Then the Pharisees went and plotted howto entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher,we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said,“Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.”And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them,“Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them,“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. Matthew 22:15-22 Too many people who say they know Jesus are fighting for things He never fought for. He was not about Politics. This is why He never spoke against the Roman Government, oppressive as it was. He was not about superiority of the Jews, though they were the people to whom He, the promise of God, came; He died for all. He was not about finite, material things, or THIS life, but the Kingdom of God which never ends. If we look at today's Scripture, when he told the religious hypocrites (The Pharisees), and the Political powers (the Herodians) to "render to Caesar what is Caesar's" he meant "Pay your taxes, do what you must for the rulers of this age," for it was Caesar's likeness on the coins they used in their commerce, Caesar was the ruler, and rebellion is the antithesis of Faith in God. When He said "Render unto God what is God's" He was (and still is) saying that we all are minted, as the coin was in man's image, in to the image of the invisible God (Genesis 1:26).
Jesus did not call any man superior to another. He did not advocate for rebellion, even though Rome was oppressive. By challenging the earthly dichotomies and hierarchies the religious and political sects in Jerusalem had set up, He said "Give the government what is due it, it's money, it's laws, and what is legal to do, but you, who are minted and pressed into the image of God owe Him your whole life, and so live accordingly." How many of us take this seriously? I see brothers and sisters in Christ fight over issues that are non-essential. It won't be a Democrat, Republican or Independent who can fix anyone's problems. It's not about the ethnic, social, or economical divides. It's about WHO sits on the throne, and who sits at His right hand. If we miss this point, we're investing too much into this rebellious generation. Render to Caesar what belongs to him. You give to God, whose image YOU bear, His due, and that is nothing less than all of you.
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