When God Says …
“And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cæsar, or no?” (Luke 20:20-22 KJV).
In these passages, the religious leaders try to trap our Lord Jesus with a politically charged question about paying taxes to Caesar. This presents a masterclass display of how the Lord handles human legalistic traps to shift the focus toward the divinity of God's Kingdom and the encompassing nature of grace. The spies, pretending as sincere members of the crowd, were planted to catch the Lord Jesus off guard.
The Gospel of the Grace of God doesn't rely on human performance or on impressing God with outward displays of righteousness. When people try to use the law to measure up or trick others to do the same, it fails. Besides, the Lord Jesus saw right through their craftiness, unmasking the fact that their questions were rooted in a desire for control rather than a pursuit of truth. The Lord knows the heart of those sent to spy and those who sent them.
The spies’ question of paying tribute to Caesar was designed as a "win-win" for the religious leaders. If the Lord says “yes,” the Jewish people would accuse Him of being a traitor. If He says “no,” the Romans would arrest Him for treason against the Empire. But, the Lord did not come to deal with politics, physical kingdom and religion. Hence, He asked for a coin, draw their attention to Caesar’s image stamped on it, and declared they should "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God those that are God's”.
Just as the coin bore Caesar's image and belonged to him, you and I bear the image of God and we belong entirely to Him. It is written: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”” (Genesis 1:26 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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