RENDER TO CAESAR

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(Luke 20:20-26) Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  
He saw through their duplicity and said to them, "Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

Remember the immediate context here. Jesus has just ticked off nearly everyone within the priesthood by kicking the money-changers out of the Temple. And, we found that the chief priest's family receives a little royalty from the commercial activity within the Temple, so there is a lot of anger in the air. And now, in the midst of this tension a few "spies" are sent to speak with Jesus with more of a slippery tongue than should ever be believed.

They are looking to catch Jesus in saying anything that they might be able to use against Him to arrest Him. They needed a reason. But NOTE they are not looking to trick with respect to the Jewish law, but the Roman law. They would love to get something on Him that would trigger the Romans to arrest Him.

So, they throw out a loaded question to Him: "Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" In addition to property taxes, the Romans also put on the people an annual tax of one denarius. A denarius amounted to a day's wages. This was assessed on every adult male. It was Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrrin, that was responsible for collecting this tax.

This was not a popular tax at all. So, if they could get Jesus to agree that Roman taxation is right, then maybe the masses of the people would turn on Jesus and view Him as no greater than the hated tax collectors. On the other hand, if they could get Jesus to agree that this tax is wrong and unjust, then this would put Jesus on the same level of the revolutionary zealots, who were anti-Roman in every way. Then, maybe this would turn the Romans against Jesus as a political revolutionary.

Naturally, Jesus answers their trick question brilliantly and this has been quoted by people throughout the ages. What Jesus says is that as disciples of Jesus we are to give honest honor to government's authorities. And, "to give to God what is God's" is how Jesus finishes His answer. Here's what is going on. Caesar's image is on the coin, so pay your taxes. However, God's image is on your soul, so give yourself to God fully.

I think this is another division that Jesus paints clearly between the kingdom of man and the Kingdom of God. The image of Caesar is on the coin. That coin is the material stuff of this world-the wealth of man or what Matthew quotes Jesus as saying Mammon. In that instance, Jesus makes it clear you can't serve God and Mammon at the same time. So, with respect to the kingdom of man, you are to respect it, but not worship it and give your all to it.

On the other hand, the image of God is on your soul. You may owe Caesar a few coins, but you owe your Creator who marked His image on your soul your very life. In order for the Kingdom of God to spread in this world, be careful to respect governmental authority.

To me there is a sobering note here. Jesus is not into building up religious power-blocks to control Caesar or to take him over. This will not result in spreading the Kingdom of God and it will most surely hinder its spread. We live in a country where it is fashionable and counted as noble for godly men, even high profile men, to spend their energies bringing all of their power and influence to bear on changing the laws of the land. It's all under the banner of building a Christian nation.

You see, there is something drastically missing from this approach. JESUS. Jesus didn't propose overthrowing any government or even spending one ounce of your energy trying to change it. No amount of voting or political power will be able to change this nation or any other. Change only occurs when a person encounters Jesus personally, then there is transformation. It baffles me why great men of God have chosen to enter the political arena and leave their obvious calling behind. Now, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. There is nothing wrong for godly men to enter into politics to make a difference. But, if that politician for one moment believes that political reform will bring spiritual revolution to our nation, he is greatly mistaken.

You want to change a nation, begin by changing the citizens one by one. If you want to change Congress, then you must find a way to change Congressmen. If you want to change prisons, then you must change the prisoners. And how does this change take place? Only through JESUS PLUS NOTHING. To believe that anything short of Jesus has a chance to change any institution or any person is ridiculous.

So, as Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is God's." You know what it all comes back to? The two most revolutionary words in all of history spoken by Jesus: FOLLOW ME!

PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

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Jesus has just stirred up the anger of the Temple leadership by putting the money-changers out of business for a short time, calling them a den of thieves. Those leaders are out to kill Him and now they confront Him with a question:
 
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?" He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John's baptism-was it from heaven, or of human origin?"
 
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet." So they answered, "We don't know where it was from." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Jesus answers their question with a question of His own that put them in a very difficult spot. Again it's clear that the leaders, not the people, are the problem. They aren't discussing whether or not Jesus is of the truth, but politically, "How shall we answer this so that we don't get put into a bad light with our following?"

The basic problem is that the leaders refused to even be open to the fact that Jesus has obviously been sent by God. The people DO believe that He is, at least, someone very special-a prophet status, maybe. But the leaders can't even allow themselves to open that door of possibility.

Jesus has made the blind see, healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, made the lame to walk and preached the good news to the poor, precisely as the Messiah was to do. His miracles alone were enough to raise the question of Messiahship. BUT if Jesus is from God, then those who claim to be of God will also be put out of business, unless they humble themselves and receive Him as the Messiah.

Remember last chapter when Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem? The crowds said: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
 
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

And why will the holy city of Jerusalem be destroyed? Because the leadership did not recognize THE TIME OF GOD'S COMING. Or, as some translations call it THE TIME OF GOD'S GREAT VISITATION. God reached out to man by sending Jesus to articulate God's message of the good news of the Kingdom. And they rejected that message and the Messenger-Jesus. Now, not only will the city be destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans who will encircle the city as He describes here, but the people will be lost and destroyed in their hearts.

This is why Jesus weeps as He approaches Jerusalem. His heart is broken because He knew what was coming upon them. NOTE this all happens because they were too prideful to recognize God's presence in what Jesus said and did. They wanted to continue their games of life and didn't want God to interrupt what they were doing. They wanted just enough God to acknowledge that He exists, but not to alter their ways of living.

I think we face the same kind of thing today. It's so much easier to continue our games of life we're playing-building our little kingdoms and stuffing our lives with stuff without allowing God's presence in Jesus to change much of our lives at all. You see, back 2000 years ago was God's great visitation to man here on earth. And since that time through His Spirit He continues to walk among us-to visit us daily. He is still saying, "Follow Me." He is still doing mighty works among His people and even among those who are not yet His people. And He is still standing in our midst with a tear in His eye that most of us most of the time don't recognize Him as the Lord of lords and the God of gods. And in that rejection we are missing out on His peace in our lives.

THINK IT OVER today as you make your way through life. Where is Jesus in your thinking, your walking, your loving and in your talking? He's right here, but do you see Him?

BY WHAT AUTHORITY, JESUS?

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Jesus has just stirred up the anger of the Temple leadership by putting the money-changers out of business for a short time, calling them a den of thieves. Those leaders are out to kill Him and now they confront Him with a question:
 
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?" He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John's baptism-was it from heaven, or of human origin?"
 
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet." So they answered, "We don't know where it was from." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Jesus answers their question with a question of His own that put them in a very difficult spot. Again it's clear that the leaders, not the people, are the problem. They aren't discussing whether or not Jesus is of the truth, but politically, "How shall we answer this so that we don't get put into a bad light with our following?"

The basic problem is that the leaders refused to even be open to the fact that Jesus has obviously been sent by God. The people DO believe that He is, at least, someone very special-a prophet status, maybe. But the leaders can't even allow themselves to open that door of possibility.

Jesus has made the blind see, healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, made the lame to walk and preached the good news to the poor, precisely as the Messiah was to do. His miracles alone were enough to raise the question of Messiahship. BUT if Jesus is from God, then those who claim to be of God will also be put out of business, unless they humble themselves and receive Him as the Messiah.

Remember last chapter when Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem? The crowds said: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
 
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

And why will the holy city of Jerusalem be destroyed? Because the leadership did not recognize THE TIME OF GOD'S COMING. Or, as some translations call it THE TIME OF GOD'S GREAT VISITATION. God reached out to man by sending Jesus to articulate God's message of the good news of the Kingdom. And they rejected that message and the Messenger-Jesus. Now, not only will the city be destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans who will encircle the city as He describes here, but the people will be lost and destroyed in their hearts.

This is why Jesus weeps as He approaches Jerusalem. His heart is broken because He knew what was coming upon them. NOTE this all happens because they were too prideful to recognize God's presence in what Jesus said and did. They wanted to continue their games of life and didn't want God to interrupt what they were doing. They wanted just enough God to acknowledge that He exists, but not to alter their ways of living.

I think we face the same kind of thing today. It's so much easier to continue our games of life we're playing-building our little kingdoms and stuffing our lives with stuff without allowing God's presence in Jesus to change much of our lives at all. You see, back 2000 years ago was God's great visitation to man here on earth. And since that time through His Spirit He continues to walk among us-to visit us daily. He is still saying, "Follow Me." He is still doing mighty works among His people and even among those who are not yet His people. And He is still standing in our midst with a tear in His eye that most of us most of the time don't recognize Him as the Lord of lords and the God of gods. And in that rejection we are missing out on His peace in our lives.

THINK IT OVER today as you make your way through life. Where is Jesus in your thinking, your walking, your loving and in your talking? He's right here, but do you see Him?

JESUS AND THE DEN OF ROBBERS

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At the end of Luke 19 we come to a familiar and often referenced scene where Jesus drives out the money-changers who were doing business in the Temple. This is commonly known as a act of righteous indignation.  
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. "It is written," he said to them, " 'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.' "
 
Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

Jesus is quoting Isaiah and Jeremiah here. Luke only touches on this cleansing of the Temple; the other Gospels offer more detail. The cleansing of the Temple was most likely just prior to the last week of Jesus' ministry.

Why was Jesus so angry and irritated with what was going on at the Temple? Let me give you just a couple of practices that many have found to be reprehensible. First, when people came in from out of the area, they had to exchange their coinage. Most had Roman coins, but at the Temple only Tyronian shekels could be used to pay for their sacrifice. So, there was a money-changing business going on where people were being gouged, paying unreasonable fees for this exchange. Second, the lamb that was to be sacrificed was to be certified by a rabbi. The rabbi would frequently disallow the lamb, because it was to be a lamb without blemish. So, if the lamb they brought was not good enough, then they had to buy another lamb that would pass the test. Guess who had that concession? And, at the sale of this new lamb there was another exorbitant fee. You see, there was a hierarchy of priests who were getting a piece of the action in every transaction.

Rabbi Simeon, who was Gamaliel's son (Gamaliel was Paul's teacher) was insistent that the prices be lowered in the Temple for the sacrificial animals sold there. He urged them to reduce the price for a pair of doves by 99% of the going rate. Did you get that markup? A 99% markup! This is why Jesus called these businessmen in the Temple a den or cave of thieves. The whole thing was out of control and was a travesty-all in the name of the Lord.

NOTE there were several groups who were against Jesus and wanted to put Him to death. You see, in one of the most lucrative holiday feasts of the year-Passover-Jesus was ruining their business. These groups that united against Jesus were usually enemies of one another-chief priests, teachers (Pharisees), scribes, and community leaders.

Do you see anything today at the Temple that might make Jesus irritated and angry?

Jesus' enemies were willing to do most anything to get rid of Him, even to the point of killing Him. There was only one thing holding them back-the people. You know, it's been my experience that the people are the best and most supportive. It's the leadership that continually stands in the way of the work of God.

I like the last statement in this chapter. It gives the reason for why the people became a problem. They hung on the words of Jesus. What an indictment! This is at the core of the spiritual revolution of Jesus today. What we are looking for is for people to be hung up on the teachings and principles of Jesus. Now, that's a hang-up from which I hope I never do recover! How about you?

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF JESUS

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It's at this point that Jesus finally makes His way into Jerusalem. This is what He has been looking forward to all along.

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.'" 

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it." They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
 
This entrance into Jerusalem is a highly referenced event throughout the Old Testament. Finally, Jesus' time has come. And this time demands special preparation. According to Daniel this is the official presentation of Jesus as the Messiah. It's the official offering of the Messiah to the Jewish people. I think this prophecy of Daniel was understood by many and therefore they were prepared for this grand entrance.
 
In Zechariah 9:9-10 riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is specifically mentioned. It says: Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt the foal of a donkey.
 
The people were spreading clothing and palm branches before Him to carpet the pathway into Jerusalem to honor Him. It is a day of excitement and jubilation as the King's procession reaches the road's highest point as it crosses the ridge of the Mount of Olives. At this time of year, pilgrims clogging the roads rejoice as they come. And the pilgrims already in Jerusalem hear that Jesus is about to enter the city, and they come out to meet Him. The city is abuzz with the news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and the pilgrims are eager to see this miracle worker they've heard so much about.
 
As this increasingly large band of "disciples" crosses the ridge and begins its descent into the Kidron Valley the people sing praise from Psalm 118:25, though only one line is quoted in Luke. Read the full passage to see how much refers to the coming of the Messiah: "Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save us; [literally, "Hosanna!"] O Lord, grant us success.
 
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 118:19-29)
 
Here are all of these Messianic phrases being repeated regarding Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem: Hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew 21:9) Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! (Luke 19:38) Blessed is the King of Israel! (John 12:13)
 
The Pharisees were offended by this outpouring of praise for Jesus in Messianic terms and they asked that Jesus calm them down. But Jesus said, "If the people keep quiet, then the stones will cry out."
 
What I like most about this scene is how it all comes together. Jesus needs a donkey and there was someone already awaiting the order to provide the donkey. This is what strikes me about the genius of the Kingdom. God has His people planted all over the world to call into service whenever the time is right.
This is why it so vital for us to keep following the 3 habits: 1. Walking with Jesus. 2. Walking with others. 3. Waiting for Jesus to lead out with orders and opportunities.

There are all kinds of important events that require the timing of the Lord and the readiness of many seemingly insignificant people to follow the Master's calling.

We are in a spiritual revolution today and I am excited to say to you, THE REVOLUTION IS STILL ON! Jesus is still making an unlimited amount of triumphal entries into the lives of people today. He's just looking to use someone's donkey to carry Him in. And if that doesn't work, then the rocks will cry out.