You Don't Belong to Caesar

GodWords Newsletter #73

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Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus was the emperor of Rome from AD14 until AD37. Like so many rulers before and since, he had coins minted in his own honor… coins like the one above, representing his rule over his kingdom.

In Matthew 22 we see that the Pharisees sent two groups of people to ask Jesus a question… some of their own disciples and some disciples of their rivals, the Sadduccees. Their goal was to trap Jesus by asking whether it was right to pay the imperial tax, and the competing views of these disciples were intended to put pressure on Jesus from both sides.

How was this a trap? Well, if Jesus said it was wrong to pay the tax, He would be seen as a rebel against Rome… a criminal. If Jesus said it was right to pay the tax, He would be seen as a collaborator with Rome… a traitor. Jesus, of course, saw right through this:

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax. They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, Whose image is this? And whose inscription? 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. When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

At first glace, it looks like Jesus neatly avoided their trap… that He once again found a way to escape from a difficult situation. He did, but there’s more to it than that. Jesus turned the tables on them. How? Here:

So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.

Every Jew would instantly recognize Jesus’ reference to the very first chapter of the Bible.

So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

Do you see? The coin bore Caesar’s image, so it belonged to Caesar. We bear God’s image, so we belong to God.

The Pharisees were playing a dangerous political game with Jesus. In response, Jesus addressed the condition of their hearts. He exposed their hypocrisy and evil intent by pointing to the truth: they bore God’s image. They belonged to God, but they hadn’t given themselves back to Him. They were amazed, and went away.

These days, it seems everything is political, from the price of eggs to the cost of war. Everybody wants to know where everybody else stands. Who will you vote for? Which side are you on? Are you a friend, or an enemy?

Don’t play the game. Disentangle yourself from modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees, who are trying to trap you into pledging your allegiance to them. You don’t belong to Caesar. You belong to God. You bear His image, so give yourself back to Him.

I love you all.
❤️

Ordinary Life
Mark writes From Felon to Follower, and I appreciate his insights. Here he reminds us that while we may never see the results of our efforts, we can rest assured that God is doing His thing… even when we’re not looking.

The Complexity of Calling
Do you feel “called?” The Bible says we’re called. Do you wonder what that means? Is everyone called, or only certain people?

“Disqualified”: What it Means and How a Pastor Gets There
This is the first in a two-part series on ministers who fall, with the second here. We regularly see examples of leaders who disqualified themselves from ministry, and it’s always tragic.

Getting the Most Out of Scripture Writing
Do you want to get more from your time reading the Bible? Would you like to remember it more clearly, and to understand it better? Try writing it down.

The Calling of Motherhood
“It had been a good day… I opened social media for a few minutes… in a matter of moments, I felt my heart go from thankful and satisfied to longing for more and dissatisfied.”

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In the Back Pew

“I go to your church, but you don’t know my name. I sit in the back. I slip out early. I’m there every week…almost.” A good reminder that we don’t go to church to just be NEAR other people. We go, in part, to be together.

Read It Now →

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The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident.
- Francesco Guicciardini

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In a silence so black that I wished for the blues
Every desperate prayer seemed like Heaven refused
And some days I found faith meant just tying my shoes
And it was all I could do to press on

Press On: Billy Sprague

I’m grateful that I was able to tell Billy, in person, how much his song has helped me over the years. We all go through tough times. We all deal with some level of anxiety or depression or grief or simple sadness. Take a moment, and be encouraged.

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