What pleases God? What angers God? We read about both reactions from God in Mark 12.

The first parable is about the vineyard. Well, it’s about Israel and God sending His prophets and how they are mistreated and killed, including His Son. God is angry and eventually destroys those who so treated His servants.

Eventually. He doesn’t do it after the first prophet is killed. He sends another and another. He sends His Son. He knows what’s going to happen to them all. He sends them.

Is it love? It’s amazing love. He loved the people who were responding in violence.

How was He loving His servants? He didn’t seem to be protecting them. He sent them to die.

He sent them to glorify Him and to live in the reward of that for eternity.

They pleased God. Just like Jesus.

The scribe also pleases God, the one who knows that God wants us to love Him and others and is not after all the burnt offerings.

One other God-pleaser is the woman offering a penny to God. She puts in the most. She gave in faith. She was trusting God

Those that anger God are the ones who hurt His children. They are the ones not only killing the prophets, but they are hurting God’s children by teaching what is not true.

Jesus corrects the wrong idea of the Sadducees that there is no resurrection.

He also gets frustrated at those acting in hypocrisy. The warning is that they will receive greater condemnation, even though on the outside they may appear godly.

The parable that opens the chapter ends with God giving His vineyard to others. It’s for those who will produce the good fruit. Give Your life to Him to care for and to prune, so you’ll do just that.