S (Scripture): Luke 20:20 The legal experts and chief priests were watching Jesus closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They wanted to trap him in his words so they could hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are correct in what you say and teach. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is. 22 Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 Since Jesus recognized their deception, he said to them, 24 “Show me a coin. Whose image and inscription does it have on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
O (Observation): So you’re trying to paint me into a corner, huh? Trying to get me to pry apart faith from the rest of my life. Trying to get me in trouble…start a riot if I say, “No.” Get my people to hate me if I say, “Yes.”
I see how it is.
Well…everything is spiritual. My decision to pay taxes doesn’t mean I’m against good order and government as a general rule. Nor does it mean I pay all allegiance to the rulers of this world. The Law does not say “yes” or “no” to paying taxes.
One can obey the Law and receive the grace of God while still paying taxes. They are not mutually exclusive.
A (Application): We can easily be distracted into making decisions that isolate our faith from our public life. We can easily be distracted by forgetting God in the equation of our daily decisions.
Keeping God in the center of our everyday lives is important. Whether it’s paying taxes or grocery shopping or driving down the road. God is there, too. Guiding us, correcting us, giving us grace. In everything.
God is with us when dealing with politics and faith and fun and work and everything in between. And that is a blessing to us!
From my friend, Delmer Chilton, in a 2014 Living Lutheran article:
Jesus calls us back from the brink of a serious mistake. In the midst of rendering unto Caesar, of doing your civic duty to the best of your ability, do not confuse your politics with your religion, nor neglect your God in the midst of your public service.
We are people of faith, which means we don’t rule from a position of absolute power nor do we neglect the directions our faith calls us.
We respond with respect and humility in our everyday interactions. Never neglecting our faith. Nor letting our faith rule in absolutes.
P (Prayer): Lord, guide us in our everyday decisions. Amen.
Digging Daily with Pastor Michael 