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Render To God...
A few days before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, the Pharisees sent
their disciples to Him with a question meant to “entangle Him in His
talk.” They asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
We suppose they hoped Him to reply with either a mere ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ An
answer of ‘yes’ would doubtless diminish His popularity with the common
Jewish people -- people who chafed at the very thought of paying taxes
to an oppressive Roman government. An answer of ‘no’ would be nothing
short of rebellion against Rome and would put Jesus in trouble with the
governing authorities.
Jesus said, “Show me the tax money,” and then asked,
“Whose image and inscription is this?” The Pharisees replied,
“Caesar’s.” Jesus then said, “Render therefore to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”
(Matthew 22:15-22).
Jesus’ words were meant for more than mere instruction about
paying taxes to a civil government. (Although He plainly taught that
here. See also Romans 13:1-7). More importantly, though, Jesus took a
question meant to “test” Him and answered in a way as to force these
Pharisees to test themselves.
Looking at a denarius (small coin) He asked, “Whose image and
inscription does it have?” (Luke 20:24). The object with Caesar’s
image stamped on it was to be paid to Caesar. But when Jesus spoke of
‘rendering’ or paying to God “the things that are God’s” He
obviously spoke of men themselves. Human beings
are those who bear the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Jesus was causing
these Pharisees to see that they needed to render themselves -- their
hearts, souls, and minds -- to God. As our Lord later pointed out, these
Jews could “outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside [they
were] full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:28). They
might have diligently paid their taxes to Rome (we don’t know), but THEY
were the ones in rebellion against another government -- that of God
almighty!
And what of you, my fellow-disciple? That’s right, what about
you? Are you ‘rendering to God the thing that is God’s‘? Don’t be
evasive and look for some way of applying this article to someone else.
(That was another tactic of the Pharisees.) What about YOU? In all that
you do are you giving self to God?
--Mike Noble
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