MAIN TEXT: Matt 22:15-22 (parallels in Mark 12:13–17 and Luke 20:20–26)
The Jews were desperately seeking to discredit Jesus, because within the context, He was speaking parables against them. They would stop at nothing to do so. Within the context of this verse, various groups ask Him questions designed to trap Him or challenge Him. These questions, when answered, show the hearts of those who asked them. Jesus shows what they are lacking in their "service" to God.
Matt 22:23-33: The Sadducees ask about the resurrection (which they didn't believe in). They think up some kind if hypothetical situation that they believed was rock solid in proving that it was incorrect to believe in the resurrection. Jesus quickly answers their question, showing how they have ignored Old Testament texts which answered the question. They were not digging deep enough in their studies of scripture
Matt 22:34-39: One of the Pharisees, a lawyer/scribe, to test Jesus, asked Him what the most important commandment of the law is. Jesus' answer shows the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and how they were neglecting the most important things about serving God. Jesus tells them to love the Lord God with all their soul, mind, & strength was the most important commandment (which was a commandment they were clearly violating in scripture) and the second commandment He gives without being asked, to love your neighbor as yourselves, which they were also violating in trying to test and discredit Jesus so they would have reason to kill Him.
Matt 22:15-22: But before these things, they ask a very challenging question of Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar which He also answers with great wisdom:
"Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. 16 And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17 "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their malice , and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19 "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius . 20 And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." 22 And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away."
They set up this question in an interesting way. They characterize Jesus as One who is not a respecter of persons. He is not "swayed by appearances," or as it literally means "you do not look into the face of men." This may be a reference to Leviticus 19:15 which says :
“You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: you shall not respect [receive, cp. Luke 20:20] the person [“face” in Hebrew and LXX] of the poor, nor honor the person [face] of the mighty: but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.”
They are in a sense telling Jesus that they believe that He does observe this passage. He is not a respecter of persons. Most commentators seem to think the leaders’ approach to Jesus is mere flattery. This may or may not be true; Either way, they were trying to trap Him with God’s Word. They were, in other words, saying, “You truly serve God only and only make judgments based on truth, not on the status of man. Therefore, is it right to give tribute to Caesar?”
They asked about paying taxes. The specific tax in question was the “poll tax” or “head tax” which was based on a census of the people and had to be paid on all persons including women and slaves. It was charged every person because of the services that the state gave the people. And by law it had to be paid by means of Roman coinage.
So Jesus seems to be in a bind. If Jesus said “No” He could be in trouble with the Roman authorities for encouraging tax evasion and treason against Caesar. This seems to be the answer that the Jews and Herodians desired, because they were seeking a reason to trap Him "so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor" (Luke 20:20). If Jesus said “Yes” He would certainly lose the support of the people who saw Him as a Messiah against Roman occupation. Either way, the Pharisees and Herodians would win. They had a way that they could discredit Jesus.
Jesus didn't answer the question at first. Jesus responded immediately by calling them hypocrites. He who knows the hearts of men (since He is God) knew the motives behind them asking the question. Their motives showed that they didn't want the "truth." They were more concerned with themselves, their influence, and getting Jesus (who was hurting their influence) out of the way.
Since the census had to be paid by Roman coinage, Jesus asked to be shown that particular money—the “tribute money” or literally, “the money of the census.” And they brought Him such a Roman coin: a “denarius.” Then He asks an important question: "Whose image and inscription are on this coin?" They answer His question. "Caesar's." The coin had a picture of Caesar, and it also had an inscription that read: "TIBERIUS CAESAR DIVI AGUSTI FILIUS AGUSTUS", which means, (“Tiberius Caesar August Son of the August God.” The back side of the coin said "PONTIFEX MAXIMUS" (“High Priest”). When they carried around a denarius, they in a sense had to carry around a graven image that gave glory to Caesar as God.
So the coin bore the image and inscription of Caesar. Then Jesus fired the fatal shot: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s...”
Their claim that the coin bore the image of Caesar acknowledged several things:
1. It belongs to him. It is his.
2. They owed a debt to Caesar
3. They were not free to do whatever they wanted with what was Caesar's
4. They were not free in general. They were servants of Caesar since they were under Roman occupation. They were still in bondage.
All four of these things rubbed the Jews the wrong way. Jesus with His answer points out these very things they acknowledged by saying the coin bore the image and inscription of Caesar. They were obligated, even if they didn't like what the tax money was used for, to pay their debts to Caesar. The Jews had no right to withhold Caesar's property from him when he requested it. To not do so would be theft from the state.
RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR'S
Most of the time when I hear this text taught, the focus of the teaching is on the first part of Jesus' answer. This text is most often used to show our relationship to the state and what we are indebted to give in taxes. But Jesus doesn't stop with "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's." He then says, "and render to God the things that are God's."
What does this mean: to "render to God the things that are God's?" This question is answered in nearly the same way as the question, "what does it mean to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's?" (Ask someone to come up as an illustration.) Whose image and inscription does __________ bear? Turn this question to yourself: Whose image and inscription do you bear?
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen 1:26-27)
As in the illustration of the coin, the image on the coin showed who it was the coin belonged to. One commentator writes, "“In the present, proper humility before God requires the payment of Roman taxes, but if it is true that some of one’s money should go to the Caesar, it is so much more true that all that one is needs to be handed over to the God in whose image one is made.”
Jesus is clearly making an argument from lesser to greater here—if it is true for the lesser case of the man Caesar, how much more true is it for the Greater. If Caesar has authority to demand payment, how much more authority does God have over those who bear His image? We are all God’s coinage. We all belong wholly to God. Everyone must “render to God what is God’s.”
We will give an account for how we use God's coinage! Do live in such a way that shows that you wholly belong to God? Do you realize, like in the example of the denarius, that:
1. YOU BELONG TO GOD.
Everything belongs to God, especially us as His greatest of His creation who bear His image. And even more so, those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
2. YOU OWE A DEBT TO GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU.
Romans 12:1(also see 1 Peter 2:5)- "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." As God's people, we are to be sacrifices to God. We are to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Christ. We are the temple of God, we are the priests of God, and we are the sacrifices offered to God.
3. YOU ARE NOT FREE TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH WHAT IS GOD'S.
Remember that we are only stewards of what He has entrusted to us! You body, your clothes, your expensive electronic gadgets and computers, your money, your homes. It all belongs to God to be used for Him. He has entrusted us with so much in this country that we live in. He has given such an abundance to us so that we will serve others, not so we can look more like the world.
Romans 12:2 – "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
4. YOU ARE NOT FREE IN GENERAL.
You are a slave of righteousness. You are a slave to Jesus Christ. We must deny ourselves and live for Him. We, who have become slaves of Jesus Christ by becoming Christians, are to do our Master's will. Remember, this is what it means to call Jesus our Lord. He is our Master, we are His willful slaves.
Romans 6:16-19 – "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness."
INVITATION
We are Made in God's Image (Genesis 1:16-27; Ecclesiastes 7:27-29) We tarnished the image by our sin. Also, when we, who are made in the image of God sin, what is it we are saying about the One in whose image we were made? God makes it possible for us to be restored to the image of God
Col 3:9-11 - Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all."
2 Cor 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory
He gives us as Christians an example of what it looks like to live "in His image:" Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15). Also, Jesus is "the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person" (Heb 1:3).
Whenever we as Christians sin, we profane the image of God, and the name of Christ. Do you take bearing the image of God seriously?
