I originally posted this on election day. But since it’s actually about taxes and I’ve been thinking about how our taxes pay for things I hate, I thought I would repost part of it today. You can read the full post here.
Jesus asked them, “Show me the coin for the tax.”
They handed him a denarius.
“Whose image is on the coin? Whose inscription?”
And they answered that it was Caesar’s.
Jesus replied, “Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.”
When they heard his answer, they marveled.
(A paraphrase of Matthew 22:15-22)
I don’t marvel at first.
They had to pay taxes. Even to the Roman government. Even to the government who would drive the nails through Jesus’ hands and hang him on a cross. Their taxes would pay for it all.
Jesus’ teaching is difficult. Not marvelous.
Why did the coin belong to Caesar? It had Caesar’s face, his image on it. So what belongs to God? What bears his image? Me.
I do.
I begin to marvel.
I owe the government taxes, honor, respect. I owe this to the government on election day and every day. But I owe God something today too. I owe him myself.
What I owe God is fundamentally different than what I owe the government. Mark Dever, preaching what some have called “The Best Sermon on Christianity and Politics,” explains it this way: “Our duty to earthly authority is limited … Our duty to God is comprehensive.”
