Giving to Both God and Caesar

Is there ever a time to disobey government? It was Rev. Martin Luther King who said that the one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly and with a willingness to accept the penalty. He knew the only way Afro-Americans could change unjust laws on segregation in the 1960s was to lay down their safety and bodies and sometimes even their lives.

On the other hand, Paul exhorted early Christians under the thumb of an emperor as corrupt as Nero to, ‘Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in these places of power’ (Romans 13:1, CEV).

In their ongoing efforts to trap Jesus, the Jewish religious leaders cornered him on this question of taxes. They knew many Jews struggled under the heavy tax burden that Rome used to bankroll its various exploits, and, in particular, its army. Many of them were looking to Jesus to lead a coup that would throw off this burden.

So if Jesus endorsed the unpopular and unjust tax, the religious leaders would gain a small victory. If he didn’t endorse it, he could land in trouble with Israel’s political masters. Jesus did neither and both at once. By saying to give God what is God’s and Caesar what is Caesar’s, he left a masterstroke, an impregnated line that we can still learn from 2,000 years later.

Jesus is saying that we aren’t obedient because every government is perfectly just and performing a flawless job that is always above reproach. We’re obedient because our hearts are motivated by an inner conviction to give honour, firstly, to God.

This is maintained, as Dr. King showed, even in rare times of disobedience. And even when our enemies try to lay this or that trap for us, God is honoured when we counter such attacks with simple truth and dignity.

Respond in Prayer

Loving heavenly Father, thank you for the leaders that you provide and help me, even when it seems impossible, to give honour to both the leaders of the land and to you, the God of the universe; to be a good citizen of earth and a good citizen of heaven also.

Thomas Froese

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).