STICKS and STONES

Mark 12:1–17 (NLT):

Parable of the Evil Farmers

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Love and Devotion to Others

Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 2 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. 3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 4 The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. 5 The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, 6 until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 8 So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

9 “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. 10 Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.

11 This is the Lord’s doing,

and it is wonderful to see.’”

12 The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

Taxes for Caesar

13 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply completely amazed them.

Zechariah 14:1–21 (NLT):

The Lord Will Rule the Earth

Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! 2 I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city.

3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him.

6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light.

8 On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.

9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.

10 All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. 11 And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed.

12 And the Lord will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day they will be terrified, stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will fight their neighbors hand to hand. 14 Judah, too, will be fighting at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the neighboring nations will be captured—great quantities of gold and silver and fine clothing. 15 This same plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in the enemy camps.

16 In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. 17 Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain. 18 If the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the Lord will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. 19 Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don’t go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters.

20 On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: Holy to the Lord. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. 21 In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2 Let all Israel repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

3 Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

4 Let all who fear the Lord repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

5 In my distress I prayed to the Lord,

and the Lord answered me and set me free.

6 The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?

7 Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.

I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in people.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,

I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,

but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

12 They swarmed around me like bees;

they blazed against me like a crackling fire.

But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

13 My enemies did their best to kill me,

but the Lord rescued me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has given me victory.

15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.

The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!

16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.

The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!

17 I will not die; instead, I will live

to tell what the Lord has done.

18 The Lord has punished me severely,

but he did not let me die.

19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,

and I will go in and thank the Lord.

20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,

and the godly enter there.

21 I thank you for answering my prayer

and giving me victory!

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord’s doing,

and it is wonderful to see.

24 This is the day the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Please, Lord, please save us.

Please, Lord, please give us success.

26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.

Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will praise you!

You are my God, and I will exalt you!

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.