Daily Devotions
Render to Caesar
Reading for April 7th: 2 Samuel 8-12
Weekly reading for April 5-11: Luke 20-24
So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
Luke 20:21-25
Next week our taxes are due. Many of you may be working on that this week. Let's remember when paying taxes, that we do it to the Lord and not to men. It is the "will of God" (1 Peter 2:13-15). The authorities are there because God put them there (Romans 13:1-7). It should not bother our consciences at all to pay our taxes.
There is, however, another subtle point Jesus may be making here (and I think I'm stealing this from Ben). The reason Jesus asks whose image is on the denarius is because it implies ownership: "Render to Caesar the things that have his image on them." The unspoken question might then be, "What does God own? What bears His image?"
Father, help us to joyfully and reverently give our taxes to Caesar and our lives to You.
Luke 20:21-25
Next week our taxes are due. Many of you may be working on that this week. Let's remember when paying taxes, that we do it to the Lord and not to men. It is the "will of God" (1 Peter 2:13-15). The authorities are there because God put them there (Romans 13:1-7). It should not bother our consciences at all to pay our taxes.
There is, however, another subtle point Jesus may be making here (and I think I'm stealing this from Ben). The reason Jesus asks whose image is on the denarius is because it implies ownership: "Render to Caesar the things that have his image on them." The unspoken question might then be, "What does God own? What bears His image?"
Father, help us to joyfully and reverently give our taxes to Caesar and our lives to You.
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