Paying Taxes

So they asked him [Jesus]…Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

Luke 20:19-26

When the religious leaders “perceived” that they were the “wicked tenants” in Jesus’ parable, they sought to lay hands on Him immediately. But, they feared the crowds of people around Jesus for many of them believed Jesus to be their Messiah. So, some religious leaders secretly “spied” on Jesus, pretending sincerity but, hoping to catch Jesus in anything they could report to the governing authorities. Finding nothing of His teachings with which to charge Jesus, some of these “spies” concocted what they thought was an airtight situation that Jesus would surely be “tripped up” by either answer they thought He would give. To try to “trap” the Creator of the universe and all it contains, is an exercise in futility, for Scripture here tells us “He perceived their craftiness.” So, Jesus said to them, “Show Me a denarius.” And, He asked, “Whose likeness…does it have? They said, ‘Caesar’s.’” In His response, Jesus gives an answer that these “shrewd” men had not considered. When God first made Man, He gave Adam, humanity’s federal head, great abilities to think through what God had made and to do the morally correct actions that glorified God. But, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s righteous commands, humanity’s federal head lost the ability to make morally correct decisions in every part of his being. Sin entered God’s Creation, bringing with it, death to humanity’s body and soul, the inability to “not sin” in all aspects of his existence and darkened thinking that excluded humanity from his ability to think, say and, do morally right acts that glorify God. Though humans still have brilliant abilities to think, say and, do many things, which our past and present show us to be, we no longer have the ability to seek God and to act righteously, glorifying Him. Thus, God made the only way humans could come to Him by sending the Second Person of the Triune Godhead, Jesus, to be a new federal head for humans, who would believe in Him, have their dead soul brought to life and have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. Though the body is still corrupted by its sin nature, the soul is in a state of redemption and will be eternally with Christ in a new body in the new Heavens and earth to come. Until that day, redeemed humans can glorify God, expecting the in-dwelling Holy Spirit to lead us, teaching us, sanctification, how to be like our Savior and Lord and, making us ready to receive our new body with the amazing abilities that Jesus displayed in the days after His resurrection from the grave. Oh, what a glorious day that will be when Jesus we will see in all His fullness and glory! Source: S C Ball April 22, 2023