Read Luke 20:19-26
SOAP Luke 20:23-25
These spies that approached Jesus were deliberately trying to trap him with their questions. They wanted to catch him opposing Caesar. But Jesus geniusly maneuvers around their trap by telling them to give to Caesar whatever belongs to him and to God what belongs to Him. This is another proof that Christ had not come to stir up political trouble. He came to set up his spiritual kingdom. The literal kingdom would come much later. God's timing was perfect.
Jesus saw the evil of the religious leaders and that they were attempting to trap him and He then continued to smashed their false ideals and set up the distinction between church and state. Following is a commentary by John MacArthur that speaks about our soap today.
ReplyDelete“Christ thus recognized that all citizens have duties to the secular state, as well as duties to God—He recognized a legitimate distinction between the two. Caesar’s image is stamped on the coin; God’s image is stamped on the person (Gen 1:26-27). The Christian must “render” obedience to Caesars in Caesar’s realm (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Pet 2:13-17) but, “the things that are God’s” are things that do not belong to Caesar and should be given only to God. Christ thus acknowledges Caesar’s right to assess and collect taxes, and He made it the duty of Christians to pay them. But He did not suggest (as some suppose) that Caesar had sole or ultimate authority in the social or political realms. Ultimately, all things are God’s including the realm in which Caesar or any other earthly ruler exercises authority.”
I loved the part about God image stamped on a person and I pray that when people see me they not only see me made in His image but that I am portraying His attributes as well.