"Pay What To Whom?"

...Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 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 regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius, And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.   Matthew 22:15-22

Once again we come across an encounter where the religious leaders are trying to test Jesus. First they try to cover up their motive 'to entangle Him in His talk' by using flattery.  They tell Him that they know He is true, that He teaches the ways of God, that he is honest and doesn't play favorites or as they put it, 'he doesn't regard the person of men.'  They pretend to be asking for His opinion with the question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?" when in reality they are trying to get Him to answer in a way that they can use to accuse Him. 

It says that, Jesus, knew what they were up to, and answered them in a way that had them marveling and going on their way.  Once again Jesus passed the test!  

Sometimes, as we get caught up in the everyday, day to day of things, I think we forget that the world, and the things of the world are a means to entangle us.  A way to test and distract us from giving to God the things that are due Him.  Romans 12:1 challenges us to be ...a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. It then goes on to tell us in verse 2 ... be not conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The world, or the "things of the world" are always going to try and pull us away from giving to God that place where He is at the very center of things. It said that Jesus perceived their wickedness and I pray that we too will perceive and recognize those things in our lives that would distract us from giving our all to God. Challenges in life will come. We will be tested. I pray that we will pass the test and that we will render to Him all that He is due.