Mark, 12
16. And they brought it to him. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
16. And they brought it to him. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
In St. Mark 12, Jesus continues to teach the people and confronting religious leaders. He tells the parable of the evil tenants, where religious leaders are portrayed as bad tenants who kill the owner's sent. Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees and the Herodians about if it is right to pay taxes to Caesar. He answers "then, to Caesar what is from Caesar and God what is of God." A scribe questions Jesus about what is the greatest commandment, and Jesus answers "Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, all thy understanding and all thy forces." Jesus also observes the offer of the rich and the poor widow, who gave everything he had to live.
Deuteronomy 6:5 - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy strength." This verse relates to Jesus' response to the scribe who asked what is the greatest commandment.
Psalm 118:22 - "The stone that the builders rejected became the cornerstone." Jesus quotes this verse in speaking of the parable of the evil tenants, where religious leaders reject Jesus, who becomes the cornerstone.
Isaiah 5:1-2 - "I want to sing to my beloved my friend's song about his vineyard: my beloved had a vineyard in a fertile hill. excellent vides; and built in the middle of it a tower. " The parable of the evil tenants is an allusion to this passage from the book of Isaiah, which describes how God took care of his vineyard, but the people who cultivated it were unfaithful.
2 Corinthians 9:7 - "Each one contributes according to the heart, not with sadness or necessity; for God loves those who give with joy." This verse can be related to the offer of the poor widow, who gave everything he had to live, but with a cheerful and generous heart.
Romans 13:1 - "Every soul is subject to the superior authorities; for there is no authority that does not come from God; and the authorities that exist have been ordered by God." This verse can be related to Jesus' response to the Pharisees and Herodians when they ask if it is right to pay taxes on Caesar. Jesus answers that we must give Caesar what is Caesar and God what is of God, recognizing Caesar's authority as an institution established by God.
“O meu passado, Senhor, à Tua misericórdia. O meu Presente, ao Teu amor. O meu futuro, à Tua Providência.” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina
