Defeating the Subtleties of the Pharisees and Herodians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bible Verses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Luke 20:22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
(23) But He perceived their craftiness and said to them, (24)
Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?
And they said, Caesar's. (25) And He said to them, Therefore
render the things that are Caesar's to Caesar, and the things
that are God's to God. (26) And they were not able to lay hold
of a saying of His in the presence of the people; and marveling
at His answer, they kept silent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Words of Ministry~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the chief priests scribes, and elders were defeated by
the Man-Savior, the Pharisees and the Herodians tested Him
[cf Matt 22:16] . The Pharisees, a religious party, were
patriotic and faithful to the Jewish community. The Herodians
took sides with King Herod's regime and took part with him in
infiltrating the Jews with Grecian and Roman manners of life.
They sided with the Sadducees, but were opposed to the
Pharisees. But here they joined with the Pharisees to ensnare
the Lord Jesus. They worked together in the attempt to carry
out a plot to trap the Man-Savior.
According to verse 21, the Herodians and the Pharisees
questioned the Lord, saying, "Teacher, we know that you speak
and teach correctly, and do not accept man's person, but teach
the way of God in truth. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to
Caesar, or not?" This was truly an ensnaring question. Paying
taxes to Caesar was opposed by the Jews. If the Lord Jesus said
that it was lawful to do this, He would offend the Pharisees.
But if He said that it was not lawful, He would give the
Herodians, who stood with the Roman government, ground to
accuse Him. By asking the Lord such a question they exposed
themselves as being base, dishonest, and insidious.
In handling this dilemma the Lord was again honest, pure, and
wise. Considering their craftiness, He said to them, "Show Me a
denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? And they
said, Caesar's. And He said to them, Therefore pay the things
of Caesar to Caesar and the things of God to God." To pay the
things of Caesar to Caesar is to pay tribute to Caesar
according to his governmental regulation. To pay the things of
God to God is to pay the half shekel to God according to Exodus
30:11-16 and to offer all the tithes to God according to the
law of God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry. Bible verses are taken from
the Recovery Version of the Bible (RcV) and Words of Ministry,
from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, pp. 391-392. Both are
published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. (Repeat
4/2/02)
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