In God We Trust: To Caesar and To God

They thought they had Jesus cornered.

They'd tried before, but this time they brought politics into it, and politically savvy people to make their move.

If he moved in one direction, the religious community would call him heretical. If he moved in the only other direction they could see, Caesar would have him killed.

Check mate.

The question posed to him (recorded in Matthew 22:15-22) was simple: should a good Jew pay taxes to Caesar or not?

After Jesus let on that he knew these inquisitors were up to no good, Jesus asked for a coin (he didn't have one of his own). He asked them whose image was stamped on the denarius. It was Caesar.

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's," was Jesus' reply.

Those who sought to trap him walked away in dismay.

Not check mate after all.

Jesus' words were quite profound. Caesar thought himself a god who ruled the world. He sort of did. Good Romans who also realized his power and authority over their life and death did not publicly hesitate to give Caesar the worship he demanded. So when Jesus instructed to give God His due, this was quite radical - He was saying that Caesar was not God. In fact, the only thing due Caesar was the coin made in his image. Everything else? God's.

On Sunday, I interviewed five women who lived during a time when one of our cultural gods died for awhile: money. During the Great Depression and on into WWII, money was scarce. These women shared stories of their life experience during that era, and gifted us with principles that give us hope as we go through the closest economic crisis since 1929.

Give the audio a listen. Enjoy it. Live differently in response to the truth you hear, choosing to trust the real God when your false gods are shown for what they really are: false.