“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

 Matthew 22:15-22

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

Why?

Pharisees planed a trick to trap him in his words. But Jesus is so smart to reply to them, let them amazed Jesus, and left away.

So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. The money with Caesar image so pay tax to Caesar, but if grace got from the Lord we should pay to the Lord. It is not only the money but also the grain and our heart to honor the name of the Lord. For what I have to belong to the Lord, we are the manager in this world.

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這次要耶穌在政治上表態。

人常用自己的觀點在看別人，前言似乎讚美，其實是要求耶穌具實回答，人會欺騙以為別人也是如此欺騙人，所以也認為耶穌可能說謊。人會失信，不知不覺也以為神也是如此。

凱撒已經有權柄了，問這個問題可以說多此一舉。這裏問耶穌要服從羅馬帝國，還是支持以色列人獨立。怎麼回答都不對。

承認這個政權才會使用這個貨幣。法利賽人也在使用這貨幣，當然已經承認羅馬的合法性，對我有利承認，要納稅對我不利，因此有此問題。凱撒的權柄只管還活在該地的人，神的權柄超過凱撒，這才是我們更順服的權柄。我們常常本末倒置。不要把凱撒的物給神，神的東西不要給凱撒，我們的生命、婚姻、家庭、學業，應該歸給神管理。

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How?

It is right to pay tax to the government and pay one-tenth to the church for God is the Lord, I am God's servant.