what is your opinion?

  READ: Exodus 35, 36; Psalm 43; Matthew 22:1-22

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 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. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”...Then he(Jesus) said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

OBSERVATION: Here we see an interesting and an important passage that teaches something applicable to our day to day life. Pharisees were against the Roman rule, and the Herodians who accepted the imperial rule of the Rome. However, they both came together and were trying to trap Jesus with evil intentions. Of course, their description of Jesus was true. In fact, it was a prelude to their tricky question. Jesus' "yes" would be an opportunity for the Pharisees to portray him as an anti-Jewish (or an anti-national) . His "no" would have invited the Roman's wrath. Jesus stunned them with his astounding response that everyone needs to be proper in his/her earthly responsibilities as well as in their godly responsibilities. Indirectly, it was a message to the Caesar who falsely claimed that he was a son of God and inscribed his name on the Roman coin. Jesus confounded his questioners and made them to think about doing the right thing.

APPLICATION: When people ask my opinion on anything, I need to be faithful to God in my response to them. I should not compromise my integrity for anything and should not be swayed away by anything or by anyone. Importantly, when people provoke me or tempt me to do something wrong, I should not give space to my emotions. Rather, I should help them to understand the different between the Godly obligations as a child of God and the obligations to the State or government as a citizen.  Although I am a citizen of a country, I am a child of God who is saved by his divine grace.  As a Christian, I need to practice what I say in my words. 

PRAYER: My Lord Jesus, thank you for helping me to understand my responsibilities. I need your strength to walk with integrity and to live a blameless life.  Help me to be faithful in my words and deeds. Amen. 

- Arputharaj Samuel
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