What "Render to Caesar" Really Means!
In the Gospels, we find the famous story of Jesus being questioned by a cohort of Pharisees and Herodians on whether it is lawful for Jews to pay taxes to the Roman emperor (see Matt 22:16-22; Mark 12:14-17; and Luke 20:20-26). Jesus famously answered, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's” (Mat 22:21 KJV). This is usually taken as an affirmation of two spheres of sovereignty, one belonging to the world of human government, and the other belonging to the sovereignty of God. Human governments should receive taxes from their citizens, while all those who bear God’s image owe God their worship and devotion. Countless sermons have pressed the theme of the necessity of Christians doing the right thing in paying taxes, even though their souls belong to God. It’s very neat, even quaint; however, I don’t think this is what the story is really about. It’s not a sincere question about taxes, it is about trying to Jesus into a trap, one that he avoids and then turns the tables on his opponents.