Give what belongs to God

Read Matthew 22:15-22 “Give what belongs to God”

Dear Church Family,

In our gospel reading for this week, the question about paying taxes comes right after the third parable, the parable of the Wedding Banquet that I preached last Sunday. Jesus was still in Jerusalem, teaching people in the temple. The chief priests and the elders had already questioned His authority. And now, here is another difficult question from the disciples of the Pharisees, along with the Herodians. They wanted to trap Jesus with His own words. They said, Teacher, tell us, then, what you think. “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

When we think carefully about this question, we realize that, it is not an easy question to answer. And there are questions in life that someone can ask you, and you just look at that person and say, “Really? Are you serious?”

Dear Church family, as we reflect on this story. Think about this for a moment. If Jesus had answered, “Yes, it is right to pay tax to Cesar,” the Romans would have agreed with Him and applauded Him. But the Jewish people would have said, “This man betrayed His own people.” On the other hand, if Jesus had answered, “No, you should not pay taxes to Caesar,” He could have been accused of opposing Roman authority. And the Romans might have considered Him a troublemaker who was encouraging people to refuse to pay their taxes.

So dear Church family, do you see the trap? If Jesus said yes, there was a problem. If He said no, there would also have been a problem. Either way, the Pharisees thought they had found a way to turn people against Him. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? A situation where, if you say “yes,” you have a problem, and if you say “no,” you also have a problem? or perhaps someone asks you a question, and you know that whatever answer you give, the person will be unhappy with you. Then you feel stuck. You do not know what to say or how to respond. So, what do you do when you find yourself in a situation where every answer seems to create a problem? Sometimes, we simply say: I don’t know!

But I love Jesus’ response in this morning’s Scripture reading because He had a way of answering questions that always amazes me. He knew how to respond to people’s question without falling into their traps. You know, Jesus was someone to whom people would ask very complex questions, such as, are you the son of the Living God, then He would just look at them, and would respond: you answered your question yourself. Jesus was very skillful and special in the way He would answer questions. And this morning, I pray that God gives us this gift of answering questions as Jesus did, because, in this life, there are times that people set traps for us or try to put us in difficult situations. But I pray and declare that, in the name of Jesus Christ, you will not fall into every trap that has been set for you. May God give you the wisdom to recognize every trap, the courage to face every challenge, and the strength to overcome every difficult situation.

Now, let us return to the respond of Jesus. He asked them to show Him the coin used for the tax. Then He asked, “Whose image and inscription is this?” Cesar’s, they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” And when they heard His answer, they were amazed. So, they left Him and went away.

Now, I want us to notice something. Jesus did not simply answer their question by saying, “Yes, pay your taxes to Caesar.” Instead, He said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” So, Jesus did not allow Himself to be trapped by their question. Instead, He used the opportunity to teach them something deeper. He reminded them that while they had responsibilities in this world, they also had responsibilities toward God.

Dear Church family, this is an important lesson for us. What is our responsibility toward God? You know, Jesus did not only talk about what belongs to Caesar. He also talked about what belongs to God. Think about it for a moment. We can pay our taxes and fulfill our responsibilities, but we must never forget our responsibility to God. So, this morning, let us ask ourselves these questions: Are we giving God what belongs to God? Are we giving Him our time, our gifts, our love, and our lives the way we should?

God also needs our attention. Some of us, have developed the practice of having time for meditation every morning before starting our day. Perhaps we have developed the practice of reading the Bible every morning before touching our phones when we wake up. But today, when we wake up, what is the first thing we do? Sometimes, the first thing we do is reach for our phones to check our messages or read the news. Please, understand me. I am not saying that checking messages or reading news is wrong. There is nothing wrong with that. But what if, before checking our phones, we take a few minutes to spend time with God? What if we begin our day with God, maybe by prayer and reading Scripture? And if you are married, you can do it with your partner and your children before everyone starts the day. Before we listen to all the voices of the world, please take a moment to listen to God. Because God needs our attention every day.

Maybe some of you, as couples, used to pray together before going to bed. The husband, the wife, and the children would gather together to pray. But today, perhaps everyone is busy with their own activities and responsibilities. But Jesus is reminding us that we can still continue to create time and make room for God in our lives and in our homes. I know sometimes life gets busy. We have jobs to do, bills to pay, children to raise, responsibilities to fulfill, and many things competing for our attention. But in the middle of all these responsibilities, please, let us not forget to give God our attention. Jesus is inviting us to think again about what belongs to God. Jesus is reminding us that God deserves a place in our daily lives.

So, I want to encourage you this morning: If you have stopped praying regularly, please start again. If you have stopped reading your Bible, open it again. If your family has stopped praying together, consider starting again, even if it is just for a few minutes each day. You can create time to read a few verses of Scripture a day. You can start again spending time to pray for and with your family, our church, our community, and the those who need God’s help.

Dear Church family, When Jesus said these words, He was almost going to the cross, to give Himself as a sacrifice for us. Cesar’s currency could only pay taxes, not our lives. Jesus gave His life for us so that we could receive God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and eternal life. So, let us give God what belongs to God, because God has given us so much through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer:

Dear God, we thank you for your word. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who always reminding us that while we have responsibilities in this world, we must never forget our responsibility to you. Forgive us if we do not give what belongs to you. Sometimes we forget to give our attention to you. Lord, help us this morning to give you the attention in our every daily life. Bless our families, strengthen our homes, and help us to grow together in faith and love. Give us wisdom when we face difficult situations, and help us to respond with the wisdom and grace of Jesus.

May we give You our time, our gifts, our love, and our lives. Help us to honor You every day of the week. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.  ”

Dear Church Family,

In our gospel reading for this week, the question about paying taxes comes right after the third parable, the parable of the Wedding Banquet that I preached last Sunday. Jesus was still in Jerusalem, teaching people in the temple. The chief priests and the elders had already questioned His authority. And now, here is another difficult question from the disciples of the Pharisees, along with the Herodians. They wanted to trap Jesus with His own words. They said, Teacher, tell us, then, what you think. “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

When we think carefully about this question, we realize that, it is not an easy question to answer. And there are questions in life that someone can ask you, and you just look at that person and say, “Really? Are you serious?”

Dear Church family, as we reflect on this story. Think about this for a moment. If Jesus had answered, “Yes, it is right to pay tax to Cesar,” the Romans would have agreed with Him and applauded Him. But the Jewish people would have said, “This man betrayed His own people.” On the other hand, if Jesus had answered, “No, you should not pay taxes to Caesar,” He could have been accused of opposing Roman authority. And the Romans might have considered Him a troublemaker who was encouraging people to refuse to pay their taxes.

So dear Church family, do you see the trap? If Jesus said yes, there was a problem. If He said no, there would also have been a problem. Either way, the Pharisees thought they had found a way to turn people against Him. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? A situation where, if you say “yes,” you have a problem, and if you say “no,” you also have a problem? or perhaps someone asks you a question, and you know that whatever answer you give, the person will be unhappy with you. Then you feel stuck. You do not know what to say or how to respond. So, what do you do when you find yourself in a situation where every answer seems to create a problem? Sometimes, we simply say: I don’t know!

But I love Jesus’ response in this morning’s Scripture reading because He had a way of answering questions that always amazes me. He knew how to respond to people’s question without falling into their traps. You know, Jesus was someone to whom people would ask very complex questions, such as, are you the son of the Living God, then He would just look at them, and would respond: you answered your question yourself. Jesus was very skillful and special in the way He would answer questions. And this morning, I pray that God gives us this gift of answering questions as Jesus did, because, in this life, there are times that people set traps for us or try to put us in difficult situations. But I pray and declare that, in the name of Jesus Christ, you will not fall into every trap that has been set for you. May God give you the wisdom to recognize every trap, the courage to face every challenge, and the strength to overcome every difficult situation.

Now, let us return to the respond of Jesus. He asked them to show Him the coin used for the tax. Then He asked, “Whose image and inscription is this?” Cesar’s, they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” And when they heard His answer, they were amazed. So, they left Him and went away.

Now, I want us to notice something. Jesus did not simply answer their question by saying, “Yes, pay your taxes to Caesar.” Instead, He said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” So, Jesus did not allow Himself to be trapped by their question. Instead, He used the opportunity to teach them something deeper. He reminded them that while they had responsibilities in this world, they also had responsibilities toward God.

Dear Church family, this is an important lesson for us. What is our responsibility toward God? You know, Jesus did not only talk about what belongs to Caesar. He also talked about what belongs to God. Think about it for a moment. We can pay our taxes and fulfill our responsibilities, but we must never forget our responsibility to God. So, this morning, let us ask ourselves these questions: Are we giving God what belongs to God? Are we giving Him our time, our gifts, our love, and our lives the way we should?

God also needs our attention. Some of us, have developed the practice of having time for meditation every morning before starting our day. Perhaps we have developed the practice of reading the Bible every morning before touching our phones when we wake up. But today, when we wake up, what is the first thing we do? Sometimes, the first thing we do is reach for our phones to check our messages or read the news. Please, understand me. I am not saying that checking messages or reading news is wrong. There is nothing wrong with that. But what if, before checking our phones, we take a few minutes to spend time with God? What if we begin our day with God, maybe by prayer and reading Scripture? And if you are married, you can do it with your partner and your children before everyone starts the day. Before we listen to all the voices of the world, please take a moment to listen to God. Because God needs our attention every day.

Maybe some of you, as couples, used to pray together before going to bed. The husband, the wife, and the children would gather together to pray. But today, perhaps everyone is busy with their own activities and responsibilities. But Jesus is reminding us that we can still continue to create time and make room for God in our lives and in our homes. I know sometimes life gets busy. We have jobs to do, bills to pay, children to raise, responsibilities to fulfill, and many things competing for our attention. But in the middle of all these responsibilities, please, let us not forget to give God our attention. Jesus is inviting us to think again about what belongs to God. Jesus is reminding us that God deserves a place in our daily lives.

So, I want to encourage you this morning: If you have stopped praying regularly, please start again. If you have stopped reading your Bible, open it again. If your family has stopped praying together, consider starting again, even if it is just for a few minutes each day. You can create time to read a few verses of Scripture a day. You can start again spending time to pray for and with your family, our church, our community, and the those who need God’s help.

Dear Church family, When Jesus said these words, He was almost going to the cross, to give Himself as a sacrifice for us. Cesar’s currency could only pay taxes, not our lives. Jesus gave His life for us so that we could receive God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and eternal life. So, let us give God what belongs to God, because God has given us so much through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer:

Dear God, we thank you for your word. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who always reminding us that while we have responsibilities in this world, we must never forget our responsibility to you. Forgive us if we do not give what belongs to you. Sometimes we forget to give our attention to you. Lord, help us this morning to give you the attention in our every daily life. Bless our families, strengthen our homes, and help us to grow together in faith and love. Give us wisdom when we face difficult situations, and help us to respond with the wisdom and grace of Jesus.

May we give You our time, our gifts, our love, and our lives. Help us to honor You every day of the week. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.