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Mark 12

And 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.

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

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

And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And 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.

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

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

Master, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And 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?

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

And 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?

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

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

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

And 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.

And 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.

And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?

For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

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

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

And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

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

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

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

And 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:

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

What does Mark 12:8 mean?

Explanation

Mark 12:8 details the climax of a parable that Jesus tells concerning a landowner who plants a vineyard and rents it out to some farmers.

Throughout the parable, the owner sends multiple servants to collect his share of the fruits of the vineyard, but each is mistreated by the tenants.

Finally, he sends his beloved son, thinking they will respect him, but instead, they plot to kill him in order to seize his inheritance.

The verse describes the actions of the tenants: they took the son, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. This is a reflection of the son’s rejection and murder.

This verse is a foretelling of Jesus’ own death.

It reveals the consequence of rejecting God's sent messengers, culminating in the ultimate rejection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The act of “casting out of the vineyard” symbolises how the religious leaders of the time would push Jesus outside of Jerusalem to crucify Him, excluding Him from the holy city.

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Historical Context

Mark 12:8 is a part of the Gospel of Mark, traditionally dated around 60-70 AD and attributed to John Mark, a follower of Peter, one of Jesus' Apostles. The early church was coping with persecutions and trying to find its identity separate from Judaism.

During the time of Jesus, the vineyard was a common symbol for Israel, based off of passages such as Isaiah 5:1-7, where Israel is described as God's vineyard.

The religious leaders were often likened to tenants who were responsible for taking care of God's chosen people and leading them according to God's laws.

Theological Insights

Different theologians may interpret this verse through various theological lenses:

Substitutionary Atonement Perspective: This perspective might emphasize that the son's death symbolizes Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for humanity's sins.

It highlights God's grace in sending His son, even when He knew that His son would be killed.

Covenantal Perspective: Here, emphasis might be placed on the failure of the old covenant, represented by the inadequate leadership of the tenants (Israel's religious leaders), and the establishment of a new covenant through Jesus.
Eschatological Perspective: Some might focus on the verse's end-times implication, where the rejection and killing of the son could represent the judgement coming upon Israel and the opening up of the Kingdom of God to the Gentiles.

Practical Applications

This verse can be applied in daily life in several ways:

Stewardship and Responsibility: Individuals are reminded that they are stewards of what God has entrusted to them, and they should be responsible and faithful in those roles.
Rejection of Christ: The ultimate rejection of Christ led to his crucifixion but also salvation for believers.

We are warned against rejecting Christ in our lives and reminded of the consequences of such rejection.

Trust in God's Plan: Despite appearances, this verse reassures believers that God is in control, even in the face of betrayal and violence.

Cross-References

Isaiah 5:1-7: This passage contains the original imagery of Israel as the vineyard of the Lord.
Psalm 118:22: The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
Matthew 21:38-39: Another account of this parable where the son is killed by tenants.
Luke 20:14-15: Luke's version of the parable.
Hebrews 13:12: Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

Language Study

The words "took him" (ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν), "killed" (ἀπέκτειναν), and "cast out" (ἐξέβαλον) are significant in the original Greek:

ἐκράτησαν (ekratēsan): Aorist active indicative form of κρατέω (krateō), meaning “they seized, grasped, took hold of."
ἀπέκτειναν (apekteinan): Aorist active indicative form of ἀποκτείνω (apokteinō), meaning “they put to death, killed.”
ἐξέβαλον (exebalon): Aorist active indicative form of ἐκβάλλω (ekballō), denoting “they threw out, expelled, cast out.”

These words depict violent, deliberate actions indicating the intensity of the tenants' rejection and murder of the son.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In ancient literature, stories often featured sons or rightful heirs being mistreated or killed, such as in Greek tragedies.

In religious terms, many myths from various cultures have stories of gods or demi-gods being killed but then having a form of posthumous vindication or rebirth.

Scientific Perspectives

Science does not typically intersect with the interpretation of religious texts unless approaching it from a psychological or sociological standpoint.

One might analyze the human behaviors described, the rejecting or mistreating of an individual who threatens the status quo, using social science theories.

commentaries

Commentators on this verse offer various insights:

John Calvin: Emphasizes the guilt of mankind in this act of murder and the justice of God in giving his Son.
Matthew Henry: Reflects on the patience of God in sending servent after servent and the ultimate mercy in sending His Son.
William Barclay: Suggests that the purpose of the parable was to show the religious leaders their own history of rejection against God's messengers and to serve as a final plea for them to accept Jesus.

Each of these interpretations focuses on different aspects of the parable, whether it be the nature of God, the history of Israel, or the personal application for readers.

Mark 12

Mark 12

What does Mark 12:8 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 12:8 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?