Luke 20:20-26

Rachel Workman: ²⁰ Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. ²¹ “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. ²² Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

²³ He saw through their trickery and said, ²⁴ “Show me a Roman coin.^[b] Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
²⁵ “Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
²⁶ So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent.

How many times have we used trickery on Christ ourselves? I know I have. It's not that I was hoping to trap him. There are times I haven't been honest about my intent as if he didn't already know. I've prayed for things in my life that I've disguised in my heart as something it wasn't.

____________________________________________________________________________________

John Burnett:  ¹⁹ The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them. ²⁰ So they watched Him, and sent spies who ^[g]pretended to be righteous, in order that they might ^[h]catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor. ²¹ They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You ^[i]are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. ²² Is it ^[j]lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” ²³ But He detected their trickery and said to them, ²⁴ “Show Me a ^[k]denarius. Whose ^[l]likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” ²⁵ And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²⁶ And they were unable to ^[m]catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.  We are to pay our taxes to the government, but more importantly, we are to give God the reverence and worship only He deserves.  We are to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.   

Tithing is the just another way we show our faith in God.  He does not need our money but it shows that we trust that He is going to provide everything that we need.  The things that are Gods include everything and every good and perfect gift is from above.     

____________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow’s reading for Luke 20:34-40

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. ³⁵ But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. ³⁶ And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.
³⁷ “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord^[d] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’^{[e] 38} So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”
³⁹ “Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. ⁴⁰ And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.