QT 3/7/2022 Matt 22:15-22, Believers and pretenders

Matthew 22:15–22 (ESV) —

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

 

NOTE: Matthew adds without explanation the Herodians, who accompany the Pharisees to ask the question. The Pharisees opposed the Roman tax, and the Herodians had made peace with the need to pay taxes to avoid Roman wrath. In the questioners' minds, Jesus was guaranteed to get one group upset. Additionally, they attempt to "butter up" Jesus with flattery so as to gain a response. Given their previous responses to Jesus, the insincerity of the comments must have been quite obvious even if they weren't addressing God. Clearly they did not know or did they believe he could be the Messiah. Their minds could not wrap around the idea of "the Son of God." And yet, the evidence was there -- the miracles, his life, the sayings -- the evidence was clear. Their situation was worse than today, because they saw Jesus in the flesh. Today's atheists can argue about the documents being fake -- if you ignore the facts or the first generation of eye-witnesses giving their lives rather than denouncing the facts. These are the same disciples who scattered at his death and went into hiding. And then, they saw the risen Christ alive, and they saw him ascend into heaven, and they were baptized with the Holy Spirit (the promised third person of the trinity), and they were never the same. Why? They were eyewitnesses!

 

PONDER:

1. Do we really believe or do we pretend?

 

PRAYER: Father, we should have the same boldness as those early disciples. We know the truth. We know our future. We know who we are -- sons and daughters of the king!