The one who is not God

Day 115

OT Reading: 2 Samuel 13-14

NT Reading: Luke 20:1-26

For those who have kept up to date, today's reading in Luke is the third time you've passed by the dialogue between Jesus and his opponents about paying taxes to Caesar. While this may just seem like a simple question, it was in fact quite loaded.

You see to most Jews Romans were the bad guys, and the fact that they were occupying the land that God himself had given to them was infuriating. Add to that the fact that Roman tax collectors were infamous for over-charging and living off the excess and its easy to see how the idea of paying tribute to this occupying foreign nation was a hot-button topic.

On the other hand, to speak against paying taxes to Caesar could be seen as an act of insurrection...and even blasphemy. You see over time in in Roman society, Caesars began to be viewed as gods. Today this is referred to as the Imperial Cult. Individuals would even have to make offerings of incense while reciting, "Hail Caesar" in order to buy and sell goods in local marketplaces. Therefore to deny payment of taxes to Rome, was to deny Caesar; and to deny Caesar was to deny a god.

Put those elements together and you would seemingly have a lose-lose situation for Jesus in this question about taxation. If he responds, "Yes...we should pay taxes to Caesar" he immediately alienates himself from much of his Jewish audience and could potentially be viewed as a traitor to their heritage. However if Jesus states, "No...we should not pay taxes" then the teachers of the law can easily have him arrested because he spoke against Caesar. Either way, the Pharisees believe that they have him.

But then Jesus responds in a way that no one expects. And while it's easy to view the statement as semantic gymnastics to deal with the tax question, don't miss the underlying message Jesus presents. Jesus replies to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." In a covert way Jesus openly declares, "Caesar is not god." While others were getting hung up on taxes, Jesus was dealing with the underlying issue of who is God and who is not.

Maybe you saw that the first time, maybe this is new information. But do not overlook how vehemently these well-prepared opponents of Jesus went after him...and how even with the most loaded of questions, He won in the end.