‘ISA1 began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. 2When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty. 4Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some. 6Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10Haven’t you even read this in Al-Kitab:
‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. 11This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes’ 2?”
12They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left ‘ISA, and went away. 13They sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words. 14When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and do not defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15Shall we give, or shall we not give?”
But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”
16They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17‘ISA answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They were amazed at him.
18There came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying, 19“Teacher, Musa wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.’3 20There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring. 21The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise; 22and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died. 23In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife.”
24‘ISA answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing Al-Kitab, nor the power of God? 25For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26But about the dead, that they are raised; haven’t you read in the Book of Musa, about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying,
‘I am the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub 4?’
27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”
28One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”
29‘ISA answered, “The greatest is,
‘Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is one: 30you 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.’ 5
This is the first commandment. 31The second is like this,
‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 6
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, 33and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34When ‘ISA saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
No one dared ask him any question after that. 35‘ISA responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that AL-MASIH7 is the SON OF DAWUD8? 36For Dawud himself said by the Holy Spirit,
‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”‘ 9
37Therefore Dawud himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?”
The common people heard him gladly. 38In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces, 39and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts: 40those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
41‘ISA sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. 42A poor widow came, and she cast in two small bronze coins,10 which equal a quadrans coin.11 43He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most assuredly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, 44for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”
- 12:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 12:10-11 Quoting the Zabur 118:22-23 which says: The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is YAHWEH’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. ↩︎
- 12:19 Citing the provisions outlined in the Taurat, Deuteronomy 25:5-6 which states: If brothers dwell together, and one of them die, and have no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her to him as wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall be, that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel. ↩︎
- 12:26 Quoting the Taurat, Exodus 3:5-6 which states: God said, “Do not come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover he said, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub.” Musa hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God. ↩︎
- 12:29,30 Quoting the Taurat, Deuteronomy 6:4,5 which states: Hear, Israel: YAHWEH is our God, YAHWEH is one: and you shall love YAHWEH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. ↩︎
- 12:31 Quoting the Taurat, Leviticus 19:18 which states: You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am YAHWEH. ↩︎
- 12:35 MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 12:35 SON OF DAWUD, it was prophesied that the Messiah, AL-MASIH, would be descended from the Prophet-King Dawud. Armiya 23:5 says: “Behold, the days are coming,” says YAHWEH, “when I will raise to Dawud a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 12:36 Quoting the Zabur 110:1 which states: YAHWEH said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, Until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ↩︎
- 12:42 Literally, lepta (or widow’s mites). Lepta are very small bronze coins worth half a quadrans each, which is a quarter of the copper assarion. Lepta are worth less than 1% of an agricultural worker’s daily wages. ↩︎
- 12:42 A quadrans is a coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius. A denarius is about one day’s wages for an agricultural labourer. ↩︎