Monday, 1 June 2026
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - Does God have priority in your life? How does this show?
To read the texts click on the texts: 2 Peter 3:11-15,17-18; Mk 12:13-17
The Pharisees
theoretically accepted the position of the Zealots who refused to admit the
subjection of God’s people to a foreign power but they would not use force. The
question of the Pharisees and Herodians is asked to trap Jesus and so the
praise of Jesus is ironic and implies that Jesus is being asked to decide the
question because his impartiality mirrors that of God. They think they can trap
Jesus because if he said yes or No, he was bound to alienate one group or
another. If he supported the payment, he would make himself unpopular with the
people and if he said No, he would be politically suspect to the Roman
authorities. The tax was to be paid in Roman coinage and instead of answering
the question, Jesus first calls for the denarius. The denarius would bear a
portrait of the emperor Tiberius (14 - 37 C.E.). Jesus forces them to look at
the coin which would have been offensive to them, because having the Emperor’s
portrait on the coin violated Jewish rules of making images and worshipping
idols. As soon as they identify the head on the coin, Jesus points to them what
they already say, namely that the coin since it bears Caesar’s head belongs to
Caesar.
Jesus rejects the
position of the Zealots without accepting that of the Herodians who would be
willing to pay the tax.
By adding “and to God the
things that are God’s.” Jesus turns the pronouncement of paying taxes into a
spiritual challenge to meet ones obligations to God as conscientiously as one
meets the obligations of the state.
How often we too are so
conscientious in fulfilling our state duties because we are afraid of being
caught, but are lax with God.
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