Matthew 22:15-22, Paying Taxes to Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not. 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Comments

The Pharisees’ disciples, who tolerated Roman rule for their own advantages but preferred them gone, and the Herodians, who politically supported Rome, devised a clever trap for Jesus. Rejecting the tax would be treasonous, while accepting it might cause the nationalistic crowd to turn against him. The tax was the Roman poll tax paid by those subjected to Roman rule. The question of being lawful referred to the Law of God, not the laws of Rome.

The real question: was it lawful to express an allegiance to a pagan emperor? The Roman denarius coin included the picture of the emperor. Because the Jews were so averse to this “ungodly” currency, the only time they had to use the denarius was in paying this tax.

There was more to this story than Jesus’ cleverness. He laid down the principle of not dividing life into sacred and profane. He recognized that the two live together. When his disciples moved out into other nations, they would have to live under secular authorities and abide by their governance.

Prayer

Almighty God, you have proclaimed your eternal truth by the voice of prophets and evangelists: direct and bless, we ask you, those who in this our generation speak where many listen and write what many read: that they may do their part in making the heart of the people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous, to the honor of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

(Norman Goodacre)