Take it off when the title is revealed
Holy Week) Take it away when it is exposed (Mark 12:13-17)
< Take responsibility >
The strongest resistance in the world is when you touch the rice bowls of the established rulers. As Jesus touched their dishes while cleaning the temple, the Jewish religious leaders became more persistent and outspoken in their plan to kill the Lord. So, in order to find fault in Jesus' words, wise representatives from among the Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus (verse 13).
In fact, the Pharisees and the Herodians were completely incompatible forces. They rejected each other like the far left and the far right in Jewish society at the time. The Herodians viewed the Pharisees as hypocrites disguised as pure faith, and the Pharisees viewed the Herodians as pro-Japanese, following the Gentile Edomite King Herod and consuming all the political sweeteners. These two forces became one to kill Jesus.
A Pharisee and the head of the Herodian Party come to Jesus and ask these questions. “Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman emperor Caesar? Isn't that right? Do I have to pay taxes? Should I not?” They thought that question was the crucial question that bound the Lord. This is because if Jesus answered that he should pay taxes, he could attack and bury him in front of the Jews as 'brothers and pro-Japanese'.
Then Jesus wisely answered, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's!" If interpreted in a broad sense, this means that the saints should be good at giving, but they also have to pay taxes well. In other words, believers must fulfill their religious responsibilities, but they must also fulfill their social responsibilities. It is not desirable if the church fulfills its responsibilities but fails to fulfill its responsibilities in society. The truth of receiving the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus should not weaken our sense of responsibility for our sins and further weaken our sense of responsibility.
True grace does not weaken the sense of responsibility, it strengthens it. Therefore, believers should receive grace with a strong sense of responsibility and spread the work of grace in the world, rather than ending the work of grace in themselves. That is the main purpose of God's grace. In order to live a life of light in the world like that, you must also be good at legal responsibilities and meaning, family responsibilities, social responsibilities, and national responsibilities. That's when the world will gradually change. We must do our best as citizens of heaven and as citizens of Korea.
< Take it off when exposed >
Jesus’ words, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s!” have a double meaning. In fact, how much more does Caesar have compared to Almighty God? After all, these words of the Lord contain the meaning of always living with a sense of stewardship because everything is given from God.
What is Stewardship Ordinance? It means that everything you have belongs to God. That is not to say that material blessings are not necessary. Pursue material things with a sense of mission to use them well, but do not fall into fetishism that regards materials as gods and is greedy. Not only material things, but also one's talents, time, health, and children belong to God. What God has given is to be used for the salvation of souls.
Power is also given by God after all, so we should use that power for the happiness of more people with the attitude of a servant to serve, not the attitude to rule with that power. The worst thing the religious leaders in Jesus' day did was to lose the attitude of a servant. How often in life, when a humble and simple person ascends to power, his attitude changes, intoxicated by a taste of power sweeter than pleasure. Take it off when exposed. In other words, when you come to the place of self-disclosure, do not neglect your resolve to constantly remove yourself.
If you forget that the authority given to you is the authority that God has given you, that authority will rather become a place of corruption, and you will gradually lose your honor and become only stigmatized. Whatever God has given us, if we do not use it according to God's will, God will take it away with suffering. On the other hand, when we gladly give what God wants us to do, it will be a source of true happiness and joy.