What is Caesar’s, what is God’s

What is Caesar’s, what is God’s

Scripture:

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They 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. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “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.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. Matthew 22:15-22

Observation:

All the plans were set in place. The perfect trap question had been set. Deviously, carefully, cunningly, the Pharisees had devised the question that would implicate Jesus whichever way He answered. Was it right to pay the tax to Caesar or not? Say “Yes”, and become unpopular with the Jewish people and even the Zealots who resented the tax imposed on them. Say “No”, and get in trouble with the Roman authorities. It was a Catch-22 situation.

The disciples of the Pharisees were there. The Herodians were also there. With evil intentions they had come, and waited with glee to hear the Lord’s incriminating answer. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus lambasted them “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?” Then he asked them to show him a coin used to pay the tax. Puzzled, they brought him a denarius, and He questioned them back “Whose image is this? Whose inscription?” “Caesar’s”, they answered. And the Lord declared to their amazement “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”

The mindset of the Jews was that since they had to pay tax to Caesar, they were therefore prevented from paying their tithes and offerings to God. However, the Lord pointed out to them that in accepting and enjoying the benefits of Caesarian rule by staying in that place, symbolized by the usage of the Caesarian coin, they were obliged to pay tax to Caesar. Yet, this was no excuse not to give God one’s own tithes and offerings. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s. This is also consistent with Paul’s teachings later where he advocated that all Christians should subject themselves to the government authorities which are placed by God.

Looking deeper into the meaning of “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”, we are reminded that the whole monetary system is in fact controlled by government. The value of each coin can be easily changed by limiting its supply or reproducing it substantially. Part of that monetary system involves the payment of taxes that is a fundamental cog in the provision of a suitable environment for the workings of the economic system. If we are to participate in the economic system and accept the Caesarian coinage, then of course we will have to accept the rules and conditions imposed upon us.

Using the same analogy, just as Caesar is given what bears his image, God must be given what bears His  image. What bears God’s image? Us! All humankind, man and woman, are created in God’s image, and we are meant to be given to God as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him. That is our ultimate purpose and calling.

Application:

What is our attitude towards government? We are quick to condemn the leadership for corruption, inefficiency and being biased. We resent the taxes that we pay and loathe the burdens placed upon us. However, looking at the big picture, we must realize that government is necessary and is ordained by God. Without government there is anarchy and an unstable environment where the people will not prosper or find peace.

Secondly, do we give to God what is God’s? This does not only refer to tithes and offerings. It is far more. We ourselves, created in God’s image, belong to God, and only in learning to surrender ourselves to God do we find true meaning and fulfillment in life. It is not an easy path to deny one’s self and submit one’s self to God. It takes a lifetime of learning but we begin to find that the more we give of ourselves, the more we have to give, and the easier it becomes to yield ourselves to Him who made us.

Prayer:

Dear Father, we praise You and thank You, Lord, for the government that You have set in place, that works to bring peace in the land, and seeks to manage the economic environment to bring prosperity to the country and its people. Help us be responsible citizens, Lord, who pay our taxes and respect our country’s laws.

We thank You, Lord, that we are made in Your image and we belong to You. Teach us Lord, to present ourselves as living sacrifices before You, holy and acceptable by the blood of Jesus! May Your name be praised forever, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

From heaven or human origin

From heaven or human origin

Scripture:

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. Matthew 21:23-27

Observation:

Sullenly the chief priests and elders looked at Jesus, all the people fixated on the Lord’s every word as He taught them. They were all still very angry over the episode where their friends, the moneychangers and dove merchants had been insulted and chased out of the temple. Then, they rudely began to interrupt the Lord. “By what authority are you doing these things?” one Pharisee challenged him. “And who gave you this authority?” an Elder bellowed. Calmly, the Lord looks away from the crowd and addresses His accusers. “I will also ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do this. John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven or of human origin?”

The chief priests discussed the question among themselves and realized they were caught in a Catch-22 situation. If they said “From heaven”, the Lord would ask them “Then why didn’t you believe him?” and if they said “Of human origin”, the crowd would turn against them because they all held that John was a true prophet of God. Unable to answer, they simply said “we don’t know”, and the Lord, true to form, replied “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things”.

In this passage, we are first drawn to the subject of authority. The Lord, just as John did before him, came from God in Heaven. He spoke with all the authority God the Father had given Him. In fact, the Lord spoke or did nothing apart from the will of His Father. When we serve in church or ministry, or wherever we are put in positions of authority or influence, we must realize that this authority comes from our Lord who has given it to us according to His will. Like the Lord, we need to learn not to speak out of human wisdom or our own limited intellect, but rather avail ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom God has given us. Therein we will speak out of His authority, His power.

Secondly, we are reminded of John’s baptism and John’s ministry. He baptized the people as a sign of their repentance. In going under the water, they were stating their intention to do away with their old lives, and as they came out of the water, they set out to live new lives for God, starting everything again afresh. John also called them to look out for the Messiah who was coming, who would save them from their sins.  

Finally, this passage also reminds us of depending on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in our dialogue with others, especially our enemies. The Lord promises us that we are to give no thought what to reply but rather receive what the Holy Spirit gives us to say. The wisdom of Jesus utterly confounded the Pharisees and Elders, who could say nothing. Sometimes, it is right to answer directly. Sometimes, we should answer a question with a question. And sometimes, we don’t need to answer at all. The occasion and timing of our answer are best left to the wisdom of our Holy Spirit, who is with us.

Application:

Remember that when we go out to serve as God’s people, we are His ambassadors, and we go forth in His authority, not our own. Therefore, we do not have to fear those who may go against us, or those who may try to despise and discourage us. Let us be true to our calling and lean on His authority, not ours. The policeman directing traffic raises his hand not on his own authority, but with the full authority of the government. Likewise, that should be our mindset even as we set out to serve the Lord!

Remember John’s call to repentance, that continues even for us today. We are human. We fall, we get distracted, we stumble along the way. However, the Spirit still calls us to come back to repentance, to come back to God and find the right ways,

In our encounters with others, where dialogues sometimes becomes heated, and we may even need to defend our faith, do not fear or worry but seek the answers from the Holy Spirit who is with us, who will teach us what to say. He is our precious Teacher.

Prayer

We praise You and thank You, Lord, for the great things You have done. You have given us authority in Your service, authority over every demon and principality and power, authority even over nature. Help us Lord always remember that it You who give us this authority. We have nothing on our own but only what you give us.

Help us we pray O Lord, draw us back to You again. Let our hearts continue in repentance, in turning to You as our Lord and God. Give us at the right time what we should say. Blessed be Your name O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen