Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s

This is actually the third time I am writing on this verse (Mark 12:17). I reflected on Paying Taxes in 2013 and then in 2014, Jesus' answers to "trick" questions (it was great to refresh my memories of what I wrote). This morning I have a chance to dig further into the background and possible lessons I can learn from this message:

"Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we? But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him." (Mark 12:13-17)

To start with, it was a "trap" question. Mark, the writer of this gospel, says "they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words". The Pharisees and Harodians were most likely sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders (see the previous verse):

"Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away." (Mark 12:12)

So the question was meant to get Jesus into trouble. If He had answered "YES" He would have alienated the people, especially those who were following Him (and of whom they were afraid - verse 12). The Jews were under Roman rule at the time and paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar amounts to capitulating to the enemy. And if He had said "NO" they would have reported Jesus to the Roman authority and had Him arrested for inciting rebellion.

But wait, there was more risk than losing the crowd support! They had preceded the question with a few superlatives: "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth." By saying YES to complying with an evil empire, Jesus could lose his integrity; He would become a crowd-pleaser; He would be putting human law (paying taxes to Caesar) above God's (paying temple taxes). But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. He knew they were trying to trap Him and He told them so. And He saw an opportunity to teach them as well as the crowd that were following Him. He used the coin (a denarius - about a day's wage for an unskilled person at the time) for an object lesson. He asked them (and those who were listening) "Whose image is this?". Commentators have referred the idea of an image to Genesis 1:26-30 “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness" (Genesis 1:26 and 27). So in essence He spoke quite clearly the two kingdom reality for humankind. The kingdom of this world (Caesar or the Government of Canada) and God's spiritual kingdom. We are to live in both kingdoms to fulfill our purpose on earth. The kingdom of this world bears the image of its rulers and kings whereas we bear the image of God! We are to bear witness to the wonders of God's creation (read Psalm 8 below - one of my favorites). So Jesus answer their question: "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s" He in fact said YES to paying imperial tax. He also reminded them (and us) that we give back to God not only our money but all of our lives as well. O they were amazed at Him. I am amazed at Him. He tells it like it is. We do well by listening to Him.


O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 
(Psalm 8:1-6)