Mark 12:13-17 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 you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, 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 taxes 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 portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.
In the above passage, we see the Pharisees and the Herodians trying to cause trouble for Jesus with the people and the authorities. Of course, the Roman Empire expected their subjects to pay taxes to Caesar. He ruled over his subjects with an iron hand: taxes were expected to fill the coffers of Caesar's government regularly. No other course of action was safe in the Roman Empire. The Pharisees did not like to pay taxes, but they did, for they knew the consequence of rebellion against the government. The Herodians were part of the Empire, so taxes were an obligation they were willing to fulfill as well. Some of the people in Israel rebelled by not paying taxes to Caesar. These people were the Zealots. Simon, one of Jesus' disciples was a Zealot. Probably of all Jesus' disciples, he was the most vexed by the rule of the Romans in Israel. The Zealots openly rebelled against the Roman Empire several times, causing them great persecution from the hands of Caesar. Many groups living in Israel would have listened carefully to Jesus' answer on the question of paying taxes to Caesar. But Jesus knew the religious leaders were not questioning him to find a solution to the tax problem: they wanted to trick him, just as they did every time they approached him. But Jesus knew his foes, for He had branded them for who they were many times: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. (Matthew 23:27) Yet in this instance, his response to their inquiry was so quick and clever that they were all amazed. Probably, even Simon was satisfied with his answer to their question. Caesar deserves only what Caesar deserves, nothing more or nothing less.
The question for Christians today remains: What does Caesar deserve from our lives? How should we live in this physical world, which has little to do in the practical sense with the eternal realities that we hold in our hearts? How much of our daily lives should we commit to obligations and survival? Certainly, we need to house ourselves, we need food, we need clothing, we need safety for ourselves and our loved ones, we need a few amenities for enjoyment, and so on. But basically all that we see, hear, touch, and smell have little to do with our eternal existence. In fact some of the things that we categorize as needs in our existence can actually get in the way of our spiritual selves, such as working excessively for the "essentials" we need in life. This can take on the guise as always needing something more, bigger, and better, never really being satisfied with what God has provided for us. A striving soul for this world's goods will often miss out on God's best for us. We might think of ourselves being successful because of our material wealth, but in reality we might be starving the spiritual man or woman inside of us. Rather than revealing a healthy and vital walk with our Lord, we are actually experiencing sickness and death as we grow more distant and cold in our relationship. When John describes his vision of Jesus speaking to the church in Laodicea, the Lord says, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) What is Caesar's should always be held lightly in our journey through life. What is God's should be the path we passionately follow in our everyday experiences. Nothing else will satisfy our souls; nothing else will lead us to the Land of Promise.
How then should a Christian live? What does pertain to God? The Bible remains our guide: Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4) Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14) This passage and many others should be posted on our mirrors and doorposts. Christians should live with minds and souls fixed on serving and glorifying God as their reasonable service. Believers should reflect God's attributes by clothing themselves with the fruit of his love: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17) All we do and think should strengthen our spiritual lives IN CHRIST JESUS. He has given us life to live for him, to glorify him in the midst of this dark world. If we fail to realize that, the world of Caesar takes control, and we journey through life, thinking about only of ourselves, our needs, our desires. We go to bed at night with worldly cares weighing us down, missing the peace of God and caught up with striving. God asks us to enter into his rest and not fail to enter in because of unbelief. By faith through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we must turn our minds constantly to Christ. Rejoice in the Lord, as you run this race for Christ with endurance to the end. Every other lifestyle bears no lasting fruit and ends in decay and death. "I am the way, the truth, and the life," Christ says to you this day. Abide in his house forever and you will know great peace and everlasting joy.
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