Paying Taxes to Caesar
Mark 12:13–17
And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians all enjoyed a relatively comfortable life—until Jesus began His ministry. The Romans granted these groups significant authority over the Jewish people as long as they collected taxes and kept the peace. Though these three religious factions, which together represented the Jewish leadership, were often bitterly opposed to one another, the arrival of Jesus posed a profound threat to their power, status, and control.
Jesus was “rocking the boat” by exposing their hypocrisy and false teachings through both His miracles and His words. To them, He had to be stopped. Their shared fear and hatred of Him temporarily overcame their mutual distrust, causing these rival groups to unite against a common enemy.
Realizing Jesus was winning the hearts of the people, the Jewish leaders grew desperate to discredit Him. When they couldn’t defeat Him in the court of public opinion, they turned to Roman law. So they devised a trap: they asked Him a loaded question about paying taxes to Caesar.
If Jesus said the tax should be paid, He would appear to compromise God’s sovereignty over Israel’s hope of divine deliverance; the crowds would turn against Him. But if He said the tax should not be paid, He could be charged with treason against Rome—a crime punishable by death.
They thought they had Him cornered.
Jesus disarms them and shows their hypocrisy with the simple statement —
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Does this story sound eerily familiar to you?
- How many third world and communist countries practice the same tactics today? How many Iranian dissidents have been placed in jail and/or murdered for going against the Iranian regime?
- How many Ukrainian people including church leaders have been imprisoned under Zelenskyy’s leadership? Why have elections been suspended in Ukraine if they are supposed to be a democracy?
- How many Russians have been imprisoned and/or poisoned under Putin’s reign?
- We have no idea of the countless “dissidents” who have disappeared in China.
Have you been paying attention to
American politics the last 10 years?
In 2015, an American entrepreneur descended an escalator and won the hearts and minds of the American people. Soon after he became the 45th and recently the 47th President of the United States of America.
A host of characters who were in power much like the Pharisees, Sadducee’s and Herodians of the past, have come together to falsely accuse him, discredit him, tried to imprison him, tried to bankrupt him, and twice tried to assassinate him. It is very revealing when Democrats, Republicans against Trump, and unelected bureaucrats come together to discredit a man through deceit and falsehoods to protect their power and control over the people. I would be remiss if I did not include the very dishonest Main Street Media who would never let the truth get in the way of their false narratives. For one person to be the center of attacks from all sides of the political spectrum, you know the status quo is being threatened and they don’t like it.
Donald Trump was a threat to their control, authority and power over the people. He was rocking their boat! I imagine their disdain for Trump matched that of the Jewish leaders towards Christ.
Please don’t misunderstand; I am not comparing President Trump to Jesus, but I am certainly aligning those who have been falsely accusing him with the corrupt Jewish leaders of 2,000 years ago. Just like every one of us, President Trump is a sinner and a very flawed human being. But he is not a criminal. I doubt the majority of his detractors could have withstood the intense scrutiny he has had to endure. If his detractors are fortunate, God will bless them by convicting them now and allowing them to repent while they still exist in this physical world. If not, woe to them for choosing the condemnation in the spiritual world that awaits them.
I believe President Trump is God’s answer to the prayers of countless believers who have been crying out for this nation. Throughout history, God has repeatedly used deeply flawed people to accomplish His purposes. One of the most dramatic examples is Saul of Tarsus—a highly educated Pharisee who made it his mission to persecute and destroy the early church. Yet God radically transformed Saul’s heart, turning a hardened enemy of Christianity into Paul the apostle, the missionary who carried the gospel across the Roman world.
Instead of judging the character of the leaders God raises up, we need to trust His sovereignty and keep praying for peace, justice, and a renewed commitment to truth in America and around the globe.
As for those who oppose President Trump—and the millions of Americans who voted for him—let us pray that they turn to God and be filled with His light. May they be blessed with “eyes to see” by the light of God’s truth. May they choose to align their lives with His will. Only then will this nation become the country God created it to be—when her people live the lives He intended for them.
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