Civic Responsibility & Ultimate Allegiance — September 22 [Description]Overview of the Passages (Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:20-26):These passages describe a moment when religious leaders (Pharisees and Herodians) try to trap Jesus with a politically charged question: "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?" The goal was to catch Him saying something treasonous or unpopular—either offending Roman authority or alienating the Jewish people.Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy, asks for a denarius (a Roman coin) and points out Caesar’s image on it. His famous reply is:“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”This response leaves His challengers speechless. It’s a brilliant, balanced teaching about civic responsibility and ultimate allegiance—recognizing government authority while affirming that our hearts, lives, and worship ultimately belong to God.Overview of the Passage:This passage highlights a moment when Jesus is confronted by religious and political leaders attempting to trap Him with a question about paying taxes to Rome. The Pharisees, normally enemies of the Herodians, unite in their hostility toward Jesus and send young spies pretending to be sincere. They try to corner Jesus into either offending Roman law or Jewish loyalty to God. But Jesus, seeing through their deceit, answers with divine wisdom: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” His answer not only silences His challengers but also defines the balance between civic duty and spiritual allegiance. The passage further explores the growing tensions between the Pharisees and Sadducees, showing how their conflicting beliefs about tradition, resurrection, and spiritual matters contributed to confusion and disunity—even as Jesus’ authority and insight shone through.

Bible discovery

Matthew 22:15-22365D 265.1

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.365D 265.2

16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not ^{[c]Lit. look at the face of} regard the person of men.365D 265.3

17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”365D 265.4

18 But Jesus ^[d]knew perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?365D 265.5

19 Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius.365D 265.6

20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”365D 265.7

21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render ^[e]Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”365D 265.8

22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.365D 265.9

Mark 12:13-17365D 265.10

13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.365D 265.11

14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and ^{[d]Court no man’s favor} care about no one; for You do not ^{[e]Lit. look at the face of men} regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?365D 265.12

15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it. ”365D 265.13

16 So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”365D 265.14

17 And Jesus answered and said to them, ^[f]Pay “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.365D 265.15

Luke 20:20-26365D 265.16

20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.365D 265.17

21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:365D 265.18

22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”365D 265.19

23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ^{[e]NU omits Why do you test Me?} “Why do you test Me?365D 265.20

24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”365D 265.21

25 And He said to them, “Render ^[f]Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”365D 265.22

26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.365D 265.23

Spirit of Prophecy Reading

The Desire of Ages pp.601-603:365D 265.24

This chapter is based on Matthew 22:15-46; Mark 12:13-40; Luke 20:20-47365D 265.25

The priests and rulers had listened in silence to Christ’s pointed rebukes. They could not refute His charges. But they were only the more determined to entrap Him, and with this object they sent to Him spies, “which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of His words, that so they might deliver Him unto the power and authority of the governor.” They did not send the old Pharisees whom Jesus had often met, but young men, who were ardent and zealous, and whom, they thought, Christ did not know. These were accompanied by certain of the Herodians, who were to hear Christ’s words, that they might testify against Him at His trial. The Pharisees and Herodians had been bitter enemies, but they were now one in enmity to Christ.365D 265.26

The Pharisees had ever chafed under the exaction of tribute by the Romans. The payment of tribute they held to be contrary to the law of God. Now they saw opportunity to lay a snare for Jesus. The spies came to Him, and with apparent sincerity, as though desiring to know their duty, said, “Master, we know that Thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest Thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?”365D 265.27

No sooner were the Pharisees silenced than the Sadducees came forward with their artful questions. The two parties stood in bitter opposition to each other. The Pharisees were rigid adherents to tradition. They were exact in outward ceremonies, diligent in washings, fastings, and long prayers, and ostentatious in almsgiving. But Christ declared that they made void the law of God by teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. As a class they were bigoted and hypocritical; yet among them were persons of genuine piety, who accepted Christ’s teachings and became His disciples. The Sadducees rejected the traditions of the Pharisees. They professed to believe the greater portion of the Scriptures, and to regard them as the rule of action; but practically they were skeptics and materialists.365D 265.28

The Sadducees denied the existence of angels, the resurrection of the dead, and the doctrine of a future life, with its rewards and punishments. On all these points they differed with the Pharisees. Between the two parties the resurrection was especially a subject of controversy. The Pharisees had been firm believers in the resurrection, but in these discussions their views in regard to the future state became confused. Death became to them an inexplicable mystery. Their inability to meet the arguments of the Sadducees gave rise to continual irritation. The discussions between the two parties usually resulted in angry disputes, leaving them farther apart than before.365D 265.29