Title Caesar's and God's / Mark 12:13-17
Content Caesar's and God's / Mark 12:13-17
Key Verse: “Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (verse 17).
Word: After King Herod died in 4 BC, Israel was divided into three parts and ruled. Galilee and Berea were ruled by Herod Antipas, and in the wilderness regions of the northeast, Tragonith, Iturae, and Abilene, by Herod Philip. And Samaria was ruled by Archelaus, but Rome intervened and took control in 6 AD. Judah and Samia became provinces of Rome, ruled by a Roman chieftain. As a result, there was a problem that the tax had to be paid directly to the Roman emperor, and it was with this problem that the Pharisees and the Herodians put Jesus to the test.
The Pharisees and the Herodians became one to frame Jesus and arrest him (Mark 12:13). Although the Pharisees and the Herodians were the same Israelite, they had different positions and different ideologies, so they regarded each other as enemies. The word Pharisee comes from the word parah, which means ‘to separate, to cleanse’. They loved the nation, feared God, and tried to obey the Word, but over time they fell into self-righteousness and hypocrisy and became a hypocrite group. Although the Herodians were Jews, they were a political group that betrayed their own people, flattered the Edomite Gentile monarch Herod, and depended on and flattered the Roman power. However, in order to frame and kill Jesus, these heterogeneous groups became one. They come to Jesus and ask a wicked question.
Is it permissible or impossible to pay taxes to Caesar? (Mark 12:14-15) This question is a very cleverly designed trap. Even so, if Jesus told him to pay taxes to Caesar, the Israelites who had followed him would turn their backs on him. Because if you ask God to pay the rent, the Roman government will call you anti-government and will arrest you. How did Jesus answer this difficult question?
Jesus knew their hypocrisy. So, he told me to bring a denarius (a coin with the face of the Roman emperor engraved on it and was made to collect the cap tax). He asked who these images and writings belonged to, and he said, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, give to God the things that are God’s.” . This is the most appropriate answer that if you are getting help from Rome, you must pay what you owe to the Roman government and give to God what you owe to God.
As Jesus said, Christians have dual citizenship. Because we live on this land, we must fulfill our obligations to the country to which we belong. Also, because we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we must fulfill our duties as saints with joy. Let's all live our best lives, being proud of being born on this earth and being citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Prayer: Help me to live like a citizen of the kingdom of heaven with the abundant grace and wisdom you give me through meditation on the Word and a life of prayer. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord's Prayer