So the authorities watched Jesus, and sent people to lie in wait for him. They pretended to be upright folk, but were trying to trap him in something he said, so that they could hand him over to the rule and authority of the governor. So they asked him this question.
‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you speak and teach with integrity. You are completely impartial, and you teach God’s way and God’s truth. So: is it right for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?’
Jesus knew they were playing a trick.
‘Show me a tribute-penny,’ he said. ‘This image…and this inscription…who do they belong to?’
‘Caesar,’ they said.
‘Well, then,’ replied Jesus, ‘you’d better give back to Caesar what belongs to him! And give God back what belongs to Him!’
They couldn’t catch him in anything he said in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer, and had nothing more to say.
Ever had people come into your life and it seems all they want to do is see you into ruin? They pretend to be your friends; really they’ve got an agenda and the first time you say something wrong or do something wrong they are right there to nail you? We see it played out in public life everywhere…so that just must be the way it is, right? Can’t trust anyone…what is one to do? Look to Jesus.
The Jewish authorities are afraid he’s going to work the crowds following him up into a riot. Jesus already stepped on their toes and in fact warned them that they were about to be displaced. They need him stopped. Here they think they’ve got him. Indeed, the cunningness of the question is impressive. It was a major issue during this time…Jews paying tribute to Caesar in itself was bad (no taxation without representation?), but for the Jew, the very fact that the coinage had an engraved image on it and an inscription that would have been utterly blasphemous was an absolute slap in the face. So with this hot topic they intend to show him up publicly, either on the one hand, if he says ‘no’ …they can accuse him of being a revolutionary, just another zealot, in which case they could turn him over to the Roman authorities or he would say ‘yes’ and they would show him up before all the people as just another of hundreds of false messiah teaching just a spiritual kingdom and not the kind of person they would want ruling over them anyway…then they would have the backing of the people to…again…turn him over to the Roman authorities. Either way they’ve got him…or do they?
Jesus isn’t stupid, he knows the game his accusers are playing. And his answer…brilliant! ‘Show me a tribute penny’…he looks at it, he looks back at them…the implication…what the hell are you guys doing carrying this garbage around on your person for? ‘Who’s image is this?’ ...Oh, Tiberius Caesar… And ‘what does that inscription read?’ …son of the God, huh?...We'll see about that!..You know what, you better get rid of all of it…it’s got his image on it, give it all back to him and get this blasphemous crap out of my face! You ought to be more worried about giving to God what is his! Get that sorted out and God will take care of this Roman issue in the long run…Jesus not only answers their veiled accusations, but fires right back accusing them of failing to be the Light of the world, to worship the only true and living God and to show forth his grace to the whole world.
So the question we need to ask ourselves is what contentious issues plague our pulpits, our pews, our politics or our wallets today?
Then we need to ask if we are asking the right questions. What does it look like to give God what is His today…that my friend’s is the real question…and the answer ought not to come only from your lips, but as Jesus implies…by your public and private lives. If we get that answer right, God will work out all the other questions…do you believe this?
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