THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD - PART 447

In Mark chapter 12, the intellectuals of the day, including the Pharisees and some Herodians began asking Jesus inviting questions in the hope that they could entrap Him. This went on for some time with the chief priests, scribes and elders as well joining in and posing different scenarios in order to catch Jesus in a response that would provide them with justification to throw Him in jail. Indeed, these folks kept asking, "By what authority are you doing these things?'  The first line of questioning caught my attention. Mark chapter 12 begins:

In response, Jesus began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower and let it out to tenants and went into another country. When the time came, he sent another servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally, he sent him to them saying, "They will respect my son." But those tenants said to one another, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours." And they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. "What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:

"The very stone which the builders rejected has become the Head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing and it was marvelous in our eyes?""

Mark 12 continues, parable after parable, response after response. "And as Jesus taught in the temple, He said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit declared, "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand till I put thy enemies under my feet." David himself calls Him Lord so how is he His son? And the great throng heard Him gladly.""

Jesus then warned, "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes and to have salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogue and the places of honour at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the great condemnation."  The Pharisees, the scribes, the elders and priests who in all their wisdom could not discern the underlying message in this simple parable spoken by Jesus.


Note too however, that even in the midst of pressing crowds and plans to trap Him, Jesus told His disciples in Mark 12:41-44 to observe the poor widow who contributes not from her abundance (because she lives in poverty) but rather from her heart. Why? Because "this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contribute out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had."  May God richly bless each and every one of you!