Mark 12:13-17
Introduction
In this passage, we have the first of three consecutive attacks on Jesus. Certain groups set out to test Jesus and we see how He deals with them.
Bear this in mind as we examine today’s passage.
Verse 13
At the beginning of Verse 13 we are told that ‘they’ sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him. Who are they? The Sanhedrin, which was the ruling body of the Jews. The Sanhedrin was made of three main groups: the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Scribes.
The Herodians were a party that supported the ruling Herods who were not pure Jews. Many Jews, including the Pharisees despised the Herodians. However, the Pharisees and the Herodians worked together because both parties hated Jesus.
The Pharisees and the Herodians were sent to ‘trap’ or ‘catch out’ Jesus. The Greek word translated as trap is ‘agreno’ which means to catch by way of violent pursuit. It’s like forcing an animal to fall into a trap.
Verses 14 to 16
The Pharisees and the Herodians say to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.”
They are saying that Jesus is a man of integrity. Integrity means to be uncompromising with respect to principles and ethics. It means to be uncompromising with respect to what is right. A person of integrity never compromises principle for the sake of popularity. Public opinion never caused Jesus to compromise. Should we act with integrity in the way that Jesus did?
The Pharisees and Herodians did not believe what they were saying about Jesus. We know this because Jesus knew that they were hypocrites. See Verse 15. If they had believed what they said about Jesus, they would not have set out to trap Him.
The question that they put to Jesus was, ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ This was a contentious issue at the time because the Jews hated being in subjection to the Romans and they hated paying taxes to them.
The Pharisees and the Herodians knew that if Jesus was to say that it is okay to pay taxes to Caesar, the people would turn against Him. On the other hand, they knew that, if Jesus was to say that they should not pay taxes to Caesar, He would be in trouble with the Roman governor.
In Verse 15 we see that Jesus knows that they are trying to catch Him out. He then tells them to bring Him a denarius to look at. A denarius was a small silver coin and was worth a day’s pay.
When they bring Him a denarius Jesus asks them a question about it. Jesus asked them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” The image on the coin would have been that of Tiberius Caesar. However, the important part of this question is the inscription. The inscription would have said, ‘Tiberius Caesar, divi augusti, filius augustus’ which means, ‘Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus’.
In those days the emperor of Rome was worshipped as a god. The inscription on the coin would have also included the title, ‘pontifex maximux’ which means ‘High Priest’. The Caesar was not only the supreme political leader of the empire, but he was also the supreme religious leader. The title ‘Augustus’ means the transcendent majesty. This was a term that the Jews would only use for God. To the Jews it was idolatrous to call any man Augustus.
With all of this in mind let’s see how Jesus answers their question in Verse 17.
Verse 17
What does Jesus mean when He says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”? Jesus is saying that the coin belongs to Caesar and that they must pay his taxes. The Apostle Paul reiterated this important instruction for all of us as believers. See Romans 13:6. We must pay our taxes regardless of how corrupt or bad the government is.
We are told to pay our taxes because it is God who establishes the ruling authorities. See Romans 13:1. In Romans chapter 13, Paul tells us that God has created two institutions: the church and the state and that He has sovereignty over both of them. These two institutions have separate responsibilities. It is not, for instance, the responsibility of the church to wage war. At the same time, it is not the state’s responsibility to tell the church what to believe or what it should do. This is especially true with regard to assembling for worship. The state must not stop the church from speaking in the public square. The church must not surrender to the state’s control or ideologies.
This separation of church and state with regard to roles and responsibilities is God’s design for the protection of both institutions. But is this happening today?
What does Jesus mean when He says, “Render to God the things that are God’s”? Although we have a responsibility to pay our taxes, we have a higher responsibility to give to God what belongs to Him. As Christians, we belong to God. The state doesn’t own us; God does.
God has a right to claim our life and everything in it for Himself. And so, we should render to God the things that are His. These include our life, our liberty, our possessions and our affections.
Finally. we should ask ourselves, whose image do we bear?