Read: Mark 12:13-17
The Pharisees and the Herodians (two rival groups) tried to set Jesus up with a discussion of politics. Jesus was gaining great popularity, and these two groups seemingly thought that there was nothing like a good political debate to chip away at His following. As people who are living in the midst of a Presidential election year in the United States, we understand the divisiveness of political conversations. However, Jesus did not fall for their trap. Instead, He offered a response that has been paraphrased accurately by Warren Wiersbe, “Caesar’s image is on his coins, so they must be minted by his authority. The fact that you possess these coins and use them indicates that you think they are worth something. Therefore, you are already accepting Caesar’s authority, or you would not use his money! But don’t forget that you were created in the image of God and therefore must live under God’s authority as well!”
Question of the Day: What do you think it means to live “under God’s authority”?