Luke 20:20-26 (NIV) Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
Since the full-frontal attack had failed miserably, the Jewish leaders decided to take a more subtle approach (not God’s way of doing things, but satan’s!). They sent some people who “pretended to be honest” to see if they could trick Him into saying or doing something that could be used against Him, either before the Sanhedrin, or, preferably, with the Roman governor.
Their first attempt was to trick Him into sedition, that is, making Himself open to the charge of plotting against the Roman government. And their methodology was amazingly subtle. A simple question on a real hot-button issue of the day: Should the Jewish people pay taxes to Caesar or not?
This question put Jesus in a perfect no-win situation. If He said yes, He would instantly alienate a large number of His followers, who would then denounce Him as a Roman shill. Problem solved. If, on the other hand, He said no, that could be presented to the Roman governor as proof that He was stirring up rebellion against the authority of the Roman empire, and the governor would take swift action to execute Him. Again, problem solved.
But Jesus was immediately onto them. Despite their highly complimentary approach to Jesus, praising Him for His impartiality and wisdom (verse 21), He could see their wolfish teeth showing through their sheep’s clothing. So instead of giving them a simple yes-no answer, He first alerted those around Him to their duplicity (Matthew 22:18) and then gave everyone, including these spies, a lesson that they would never forget.
Jesus first asked for a denarius, a silver coin of Rome, emblazoned with the image of the emperor to authenticate its composition and weight. The denarius was the normal means of exchange throughout the Roman Empire, and thus it was the coin typically used to pay any taxes that Rome imposed. It wasn’t accepted for the temple tax or for any gifts given to God because it bore the image of a pagan emperor on it (hence the presence of the money changers in the temple), but these supposedly devout spies still had some of them in their bags, because it was the standard money of the day.
When Jesus received the denarius, He held it up for all to see, and asked whose image it bore. The spies rolled their eyes and answered immediately. Of course, it was the emperor’s face on the coin. Everyone knew that!
And, with that single answer, the trap closed on empty air. If the coin bore the image of Caesar, then it belonged to him, and had to be given back to him when he asked for it. That was an obligation people incurred for the privilege of using Roman money.
However, it was His final answer, “Give to God what is God’s” that really went to the heart of the matter. The thing that belongs to God more particularly than anything else is the thing that bears His image: people. Everyone, including those who were trying to trap Jesus, is made in the image and likeness of God, though in many that image has become tarnished and bent with sin. But every person still belongs to God, and thus has a primary obligation to yield themselves to His agenda, His standards, and His way of doing things.
No more could be said about the issue, so those who had come to Jesus quietly fell back to listen.
Father, I am constantly amazed at Jesus’ great wisdom and intellect. And I am also amazed at how easily He puts His finger exactly on the trouble spots. These men were trying to trap Him because they had not surrendered themselves to You and Your agenda, but were serving the Sanhedrin and their agenda. What a profound difference! Lord, help me to always keep myself solidly in Your hands, given entirely to You for Your use, all day, every day. Amen.