Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but give to God what is God’s

 Date of Sermon Delivery: 10.11. 2024

Place of sermon Delivery:  Delhi, India

Sunday Worship Service 

Speaker: Brother Jatin  

Title: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s but give to God what is God’s.

Bible: Mark 12: 13-17

Key verse 17

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 

14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 

15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 

16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

 

Praise the Lord.
It is a joy to see all of you gathered here today.
I hope that you will be happy in the Lord, and whatever you are doing, may the name of the Lord be glorified.
Christmas is very near, and you must have started preparing for that day.
Whether it is buying new clothes, giving a gift to someone, or, more importantly, reminding yourself how important it is to have Jesus in your life.
Do you believe that it is very important to have Jesus in your life?
Having Jesus in your life is significant for spiritual fulfillment, guidance, peace, transformation, hope, and love. He can profoundly shape your identity, values, and interactions with others, leading to a more meaningful and enriched life.
A relationship with Jesus can be a transformative journey that impacts every aspect of your existence.

I want to encourage you to wear the Lord Jesus in your life more prominently.
Paul says in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
The coming of Jesus Christ into my life will be valuable only when I accept Him and surrender my life to Him so that Jesus Christ may live in me.
Hallelujah!
Let's read today's scripture together: Mark 12:13-17, and then we will pray.

Prayer

Let’s pray together.
Lord, we come before You today with hearts full of gratitude. Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, which guides us, teaches us, and draws us closer to You. As we prepare our hearts to listen to Your Word from Mark 12:13-17, we pray for Your Holy Spirit to enlighten our understanding.
We pray for our hearts to be receptive and our minds to be open, and may we not only hear the message but also be transformed by it.
Thank You, Lord, for the privilege of gathering together in Your name. May our time together today be a reflection of Your glory and a source of encouragement as we seek to follow You more closely.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

The financial year of our country runs from April to March, while that of other countries runs from January to December. For individuals, the due date to file income tax is July 31st, and for trusts or companies, the due date is October 31st.

I hope you have already filed your tax.
But, How many people enjoy doing taxes?
There is a saying: “Nothing is certain in this world except death and taxes.”
You will die (but through belief in Jesus, you will arise with Him), and you will have to pay taxes.
Everywhere you go, there are taxes.
There are sales taxes, service taxes, customs duties, excise taxes, and VAT; these are all indirect taxes.
And of course, there are income taxes, property taxes, gift taxes, and wealth taxes; these are all direct taxes.
Therefore, it is part of life, and we are all involved in it.
We cannot run away from this, and we must understand that this is for the betterment of our country.
Taxes have been around for as long as civilizations have organized into societies, and at the most basic level, it is just everyone contributing something that benefits everyone else.

The Roman Empire ruled over Israel during the time of Jesus, and they imposed a tremendous tax burden. Therefore, paying taxes to Rome was always a hot issue in Israel, and one of the major rebellions that led to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD started with tax issues.
In today’s passage, we can see some of Jesus’ opponents trying to use this(tax issues) against Him.
This story takes place on Tuesday, just three days away from His death on Good Friday.
Before today's passage, Jesus spoke in a parable against the Chief Priests, Teachers of the Law, and the Elders, and they knew it was about them.
Therefore, they were looking for a way to arrest Jesus, but they were afraid of the people, so they left Him and went away.
Later that day, maybe while Jesus was still teaching, a group of people approached Him.
Verse 13 says the religious leaders sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to try to catch Jesus in His words.
The Pharisees were a religious party, and the Herodians were a political party; they were supporters of Roman rule and supporters of King Herod, who was installed by Rome.
These two groups were opposed to each other.
It was highly unlikely that these two groups would together, but they both saw Jesus as a threat to their respective parties, so they banded together to trap Him.
Therefore, they came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” (14)

See how they smooth-talk and butter Jesus up; they flatter Him with generous praise, trying to dissuade Him and hoping to force Him into an unwittingly condemning confession. These were quite a conspiratorial group. Consider their words. They called Him "teacher," although none of these Pharisees and Herodians considered Jesus a teacher. With their lips, they honored Jesus, but in their hearts, they hated Him.

So, they asked Jesus, “Teacher, is it right to pay tax to Caesar or not?”
Jesus knew that they were trying to trap Him, so He asked them to bring Him a coin.
Jesus pointed to the currency that was in use at that time.
They brought the coin, and Jesus asked them, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then Jesus replied to them, “If it has Caesar’s picture and his name stamped on it, then give it to Caesar. It is fair to give Caesar what belongs to him.” After this, He told them one more thing: “Whatever belongs to God, give it to God.”
Maybe we think of it only in terms of money, that what is part of God should be given to God and what is part of the world should be given to the world.
Many times, we think of it only in terms of money, and that is right, but what Jesus told them was not limited to money only.

Let us read again verses 15-17:
15 “Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” He asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
16 They brought the coin, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

When Jesus replied to them, “Give it to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s,” they were amazed at Him.
If you look at Roman coins, there was no image or title of God, but only the name, image, or stamp of the Roman Empire.

The coin they possessed was not theirs; it had Caesar’s name written on it. So it would indeed be wrong of them to keep the coin to themselves or withhold what belongs to Caesar from him.
Why did they possess Caesar’s coin? Because they were living in Caesar’s kingdom, and they could trade and transact with Caesar’s coin. Through paying taxes, they could enjoy public roads, public theaters, public baths, and public buildings.
We have all the same benefits in India; we pay our taxes in Indian rupees, and we transact in rupees because we are under the government of India.
After seeing the coin, Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”
There was a deep secret hidden within it, and after hearing it, they were surprised.

What does it mean to give God what is God’s?
Think about it: Caesar’s image may have been stamped on a coin, but where is God’s image stamped?
What belongs to God? Everything! Psalm 24:1-2 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”
How do you know whose image is on the universe? Whose title is written on it?
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
The stars, the skies in all of their beautiful colors, have God’s name written all over them.
The mountains, the seas, the flowers of the field display the work of His hands.
And what else has the image of God? You and me. In Genesis 1:27, it says, “So God created mankind in His own image; in the image of God, He created them; male and female, He created them.”
You, your very life, and everything you own has been given to you by God. You were wonderfully and fearfully made.

Just as a coin has the image of Caesar, in the same way, you and I have the stamp and image of God.
We are created in God’s image from the beginning; the seal of God’s blood is upon us.

When Jesus said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, it means to give to the world what belongs to the world.

Generally speaking, we are very loyal in matters of the world; We make every effort to fulfill our obligations to the world.". Faithfully, we give to the world what belongs to it, and sometimes we give even more than what we owe.
Whatever work we do in this world, we do it with honesty and without any shortage.
We are very punctual in the work we do in this world, whether it’s studying or conducting business.
The shopkeeper is so wise that after weighing the goods he is selling, he puts a little extra in it so that the customer feels happy after seeing it. even we do little more effects on our work place, school, business so that it may see by our owner, teacher, client.
We are faithful in whatever work we do with the world, whatever transactions we engage in, and whatever we do in association with the world.
There is no harm in this; this is what Jesus Christ is explaining—give the world that which belongs to the world.

But when it comes to giving to God, there comes a question mark: Are we faithful in giving to the Lord in the same way as we are faithful in giving to the world?

Do we give Him the respect that should be accorded to our Lord?
God says in Malachi 1:6, “A son honors his father and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due to me? If I am a master, where is the respect due to me?”
We also need to reflect on our lives.
Just like a son respects his father and a slave respects his master, do we also give respect to the one whom we call Father and Lord?
A good son listens to what his father says; a good son is always ready to serve his father and work together with him, a good son always talk with his father.

The same Lord wants us to respect Him by becoming His good daughters and sons.

A slave stands for his master day and night until the master comes home. His servant stands at the gate, and when he comes home, he does whatever the master tells him.
As a servant respects his master, do we respect the Lord in the same way?

If we talk from a practical prospective, when we go to church, do we prepare ourselves before going there?
Do we have a desire to go to the house of God?
Or is it that when church starts at 10 o'clock, someone tells you to get up at 9:50, and you struggle to get up from your bed and come to church in the same clothes you slept in?
Coming to church just as you were in bed. Even though God does not focus on those kind of things

But these are things we can use to check ourselves regarding how aware we are of the Lord’s Day and God’s house, or for Lord.
Do we honor the Lord when we are in His presence?
Do we understand His holiness when we stand in His pulpit?
John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Do we leave behind all the distractions when we are in His Word and worship?
Do we set aside our phones, our thoughts, our mood when we are in His presence?
Do we live our lives as the Lord commands?
Do we obey God as He instructs?
1 Peter 1:13-16 says:
13 “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming.
14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
16 for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Do we carry our Bibles when we are in God’s house?
We do not find it heavy to carry a phone worth 30,000 or 40,000, nor do we find it burden to carry a laptop worth 50,000 to 1 lakh, but we feel proud, and this Bible feels heavy to us.
Nowadays, people have kept the Bible in a phone application; it is okay to use it when you have forgotten your physical Bible in some cases.
But it is not okay if your Bible is the same as the one in the application, as Satan will quickly steal your attention, through notification.

Today, we need to think about how we can give respect to God, and there are many various ways to show respect to God: reading the Scripture, obeying His commands, worshiping Him, living a life with integrity & gratitude.

 

Another thing God wants is our time.
He desires us to give Him some of our time and understand that time is God's.
Whatever we have is given to us by God, and from that, God wants us to give something back to Him.
Out of the time that God has given us, He wants us to sit with Him for a while.
He wants to talk to us, to come alongside us, and to share His heartfelt thoughts with us.
He wants to share His plans with us and tell us how much He loves us.
At night, He sits next to our bed, hoping that if we wake up, we will talk to Him.
But when we wake up in the morning, we are on our phones.
The Father sees that if we put down the phone, He will talk to us, but we quickly go to the washroom and get ready.
The Father thinks we will talk after this, but we get up again and head to the kitchen for breakfast, then off to the office.
The Father waits for us to talk, but we get busy with work and friends.
He thinks we will talk after dinner, but we are tired, drink tea, and then go to bed.
The next morning, the same story starts again, and the Father waits once more.

The Lord says, “Son, out of the time I have given you, at least spend some time with Me. Where is the time for Me?”
God wants to talk to us; He wants to tell us his heartfelt to us, but we often don’t know how to give Him time.
We have time to give to the world; we have everything to give to the world.
We actively give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but it is even more important to give God what is God’s.

First, are we giving respect to God?
Secondly, are we giving the Lord's time to Him?
And thirdly, are we giving God's offerings to God?

Our God wants to increase us.
He wants to bless us.
He wants to bless our seed and make it a huge crop.
He wants to take our little and bless thousands.
He wants us to prosper.
The Lord gives us first; which he has given us all.
Even our money, our business, and our job prosperity come from Him.
God gives first, and it is His will how much He wants to give to whom.

Do not judge in your mind that someone has little so God does not love him/her.
But after that, He takes.
So if God is giving to me, then how can it be mine if it has come to me from God?
If God has given me 100 rupees, it is not mine; it comes from God so that He can bless me and increase that.
God says, “Give me a part of it.” In the Bible, it says tithe or offering.
If I am not able to give to God even from what He has given, then I am greedy; I am a thief.
God gave me something, and He asks for a portion of it from me, and if I deny that I cannot give because I have very little, I am mistaken.
“Lord, I will give when I have more,” can never be true.
The Lord will increase your finances in what He has given you, but that will only happen when we give to God what is God’s.
We will never reap until we sow.
Luke 6:38 says, “If you give, you will get.”
Romans 12:13 says, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Hebrews 13:16 states, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Exodus 35:5 says, “From what you have, take an offering for the Lord; everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering.”
Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

Are we giving God what is God’s?
We give to the world on time, paying bills on time, paying fees on time, paying EMI on time and recharge our phones on time.
But when it comes to giving to God, from where multiplication takes place in our lives, we hesitate, saying, “God, I do not have right now. When I have more, then I will give.”
It can never be too much.
The Bible says in Luke 16:10, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”
So Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
Are we giving respect to God?
Are we giving the Lord's time to the Lord?
Are we giving God's offering to God?

At last, Paul says in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true and proper worship.”
Jesus gave Himself to us, and through His blood, we are free. He shed His blood for my ransom and your ransom.
Therefore, in us, we have the stamp of Jesus Christ. Just as a coin has Caesar's stamp and image, which can be changed or destroyed at any time, in the same way, we have God’s stamp; we are His, and his stamp, and image every going to change.
Therefore, we must check ourselves:
Have we given ourselves to God or to the world?
As we are honest in giving to the world in the same way are we honest in giving to God?
Brothers and sisters, while being honest in the world is good when it comes to God, we must also be honest.
Give respect to God what is His, give time to God what is His, give offering to God what is His, and give a living sacrifice to God what is His.
Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but give to God what is God’s.
May the Lord bless you

 

 

 

1. We don't mind being late for church, but we always try to reach the job early in the morning.

2. We go to church and claim that we are tired of our work but we are never tired of our work.

3. 2 hours are long in church but we do our jobs for 8 hours per day without complaining.

4. If we commit a mistake in church, instead of apologizing we leave the church but on the ground we repent and correct ourselves.

5. We check our phones again and again in church but at work we switch off our phones without completing anything.

6. We make excuses to attend church, but we give priority to our jobs even on Sundays.

7. We run away from taking responsibilities in the church but work very hard in the job for promotion.