12:15,16
Jesus was fully aware of what they were up to. It is a grave mistake to try and “trap” Jesus, for it is us who will end up trapped, as was the case here. There are many areas where the world will try and trap the gospel or the Bible. We do not need to fear, for the word of God is truth. So Jesus asked them to give Him a coin. Then He asked them whose image was on the coin? Of course, it was Caesar’s.
12:17
Jesus then made His now famous statement, “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”. The normal interpretation of this is that we are to give proper respect (including in terms of taxes and obedience to laws) to civic government, and we are also to give proper respect to God. So we obey the civic authorities in so far as it does not conflict with our responsibilities towards God. The Jewish leaders were actually rebelling inwardly against both Caesar and God. They were made in the image of God, so owed respect to God with their whole lives, but were actually living them in a completely self-centered way.
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