Rendering to God and Caesar

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus 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.
Mark 12:13–17
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Rendering to God and Caesar
The Pharisees and Herodians attempt to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus’ response, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” reveals profound truth about our dual responsibilities as citizens of earthly nations and the Kingdom of God. As Christians, we are citizens of two kingdoms, and as such, we navigate the complexities of living in the world while being not of it. We fulfill our civic duties, respecting authorities and laws, as an act of obedience to God who establishes governance. Paying taxes, voting, and contributing to society’s welfare are part of our earthly obligations. However, our ultimate allegiance is to God. We bear His image, created for His glory, and our lives are to be lived in devotion to Him. Our hearts naturally belong to our Maker, who stamped His image on us at creation. Though sin shattered that image in us, the Lord still wants us for His very own people and sent Jesus to make that possible. Therefore, we prioritize worship, love of neighbor, and the proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus’ wisdom in this passage calls us to balance our responsibilities. May we faithfully render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to Him, living as Christ’s ambassadors in all spheres of life.