February 9
Mark 11: Render Unto Caesar . . . What?
Genesis 42; Mark 12; Job 8; Romans 12
The parable of tenants (1-12) left Jesus’ opponents seething, for they knew - and the people knew - that Jesus was talking about them. In response, God will come and take away the vineyard from them and give it to others (the Gentiles) (9). So just like their father the dragon, they want to kill him. But they can’t directly, not without losing the people (12), so they try to entrap Jesus instead.
The trap is hidden under a layer of sweet flattery: “We know that you do not care about anyone’s opinion” (14). Then the trap is sprung: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”
Notice the two ditches that Jesus might fall into. If he says, “Yes,” then he will lose the affection of the people, who suffered under the taxation of Rome. But if he said, “No,” then the Herodians present could easily and justly report him as a seditionist and have him executed. Jesus is walking on a knife’s edge.
Jesus’ response is to be studied in detail by all Christians.
First, he is not naive. He notices their hypocrisy (15a) and bares their true motives: to entrap him (15b). They are hypocrites because they themselves cared very much what the people thought, and they themselves had no intention of learning Jesus’ answer. So why do they test him? They simply want him dead.
Nevertheless, Jesus answers: “Bring me a denarius, and let me look at it.” Then Jesus first asks a question he already knows the answer to: “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” There is a tinge of holy swagger here, because after all this is the king of kings and lord of lords speaking - the King of Caesar.
So they answer: Caesar.
And Jesus responds, with the wisdom of the ages: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (17). Note first that Jesus does not buy the assumption buried in their question: that there are only two options, that we only pay taxes or we don’t. Jesus instead states clearly that there are some things that God has ordained that belong to Caesar, and those should be given to him. Paul reiterates this in Romans 13:7: if Caesar is owed honor or taxes, pay them.
But then, if not, don’t. There is a righteous limit to what God allows Caesar to demand. As for honor, no Christian can worship a king, but only the King. What about taxes? There is debate - I think the Old Testament tithe is the limit.12 Regardless, Jesus’ point: Caesar is both appointed by God (Romans 13:2) and limited by Him.
But Caesar does not wield his sword in vain. As unrighteous as the current American system of taxation is, defying it will still land you in court or jail. One must count the cost.
As an example of Caesar going beyond a righteous limit of taxation:
