READ: Mark 12:13-17: … Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. …
Jesus’ opponents have reached the point of wanting to kill Him, but they are afraid of the crowd. They want to discredit Him among the people or provoke an incident to have the Roman authorities prosecute Him.
The Herodians, who are worldly-minded, and the Pharisees, who are legalistic, have different reasons to get rid of Jesus, but both want to eliminate Him. They flatter Him with the address of Teacher, and tell Him what they think of Him: truthful and unbiased, reliable, honest in His opinion, and pointing to God’s way. They try to deceive Jesus and camouflage their real motives so that, unsuspecting, He will make a statement they want to hear to catch Him.
But Jesus sees through their hypocrisy and puts them in their place by asking: Why do you test me? In fact, He exposes them as accomplices of the devil, the great tempter. They pretend to be innocent but are full of devilish venom. He knows that paying taxes is a sore point for most Jews, but openly condemning the tax could bring Him into disrepute with the occupiers.
Yet, Jesus does not evade their question. He asks for a coin, with the value of one day’s wage. He points out the inscription and image and asks to whom they belong. That is the emperor, say the interrogators. Jesus then says: give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and to God what is God’s.
Honoring the emperor who God places above you does not automatically mean dishonoring God. In fact, by doing so, you also honor God. This does not apply to matter that go against God’s honor.
But by simultaneously saying: give the spiritual things to God and the worldly things to earthly authorities who demand them, a clear boundary is drawn. With this answer, which is not cunning but sincere and correct,
Jesus gives the questioners, onlookers, and us a wise lesson and at the same time fends off the scheme against Him.
What should you specifically give to God?
Singing: Ps. 37:12