Mark
12:13-17
But they sent other religious and political leaders to talk with him and try to trap him into saying something he could be arrested for. “Teacher,” these spies said, “we know you tell the truth no matter what! You aren’t influenced by the opinions and desires of men, but sincerely teach the ways of God. Now tell us, is it right to pay taxes to Rome, or not?” Jesus saw their trick and said, “Show me a coin and I’ll tell you.” When they handed it to him he asked, “Whose picture and title is this on the coin?” They replied, “The emperor’s.” “All right,” he said, “if it is his, give it to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God!” And they scratched their heads in bafflement at his reply.
Food for thought!
Jesus never laid down rules and regulations, but principles; that is why his teaching is timeless and never grows old; rules and regulations and laws are born, live for some time and then die. Principles are neither born nor die. Here he lays down a very great and very important principle.
Every Christian man has a double citizenship. He is a citizen of the country in which he happens to live. To it he owes many things. He owes the safety against lawless men which only settled government can give; he owes all public services. To take a simple example, few men are wealthy enough to have a lighting system of their own or a cleansing system or a water system of their own. These are public services, belonging to all. In a welfare state the citizen owes still more to the state--education, medical services, provision for unemployment and old age. This places him under a debt of obligation. Because the Christian is a man of honour, he must be a responsible citizen; failure in good citizenship is also failure in Christian duty. A bad Christian is always a bad citizen, and a bad citizen is first a bad Christian.
That is not all. The coin had Caesar's image upon it, and therefore belonged to Caesar. Man has God's image upon him, because God created man in his own image (Gen.1:26-27), and therefore man belongs to God and owes allegiance and obedience to God. In other words, it is our duty and our salvation to adore and praise and thank and glorify the Lord. It means that when we pray, when we go to church, when we obey God's commandments, we simply fulfill our obligation to the Lord.
A real Christian--and this is the permanent truth which Jesus here lays down--is at one and the same time a good citizen of his country and a good citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. He will fail in his duty neither to God nor to man. He will, as Peter said, "Fear God. Honour the emperor" (1Pet.2:17).
But they sent other religious and political leaders to talk with him and try to trap him into saying something he could be arrested for. “Teacher,” these spies said, “we know you tell the truth no matter what! You aren’t influenced by the opinions and desires of men, but sincerely teach the ways of God. Now tell us, is it right to pay taxes to Rome, or not?” Jesus saw their trick and said, “Show me a coin and I’ll tell you.” When they handed it to him he asked, “Whose picture and title is this on the coin?” They replied, “The emperor’s.” “All right,” he said, “if it is his, give it to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God!” And they scratched their heads in bafflement at his reply.
Food for thought!
Jesus never laid down rules and regulations, but principles; that is why his teaching is timeless and never grows old; rules and regulations and laws are born, live for some time and then die. Principles are neither born nor die. Here he lays down a very great and very important principle.
Every Christian man has a double citizenship. He is a citizen of the country in which he happens to live. To it he owes many things. He owes the safety against lawless men which only settled government can give; he owes all public services. To take a simple example, few men are wealthy enough to have a lighting system of their own or a cleansing system or a water system of their own. These are public services, belonging to all. In a welfare state the citizen owes still more to the state--education, medical services, provision for unemployment and old age. This places him under a debt of obligation. Because the Christian is a man of honour, he must be a responsible citizen; failure in good citizenship is also failure in Christian duty. A bad Christian is always a bad citizen, and a bad citizen is first a bad Christian.
That is not all. The coin had Caesar's image upon it, and therefore belonged to Caesar. Man has God's image upon him, because God created man in his own image (Gen.1:26-27), and therefore man belongs to God and owes allegiance and obedience to God. In other words, it is our duty and our salvation to adore and praise and thank and glorify the Lord. It means that when we pray, when we go to church, when we obey God's commandments, we simply fulfill our obligation to the Lord.
A real Christian--and this is the permanent truth which Jesus here lays down--is at one and the same time a good citizen of his country and a good citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. He will fail in his duty neither to God nor to man. He will, as Peter said, "Fear God. Honour the emperor" (1Pet.2:17).
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