“Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, 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 the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should 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.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.” Mark 12.13-17
Jesus was impossible to trap. Although the smartest leaders, the Pharisees and Herodians, tried to “catch him in his words,” they could not. Time and time again they came to Jesus, but to no avail. Here, we find them attempting to ensnare him regarding Caesar. However, Jesus was too clever for that. He asked them, “Why are you trying to trap me?”
So Jesus does the smartest thing; he asks for a denarius and inquires, “Whose image is this?” When they replied, “Caesar’s,” Jesus said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Scripture says, “they were amazed at him.”
Jesus had the ability to cut through all our clutter and get to the heart of the matter. He was unwilling to criticize Caesar and jeopardize his ministry. He was also smart enough to find a way out of the trap the Jews were trying to impose upon him.
In Matthew 10.16, Jesus calls us to be wise but innocent, saying, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Because we are like sheep among wolves, who want to kill and destroy us, we must be shrewd and innocent. Cunning yet honest. Careful yet kind. Jesus doesn’t merely give us this lesson so that we might escape public criticism but so we might know how to defend ourselves and seek wisdom from the Lord.
The gospel was birthed amidst criticism and a nation governed by Roman pagans. Although Judaism was in full effect in Israel, people were distant from the Lord, as evidenced in their rejection of Jesus as Messiah. Yet, the Gospel grew. The power of the Holy Spirit in raising Jesus from the dead and giving birth to the church advanced the will of God and brought love, redemption, and restoration to all who believed.
If God could move among such opposition back then, then God can move today in a culture with such evil and anti-Christ messaging. Jesus, who walked the earth two thousand years ago, is alive today, and with the power of His Spirit, the church cannot be stopped.
“O Lord God, thank you Jesus for this lesson and for your wisdom. Thank you that the same power that raised you from the dead lives in us when we repent and believe the Gospel. The formula for belief is not complex but is available to all. Help us Lord spread your message, to be your hands and feet and voice to a lost world. I love you Lord and praise your name. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen