Subject to the Sovereign

Mark 12:13-17 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Pastor JJ pointed out that even though we hear the term: “the value of a dollar”, there really is a value in every coin. Money wasn’t the issue but the baited trap as the Israelite governing body believed that they had planned and set up a “no win” situation for this popular Rabbi (so they thought) that threatened their governing rule. Their trick two-sided question: If subject to Caesar, then not subject to God? If subject to God then, not subject to Caesar? Government, and every institution on earth, is made up of fallen human beings. Due to the sinful flesh nature, power breeds corruption and scandals when ruled by created man, not ruled by our Sovereign God as Creator King, even though we cannot see, touch or hear Him directly. Unregenerate man makes decisions against God’s way, but towards physical human ways that pridefully think more highly of themselves than their Almighty Maker. When the Creator of the universe is removed from the equation, then the vacuum formed is filled with a secular government to be the ruling power as a monarchy above Architect and Author of life. Our American Founding Fathers understood what unchecked power does to our hearts, expecting the citizens to serve God, not government, because godless people do not have their country’s “best interests” at heart, but their own image and interests as they reign and rule as sovereign over the people. Give them an inch and they'll become a Ruler.

John 18:36-37  Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”  “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

What were the Pharisees and Herodians trying to do … that which is “right”? Metaphorically, when dealing with man’s government, Caesar is on the coin and the inscription reads “Divine Ruler”. Money is a vital part of the economy in which we live for commerce. Jesus is saying, if this coin is Caesar’s then give it back when asked for. We are to be responsible with our taxes and good stewards of the things of this earth. We need to always keep in mind that we can stuff our coffins to the top with hundred dollar bills, and not one goes with us into the next world. Turn that coin around, where it says “Son of the Divine” and say: “I give what is God’s to God.” Our hope is not in an earthly government and the material things of this world, but in the Sovereign God in heaven and His kingdom, for in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). We are truly subject to the loving Sovereign God, Maker of heaven and earth.

Acts 5:29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

 In Christ, Brian