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Rendering To Caesar and to God

“He (Jesus) said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” - Matthew 22:21

Jesus was asked by the representatives of the Pharisees a question they hoped would trip Him up and give them something with which they could find fault and accuse Him of teaching something contrary to the Law. Their question was, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Jesus, knowing their evil motives, asked them to show Him a coin. On it was the inscription of Caesar, so He answered them, “Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They were amazed at His wise answer and went away defeated once again.

Jesus, with His answer, established a principle that was as applicable today as it was then. We read in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” The Christian has a dual citizenship. He is first a citizen of the Kingdom of Light, which we read of in Colossians 1:12-13, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.” Secondly, he is a citizen of the state and country in which he lives during this present time.

Being a citizen involves certain responsibilities. A Christian, with dual citizenship has, therefore, dual responsibilities. In the area of our earthly citizenship, certain benefits, rights and privileges are given to us. Provision is made for public services, such as schools, road maintenance, protection by police, firefighters, parks, old age social security, and more. There is a cost attached to all this, even as there was back when Jesus gave His answer to the Pharisees. If we accept these things, then we are responsible and have an obligation for sharing in their cost. How our government uses the money we are required to give is not within our control, just as those in Jesus’ day had no control with what Caesar would do with the taxes they were required to pay. Today some of our tax money is used for war purposes. Although we might be anti-war and its senseless slaughter that does not excuse us from paying taxes.

Nevertheless, we being also citizens of the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son, our allegiance, primarily, is to the ways of righteousness. If our earthly citizenship requires something that goes against our God-directed conscience, it must be resisted, on the basis of God’s Word. We owe our worship, obedience and service to God and the “kingdom of light.” An example of this can be found in the Old Testament when the three Hebrew young men resisted the King’s decree to bow down and worship the golden image he had erected. This demand was in direct conflict with their beliefs and conscience, so they unconditionally refused regardless of the consequences, which in this case was to be thrown alive in a fiery furnace. We find their courageous words in Daniel 3:16-18: “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

While the incident above was in the public domain, there is another incident in the book of Daniel, which is set in the privacy of one’s own home. We find this in the sixth chapter of Daniel. The scene is later in time when a new king, Darius, was on the throne. He was deceptively convinced to put out a decree that forbade anyone from asking anything from any God or man, except from the king, for thirty days. Daniel was so upright that his peers could find absolutely nothing wrong with which they could accuse him. They knew of his habit of prayer to his God at an open window three times each day. So they contrived a plot they thought would bring him down from the high position he held in the kingdom. Daniel continued his prayers regardless of the decree and was thrown into a den of lions. In both of the above incidents, there was miraculous deliverance by God.

It may be with us, that one day, it may be necessary to take a stand for what we believe is right, regardless of the consequences, and to also leave the outcome to God’s overruling providence.

The main point that Jesus was making is that we, as His followers, who have a dual citizenship, should choose to live peaceable lives and meet our obligations in both areas. When others look on us, they should see a good citizen who is responsible, law-abiding, and helpful to his neighbor, but above all, they should see the Christian traits of the fruit of the Spirit that God has worked out in our lives to His praise and glory.

E. Weeks