Mark 12:17 (DRB)

Passage

And Jesus answering, said to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Nearby Context

Mark 12:15 Who knowing their wiliness, saith to them: Why tempt you me? Bring me a penny that I may see it.

Mark 12:16 And they brought it him. And he saith to them: Whose is this image and inscription? They say to him, Caesar's.

Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering, said to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

Mark 12:18 And there came to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection. And they asked him, saying:

Mark 12:19 Master, Moses wrote unto us that if any man's brother die and leave his wife behind him and leave no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up seed to his brother.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "answering", "said", "render", "therefore", "caesar", "things", and "caesar's". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "answering", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And they brought it him And he..." into verse 18's "And there came to him the Sadducees...", so "jesus" and "answering" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "jesus" and "answering" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.