1 - 12 Parable of the Wicked TenantsMy notes say this is a summary of the history of salvation.
13 - 17 Tribute to Caesar
My notes say this teaches that man belongs totally to his creator.
18 - 27 The Resurrection of the Dead
A scribe of the Sadducees asks whose wife a woman will be at the resurrection if she remarries. Jesus states that when they rise, they will neither marry nor remarry, but be like the angels.
28 - 34 The Greatest Commandment of All
A scribe asks which commandment is greatest of all. The first is "The Lord our God, the Lord is One, and you shall ove the Lord with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is, "Love your neighbor as yourself. "
35 - 40 The Divinity of the Messiah and Jesus Censures the Scribes
Jesus bears witness to the fact that the Scripture is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. He says beware of scribes who go about in long robes and devour widows' houses.
41 - 44 The Widow's Mite
When a poor widow put in two coins, Jesus says that "this poor widow has put in far more than those who are contributing to the treasury." My notes say: "Give him what you can: the merit is not in whether it is big or small, but in the intention with which you give it." (Josemaria Escriva)
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1-12 Parable of the Tenants
Jesus told a story where a man built a vineyard with a winepress and watchtower then rented it to some people. When harvest season came he sent people around to collect rent. The tenants either beat or killed all the messengers. The man sent his son. The tenants figured if they killed the son then they'd inherit the vineyard which they did. Jesus asks what the expected outcome will be; certainly the owner will kill the tenants.
It's obvious that the owner is God and the vineyard is earth. God is "renting" earth to us to cultivate and "make it work" as best as possible. We are working for him and owe him part of all our efforts. We should get only what we need. The messengers are the prophets, Moses, etc. who were all ridiculed and sometimes killed. The son is, of course, Jesus. People really do believe that they can "kill" Jesus and "rule the world"; that if they "pretend God doesn't exist" they can do as they please. All THESE lines of thinking are "fairy tales". These people believe that God is a fairy tale but, unfortunately, they are fooling themselves and will die.
13-17 taxes
We do have earthly responsibilities aside from our responsibility to God. God intended for governments to exist to help the world function better. Government should also be subject to God,though.
People won't be married in heaven.
The two great commandments - these encompass the 10. If you follow these you will live righteously before God. HOWEVER, this isn't the limit of our Christian responsibilities, just part.
35-40 Jesus again warns about listening to priests and teachers. If these people, whose responsibility and title are to lead and teach, lie and mislead their followers, their punishment will be far greater. We must use prayer and scripture also to nurture our own personal relationship with Christ so that he can reveal His truth to us personally. Preachers and teachers are only tools.
The spirit in which we tithe (which is a required responsibility) is more important than how much we give. We must give to God not to "the church".
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