Rendering to God: Navigating Earthly and Divine Obligations

"The Scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor." [00:16:30]

"We notice that this portion of the Gospel of Luke follows immediately after the parable Jesus taught about the wicked tenants. In which he talked about that, 'Stone of offense.' That stone that would be the chief corner stone of his church, about which people would stumble. Yet, if they continued in their offense against that stone, the stone itself would crush them." [00:28:06]

"They pretended to be sincere, this is the very definition of hypocrisy. The hypocrisy involves wearing a mask, cloaking insincerity, dishonesty, and an internal but invisible hatred. They carried on their pretense, dripping praise like syrup from their lips as they came to him in great in applause." [00:47:38]

"Why is it that these religious authorities hated Jesus so much? When you talk to people who are unbelievers today they usually are very complimentary of Jesus. They'll say, 'Well, I don't believe that he was the Messiah, or I don't believe that he was the Son of God, but Jesus was certainly a great person. He was a great teacher. Maybe he was prophet,' and so on." [00:49:59]

"The first reason I can suggest is this: they were insanely jealous of him. Why would they be jealous of the Son of God? Well, you know the history that everywhere Jesus went he attracted huge throngs, multitudes, crowds pressing around the listen to his every word, watching his every move. He was profoundly popular among the people." [00:54:48]

"Before Jesus came it was the Pharisees particularly, as well as the Sadducees and Scribes, that set the moral standard for the community. They sat in the highest places in the synagogue. They were the ones who were most honored and celebrated for their virtue, but their virtue itself, as Jesus taught repeatedly, was a pretense. It was external." [01:06:09]

"Not just a priest, not just a high priest, but the superlative priest, the highest priest. So, Tiberius Caesar, like his predecessor considered himself a God. It said on the coin, 'Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus.' He might have said on the coin, 'Son of the deceased Augustus, son of the dead Augustus.'" [00:29:23]

"Governments have always gone nuts with how they levy taxes, it's their favorite enterprise. We understand that in history that many programs of taxation have been confiscatory, have been oppressive, have been unjust, creating awesome burdens upon the people. It was typical of the rulers of antiquity and the rulers today, to impose burdens upon the people by their taxation." [00:31:31]

"The only time we have the right to disobey the authorities is if they command us to do something God forbids, or forbids us from doing something God commands. So Jesus says, 'Pay your taxes.' Not a popular message, but then he went on to say, 'And render to God the things that are Gods.'" [00:34:00]

"The first confession of the Christian Church in the first century was simply this, 'Iesous Kyros.' 'We'll pay our taxes, we'll drive our chariots within the speed limit, but we will not say, 'Kaisar Kyros,' because you are not the Lord, Jesus is Lord.' It's for that reason that they became human torches illuminating the gardens of Nero, and fodder for the lions in the Colosseum and for the gladiators, because they knew who the Lord was." [00:34:32]

"They say, 'I render unto God the things that are God. I don't worship the government. I don't worship Caesar, Tiberius, Augustus, Julius, or any of them. We worship God and God alone, and we understand that our high priest who gave the one perfect sacrifice once for all to redeem our sins, was not Tiberius Caesar, it was not Augustus Caesar, it was Jesus who paid the price for your redemption.'" [00:35:31]

"In the presence of the people, we're told, they were not able to catch him but they marveled at his answer and they remained silent. Let's pray. Our Father and our God, how grateful we are that we have a great High Priest and that you alone are infinite, and eternal, and immutable. Such attributes given to no mortal in this world. We pray that we may be faithful in our loyalty to you, and ultimately to you alone. For we ask it in Jesus name, Amen." [00:36:25]