Season 4 Podcast 184 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 22:15-22, Pt 3, “Render unto Caesar.”

Season 4 Podcast 184 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 22:15-22, Pt 3, “Render unto Caesar.”Christ detected hypocrisy as shown in Matthew 22.15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?Their entrapment could have gotten Christ sent to prison by the Romans which was their goal. In fact, just a few days later when Jesus stood before Pilate, the Jews falsely accused Christ of refusing to pay tribute to Caesar. Luke records in Chapter 23:“1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.”Perhaps he was falsely accused by the same hypocrites who earlier tried to entrap him. The evidence in Matthew 22 proves his accusers were lying.“19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.  20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”Christ established the model for Christians through the centuries. He established that we are subject to the government and must obey the laws of the land. Under Roman Law the Jews did not have the power to put people to death. In fact, the leaders of the Jews tried the same entrapment with the woman caught in adultery. In John 8 John records.“3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”5 RONJewish law allowed the Jews to stone the woman, but Roman law didn’t without permission. Here they were trying again to entrap Jesus by forcing him to go against Roman law. If he had said she should be stoned, they would have turned him over to the Romans. If he had said she should not be stoned, they would have turned him over to the Sanhedrin. Christ sees through their hypocrisy and teaches the nature of the atonement that Christ has power to forgive sins. It is two sides of the same coin.