We'd love it if Jesus had said something different here...
Matthew 22:15-22 (NIV)
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 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. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “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.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 36: The Civil Government
We believe that
because of the depravity of the human race
our good God has ordained kings, princes, and civil officers.
He wants the world to be governed by laws and policies
so that human lawlessness may be restrained
and that everything may be conducted in good order
among human beings.
For that purpose he has placed the sword
in the hands of the government,
to punish evil people
and protect the good.
And being called in this manner
to contribute to the advancement of a society
that is pleasing to God,
the civil rulers have the task,
subject to God’s law,
of removing every obstacle
to the preaching of the gospel
and to every aspect of divine worship.
They should do this
while completely refraining from every tendency
toward exercising absolute authority,
and while functioning in the sphere entrusted to them,
with the means belonging to them.
They should do it in order that
the Word of God may have free course;
the kingdom of Jesus Christ may make progress;
and every anti-Christian power may be resisted.
Moreover everyone,
regardless of status, condition, or rank,
must be subject to the government,
and pay taxes,
and hold its representatives in honor and respect,
and obey them in all things that are not in conflict
with God’s Word,
praying for them
that the Lord may be willing to lead them
in all their ways
and that we may live a peaceful and quiet life
in all piety and decency.
And on this matter we denounce the Anabaptists, other anarchists,
and in general all those who want
to reject the authorities and civil officers
and to subvert justice
by introducing common ownership of goods
and corrupting the moral order
that God has established among human beings.
Summary
It's amazing what happens when people start thinking with their feelings rather than their intellect. That's exactly what was going on with the Pharisees, who were ostensibly the smartest guys in all of Israel. They knew all there was to know about the Bible and God's Law. They revered this Law so much that they had developed a complex web of secondary laws designed to keep people from even getting close to a situation where they might break one of God's Laws recorded in the Bible. That's quite a bit to keep track of on a daily basis, but these guys were really smart lawyers and were pretty good at it.
But sadly their emotions - especially the hate they had for Jesus, who continually pointed out the glaring flaws in their complex legal systems - had taken the controls and was guiding their intellect. So they put their impressive intellects to work to trap Jesus in His words.
Who knows how many plans got proposed and rejected before someone came up with the brilliant idea of asking Jesus a question that had no right answer: ask Him about taxes. Either He'd infuriate the nationalistic Jews who were following Him by telling them to pay their exorbinant taxes to the hated Caesar, or Jesus would get in trouble with the Roman authorities who'd nail Him for tax evasion (which is why they brought the Herodians into their plan, because they'd be sure to rat Jesus out if He sided against Caesar).
So they catch up with Jesus and begin by buttering Him up, calling Him a man of integrity who teaches the way of God in accordance with the truth. They make it seem like they really wanted Jesus' advice on this thorny question. But Jesus knew what they were up to and sent them back with their tails between their legs.
Dig Deeper
Jesus brilliantly thwarts their brilliant effort. Their trap was predicated on the idea that a godly person could not simultaneously pay taxes to a pagan emperor and faithfully serve God. Caesar was so pagan that his coin was inscribed with the words Divi Filius (the son of a god). Certainly it would be sinful to comply with the orders of such a blasphemer!
But their assumption was wrong. Jesus simply and eloquently demonstrated that a godly man can be "both a dutiful citizen and a loyal servant of God." Jesus knew what Paul would make plain later, that the authorities that exist have been established by God - even the most pagan ones! Giving back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar does not make the taxpayer complicit in Caesar's sin.
I'll bet that if we're honest, a bunch of us probably wish that Jesus had answered differently here. How much wouldn't we revel in being able to stiff our ungodly governments who so often use our tax dollars for such sinful purposes!
But instead Jesus gives the advice that's reflected in our Confession: be subject to the government, pay taxes, hold its representatives in honor and respect, and obey them in all things that are not in conflict with God’s Word. Even if they themselves are sinful pagans.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who calls us to give to God what is God's - that is, our highest loyalty;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the wisdom to know when we should submit to Caesar and when we should obey God rather than man (Acts 4);
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 4
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