Luke 20:20-26 (Amplified Bible)

20 So they watched [for an opportunity to ensnare] Him, and sent spies who pretended to be upright (honest and sincere), that they might lay hold of something He might say, so as to turn Him over to the control and authority of the governor.

21 They asked Him, Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right, and that You show no partiality to anyone but teach the way of God honestly and in truth.

22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not?

23 But He recognized and understood their cunning and unscrupulousness and said to them,

24 Show Me a denarius (a coin)! Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered, Caesar’s.

25 He said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

26 So they could not in the presence of the people take hold of anything He said to turn it against Him; but marveling at His reply, they were silent.

In the days that Jesus walked this earth, paying taxes to the Romans was especially grievous and difficult. The Romans were a foreign and occupying force and the tax burden was heavy. The image of the emperor and the inscription on the coins symbolized the oppressive power of the Romans. However, as governing authority in the region, Rome exercised dominion dominion under God.God holds every emperor, king, president, governor and their subordinates responsible for the way in which they exercise their authority. He also holds all subjects responsible for the way that they submit to that authority.

For this reason, it is not only lawful, it is an obligation for each citizen to support the legitimate functions of the government as an ordained institution that is ordained by God. All duties to the government are limited and superseded by the absolute allegiance owed to God alone.

Every ruler and every person ruled must remember that all things are ultimately His and He will call everyone to account for the way that they have handled His property. This is the absolute natire of stewardship.

He said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

We must remember that if we are faithful in the small things, He will make us stewards of greater things.

Too often people do not understand that there is a ’spiritual’ side to politics and sex and money. Jesus did not limit religious practices to ceremonial affairs, ritualistic worship. Jesus extended His message to include the practical concerns of everyday life. He knew that godliness was not measured by how a person behaved in the temple (church) but by how he behaved at home, on the job and in the marketplace.

Since money plays an integral role in our daily lives, it’s only natural that Jesus addressed this topic on many occasions. In this issue of our newsletter we will begin a few lessons on what Jesus had to say about this very important topic.

The Power of Words

Using Money Wisely (Luke 16:9-13 NAS)

9″And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10″He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

11″Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?

12″And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

13″No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Here Jesus is teaching the meaning (the lesson) of the parable in the preceding verses. The point, simply put, is: we are to wisely use the resources (money, property, etc.) that are given to us. We are to understand the purpose of money and to whom it belongs. The wealth that is put into our hands is only temporary, while we are here on this planet. It is entrusted to us by God who makes us steward of His property.

We are given the opportunity to prove our wisdom and faithfulness by how we use the resources given to us. Wise stewards use temporal wealth for eternal purposes by serving the interests of the Master, thus laying up treasures in Heaven. We can expect to be rewarded with treasures and opportunities that cannot be taken from us, that will not tarnish or rot away.

We must look at wealth as a tool to serve Kingdom purposes and bring Glory to the Master. Some seek wealth for their own greedy purposes and to have the things that please them. Others seek first the Master and then use the wealth that they are given to serve Him. We can either let money be our master or we can love and serve the Master who has the ability and the desire to make us stewards of His physical and spiritual wealth, We can not serve two masters.