Rendering to God and Caesar: A Call to Integrity

Devotional

Day 1: The Wisdom of Jesus in Navigating Traps

Jesus' response to the Pharisees and Herodians in Mark 12:13-17 is a testament to His wisdom and integrity. Faced with a question designed to trap Him, Jesus acknowledges the legitimacy of earthly authorities while emphasizing the ultimate authority of God. This teaches us to respect civil authorities but prioritize our allegiance to God. His answer, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s," transcends the immediate context of taxation and speaks to the broader principle of living under God's authority in all aspects of life. [17:06]

Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV): "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

Reflection: In what ways can you show respect for earthly authorities while ensuring your ultimate allegiance remains with God today?

Day 2: Aligning Political Choices with God's Principles

The passage challenges us to consider the ethical implications of our actions, including our political choices. As Christians, we are called to live with integrity, ensuring that our actions align with God's principles, even in the voting booth. This means evaluating the moral implications of our votes and the potential for injustice in systems that allow for the exploitation of others through taxation. It is a call to ensure that our political decisions reflect God's justice and righteousness. [22:53]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: How can you ensure that your political choices reflect God's justice and righteousness in your community?

Day 3: Dual Responsibilities of Christians

The concept of rendering to Caesar and to God highlights the dual responsibilities of Christians. We are to respect earthly authorities while recognizing that our ultimate allegiance is to God, who has stamped His image upon us. This dual responsibility calls us to live in a way that honors both our civic duties and our spiritual commitments, understanding that our identity is ultimately rooted in being image-bearers of God. [29:53]

1 Peter 2:13-14 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: What are some practical ways you can honor both your civic duties and spiritual commitments this week?

Day 4: The Church as the Conscience of the Nation

The sermon warns against the dangers of statism, where the state becomes supreme and independent of God. It calls for vigilance in ensuring that the church remains the conscience of the nation, speaking truth to power. This involves being aware of the potential for the state to overstep its bounds and ensuring that the church continues to uphold God's truth and justice in the public sphere. [20:08]

Acts 5:29 (ESV): "But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'"

Reflection: How can you and your church community actively serve as the conscience of the nation, speaking truth to power in today's society?

Day 5: Ethical Considerations of Taxation

The ethical considerations of taxation are explored, urging Christians to avoid participating in systems that exploit others. We are reminded that our actions, including our votes, should reflect God's justice and righteousness. This involves critically evaluating the systems we support and ensuring that they align with God's principles of justice and equity, avoiding complicity in exploitation or injustice. [26:47]

Proverbs 29:4 (ESV): "By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down."

Reflection: Are there any systems or practices you support that may contribute to the exploitation of others? How can you align your actions with God's principles of justice and equity?

Sermon Summary

In Mark 12:13-17, we encounter a profound moment where Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees and Herodians, who attempt to trap Him with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. This passage reveals the cunning nature of Jesus' adversaries, who are united by their mutual disdain for Him. Despite their hypocrisy, they inadvertently acknowledge Jesus' integrity, recognizing that He is not swayed by public opinion but remains steadfast in truth. This sets the stage for their question about the legality of paying taxes to Caesar, a contentious issue among the Jews who resented Roman occupation and taxation.

Jesus' response, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s," is a masterful answer that transcends the trap set for Him. It acknowledges the legitimacy of earthly authorities while affirming the ultimate sovereignty of God. This dual responsibility highlights the Christian's duty to respect civil authorities while prioritizing their allegiance to God. Jesus' teaching here is not just about taxes but about the broader principle of living under God's authority in all aspects of life.

The sermon further explores the implications of this teaching, particularly in the context of modern governance and the ethical considerations of taxation. It challenges believers to consider the moral implications of their votes and the potential for injustice in systems that allow for the exploitation of others through taxation. The call is for Christians to live with integrity, ensuring that their actions, including their political choices, align with God's principles.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus' response to the Pharisees and Herodians demonstrates His wisdom and integrity. He navigates their trap by affirming the legitimacy of earthly authorities while emphasizing the ultimate authority of God. This teaches us to respect civil authorities but prioritize our allegiance to God. [17:06]
2. The passage challenges us to consider the ethical implications of our actions, including our political choices. As Christians, we are called to live with integrity, ensuring that our actions align with God's principles, even in the voting booth. [22:53]
3. The concept of rendering to Caesar and to God highlights the dual responsibilities of Christians. We are to respect earthly authorities while recognizing that our ultimate allegiance is to God, who has stamped His image upon us. [29:53]
4. The sermon warns against the dangers of statism, where the state becomes supreme and independent of God. It calls for vigilance in ensuring that the church remains the conscience of the nation, speaking truth to power. [20:08]
5. The ethical considerations of taxation are explored, urging Christians to avoid participating in systems that exploit others. We are reminded that our actions, including our votes, should reflect God's justice and righteousness. [26:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Reading of Mark 12:13-17
[01:22] - Jesus' Profound Response
[02:08] - Prayer for Understanding
[02:59] - The Sanhedrin's Trap
[04:24] - Pharisees and Herodians' Alliance
[05:51] - The Violent Pursuit of Jesus
[07:27] - Integrity and Hypocrisy
[10:22] - The Controversial Tax Question
[12:33] - The Denarius and Its Significance
[14:20] - The Arrogance of Roman Caesars
[17:06] - Render to Caesar and to God
[19:25] - Separation of Church and State
[22:10] - The Ethics of Taxation
[26:47] - Voting and Moral Responsibility
[29:53] - Bearing God's Image and Ownership
[31:37] - Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

“Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. When they had come, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?’ But He knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, ‘Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.’ So they brought it. And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ And they said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they marveled at Him.” [00:22:24]

“This is the Word of God, not only inspired by the Holy Ghost but containing the direct instructions of the incarnate Son of God for us. Let us give heed with our souls, our minds, and our consciences with what the Lord says in this text. Please be seated. Let us pray. Now, O God, as we listen to this very brief passage this morning, we pray that the significance of it will pierce our hearts well beyond the measure of the length of the passage, for we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.” [00:100:00]

“Now when they had come, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and care about no one.’ That’s an awkward translation also. ‘For you do not regard the person of men but teach the way of God in truth.’ Now let me just stop with these introductory words for a second. Last week I maybe mentioned that I recently had to write an article for ‘Tabletalk’ magazine where the theme of that upcoming issue is on integrity.” [00:455:84]

“It means that Jesus will not be swayed from the truth because of His consideration of people who may find Him… with whom He may be unpopular, that public opinion will never cause Jesus to compromise. This is a tremendous tribute that the Pharisees and the Herodians are heaping upon Jesus before they sneak in their trick question. Of course as the text shows, their acclaim of Jesus is uttered with total and complete hypocrisy. But in spite of themselves, they are speaking the truth about the character of Jesus.” [00:550:80]

“By the way, this was one of the most controversial issues among the Jewish people of that day. Remember how any nation hates to be placed in subjection to a foreign conqueror, and then to have to pay taxes and tribute to the occupying country is all the more loathsome to the local population. Almost every Jew in Israel hated the thought of paying any tax whatsoever to Caesar, and so they didn’t want to pay them, and many of them in fact didn’t pay them.” [00:646:72]

“Now this point of the paying of taxes to Caesar is a point that is expanded in the New Testament, particularly in the epistles. Look for example at the 13th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, where the Word of the Lord to the people of God is this, ‘Pay taxes to whom taxes are due.’ In the middle of the second century, the great apologist Justin Martyr argued in his open letter to the emperor Antoninus Pius that the Christians were scrupulous in their civil obedience and that they always paid their taxes.” [00:1044:72]

“Paul also spells out in Romans 13 that the civil magistrate is a minister of God. And that God creates two institutions in this world, the church and the state. They have separate responsibilities. They have separate missions to fulfill. It is not the responsibility of the church to wage war. The power of the sword is never given to the church, but it is given to the civil magistrate as Paul teaches us in Romans 13.” [00:1094:24]

“The Bible knows something of a separation of church and state in so far as there are two different missions assigned to these institutions. But the Bible knows nothing of the separation of state from God. And what happens in our day and age is that the phrase, ‘separation of church and state,’ which you know was never in the Constitution, is parroted almost every day to indicate the independence of the state from God.” [00:1159:44]

“Several years ago, I was in Saint Louis. I was riding in a taxicab with Francis Schaeffer, and we were having a discussion about issues that the church faced at this time in American history. And I said to Him, ‘What is your greatest concern for the future of America?’ He didn’t hesitate. He said, ‘My greatest concern is statism.’ That –ism on the end of the word is a suffix that indicates a worldview where the state becomes supreme.” [00:1195:92]

“Also I want you to notice that the concept of separation of state and church in America in our day is a one-way street. The state feels no hesitancy to intrude into the matters of the church. If you want to argue for the free exercise of religion, do that the next time you go to a county meeting that determines whether your church can have a cross on it because it violates the height of signs, and the cross is now considered a sign.” [00:1273:52]

“However, if I use my vote to get the government to go into your garage and take your lawnmower and give it to me, I’ve just exercised my right as a free American. And this happens everyday with the politicization of our economic system. Any time, beloved, that you can vote a tax on your neighbor that is not a tax on you, you’re stealing from your neighbor.” [00:1607:20]

“Every person in this room has been stamped with an image by the supreme authority in heaven and earth. God Himself has placed His image on you, on me, and on every person. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, but unto God the things that are God’s. Caesar can own that denarius, but he doesn’t own me. God owns me, and God owns you.” [00:1814:80]

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