15Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial taxa to Caesar or not?”
18But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?19Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22)
Thoughts: The leaders of the people were trying to trap the leader sent by God. They at first tried to butter Him up, like they were intent on listening to what He said- when they did not really care what He said on this subject. For most of them, they did not want to pay taxes to Caesar. He was pagan. But they also did not want to risk open rebellion. Jesus was not in rebellion against Caesar- He was in rebellion against pride and evil.
Jesus escaped the trap brilliantly while giving a lesson to us all. Jesus was not against government- even wicked evil government. In fact, it was Caesar's government, supposedly one of the most legal minded in the world, that would kill Him. Yet here He supported giving to Caesar what is Caesar's. Caesar made coins and roads, and made the way clear for commerce and trade. Yet Caesar worship was evolving too. Within a century the followers of Jesus would be killed for not pinching incense in homage/worship before a statue of Caesar. The Romans were okay with Jesus as long as He would allow Caesar worship. So many today are okay with Christianity as long as it is saying yes to things and never no. It is the narrowing of truth that pagans and the wicked have a problem with. Even with the Pharisees, if Jesus did not go against some of their practices, they may not have had such animosity against Him. When Jesus said "No" to the money changers, to the open Pharisaical hypocrisy they could not bear it.
Here Jesus was able to find a way to say yes to Caesar and to God that others did not see. Again, Jesus, in contrast to the messianic pretenders of the first century did not seek open rebellion against the Romans. After He fed the 5,000 some wanted to make Him king but he refused. Jesus teaches us that it is not necessarily a conflict to have an earthly king while also a heavenly King.
Jesus escaped the trap brilliantly while giving a lesson to us all. Jesus was not against government- even wicked evil government. In fact, it was Caesar's government, supposedly one of the most legal minded in the world, that would kill Him. Yet here He supported giving to Caesar what is Caesar's. Caesar made coins and roads, and made the way clear for commerce and trade. Yet Caesar worship was evolving too. Within a century the followers of Jesus would be killed for not pinching incense in homage/worship before a statue of Caesar. The Romans were okay with Jesus as long as He would allow Caesar worship. So many today are okay with Christianity as long as it is saying yes to things and never no. It is the narrowing of truth that pagans and the wicked have a problem with. Even with the Pharisees, if Jesus did not go against some of their practices, they may not have had such animosity against Him. When Jesus said "No" to the money changers, to the open Pharisaical hypocrisy they could not bear it.
Here Jesus was able to find a way to say yes to Caesar and to God that others did not see. Again, Jesus, in contrast to the messianic pretenders of the first century did not seek open rebellion against the Romans. After He fed the 5,000 some wanted to make Him king but he refused. Jesus teaches us that it is not necessarily a conflict to have an earthly king while also a heavenly King.
Prayer: Thank you that you are the One True King. Help me to follow you, even while I listen to the earthly rulers that are placed over me.
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