Pray:
Faithful God, I desire to live in the light of Your Word and walk in sync with You. Thank you that You hear me.
Read:
Matthew 22:15-22
Reflect:
How interested are you in keeping the peace?
Sometimes opposing factions decide to work together to achieve a result that neither can win on their own. Here, the Pharisees, religious nationalists, have allied with those who supported the Roman rule of the Herods, a nasty combination of religious and political power. The question they pose to Jesus requires, they think, a straight yes or no, and either answer will put him in trouble!
What do you do when put on the spot? Politicians might avoid being pushed into such a corner. Jesus knows their game. He doesn't descend to their tactics; he speaks straight. Holding up a coin, he says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
Faultless logic: give to, serve, work for, obey the current government. Uphold law and order, act appropriately but not at the expense of obedience to God, the highest authority of all. We are citizens of two kingdoms. Serving the secular one with integrity is a way of expressing honor to the eternal one. If forced to choose, you must put the kingdom of God first. We all have to interpret that by making prayerful choices, though not always easy.
Apply:
Name a few ways in which the world around you is pushing you toward compromise. Ask God to bring light and help.
Pray:
Help me, Lord, to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness, and to trust You with the consequences.
