Render to God: How Christians Relate to Authority

Jul 19, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Flattery Masks a Trap

The religious leaders approached Jesus with smooth words, praising his integrity while secretly plotting to entangle him. Their question about taxes wasn’t sincere—it was a weaponized compliment designed to force Jesus into a political corner. Hypocrisy often wears the disguise of piety, using truth as a tool for manipulation rather than worship. Jesus saw through their performance, exposing the disconnect between their words and hearts. His response challenges us to examine where our own actions might betray hidden agendas. Authentic faith requires alignment between what we profess and who we truly are. [09:09]

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.’” (Matthew 22:15–16, ESV)

Reflection: Where do your words of faith feel disconnected from your true desires or motivations? What would it look like to invite Jesus into that gap today?

Day 2: The Coin That Exposed Divided Loyalties

Jesus asked for a tax coin—a small, everyday object that revealed the religious leaders’ compromise. The denarius bore Caesar’s image, but their possession of it betrayed their quiet participation in a system they publicly opposed. Jesus’ answer dismantled their false dilemma: earthly authority and divine allegiance aren’t mutually exclusive, but neither are they equal. The coin became a mirror, exposing how easily we compartmentalize our obedience to God and our compliance with lesser powers. True worship integrates every sphere of life under Christ’s lordship. [15:28]

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” (Matthew 22:20–21, ESV)

Reflection: What “coins” in your life (habits, compromises, unquestioned loyalties) might Jesus use to reveal divided allegiances? How does his response reframe your perspective?

Day 3: Refusing the Either-Or Trap

Political and religious leaders tried to force Jesus into their binary framework—rebel or collaborator. He rejected their false choice, showing that God’s kingdom transcends earthly power struggles. By affirming Caesar’s limited role while declaring God’s ultimate claim, Jesus modeled a third way for his followers. This wisdom protects us from reducing faith to political tribalism or passive compliance. Christians navigate tension, honoring authorities while reserving worship for God alone. [17:53]

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Romans 13:1–2, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you feel pressured to align Jesus with a particular ideology or leader? How might his refusal to be pigeonholed free you?

Day 4: When Obedience Requires Both/And

Jesus’ command to “render” calls for active discernment—honoring earthly authorities without idolizing them. The early church prayed for emperors while refusing to worship them, submitting to laws unless they conflicted with God’s commands. This dual loyalty requires humility: recognizing God’s sovereignty over flawed systems while participating redemptively within them. Our ultimate citizenship shapes how we engage temporary powers. [28:04]

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution… Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:13–17, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step could you take this week to honor an authority figure while maintaining your primary allegiance to Christ?

Day 5: Beyond Marveling to Surrender

The religious leaders marveled at Jesus’ answer—then walked away unchanged. Amazement without transformation misses the point. Jesus wants more than intellectual admiration; he demands our whole selves. His kingship isn’t a theological concept but a lived reality, claiming our time, resources, and future. True encounter with Christ reshapes priorities, turning casual interest into costly discipleship. [35:30]

“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” (Acts 5:29, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life still elicits a “marvel and walk away” response to Jesus? How might you take one step toward surrender today?

Sermon Summary

Matthew brings the Pharisees and Herodians together in a strange alliance because Jesus has become their common threat. The Pharisees stand closer to the anti-Roman religious side, and the Herodians side with Roman power, but both groups try to trap Jesus with the same question: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” The question carries the weight of Roman oppression, idolatry, political frustration, and the old memory of revolt. The leaders frame the issue as a yes or no question because they want Jesus to pick a side.

Jesus sees through the flattering words. The text calls them hypocrites because their speech does not match their hearts. The word “hypocrite” means actor, someone playing a part, and the problem is not merely that they ask a bad question. The problem is that their outside presentation is detached from their actual motivations. Jesus is not after behavioral modification. Jesus is after the heart. The question underneath the question becomes whether the words, actions, and life of a follower of Jesus actually match.

Jesus asks for the coin, and the coin itself exposes the trap. The denarius bears Caesar’s image and idolatrous claims, yet the religious leaders have it in their possession. Jesus says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” That answer refuses the simplistic either or. Jesus does not baptize Rome, and Jesus does not call for a straightforward revolt against Rome. Jesus refuses to be shoved into a political box.

The coin with Caesar’s image means Caesar may receive what belongs to Caesar, but God’s image rests on human life, and everything belongs to God. Jesus affirms the limited place of earthly authority while placing every authority under the greater authority of God. Government, workplace authority, and every human institution may have a real role, but none can claim worship. The follower of Jesus can pray for leaders, honor authority, and still recognize the moment when obedience to God must come before obedience to men.

The final response is sobering. The Pharisees and Herodians marvel, then walk away. They stand before the King of kings and treat him as merely impressive. Jesus wants more than amazement. Jesus wants surrender, worship, allegiance, time, attention, affection, wallet, future, and the whole self. “Render to God the things that are God’s” means God is worthy of everything.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus sees beneath religious performance [08:37] The Pharisees and Herodians say true things about Jesus, but their words are detached from their hearts. Hypocrisy is not just obvious fakery, it is the slow habit of presenting a version of the self that does not match what is actually true inside. Jesus presses past polished language and pious behavior because grace is meant to make people real, not merely religious. [08:37]
2. The heart must match the words [10:18] Christian language can become easy to say while obedience remains far away. Songs, prayers, and public faith can reveal a painful gap between what is confessed and what is actually desired. That tension does not need to be hidden from God, but it does need to be brought honestly before him so that the heart can be reshaped. [10:18]
3. Jesus refuses political simplicity [17:23] The trap tries to force Jesus into an either or, but Jesus will not be pigeonholed. His answer resists both blind acceptance of the system and simple revolt against the system. His kingdom is not a smaller version of earthly politics, and his name should not be absolutized onto one platform, person, or agenda. [17:23]
4. Caesar is limited, God is ultimate [22:19] The coin bears Caesar’s image, so Caesar can receive what is Caesar’s. Human life bears God’s image, so God receives worship, allegiance, and everything else. Earthly authority has a real place under God’s sovereignty, but it becomes false when it demands what belongs only to God. [22:19]
5. Amazement is not surrender [35:04] The leaders marvel at Jesus and then leave unchanged. It is possible to find Jesus interesting, brilliant, or moving and still keep the heart closed to him. Jesus wants more than admiration from a distance, because the King who died and rose is worthy of the whole self.

## [35:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:35] - Taylor Swift Tickets and Unlikely Unity
[01:22] - Opponents Unite Against Jesus
[03:16] - The Question, Answer, and Response
[04:14] - Rome, Taxes, and Jewish Frustration
[06:06] - Pharisees and Herodians Set the Trap
[08:37] - Jesus Exposes Hidden Motivations
[15:08] - Jesus Asks for the Coin
[17:23] - Refusing the Either Or
[22:19] - Caesar’s Role and God’s Authority
[24:50] - Praying for Earthly Authorities
[28:04] - Respect, Submission, and Freedom
[29:34] - Obeying God Rather Than Men
[31:56] - The King Who Wants Allegiance
[35:04] - More Than Marveling at Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 22:15-22
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said, ‘Caesar's.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.’ When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.” [03:29] [04:43] [15:10] [15:20] [33:13]

1 Peter 2:13-17
“Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” [28:12]

1 Timothy 2:1-2
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” [25:16]

Acts 5:29
“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” [29:55]

Observation questions

In Matthew 22, which two groups come to Jesus together, and what makes their alliance so unusual? [06:06]
What details in the passage show that the question about taxes was meant as a trap and not as a sincere search for truth? [08:37]
What does Jesus ask to see, and what does the coin reveal about the people questioning him? [15:10]
According to 1 Peter 2:13-17, what actions are believers told to take toward human authorities, and what action is reserved uniquely for God?

Interpretation questions

Jesus calls these leaders hypocrites because their words do not match their hearts. What does that reveal about the kind of obedience Jesus is after? [13:26]
Jesus says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” How does that answer both affirm earthly authority and place clear limits on it? [22:25]
Jesus refuses to answer the tax question in a simple yes-or-no political way. Why is that important for Christians who are tempted to tie Jesus too closely to one political side, platform, or leader? [17:23]
The Pharisees and Herodians marvel and then walk away. What does that response show about the difference between being impressed by Jesus and actually surrendering to him? [35:04]

Application questions

Hypocrisy is not only saying false things; it can also be presenting a polished version of life that does not match what is really going on inside. Where is there a gap right now between public faith and private reality? [13:17]
Christian words can become easy to say while the heart stays distant. Are there prayers, songs, or habits of faith that have become routine for you? What would honesty before God look like in that area this week? [10:18]
Earthly authorities have a real place, but they are never ultimate. Is there a boss, leader, institution, or political figure that has too much emotional control over your peace, hope, or fear right now? [24:25]
Scripture calls believers to pray for those in authority. Who is difficult for you to pray for right now, and what might it look like to genuinely ask God for wisdom and good for that person? [25:16]
Believers are called to honor authority while remembering that obedience to God comes first. Are there situations in work, family, school, or public life where that tension feels especially real for you right now? [29:55]
It is possible to admire Jesus, learn from Jesus, and still keep distance from Jesus. In what ways might you be marveling at him while still withholding some part of your life from him? [38:05]
Human beings bear God’s image, which means everything ultimately belongs to him. If “the things that are God’s” includes time, attention, money, affection, and future, which of those feels hardest to place in his hands right now? [39:24]

Sermon Clips

39s

#MoreThanAMarvel

“``Jesus wants more than your marvel. Look at yourself. I need to look at myself. Is there a sense when you come to church, come to your Bible, come to the word of God, and you marvel, you find it interesting, and you leave unchanged? Eh, that was interesting. That was enlightening. That kind of got me thinking, but there's no change. What Jesus wants is your surrender, your worship.”

43s

#HeartNotBehavior

“Because Jesus isn't after your behavioral modification. Jesus is after your heart. And where is your heart today? That's a question you have to wrestle with with the Lord. Maybe that's the main question you have to leave today with. Maybe not even all the rest of it when it comes to authority. Maybe the very question you need to leave with is, where am I in terms of consistency with who I am externally and internally? And the more you bridge that reality, the more you actually are a genuine, I think, follower of Jesus. That's what he's calling us to.”

52s

#JesusBeyondPolitics

“You can't really say Jesus is for this political candidate. He kind of avoids that here, too. to assign following Jesus to a particular political platform, person, policy, to say, this is the one that is for Jesus. Look how Jesus answers when he's forced to his side. He doesn't pick one. He refuses to be pigeonholed into one. And so, I think it's very safe to say we should avoid saying Jesus is for one thing or the other, to make it absolute in such a way where there's only Jesus on one side.”

43s

#AllOfYouJesus

“That's what he wants you to see. Not just be amazed at how great of an answer or great of a teacher he is. That's what everyone else can do. What he wants is you. Surrender, worship your whole self. Here's what we see in the story. It's possible to be amazed by Jesus and yet unchanged. And that's why the job of this text and my job as a communicator of this text is to get you to see Jesus wants more than just your amazement. He wants all of you. And that's a lifelong thing, isn't it?”

34s

#WordsAndDeedsMatch

“We find ourselves sometimes trapped in a cycle of hypocrisy. And that's what the Herodians and the Pharisees were doing. Ironically, what they're saying about Jesus is true. Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully. They're saying it hypocritically, but it was true nevertheless. And what they're saying about Jesus is actually what needs to be true about the followers of Jesus. That what we say and what we do matches who we are.”

57s

#NoPerformativeFaith

“Now, I think that's a universal question that we need to wrestle with as we're journeying. Part of gospel discipleship, part of learning to follow Jesus is wrestling with the implicit and explicit hypocrisies that we have. Some of them you don't see. You don't know that they're there yet. That's why we need community because then they're going to show it to you at times or you're going to feel it. That's what happens in community. And sometimes we do it intentionally. We present a version of ourselves to other people that actually has no matching to who we really are. And that's what happens, sadly, as we get used to performative cultural Christianity over time. You just kind of get into this rhythm where you say things because it sounds good and you behave a certain way because it sounds good. The question I want to ask that this text is inviting us to wrestle with is, do your words, do your actions, does your life actually match?”

52s

#CheckYourMotives

“And I think that's where it ought to hit home for us as we think about the question that they're asking. We may not be trying to trap Jesus, but how often do our own motivations go wrong? How often do our behaviors and our words betray our actual, authentic motivations? It's very easy if you've been in church for quite a long time to say certain things, behave a certain way, and have it completely detached from our actual hearts. At worst, it could be for personal gain. At best, it's just kind of apathy going through the motions. We say we believe things, but our actual lives look nothing like it.”

50s

#RelateToTheKing

“Jesus, he's not only showing a profound lesson on how to relate to authority, but ultimately what we need to see is how we relate to him. Jesus came not to be an earthly king. He did not have an earthly political agenda according to the Jewish desires of his time. Neither does he fit into our own particular earthly agendas. He is the king of kings and the Lord lords. He's about a wide reaching kingdom that's working itself out through the church. It finds its foundation in him, in his life, his death, his resurrection. And the most important question we need to ask is how we relate to him.”

46s

#CreatorBecomesCreature

“He wants you to see him for who he really is, the king of kings, who's at the same time willing to humble himself by becoming one of us, the creator becoming creature. a shoemaker becoming a shoe, which is paradoxical, isn't it? God becoming one of his creation, not only coming, and not coming so that everyone can look at, oh, look how great I am, but actually saying, there's a problem here. I'm not going to solve it the way you think it needs to be solved. I'm going to solve it by actually taking on the problem myself.”

50s

#PrayForLeaders

“God in his sovereignty, this does not surprise him. This is not the end. When a candidate that you perceive to be better does not win, it does not mean God's sovereignty is now out of whack and he has to shift to plan C. Can you pray for the person, especially when they are not the person you wanted? That's true not only government. Think about your boss. Maybe you have a manager that you really love and another manager got that promotion and now that person, are you praying for them to get fired? Think about, and you probably are, how do you engage in that scenario? Can we pray?”

56s

#MarvellingIsNotEnough

“They got showed up. They try and trap Jesus. Jesus tiptoes around the trap. He gives the most amazing, brilliant answer that kind of puts everyone in their place. The word does not become entangled. The word speaks truthfully. But look at their response. They marvel and they just go away. They were standing in front of the king of kings, the one from whom everyone is made, the one whom with a breath death creates everything in existence and they just leave. They walk away. They say, wow, Jesus got us back to the old drawing board to get him.”

53s

#SpiritTransformsLives

“This is why whatever we're doing, it's still a thing where we need to submit to the Lord because it's a spiritual thing, it's a supernatural thing. The Spirit of God has to come here and change you because no words I can give can do that. No songs, no programming, the Spirit of God who breathes and moves like the wind has to come into your heart and say, I'm going to grab this person and you start to see with spiritual eyes that Jesus is actually worth it all. the king of kings who died for you, the death you deserve to die, who rose from the dead so that you would never die.”

63s

#AvoidPolarization

“It is a brilliant answer. It sets for Christians throughout every generation how we're to relate to authority, to government, to politics, in every place, in every time period, no matter the government you sit under. Kind of a brilliant answer. Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. Profound answer. I want to unpack it for us because I think at least, there's so many, we do a sermon series on every single implication. I just want to give a few of them because I think it's very powerful for shaping how we relate. I think one of the things when it teaches us how to relate to authorities, governments, politics, one lesson is don't get caught in an either or. Christians should not ever be either or. Polarized. They try and force Jesus to a side. He doesn't say yes or no. In fact, he says it kind of paradoxically.”

54s

#JesusShouldSaturateLife

“Because as you start to be amazed by Jesus, it starts to trickle into other parts of your life. Because if Jesus is really worth it, you start to consider that actually he's worth my attention then. He's worth my time then. He's worth my affection. He's worth my imagining. He's worth my wallet. He's worth my future. He's worth my He starts to saturate your life. He's worth more than your amazement. How are you going to respond to him? That's the most important question here. So many lessons to be learned throughout the word of God about relating to authorities and earth and stuff. But fundamentally, how you relate to the authority is the question. Render to God the things that are God's and we owe him everything.”

51s

#HumbleSelfAwareness

“That's why you see, and I mention this often because this always amazes me about Paul, the more he gets closer to Jesus and you can kind of see, even though he's close to Jesus at the start of his ministry, you can see him kind of mature throughout his ministry because his maturity is seen by how much worse he sees himself. Near the end, he's like, I'm the worst of sinners because as he actually becomes more real with who he is, he's in a more close to the amazing grace of the gospel, he can see how far he is and it makes him more real. Where are you in your motivations and heart? You may not be trying to trap Jesus like the Herodians and Pharisees, but maybe you're saying things, behaving in such a way where it's not matching who you are. That's the question.”

30s

#DontBoxJesus

“His kingdom is outside completely transcendently different than all of the kingdoms of this earth. He wouldn't be boxed into one. Now, that's not to say that there aren't implications about how a follower of Jesus should interact. But to box Jesus, to force him into something is something I think that goes beyond our moral obligations. And it sears people to absolutize Jesus into a particular place. He avoids either or.”

40s

#ComeToBeChanged

“See, what I hope you come to church with is not leaving thinking, that was really great, or marveling. If you leave Sons of Church thinking it's a great church, that's not inherently a bad thing, but I don't want you leaving thinking it's a great church. I also don't want you thinking it's a bad church either, though, okay? But I don't want you coming to Sons of Church thinking that was a great, whatever it is, children's program, sermon, what you need to see is the greatness of Jesus and have it change you. That's what he's after.”

34s

#ScriptureTranscendsTime

“This text is 2,000 plus years old, and yet it's amazing. This is something that's amazing about the Word of God. It is so timeless. That's the power of the Word of God. It can speak across time, across cultures, national circumstances, governmental policies, and circumstances. And it applies to every single person, every follower of Jesus. And it can guide us to how to relate to God and the authorities that God is sovereign over in our lives.”

40s

#NavigateAuthorityWisely

“So he doesn't just say pay the tax. He says, who's on this? Caesar will give back to him the things that are his. He's not affirming the idolatry in it. Neither is he saying we should go and overthrow this government. He's avoiding the either or reasoning that they're trying to force him into. And I think that kind of difficult navigation is something that he's trying to teach Christians throughout his behavior and through the word of God being kept for us today.”

48s

#AuthenticityOverActing

“They say all these nice, flattering words about Jesus, how he's not swayed by people's opinions, how he's truthful and Jesus knows their hearts. He understands their motivations. He sees right through their flattering words, their pious behavior, and he knows what they really want. They're hypocrites. Hypocrite was the word they used for actor, someone playing a part, not truthful to who they really were. Now, that was used in a neutral way. For an actor on a stage or a screen, you're playing a part. You know that's not something you're representing. But a hypocrite, an actor in real life, is someone who's doing something or saying something, but doesn't actually represent who they are in their hearts.”

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Render to God: How Christians Relate to Authority

Devotional

Day 1: When Flattery Masks a Trap

Day 2: The Coin That Exposed Divided Loyalties

Day 3: Refusing the Either-Or Trap

Day 4: When Obedience Requires Both/And

Day 5: Beyond Marveling to Surrender

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Render to God: How Christians Relate to Authority

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