Reading: Luke 19-20
Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no? But He perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye Me? Shew Me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Cæsar’s. And He said unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s(Luke 20:22-25).
When Jesus first sent forth His disciples to begin their independent ministry, He gave them a warning: behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16). Jesus knew what they were going to face from His own experience. He knew of the craftiness of man. Over the course of His ministry, He had wisely avoided trap after trap that had been set for Him by Pharisees and other ‘religious’ leaders. On this occasion, He was approached by a mixed group of Pharisees and Herodians, a sect of irreligious Jews who sought to advance themselves by urging submission to the Roman government (Matt. 22:16). At this point, the Jewish leaders were desperate to have him out of the way, so they asked him a carefully designed question: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no?
Had Jesus answered that it was not lawful (allowed or required under the laws of God), then He would have been guilty of conspiring against the Roman government, and Pontius Pilate could have legitimately arrested Him for treason. Yet if He asserted that it was fitting that they be taxed, the crowds of oppressed Jews would have turned against Him. Either way, the Pharisees would be well on their way to solving the ‘problem’ of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus knew exactly what they were doing. He also saw beyond their relatively simplistic political question to the root of the issue behind it. Had God given Caesar authority over His people or not? By having them positively identify the money in question as Caesar’s, Jesus had thrown their own question back at them. Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar’s. Whether they liked it or not, God had allowed Rome to become ruler of the territory, and it did not honor God to break Roman law by refusing to pay Roman taxes. Yet Jesus’ answer also came with a clear warning to render unto God the things which be God’s. Living under the statutes of Rome in no way exempted a person from living under the Laws of God.
Today, Christians live, first and foremost, as citizens of the kingdom of God. We owe Him everything—our tithes, our offerings, our obedience, our service, our very lives—for everything is already His (Ps. 24:1). Yet in order to be truly living in obedience to God, then we must also live under the God-given authority of man. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Rom.13:1). This means, among other things, that as Christians, we are expected to pay our civil taxes whether or not we agree with the decisions of the government collecting them. We do so not as men of the world but as citizens of heaven who seek to please God.
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour(Rom. 13:7).
Thought For TodayMankind is not allowed to usurp the authorty of God; it is only by His will that we are permitted dominion.
Cross Reference: For Luke 19:38: See Ps. 118:26. Luke 19:46: See Is. 56:7; Jer. 7:11. Luke 20:17: See Ps. 118:22. Luke 20:28: See Deut. 25:5. Luke 20:37: See Ex. 3:6. Luke 20:42-43: See Ps. 110:1.
Word Studies:19:13 Occupy = Use your talent to buy and sell; 19:16 pound = a unit of money to illustrate opportunities to increase; 19:21 austere = stern, exacting; 20:20 feign themselves just men = pretend to be sincere followers.
Pray For Staff:Tifany Parisi • Country: Gabon (1,672,597) West-central Africa • Major Language: French • Religious Freedom • Christian; animism; Muslim • Prayer Suggestion: Study and heed the instruction of the Word of God that your prayers may be heard (Prov. 1:28-30).