Mark 12
Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him. Mark 12:13-17 NKJV
Most people look at this passage and think that Jesus is teaching on the importance of choosing God over money. However, this is also a discussion about identity. The coin was stamped with the image of Caesar. We are stamped with the image of God: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26). As citizens of the United States, we must respect our government and pay our taxes as required by law. The apostle Paul wrote: “Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due” (Romans 13:6-7). As citizens of heaven, we must “give to God what is God’s” (verse 17). And what is God’s? Our hearts, our minds, our time, and everything we have. Therefore, we should dedicate our lives to fulfilling the will of the one who made us in His image.
Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?” Mark 12:24 NKJV
It is interesting that Jesus tells these men that they do not know the scriptures or God’s power. If there was anyone in this time and place that would have known the scriptures, it would have been the Pharisees. The truth is that they had extensive knowledge of the scriptures, yet for all their knowledge they did not understand the true meaning behind the scriptures. This is paralleled in John 5:36-47 where Jesus told the Jewish scholars that even though they diligently studied the scriptures, they completely missed the point. They refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah in order to have life and they did not understand the love of God. Similarly, in Matthew 11:27 Jesus tells a crowd of Jews (who would have been very familiar with scripture) that “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” That was a pretty radical thing to tell to a group of people who likely considered themselves to be the only people in the entire world who DID actually know the Father. Gotta love that Jesus, such a revolutionary!
“But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” Mark 12:26-27 NKJV
Throughout the Bible, God commonly says “I am…” to remind us that He is alive and is with us even today. Jesus said “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18). Yes, He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but He is also our Heavenly Father, who loves each and every one of us more than we can imagine. We need to remember the power that is available to us because we have a God that is alive and is able to intervene in our everyday lives. All we have to do is ask!
Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 NKJV
Many people think that the Christian life is complicated. It can be simplified, however, by looking at Jesus’ response to the question “which is the most important commandment?” (verse 28). God asks us to love Him, to make sure He is placed in the center of our lives, and to worship no other gods or idols. The Pharisees made being a follower of God very complicated with all of their laws and their emphasis on strict obedience. Remember that we can all obey God without loving Him (like the Pharisees), but if we truly love God then obedience will follow. He also asks us to love others as much as we love ourselves. If only the Pharisees could have understood that a thousand empty burnt offerings are not more meaningful to God than a single act of love done in His name. We are faced with many choices in life, and it is not always clear to see which path is God’s will for us. In these situations, we can almost always guarantee that we will make the right decision if we ask ourselves this question: “Does this choice show evidence that I love God and love other people?” If we use that question as our filter, it will be easier to make the right decision in difficult situations.