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, so we owe him allegiance.
Here they want Jesus to promote rebellion and get in trouble with the Romans.
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!
“Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked.” The leaders wanted so badly to have something they could accuse Jesus of – to point out his hypocrisy – but they couldn’t do it. Jesus is the truth and there is no manipulation of the truth with him. It’s a lesson for me ! I had a dream the other night and it caught me up in my hypocrisy – I awoke and it bothered me! Am I really like that as I seemed to be in the dream! I am trapped! A little ‘white’ lie leads to another! Lord help me to stay on the truth – to seek your ways consistently and without any façade – only the genuine truth!
The two groups mentioned usually did not get along – different ideals. Yet with a common enemy, they were brought together. What brought them together is that they found something truthful about Jesus yet that truth was part of their ways. Jesus told them to give to the emperor’s money back to him an to God – your heart. Give God your loyalty, your faith, your love. In my living for Jesus I can pray for the leaders who need to seek the good of the people but I need to give my heart to the Lord.
1 We give thee but thine own,
whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is thine alone,
a trust, O Lord, from thee.
2 May we thy bounties thus
as stewards true receive
and gladly, as thou blessest us,
to thee our first fruits give.