pramsay posted on January 05, 2006 02:33 1523 views

Sometimes when I read I get caught up in the story. In Matthew 22:15-22, when the Pharisees dispatched a crew to trip-up Jesus in His words, I found myself thinking (a dangerous thing!!) as I was reading: “Yes, Lord give it to them. Give them a response that will expose their own hearts!!” But what about my own heart? When I read the Word of God, I shouldn’t just be looking for messages for ‘others.’ First and foremost, the Word of God needs to expose my own heart and I need to bow each day to God’s message for ME.

Anyway…. back to the story. So the Pharisees sent their men off to confront the Lord Jesus with their big trick question. They buttered Him up with nice words and then they posed their carefully constructed question: “Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?” Should Jews pay taxes to the Roman emperor? The cagey question that was supposed to catch Jesus in a less-than-appropriate response, fizzled before their eyes. Their question backfired!

Masterfully, He took their own question and turned it loose on them. What was meant to back Him into a corner, was used to confront them with the shallowness and hypocrisy of their own hearts. He asked for a coin used for paying taxes and then he held it up before their eyes. Caesar’s imprint was on the coin. “So to whom does the coin belong?” he asked. They said: “Caesar.” He said: “Well then, give it to him.” But His response did NOT stop there. “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s. ” Matthew 22:21. Just as the coin sported the imprint of Caesar, they themselves bore the imprint of God – made in the image of God and in His likeness. Yet they did NOT give unto God what belonged to Him. Even more striking – they were looking into the eyes of One who was God manifest in the flesh – (the disciples beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth) and they were not willing to give Him the honor of which He was worthy.

It is one thing to rob a Caesar – but to rob God of what He is entitled to – what a felony! Little wonder they made themselves scarce and took off! Embarrassed hypocrites.

I thought: ‘….Those old Pharisees!!!! He got them again. Good!’ But what about me? It is possible for me to hold back from the Lord that to which He is entitled. Am I giving to God what belongs to Him? My life. My time. My possessions. My energies. My gift. My affections. Or have I been withholding something from God?

Let the prayer of our hearts today and throughout 2006 be: “Lord, I withhold nothing. I surrender all.”

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# Anonymous
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:15 PM

contents are bias. learned scholars or priest are one who explore all the so called existing religion and later seek the creator of human and the entire universe to confirm what true religion or belief is.

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