The Measure – Part VI: Render Unto Caesar

For more than two decades, Steven Teske wore a judge’s robe and exercised the authority entrusted to him by the Constitution. Over time, he discovered that while the law defined the boundaries of his authority, it could never determine the spirit in which that authority would be exercised. That work belonged to conscience. In this deeply personal episode, Teske reflects on Christ’s words, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s,” and explores how those words transformed his understanding of justice, leadership, and public service. Returning to Vice President J.D. Vance’s call for America to recover its Christian foundations, Teske asks a question that has quietly guided this entire series: If Christian values are to become the measure of public life, are we willing to let those same values measure our words, our policies, and the consequences they produce? The conversation acknowledges Vance’s own admission that his “childless cat ladies” remark failed to reflect the dignity taught by Christ, while asking whether that same standard should continue to guide public rhetoric and public policy. It also considers the difficult moral questions raised when policies intended to protect public resources are followed by large numbers of children losing access to food assistance. This is not an argument about partisan politics. It is an invitation to examine the relationship between authority and conscience. Because character is not revealed only by what we intend. It is revealed by how we respond once the consequences of our decisions become known. Ultimately, this episode asks every listener the same question Reverend Charles Sheldon asked more than a century ago: What would Jesus do...now? Because every lasting redesign of justice begins when authority remains accountable to conscience. Get full access to Justice ReDesigned at steventeske.substack.com/subscribe