Day 36 : Mark 12:13-17
Whose portrait is this?
So, there we have it. The answer to the age-old conundrum about religion and politics. The two are quite distinct spheres. Give Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s. Simple! Well – maybe! A book appeared many years ago entitled ‘The Hard Sayings of Jesus’s. It recognised that some of Jesus’s teaching is hard to practice but also difficult to understand.
Chapter 12 records a chess game between Jesus and his opponents, based around four questions. By the end, Jesus has them in checkmate. But this first question is the most difficult, obviously designed to entrap him. Under Roman rule, Judea was a divided society. The collaborators welcomed Roman rule: the nationalists wanted to restore Jewish independence, whilst the Jerusalem leadership was endeavouring to keep the peace.
We can appreciate the craftiness of the question. Jesus couldn’t win! Whatever he says the leaders can then discredit this man who claims to be God’s Son. So what exactly does Jesus’s response mean? Here are four possibilities:-
- Endurance. Jesus believed the dawn of God’s kingdom was imminent. That would entail an end to Caesar’s Empire. So for now people should continue paying the tax. Of far greater importance was preparing for the coming kingdom.
- Obedience. All political authorities have been instituted by God. Therefore, allegiance to God involves obedience to human rulers.
- God First. God’s law is higher than state law. So, obedience only goes so far. God’s law is primary. Allegiance to God might mean occasional disobedience to human authority.
- God Only. All authority belongs to God. Caesar’s power is bogus. People owe him nothing. Radical discipleship entails allegiance to God alone, whatever the cost.