Advent Devotional: The Gospel of LukeSample

*Written by Hilbert Alexander

When Politics and Faith are Confused (Luke 20:19-26)

First, let's set the stage for Luke 20. The reigning powers at the time were the Romans, and many of the Israelites were not happy with their situation; many were hoping that “The Messiah” would come to rescue them from their oppressors from these “Gentile Oppressive rulers.” The leader of the Romans at that time was Tiberius. The man who ruled Rome was Caesar from 14-37 AD. “Tiberius was infamous for his cruelty, though he veiled his debaucheries.” ~Tacitus (Roman Historian).

Luke does a fantastic job of describing how the Scribes and priests were feeling behind the scenes (Luke 20:19-20). The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them (Parable of the Wicked Tenants in verses 9-18).

To give more context behind the scribes' and chief priests' motives, Jesus has been on a long journey to Jerusalem. He made it clear to his disciples that he was going there to suffer (Matthew 16:21). Jesus has been making his journey and preaching the gospel along the way. Since Jerusalem is the seat of religious power in Israel, Jesus’s very presence there threatens the scribes and chief priests.

The scribes and chief priests did not like that, and so chapter 20 describes how they proceeded to plot how they could trap him. How can they challenge Jesus’ authority in chapter (20:1-8) to get him to say something that they can finally charge him for?

But here, they have sent 'secret agents' who will (v. 20) “[pretend] to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said...”. But what does that mean? Catch him how?

Well, the remainder of the verse partially answers that question: they wanted to “catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. Meaning Caesar, the Roman governor Tiberius.”

The Trap.

Depending on how a Christian leader answers a politically charged question, he or she would, in every case, be demonized by any number of factions inside and outside the Church, factions who didn't like the answer that was given.

Without a doubt, the question we read in Luke 20:22: “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” was a very politically charged question in 1st-century Roman-occupied Israel. There are two ways they expected Jesus to answer.

First, to answer NO. “No. It is not lawful to give tribute to Caesar”. The word “lawful” here has reference to the law of God (v. 21-they ask about “the way of God”).

So if Jesus answered this way, he would be saying, “No, you should not give money to an evil Roman government and leaders like Caesar.” Now, if Jesus had answered that way, the religious leaders could build a case before their Roman overlords.

Second, to answer YES.

“Yes. It is lawful for you to give tribute to Caesar.” Remember what we heard in Luke 19:48? “...but [the Jewish leaders] did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.” If Jesus were to declare simply and publicly that it was right to pay taxes to these Gentile occupiers, then he would surely lose a lot of popular support from the Jewish people. Many people hoped he, as the son of David, would oust the Roman occupiers, not support them.

And so, regardless of whether Jesus answered “yes” or “no,” the religious leaders believed this trap would, in one way or another, help them weaken his influence and, in essence, destroy him.

So, did Jesus actually give them a 'yes or no' answer? His answer was “yes," but yet different.

Jesus' response was simple yet deep. He qualified his response in a way that made it very hard to argue against his logic. Yes, (v. 25) “If it's Caesar's coin, give it back to Caesar.”

But there's more to Christ's response here. We learn that we need to recognize both civil authority and spiritual authority. As Jesus explains here, some things belong to the sphere of Caesar, and some things belong to the sphere of God.

This, however, does not undermine the idea that God is the King of all creation. His listeners (especially the Jewish leaders) would have known that and should have remembered that human rulers had a legitimate function in God's economy and that Rome wasn't the first Gentile, idol-worshiping government to have power over them as God's people. Therefore, according to Jesus, whatever is owed to human rulers, give it. And whatever is owed to God, give it.

The coin bore Caesar’s image, so it belonged to Caesar. But what about us? Genesis 1:27 tells us that “we are made in the image of God…“ If the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, then we belong to God because we bear His image. Are we giving God what is rightfully His — our worship, devotion, and obedience?

Let’s pray: Lord, We thank You for Your wisdom, which guides us through many of life’s challenges. Help me to live as a citizen of this world, not in the world, while keeping my ultimate allegiance to You. Teach me to render to You all that is Yours—my heart, soul, my life. May I reflect Your image in all I do. We give the glory; we give you all praise. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What "Caesars" (earthly authorities or responsibilities) exist in your life, and how are you fulfilling your obligations to them?
2. What does it mean for you to "give to God what is God's"? Are there areas of your life where you might be holding back from God?
3. In what ways does recognizing that you are made in God's image influence how you live and make decisions?
4. Are there situations in your life where earthly obligations conflict with your faith? How can you navigate those challenges while staying true to God’s calling?
5. What steps can you take this week to ensure you are prioritizing your relationship with God above worldly concerns?
6. How can you encourage others to understand the importance of honoring both earthly and divine responsibilities?
7. In what ways can your life reflect God’s image to the world, particularly in how you handle difficult or controversial situations?