Matthew 22:15-22 The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.”
By the time Jesus was born, the Romans had controlled Israel for 63 years, installing a puppet government but generally allowing religious freedom. (Encyclopedia Britannica describes these rulers as “local client kings.”) There was an uneasy alliance between the Jewish religious leaders and the rulers appointed by the Romans, for nobody wanted to destabilize what was at best a fragile situation. It was into this situation that Jesus was born. The last thing the canny religious authorities in Jerusalem wanted was some radical preaching any kind of rebellion that would threaten their position. The Romans were noted for taking revenge on anybody foolish enough to challenge them.
On this particular day, the scribes and Pharisees are clustering around Jesus and querying him for several reasons. Does this upstart carpenter from Galilee pose a threat to their carefully forged relationships with local rulers? Is this man fomenting rebellion? Is it possible to embarrass this man, tricking him into a seditious answer that will allow them to report him to the Romans, thereby inciting the Romans into getting rid of him themselves? And can the authorities trap this man into a religiously unacceptable statement?
As the group of scribes and Pharisees push their way through the crowd, Jesus is smiling. Jesus knows precisely why these men have come and their ambitions for his downfall. But this morning, these arrogant individuals are slated for yet another disappointment.
“And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Notice the big men are standing at the back of the crowd while their disciples are coming in with the Herodians, the supporters of Herod, the current “client king.”
“Surely!” these men think. “Surely, this time we have this man precisely where we want him! Go ahead, Jesus, you fool! Just make one statement out of line, and our disciples will whip up the crowd into a frenzy against you.” But these men are bound for disappointment.
“But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.”
Not only has Jesus given a perfect answer, but even the Herodians have nothing further to say. Jesus has just encouraged the crowd to be law-abiding citizens and to pay their taxes. Instead of the humiliation these men have plotted, Jesus has said something that even the tax collectors might quote as they sit in their booths. You can practically imagine these frustrated religious authorities slinking off like some old-time villain in a melodrama, muttering, “Curses! Foiled again!”
What’s the lesson for us as modern disciples? We must be careful to know our mission from God. God has not appointed us to encourage a political rebellion but a spiritual one. When the Iron Curtain began to fall in Rumania, it was praying believers who brought that to pass, not gun-toting revolutionaries. As Christianity has spread throughout the world, it has been loving and servanthood that have won the day. Jesus overturned the world order of his day by dying on a cross, the most shameful death possible, not by organizing squadrons of fighters to confront Roman soldiers.
In some respects, fighting is easier than loving. If we are fighting, we can react, rather than acting. But being caught in actions/reactions does not win souls. Insofar as we can, we should support governments but pray for their change and encourage talented faithful believers to take part so that change will come from the inside.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, guide us so that we pray fervently and wisely for the governments You want to see in power. Help us to remain courageous in the face of opposition but to also remain loving as well. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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