Choices

Matthew 22:15-22 (NIV) Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?"But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. Notice the setup. The Pharisees don't come themselves. They send their disciples — along with the Herodians. That detail matters. The Pharisees and the Herodians had almost nothing in common. The Pharisees were the guardians of Jewish religious tradition, deeply suspicious of Roman influence. The Herodians were political allies of Rome, comfortable with Caesar's authority. Under ordinary circumstances, these two groups would have had little to say to one another. But here they are, together. And that tells us everything about what is really going on. They want Jesus to choose sides. Answer one way, and he alienates the crowd of faithful Jews who resented Roman taxation. Answer the other way, and he hands his opponents a charge of sedition against Rome. It is a trap built for two, and either door leads to destruction. Jesus sees through it immediately. But what he does next is more than clever footwork. He doesn't simply escape the trap — he dismisses the whole premise. He calls for a coin, asks whose image is on it, and when they answer "Caesar's," he says in effect: fine. Caesar can have his coins back. That is Caesar's world, and Caesar is welcome to it. But then he leaves his listeners — and us — with the question he does not answer. What are God's things? That is the question we live with. The things of this earth — politics, power, the endless demand that we pick a side — these are Caesar's things. They press on us constantly. Every generation faces its own version of the Pharisees and Herodians standing together, insisting we choose between them. Jesus says there is another choice. Put God first, and the world's demands lose their power to define us. Caesar can have his coins. God wants something else entirely — and we already know what that is. Prayer Our Father, help us to remember, in the face of all the world's demands and divisions, that our first and only necessary choice is you. Amen. This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall. Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org (mailto:podcasts@1stchurch.org) . First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.