Mark 12 ~ Watch out

Mark 12

1 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7 "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven't you read this passage of Scripture:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?"

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

And they were amazed at him.

18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 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: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking 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.' How then can he be his son?"
The large crowd listened to him with delight.

38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely."

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Jesus replied to Jeremiah's writings by saying
John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus was doing something in this passage we should listen to - He was listening. On several occasions, He cried out - if you have ears - Listen. Jesus rose up at one of the Holy Days, in the midst of the dry routine and He jumped up and said:

John 7
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

And when Jesus taught He taught in parables. Because He was asking us not merely to hear the Word, but to be doers. Know the Scriptures and know the Power of God. Living Water is flowing into us as God's Believing Children.

The Holy Spirit will draw up a lesson and apply your life and your knowledge of His Word - the same Word that called Jesus into being - and all things He created - and if you listen - if you pray - if you have a continual conversation with Him - if you allow your mind to dwell richly on His Words. He is never going to leave or forsake you. If you seek Him with all your heart - your efforts will please God - and Jesus will answer you.

Rev. Allen Hughes said it's almost like a skip in the "Matrix" movie. God places Himself near and close and with His Beloved. If you see a coincidence, if your mind attaches two things - PRAY. I'm not in any way, shape or double meaning saying life is the Matrix, I'm saying, Expect God.

So who did this in the Scriptures and was ordinary. Good question. All the people in the Scriptures are real and ordinary. All will fail. All will fall short. Of God. Because we are not Home with God. God's works don't belong to Moses or David - they belong to God. The One who takes you are you are Today and says "Beloved."

Why we fall short - well, that's easy. We are selfish, but we are trying to apply the Living Law of God - Honor Him first, then love others AS ourselves. Ooops, thats part of the problem. We then start loving to our own detriment Not called to do that. WE then want more - perhaps we should feel guilty. And then we bounce or swing like a yo yo between Jesus saying He fulfills the Law and the Law of Love. Or we just hike out on our own.

Oh Dang the question - who expected God and wasn't like Moses or Jeremiah or someone overwhelming. Ok. Solomon. Solomon expected God. God wanted to speak to Solomon and praise him and gave him wisdom. Solomon promptly married the Pharaoh's daughter and set out on the hike of "suits me." And God responded. Solomon left the Temple he build and ran off to the high places, which sounds good. Except Solomon took all that new 'wisdom' from the foreign wives and went incense and ooom. Solomon was demanding his own time, his own method, his own way and wanted God To Speak with the King.

Jesus tells us - the law of love is - Honor God First. Keep finding your gratitude in allowing God to make your life sufficient. Praise God for the moments HE will provide in the day to let you know - it's ok. Feel unblessed? List all your blessings - your hearing, your site, your family, your health, your provisions, you joys in life and say 'I will give up this blessing." You might suddenly feel considerably more blessed. See the beauty He bestows in your life with renewed interest. Home!

We cannot be like Solomon and run down our own path and expect God to continually shower us with His Blessings. But like the Prodigal Father - Solomon did find - at the end of his life - God would also run to him and Solomon returned to His Beloved Father God. And without living the blessings - the Kingdom was divided and did fall during Solomon's uppity son's reign.

The Honor God first thing - HE knows what HE is about and means what He says!!!

…Before Abraham, I Am. John 8:58

…And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. John 1: 34

…are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25

…We have found the Messiah which, is being interpreted, the Christ. John 1:41

…I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

…through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 2: 20

..a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:16

…I am the Light of the World. John 8:12

God is the same yesterday, today and Tomorrow!!!

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♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

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