No One Can Outsmart God

Matthew 22:15-22

As our passage today in the Gospel of Matthew opens, Jesus has concluded telling the Pharisees and crowds of people His Kingdom parables.   These parables which Jesus taught upset some, particularly many of the Pharisees and chief priests (Matthew 21:45-46), and as we begin reading today, they are plotting among themselves how they can trap Jesus in what He says (vs. 15).  They would love to see Jesus speak something that could be twisted into appearing blasphemous, or incriminate Himself with what He says.  If they could get Him to do that, then maybe the crowds would leave Him, and come back to following them and their teachings.

In order to better accomplish this, the Pharisees decide to team up with a political group, the Herodians, who prior to this, they had greatly opposed.  The Herodians, a much smaller group than the Pharisees, supported Herod Antipas, who was the puppet king of Israel at the time, put in place by Caesar, and who answered to him.  The Herodians supported the policies of Rome and believed that the people were better off if they assimilated with the Greek and Roman cultures of the conquering empire.  The Pharisees, on the other hand, strongly opposed Roman rule, as did most of the common people.  Both groups intensely disliked each other, but here they were united in their intense dislike of Jesus.  They felt that maybe if they temporarily joined forces they could bring Him down, as Jesus and His teachings were a threat to them both.

The two groups send some representatives to Jesus.  First they tried to excessively praise and flatter Him (vs. 16), and then they asked Him a trick question about whether or not the people of Israel should pay their taxes to Caesar (vs. 17).  This was a trick question because if Jesus answered that the people should pay Caesar’s taxes it would look like Jesus supported the Roman occupation.  Most of the common people would be both angry and disappointed because they opposed Roman rule, and He would lose their support.  They felt that the taxes were oppressive, and only reluctantly paid them.  This tax money went in part to pay for the occupying army, and also supported many of the pagan Roman temples.  The Pharisees felt this answer would show Jesus was not loyal to the Jewish people and to God, and the people might leave off following Him.

If Jesus answered that that the people should not pay their taxes to Caesar then He could be turned over to the Romans as someone who was a troublemaker, and who promoted law-breaking and rebellion.  Such a person would likely be taken into Roman custody.  Joining forces like this, both the Pharisees and Herodians thought they could trap Jesus and bring Him down.

Their trick did not work, as they failed to realize who they were dealing with.  Jesus is God incarnate, and no one can trick or outsmart God!  Jesus asked to see the coin that was used to pay these taxes, and they brought Him one such coin (vs. 19).  Jesus then asked the representatives from these two groups whose image is on the coin, who minted the money and dispersed it through the country (vs. 20).  When told that it was Caesar’s image, Jesus told them to give to Caesar what belongs to him, and to give to God what belongs to Him (vs. 21).

If the people, both back then, and also today, receive any benefits from the government, they have the duty to pay for it.  Our earthly citizenship requires us to pay for services and benefits that our country gives us.  In the same token, though, our heavenly citizenship requires that we obey God, and serve Him loyally and faithfully.  If we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior and are saved, then God’s image is stamped on us.  We owe Him our love, service, and obedience.