19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. 20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. 21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? 24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
Commentary
Vs. 19 “And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.”
Once again, the chief priests and scribes wanted to take and kill Jesus because they understood that He had spoken His parable of the vineyard owner against them. But fearing that the multitudes might turn on them, if they tried to openly seize Him for no apparent reason. And so now they devise a ploy by which they think they can entrap Jesus in His Words.
Vs. 20 “So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.”
Like the regional scribes and Pharisees before them, (and those they sent to Him from Jerusalem) who also closely watched and listened too Jesus while He was preaching the Gospel to all the people wherever He traveled. So now the authorities and religious leaders in Jerusalem, specifically those charged with ruling the Temple and its affairs are not concerned about His doctrine, per-say, but only how they might seize on something He might say to as to be able to arrest Him and deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. For having failed to find any fault against Him religiously, by which they could seize Him, they now look to seizing Him for something, anything, that could be construed as inciting disobedience too, or rebellion against Rome. Now in this they scheme that they will send men to Him who will pretend to be righteous, who will then try to induce Him, or trick Him into saying something that they then could witness against. For there was overlap between the Jews religion and duties to God and Roman rule and law, and so it would be in these “grey areas of faith” where loyalty to God or obedience to Rome may seemingly come into conflict that they would seek to induce something out of Him, that they could then use against Him.
Vs. 21-22 21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
And so, they come to Jesus with a loaded question, asking Him if it is lawful for a Jew to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Now this issue was a very sensitive issue for the Jews, because many of them had historically died or been imprisoned for refusing to pay taxes to Caesar. For they felt their “tithes” were to go to God, not to Caesar. And so, though many Jews did pay their taxes to Caesar, there was always a very strong undercurrent of great resentment amongst the Jews at having to do so. Therefore, if Jesus simply said that it was lawful and they must, then they would turn the people against Him by making Jesus out to be a supporter of Rome, who was just like their despised Jewish brethren who collected taxes for Rome. However, if Jesus said that it was not lawful for a Jew to pay taxes to Caesar, then they would immediately seize Him and bring Him to the Governor.
Vs. 23-26 23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me? 24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
Now before they could even begin to bring their plot to fruition Jesus perceived their craftiness and exposed them and it by first saying to them, “Why do you test Me?” (vs. 23). For there is nothing hidden from God, and certainly not the evil plots of those of this world which they devise against Him, His Son and His own (Psalm 2, Acts 4:13-31). Having done so, Jesus now asks them to show Him a denarius, which was an official Roman silver coin worth about a day’s wage, which bore the image of the then ruling Caesar. Now when they did so He asked them, “Whose image and inscription does it have?” And they answered Him, “Caesars” (vs. 24). Then He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (vs. 25) Thus in a stroke of brilliance Jesus defeats their plans and purposes against Him; and yet unlike them He did not do this by cunning reasoning, as they so often leaned on; but by a simple declaration of the truth! Which then silenced them and left them marveling at His answer (vs. 26). Now in Jesus answer there is no justification for our not paying our taxes in keeping our loyalties to God. Those then who would use their faith to excuse themselves from doing (like the Pharisees who used theirs to justify not having to honor their parents financially, see Matt 15:1-9) so are only denying their faith and disobeying God (Rom. 13:1-7).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
No comments:
Post a Comment