Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?

 

 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.  

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

- Mark 12:13–27 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the cleansing of the temple, Jesus and the disciples came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the heard, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" And they sought to lay hands on Him,  but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.  

 

  Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.  My study Bible tells us that the Herodians were Jewish political supporters of the ruling house of Herod the Great and therefore willing servants of Rome.  Here they collaborate with the Pharisees to trap Jesus in His words.  A "yes" answer to this question on taxation would turn the Jewish people again Him, while a "no" could bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  My study Bible comments that Jesus defeats their cunning and shows that a believer can render the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  As the coin bears the image of the emperor and is properly paid to him, it explains, so each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God.  Conflict arises only when the state demands that which is contrary to God.  

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."   My study Bible explains that the Sadducees represent landowners and other wealthy families in Jerusalem.  They held many high offices in Israel, and controlled the temple and the Sanhedrin.  They differed from the Pharisees in that they were political prudent and had adapted to the presence of the Romans.  Additionally, they interpreted the law even more rigidly than the Pharisees.  Also unlike the Pharisees, they rejected belief in angels and in the resurrection from the dead at the end of the age.  After the destruction of Jerusalem, the Sadducees completely disappeared.  Jesus explains clearly that there will be a resurrection, but it will be something quite different from what the Sadducees imagine.  They think the resurrection will be a continuation of earthly life, including earthly marriage, and so they mock the idea with an absurd scenario.  But, as Jesus says, they are ignorant of the Scriptures and they don't know the power of God.  The Scriptures, understood correctly, reveal a complete transfiguration of life in the resurrection, and make their question irrelevant.  Moreover, they don't understand how Abraham and his sons can live in God even if they're physically dead.  My study Bible declares that it's the clear teaching of Christ that the souls of the faithful who have departed this life are sustained before the face of God in anticipation of the final joy of the resurrection.

 

 Jesus tells the Sadducees, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?"  The Sadducees were a party of people for whom there were only the first five books of the Scriptures, the Torah or Law of Moses, also called the Pentateuch.  But we can read into Christ's words the understanding that regardless of their limitation with regard to what Scriptures they accepted, they also did not know how to properly interpret the Scripture they had, and this is linked to His statement that they did not know the power of God.  If we don't understand the power of God, even if we don't consider grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit, how can we understand the Scriptures or learn how to read what is in them?  Jesus is telling us all quite clearly that without knowing the power of God we can't really understand what's in the Scriptures for us, for there is so much more than the letters on the page, and so much that needs to be seen with the eyes of spiritual perception (called nous in the Orthodox tradition).  This is why a prayerful reading of Scripture is always what we need, and a prayerful orientation to what we read is the way we should approach everything we read.  In my Orthodox Study Bible, from which I quote in the notes I include with the text of the daily reading, all of the commentary is compiled from those throughout the centuries -- many of them saints -- who devoted themselves to prayer and Scripture throughout their entire lives.  It is those who consecrated themselves to such a way of life whose words we trust to help us to understand Christ, for it is in the quest for that life of grace and holiness He made possible that their understanding has been given to us, and as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the entire Church.  Let us all consider how deepening our prayer and our understanding go hand in hand, for this is where our lives can be centered in trust.  It is, indeed, part of the power of God to open our eyes to what is there, and to what more we may well need to see in faith.