Two Coins - Mark 12:13-17

Mark 11: Triumphal entry, Jesus inspects the temple, turns over money tables.

Mark 12:1-12: The Sanhedrin question him and he tells a parable against them.

Today's text, Mark 12:13-17... here and for the rest of this chapter, the Sanhedrin are trying to trap him in his words so they can put him to death.

v13... "trap" is used here in the sense of capturing an animal.

The Pharisees are all about purity laws, and a Jewish-only Israel. The Herodians are aligned with the Roman-leaning Herod, illegitimate (and non-Jewish) leader of Israel. Complete opposites, extreme left and right of Israel... except they both want to see Jesus dead! The entire government is conspiring against Jesus.

v14... they flatter him first, then try to trap him with their question.

Jeremiah 9:8... his tongue is a deadly arrow, speaking peace to his neighbor but in his heart planning a deadly ambush.

Two kinds of enemies: those who tell you to their face they don't like you, and those who shrewdly pretend to have your back, but secretly plot against you. Fake friends with honey in their mouths and daggers in their hands. 

v15... "...knowing their hypocrisy..." - Matthew says malice, Luke says craftiness; this same word describes the serpent in Genesis. A denarius was a day's wage; the denarius coin indicated Tiberius Caesar's deity, and so was blasphemous. They're trying to get him to upset one side or the other.

v16... the Pharisees and Herodians are able to produce a denarius which was considered by them to be unsuitable for use in the temple, yet here they are! He could have trapped them on that alone... but he answers...

v17... Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give God what belongs to God. They marvelled at his answer! You'll bever be more clever than God :-)

...as the denarius was made in Caesar's image, we were made in the image of God. Give Caesar the things of the world... but give to God our souls, our worship, everything! 

Render means to give back... if Rome wants it, give it back to them. But give back our souls, our worship, everything we are, to God! It all comes from him. The air in our lungs, our strengths, our unique qualities... it's all a gift we are to give back to him. 

That's today's text. Two thoughts...

1. Caesar's coin...

How should a Christian operate in this world under its governing authorities? Respect for the opposition is eroded. 1 Timothy 2: we are to pray for our political leadership, even if we don't like them! 1 Peter 2:13... be subject to every human institution. Honor everyone, fear God, honor even the emperor! (He was killing Christians!) Live godly lives, don't cover up evil! But we are to pray for those in leadership. It's part of our Christian witness and apologetic!

Romans 13... Be subject to the governing authorities as they have been instituted by God! Even if they're bad (that's a judgment on a nation)... so don't resist the government. Pay taxes, revenue, respect an honor to whom they're owed. We are to be the best citizens of our country!

Pliny the Younger was not a Christian, and was a governor. He began killing the Christians of his town, but a revival started. He wrote a letter to Caesar, describing the exemplary behavior and morality of the Christians despite his persecution. We can't worship Caesar, but we can be his best citizens! Virtuous, honest, upstanding. Justin Martyr makes a similar case.

We can't worship Caesar, but we can be his most upright citizens, praying for even the worst leaders, that God be glorified in our witness! It was our light that helped convert Rome.

The more Christ-like we become, the more radical we'll seem to the world; our witness will draw people to Christ.

Our default position is to be the best citizens, to the glory of God! 

Only then should we consider:

Civil disobedience...

Acts 5:27... the apostles are instructed not to teach in Jesus' name. They decide they must obey God over men when men are demanding they oppose God! In Daniel and in Revelation, we see there are times it is our duty to disobey the government. Taking on the mark of the beast, burning incense to Caesar. 

When the laws of the government oppose the laws of Christ, we must resist. We must not violate Scripture.

Our country is very blessed! Individual freedoms are one of our strong points. We should also support programs that take care of those who are vulnerable. But government tends to get bigger and bigger, and over-reach into our personal freedoms... legislating every little thing, indoctrinating our kids.

Government here is starting to take over the lives of its citizens, controlling money, food, water, education, healthcare. If the government ever says we can't worship God, we will be in a pickle. Satan's plan is to use an overreaching government to control the Church. Christians should be apprehensive to let the government take these things over.

We should vote in ways that support God's Kingdom on earth, not man's.

2. God's coin...

As the denarius bears Caesar's likeness and name, so does the believer bear the likeness and name of Christ! And we're sealed with the Holy Spirit. Money we give to Caesar, but our very selves we give to God.

So...

a. Don't be too attached to Caesar's coin! Don't let riches become a god. It can all be taken from you. Live only for Christ and his Father!

b. We belong to God and not Caesar! The government doesn't own its people. God does! You've been bought with a price by the Lord Jesus Christ! We're adopted sons and daughters, royalty of another Kingdom! Because God owns you, Caesar can't!

c. So our allegiance belongs only to King Jesus! Yes, respect your earthly rulers, but we're all under the authority of Jesus Christ! Only he is worthy to open the scroll! Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!

When Jesus is asked to pick a political position, he chooses himself. Give yourself to the triune God who made you! Joshua 5:13-15... Jesus is not for your side or the enemies' side; he is the commander of the Army of the Lord! He's on his own side!

You may identify more with the Democrat or Republican party in our country, but who is your King? Jesus is everyone's only true King... and we must render to God what is God's!