Mark 12:13-17
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15Should we pay or shouldn't we?"
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
"Caesar's," they replied.
17Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."
And they were amazed at him.
Those opposing Jesus sent Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words...They did not realized He only speaks the truth... He is above all, including language...
It seems that since the earliest of times people do not want to pay taxes...By asking this question "Is it right to pay taxes???", the Pharisees and Herodians, were trying to trap Jesus on one side...Would He side with the Roman authorities and say yes, everyone should pay taxes, or would He side with the common Jewish person and say that the Roman taxes were unfair???...Jesus ask them to bring a denarius (a coin) to Him and let Him look at it...He ask whose portrait was on the coin, and the Pharisees answered Caesar...He told them to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's...
Jesus avoided the trap of politics...Even today, some people get heated and cannot discuss politics politely and courteously without getting emotionally heated about the discussion...The opposition to Jesus were trying to divide His followers...Politics can do this... Jesus doesn't want us divided by politics, but wants us to love our neighbor...
Some interpret the teaching as should we give tribute to Caesar and those things on earth...Jesus teaches us to love God with all our heart...We should have no idols and the only One we should worship is our God...But He does teach us here that Caesar and those things on earth are deserving of something, some earthly things...Caesar ran the Roman Empire and was in charge of the government and needed to do and pay for what government provides...Local protection, such as police (Roman soldiers enforcing the law), are provided by government, the national defense and armed forces are the government's responsibility...Collecting taxes was and is also one of those responsibilities...Taxes pays for these things...
But what is God's and what does He deserve...God is over all things, including all national governments...We are to give God the glory and thanks He deserves, because He is our creator, our Father...Jesus is not interested in money as power...Money is only a medium of exchange to help others, and to provide for our basic needs...God deserves our praise...Only our Father, our Creator deserves our worship...