenant farmers to receive from the farmers a portion of the fruit from the vineyard.
12:3  But they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
12:4  And again he sent to them another servant; and that one they struck on the head and treated dishonorably.
12:5  So he sent another; and that one they killed—and so with many others, beating some and killing others.
12:6  He had still one other, a beloved son. He sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect · my son.’
12:7  But those · tenants said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
12:8  And taking him, they killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
12:9  What therefore will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
12:10  Have you not even read · this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the capstone;
12:11  this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12:12  And they were seeking to arrest him, but feared the people, for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
12:13  And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap him with a statement.
12:14  · When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that the opinion of another is of no concern to you. For you do not regard the position of men, but you truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay tax to Caesar, or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?”
12:15  But knowing their · hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
12:16  So they brought one. And he said to them, “Of whom is · this likeness and · inscription?” And they said to him, “Caesar.”
12:17  · · Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, but give to God what belongs to · God.” And they were amazed at him.
12:18  And the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him, and they were questioning him, saying,
12:19  “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone’s brother should die and leave behind a wife, but not leave behind a child, that his brother should take · the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
12:20  There were seven brothers; · the first took a wife, and when he died he left no offspring.
12:21  Then the second brother took her, and he died, leaving behind no offspring. And the third likewise.
12:22  And the seven did not leave offspring. Last of all the woman also died.
12:23  In the resurrection, when they rise again, of which of them will she be wife? For all seven had her as wife.”
12:24  Jesus said to them, · “Are you not mistaken for this reason, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?
12:25  For when people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are they given in marriage, but they are as angels in · heaven.
12:26  But concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him · saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’?
12:27  He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are greatly mistaken!”
12:28  And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing. Seeing how well Jesus had answered them, he put this question to him: “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
12:29  Jesus answered, · “The most important is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord · our God, the Lord is one;
12:30  and you shall love the Lord · your God with your whole · heart, and with your whole · life, and with your whole · mind, and with your whole · strength.’
12:31  The second is this: ‘You shall love · your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
12:32  And the scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You have spoken truthfully; ‘he is one, and there is no other besides him.’
12:33  And · ‘to love him with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, and with the whole strength,’ and · ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ is much more than all · whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
12:34  And · Jesus, seeing that the scribe had answered wisely, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any more.
12:35  · While · Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that · Messiah is the son of David?
12:36  David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said, · ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put · your enemies beneath · your feet.”’
12:37  David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
12:38  And in · his teaching he was saying, “Beware of the scribes, who like to parade around in flowing robes, and want greetings in the marketplaces
12:39  and the front seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at · banquets.
12:40  They devour the property of widows and, as a show, offer up long prayers. These men will receive a more severe judgment.”
12:41  And taking a seat opposite the treasury, he was watching how the people were putting money into the offering box. · Many rich people were putting in large sums.
12:42  · A poor widow approached and put in two small coins, about a penny.
12:43  And he called · his disciples to him and said to them, “I tell you the truth, · this poor widow · has put in more than all those who are putting large amounts into the offering box.
12:44  For they all put in from · their abundance, but she from · her need has put in everything she had—all · she had to live on.”