PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Mark 12:13-17
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” (Mark 12:17)
According to the Pharisees, Caesar owns nothing, so we owe him nothing.
According to the Herodians, Caesar is in charge for now, so we owe him allegiance.
Here they want to get Jesus in trouble with the Romans by promoting rebellion.
Jesus is clever with his response, avoiding the trap of these religious leaders.
Jesus seems to say that we owe something to BOTH our worldly leaders and God.
We owe our leaders appropriate submission (including taxes) and humble respect.
The only exception to obeying our leaders is if they command us to go against God.
(See Romans 13:1-7, Acts 4:18-20, 1 Timothy 2:1).
But only God deserves our trust; our leaders cannot save us (Psalm 146:3).
I may not like the taxes, but it is the government’s right to collect them.
I may oppose my government’s policies, but not in a violent, rebellious manner.
As a Jesus follower, I respect worldly leaders, even when I disagree with them.
When I disagree with what they do, I need to do it in a God-honouring way…
Giving to leaders what they deserve, and to God what God deserves!
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be a good citizen of both my community/country, and your kingdom. May I give to my leaders what they deserve, in a way that you deserve!
I’m not meant to be a monk – someone isolated from the world I live in. I should do my best as a citizen – wherever I am – to obey and respect the laws – and so doing love God because I love and respect my neighbours. It can sometimes be difficult especially when the application of those laws becomes corrupt and self serving or go against God -yet God is faithful – I think of those imprisoned like Solschenizin and others because of their trust in Jesus. Lord help me to be a good and discerning citizen – trusting you and respecting those in authority.
“Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity.”
Lord help us not be swayed by flattery and untrue words that are there to trap us. Give us wisdom that we may speak the truth as defined by You, not by the world. Help us give to Caesar what is Caesar, and give to You what is Yours.
God is in control. Our world belongs to God. Today God is first.
And governments have been instituted to rule, serve, lead the people. I need to pray for the leaders of the world, governments, locally/globally that they rule with righteousness, justice and mercy – desiring His way rather than their selfish personal goals. May they also be lead by His Spirit and may they and I also speak words of hope, upholding, encouraging one another, speaking to and about one another in love.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.