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Text:

Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply amazed them, and they went away.

The Kingdom of God is at its best with its COMMUNITY IS FIGHTING FOR UNITY.

Overall Commentary: 🌎

The enemies of Jesus are now uniting against Him. They are looking for anything to have Him arrested. This time, they bring to Jesus a seemingly unanswerable question. No matter what He does, Jesus will offend someone. Jesus knows what's going on and wisely goes more profound with the question than they expected. His answer shocks and surprises everyone.

The Church unifies as CITIZENS of a HIGHER KINGDOM.

Commentary

Verse 15-17: The Call Out.

!!CONTROVERSY AGAIN!!

They are constantly trying to catch Jesus.

Pharisees and Herodians: These two factions are mortal enemies, the same as modern-day liberals and conservatives. However, they are both aligned in thinking Jesus is bad for business. They have decided to conspire to see Jesus arrested. Because of this, they try to goad Him into saying something they accuse Him of before the Romans.
What’s the big deal?: The Jewish people had rallied under a man named Judas of Galilee less than approximately 30 years earlier to oppose this tax. Since the silver coin required to pay the tax had Caesar’s inscription on it, the Jewish people saw it as a violation of the second commandment. Also, the coin claims Caesar to be divine. The revolt was unsuccessful but shows their willingness to die rather than obey this without question.
Paying Jesus a compliment?: Obviously not. It was expected to not only ask questions but also to challenge a teacher to see if they truly knew their stuff. Therefore, asking Jesus a question like this would not be completely unheard of. They are reminding Jesus of His desire to "tell it straight" no matter who is listening. It's like they are saying, "You're known for telling the truth. Let's see how you deal with this question."
A no-win scenario: They ask Jesus one of the most controversial questions of the time. This question was so loaded that it had started revolts among the Jewish people only a few years prior. Under someone named "Judas of Galilee," the Jewish people rebelled against Rome due to taxes. They also declared they would rather die than have Caesar's image displayed on flags in the city of Jerusalem. Now, they want to ask Jesus where He stands. If He says they should pay the tax, He risks alienating the people. If says they should not, He could be accused of treason.
Poll Tax: The tax was an annual fee for a silver coin called a denarius. It was paid directly to the Emporer. The coins would have had the image of Caesar Tiberius and proclaimed his deity. This was highly offensive to the Jewish people because it promoted idolatry and was a constant reminder of their subjugation to Rome.

Verse 18-22: The Reply.

Hypocrites: Jesus knows exactly what they are up to and calls them out on it. The most direct definition of a hypocrite is a "play actor." He says they are only pretending to engage with Him. He knows what they are genuinely doing.
What belongs to God? Genesis 1 says we were created in God's image. Therefore, Jesus is saying to give Caesar something but give God everything. Our goal must be to give everything we have to God because He is the Ruler of All.
Render unto Caesar what is his: This answer is both brilliant and profound. Jesus is telling them that, as dual citizens, there is an obligation to live and occupy ourselves within that system. The only way not to is to altogether remove ourselves from that system. However, if we are in it, be in it as a light into the darkness.
Speechless: They knew it was the perfect answer, and it was.

Top Takeaway- We can stand amazed at what God can do.

When we take the view that Jesus did, we can be amazed at what the Lord will do. Remember, it all belongs to Him. He puts people in authority and removes them. Our job is to pray for our leaders, do our best to play our part, and trust God to do what only He can do. I don't pretend to know why God allows certain things to happen. However, I trust the Lord and that He is always faithful.

How to Vote

Many have asked how to vote as a Christian. This can be a complex issue. Therefore, here are a few ideas for getting into this conversation. I recommend making this a constant conversation with your Christian friends and LifeGroups.

1- Pray first.

Trust the Lord to lead you in this process. Don't try to do this alone. We should be praying for our nation every day.

2- Use God's Word to filter through all the opinions.

It's hard to know what to trust and who to trust. Everyone says they have it figured out. As Christians, we follow Jesus. Therefore, our vote should be for the person who most closely lines up with a Biblical worldview.

Text "rlcBible" t0 94000 to read God's Word with Real Life Church every day.

3- Know the Platforms of the candidates.

Most people have heard all the rhetoric, but do you know what platform each candidate is genuinely running on? Don't listen to the media people who want to scare you into voting their way. Know the issues and where each candidate is likely to stand.

Read the Constitution Here. It tells us what the government has to do, what they can do, and most importantly, what they cannot do.

Democrats (Joe Biden)- Democrate Party Platform.

Republicans (Donald Trump)- Repbulican Party Platform.

Click here to learn about Polling Information.

Examples of Places to Get News:

DISCLAIMER: I am not necessarily suggesting these sources. My goal is to say these are examples of openly slanted news outlets. I prefer listening to a news source that tells how they lean. Then, I know how to take their reporting. Listening to an openly conservative source and then listening to a more left-leaning source tends to help balance out the middle.
- Conservative- The Daily Wire.
- Liberal- CNN.
- Christian Perspective: The Pour Over.
- There are many more great sources for each category. These are just examples. Feel free to place your favorite in the comment section.

4- What is the keystone issue for you?

It can be overwhelming to know all the issues about all the things. One idea that can help is to focus on two or three issues that you are the most passionate about. Where does each candidate line up on these critical issues? Then, vote accordingly.
Here are some examples: