Wicked crooked religious authorities send spies to listen to Jesus Christ and these are people who pretend to be sincerely interested.
We read all about this in Luke Chapter 20 in the New Testament.
Do read the text for yourself.
It is always rewarding to read the actual Scriptures.
Motives are important when we come to the place of prayer.
We are not to be looking for faults but for food.
We are to come hungry for food, grazing in these lush nourishing pastures, and drinking from refreshing running water.
In verse 21 we come across such astonishing insincerity.
On hearing this sort of talk some people would do almost anything to hear more and more of this type of flattery, but not Jesus.
Hypocrisy and flattery are close cousins.
When people speak like this watch out.
Beware because this is duplicity, deceitfulness, and involves sinful double-dealing.
What they said was all true, but the motive was wrong and impure and from a corrupt source, like the girl who shouted at Paul in Philippi.
They are not sincere.
They are playing and pretending.
See how subtle the enemy is.
Serpents usually have a sting in their tail, and here it is in verse 22.
"Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" It is a clever question.
It appears at first to present Jesus with a deadly dilemma.
How are you going to get out of this one Jesus?You can almost hear them thinking.
We will discredit Him this time.
We'll get the public against Him, or against the authorities.
We'll get a charge against Him one way or the other.
Jesus saw right through them.
He knew how they were thinking.
"Jesus, it is lawful for us Jews to pay taxes to a Roman Emperor?" This is a very clear political trap.
If Jesus had said "No", He could be charged with treason, as a revolutionary.
If Jesus said, "Yes" then they could say that Jesus was siding with the Romans and was a collaborator.
Again, we have to learn that we must never try to be too clever with Jesus.
These questioners were not interested in taxes, but Jesus knew what they were interested in.
Jesus knew what they were up to.
He asks, "Why do you tempt Me?" Jesus could be very straight and go right to the point when He faced hypocrites who were only pretending to be interested, but Jesus goes on to use the situation to speak and teach.
Jesus takes the initiative.
"Show me a coin" and they showed Him a silver coin issued by Rome.
Give me a coin which you are already using and which you are already committed to.
They were prepared to accept Caesar's money, and use Caesar's money.
A king's domain extended as far as his coins were used.
Who is on this coin?Whose face is this?Caesar's.
Then render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and Jesus takes it further.
Give to God what is God's!They did not expect that.
Jesus is exact and compact and direct.
When we challenge Jesus there can be many things which we did not expect Him to say.
"Give" or "Render" means to give what we owe and to pay what is right to pay.
If Caesar provides you with an army and protects you with soldiers, pay him.
Pay for education, the Health Service, army, police, cleaning of the streets, and whatever else it may be.
Pay these taxes.
Pay your taxes.
This teaching and this solid example comes from the lips of the Son of God.
The Jews had benefited in so many ways from what was called the PAX ROMANA, the peace which Rome gave.
You could travel anywhere throughout the Roman Empire in comparative peace and safety, without a passport, so pay up.
Jesus is teaching these spies, and us, that taxes are not bad.
But remember what else is written here.
Give to God what is God's! God is giving us an amazing insight as to what Jesus had to face during these final days of His Life on the earth, leading up to the Cross.