Chapter 12

Chapter 12. — On the Vineyard. On Those Who Questioned the Lord Concerning the Tribute. On the Sadducees. On the Scribe. On the Lord’s Question. On Being on Guard Against the Hypocrites. On the Widow of the Two Mites

¹ And he began to speak unto them in parables: A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a 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 took 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 beloved son of his, 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 therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. The vineyard is the people which the Lord planted. For Restore, he says, this vine, which your right hand has planted. And Moses says: Bring them in and plant them in your holy mountain. And the hedge is the law, hindering them from mingling with the other nations. The tower is the temple, being conspicuous. And the winefat is the altar, where the blood was poured out. And he let it out to husbandmen, the teachers and rulers of the Jews from time to time. And he sent one servant—perhaps the prophets about Elijah’s time, such as Micaiah, whom Zedekiah the false prophet smote. And a second servant, whom they stoned and wounded in the head, that is, they completed and brought to a head their insolence—the prophets such as Hosea and Isaiah. And a third servant, those in the captivity, those about Daniel and Ezekiel. And last God sent his Son, who was named man because of his love for man, saying, They will reverence my son. Not in ignorance of the future did he say this, but speaking of what was fitting and likely to be done. But the evil husbandmen, learning that this is the Son of God, cast him out of the vineyard, that is, outside Jerusalem, and killed him. For outside the city he was crucified. The lord of the vineyard, then, the Father of the murdered Son—or rather the murdered one himself—will destroy the husbandmen, delivering them up to the Romans. And he will let out the people to other husbandmen, that is, to the apostles. For do you wish to see how the apostles tilled the vineyard? Read the book of Acts, and you will find three thousand and five thousand believing all at once and bearing fruit unto God.

² Have you not read even this Scripture: The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes? And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the multitude; for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. And leaving him, they went their way. Through all these things he shows the Jews to be cast off, and the nations received. For the stone is the Lord himself, and the builders are the teachers of the people. The stone, therefore, which the builders rejected, this became the head of the corner, having become the head of the Church. And the corner is the Church, as joining together and making one both Jews and Greeks, even as the corner also joins walls one to another, mediating between both. And this corner, that is, the Church, was from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes, the eyes of the faithful. For to the unbelieving even the miracles are lost. Marvelous, therefore, is the Church, as constituted out of miracles, the Lord working together with the apostles and confirming the word through the signs that followed.

³ And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch him in his speech. And coming, they say unto him: Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no one; for you regard not the person of men, but in truth teach the way of God. 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 do you tempt me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he says unto them: Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. And Jesus answering said unto them: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him. We have spoken at another time also concerning the Herodians, that it was a certain newly-appeared sect of those who said that Herod was the Christ, because in his times the successions of the Jewish kings failed. But others say that the Herodians are here those soldiers of Herod whom the Pharisees took along, that they might be witnesses of the things to be said by Christ, and afterward might arrest him and lead him away. And see their malignity, how with flattery they attempt to deceive the Lord. We know that you regard not the person of man—so that you will not stand in awe of Caesar either. And the whole of this was a snare, having precipices on both sides, so that, if he should say it is lawful to pay to Caesar, they might slander him to the crowd, as one enslaving them; but if he should say not to pay, they might accuse him as one stirring up the people against Caesar. But the fountain of wisdom escapes their toils. Show me, he says, the coin. And seeing that it has the image of Caesar, he says, Render that which has the image to him whose image it is, that is, to Caesar. And the things of God to God, that is, nothing hinders, as regards piety toward God, the paying to Caesar. One may both pay tribute to Caesar, and render to God the things that are his. And Caesar is, for each of us, also the inescapable necessity of the body. The Lord, therefore, commands us to render to the body also its own things, food and necessary coverings, and the things of God to God—watchfulness, fitting prayer, and the rest. But to the devil also, who is a Caesar, cast back the things given you by him—anger, lust, and the rest. And the things of God, offer to God.

⁴ And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying: Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if any man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed; and the second took her, and died, neither did he leave any seed; and the third likewise. And the seven took 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 you not therefore err, not knowing 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 angels which are in the heavens. And as touching the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke 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. You therefore do greatly err. A sect of the Jews are the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. And approaching obliquely, as crafty men, they fabricate this tale, by it forsooth overturning the resurrection, putting forward a contrary supposition that never came to pass, nor perhaps ever will. And they compose seven men as having married the woman, that they might the more tear the resurrection to pieces. The Lord, then, since those men put forward the law of Moses, shows them to be ignorant of the Scriptures. For you are ignorant, he says, of what manner of resurrection the Scripture speaks. For you think that again there shall be such a condition, more bodily; but it is not so. Thus you are ignorant of the meaning of the Scripture; but you are ignorant of the power of God also. For you look to the difficulty of the matter, and therefore are at a loss how the dissolved bodies shall be able to come together with the souls. But to the power of God this is as nothing. There shall be, then, a resurrection—not bodily, but a more divine and angelic condition. For since we are not to be corrupted, but to remain the same, for this cause marriage also is no longer necessary; for now marriage comes to pass because of corruption, that, being maintained by the succession of the race, we may not be done away. But then, just as the angels, without succession of marriage, are the same, and never come to an end, so also those who rise, without marriage, remain undiminished. And in another way too they are convicted of not knowing the Scriptures. For if they had understood these, they would have understood also how that was said, I am the God of Abraham, as plainly of the living. For he did not say, I was; but, I am. As of those who stand fast, and have not perished. But should one say that the Lord said this concerning the soul of Abraham alone, and not also concerning the body, so that the bodies do not rise—I say, then, first, that Abraham means the two together, soul and body, so that he is God of the body also, it living with God, and not having gone wholly into non-being. Then, that the Sadducees were in doubt concerning the resurrection of the bodies; so that the Lord also spoke concerning the bodies, that they live with God, not concerning the souls. For this had already been acknowledged even among the carnal Sadducees. Then consider this also: the resurrection is the rising again of that which has fallen. And it was not the soul that fell, for it is immortal, but the body; this, then, shall also rise again, being once more interwoven with its yokefellow soul.

⁵ And one of the scribes came, having heard them disputing together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, that the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like unto it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him: Well, Teacher, you have said in truth that 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 one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And Jesus, seeing that he answered sensibly, said unto him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared ask him any question. Matthew says that he came tempting him, but Mark here says that he answered sensibly. Do they then contradict one another? Not at all; but it is likely that at first he asked as one tempting, and then, being benefited by the answer of Christ and answering sensibly, was praised. And see the praise also, how it does not bear witness that he is perfect. For he did not say, You are within the kingdom of God, but, You are not far. And for what cause did this lawyer put forward this question at all to Christ? Thinking to take hold of Christ as one who would correct the law, and for this cause to accuse him as opposed to the law. But the Lord, showing him that it is from not having love but being melted with envy that he comes to such questions, says that the first and great commandment is to love God, and the second like unto it, to love one’s neighbor. And how is it like? Because they are held together by one another. For he that loves God loves also his creature; and the most intimate of his creatures is man; so that he that loves God will love also all men. And he that loves his neighbor much more loves God. For if he loves men, who often furnish occasions of stumbling and offenses, much more does he love God, who ever does him good. And hear the Lord also: He that loves me will keep my commandments. Do you see that from loving God we keep his commandments, and his commandments all treat of love toward one another? And again, By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. Do you see again, how from loving one another there is constituted the having of friendship toward Christ, and the being his disciples and friends? And consider how he enumerated all the powers of the soul. For there is a power of the soul, the animal, which he hints at in saying, with all your soul. For he wills that anger and desire be given wholly to the love of God. There is also another power of the soul, the one called vegetative, which is termed nutritive and growth-giving. And this also must be given wholly to God. There is also a third, the rational. This too must be dedicated unto the mind. All the powers of the soul, then, we must dedi—[1]

⁶ And Jesus answered and said, teaching in the temple: How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David? For David himself said in the Holy Spirit: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. David himself therefore calls him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the great multitude heard him gladly. And he said unto them in his teaching: Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the chief places at feasts; who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation. Since the Lord was about to come to his Passion, he corrects the mistaken opinion of the scribes, who supposed that the Christ was the son of David, but not Lord. He demonstrates, then, that he is God, from the very words of David, and not simply, but striking fear by saying, Till I make your enemies your footstool. And they were assuredly his enemies, whom God and Father set as a footstool of the feet of Christ. And see also how he asks. For he did not say, What think you concerning me? but, concerning the Christ; so that they might not contend. But neither can you tell me that David said this apart from the Spirit, but in the Spirit he called him Lord, that is, breathed upon by the grace of the Spirit. How then is Christ the son of David, and not also his Lord and God? The crowd, then, heard him gladly. And he said unto them—I mean to those of the crowd—Guard yourselves against the scribes, who wear more solemn robes, and from these wish to be preferred, and accept the salutations and acclamations in the marketplaces, and whatever else they practice unto vainglory, who also devour the houses of widows. For they crept in upon the unprotected women, as though they would be their protectors, and on the pretext of praying at length, and under the guise of reverence and with hypocrisy deceiving the simpler sort, devoured the houses of the rich. These, then, shall be condemned more than the other Jews who sin. For the mighty shall be mightily put to the test. Then he teaches them not to live after the manner of the scribes, being earnest, and fittingly showing them concerning their manner of life as well.

⁷ And Jesus, sitting over against the treasury, beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. And calling unto him his disciples, he says unto them: Truly I say unto you, that this poor widow has cast in more than all they that have cast into the treasury; for all they cast in of their abundance, but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living. A marvelous custom prevailed among the Jews, that those who had and wished might cast into the treasure in the temple (for this was called the treasury), so that from these the priests and the poor and the widows might be supported. While many, then, were doing this, a widow also, coming forward, displayed her purpose richer than her ability. Glory to you, Christ, who accept also the small things above the great oftentimes. May it come to pass that my soul also become a widow, casting off Satan, to whom it was joined, and cast into the sacred treasure two mites, the flesh and the mind, having made them thin—the flesh through abstinence, and the mind through humility—that I also may hear that I have made my whole life sacred, leaving no thought or motion to the world.