Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
(verses 20-25)
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I love Jesus’ insightful brilliance. I love the fact that he sees right through their carefully sprung trap. I love watching as he skillfully evades incriminating himself, but at the same time gives a profound piece of instruction regarding godly interaction with the authorities of this world.
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Ultimately, of course, it’s all God’s. When it’s clearly the right thing to submit to governing authorities, we do it because the Lord himself calls us to do so. The Lord is our chief motivation. By submitting to government, we submit to him.
The problem comes when the authorities of this world are actually in conflict with the authority of our Lord. The Apostles encountered this a number of times in the book of Acts. “We must obey God rather than men!”, Peter fearlessly declared (Acts 5:29). They held their ground and paid the consequence, being flogged as a result(Acts 5:40). Many of them subsequently paid with their lives. We, too, may be called to pay the price.
But sometimes the lines are not so clearly drawn. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” We can so easily get this mixed up. Indeed, sometimes it calls for very careful discernment to weigh and determine.
We found ourselves in such a situation with the recent pandemic. Restrictions on personal freedoms were instituted by governments in different constituencies to different extents. In some places restrictions were temporarily placed on church gatherings. Was it right to submit or was it right to rebel? Is this a sphere of Caesar’s authority or is it one that belongs solely to our God?
That issue, and others like it, need to be weighed thoughtfully before the Lord – committed believers will come to different conclusions. But along with careful weighing, we need also to examine our hearts. When confronted with such a decision, which phrase rings the louder in our souls: “my rights” or “godly submission”? If we balk at keeping other guidelines mandated by government, like mask-wearing during a health pandemic, it may be that our bottom-line is simply an unwillingness to submit.
So, press into Jesus. Seek his perspective both for current affairs and current state of heart. Giving to Caesar and giving to the Lord both involve submission. So submit, follow his lead, honour authority, be bold, live with grace, love those who see things differently. In all these ways, give to God what is God’s.
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Lord, in the midst of a world that so often fails to embrace your values, give me ears to hear your direction. Grant me boldness to submit to you always. Grant me willingness to submit to those you have put in authority. Grant me wisdom to see clearly when their directives conflict with your own. Grant me strength to live the conviction. Amen.
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Reflect:
Look around in your own context. Are you holding back on anything you owe Caesar? Are you holding back on anything you owe God? What are the points of conflict? How will you respond?
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