EXPLORE THE TEXT
We are called to submit to government officials and laws.
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap him by what he said.
16 So they sent their disciples to him,
along with the Herodians.
“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God.
You don’t care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality.
17 Tell us, then, what you think.
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18 Perceiving their malicious intent, Jesus said,
“Why are you testing me, hypocrites?
19 Show me the coin used for the tax.”
They brought him a denarius.
20 “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them.
21 “Caesar’s,” they said to him.
Then he said to them, “Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed.
So they left him and went away.
Jesus spoke about giving Caesar his due and giving God what He deserves.
Compare Matthew 22:17-21 to Acts 5:27-29; Romans 13:1-7; and 1 Peter 2:13-17. Encourage them to write a description of the Christian’s responsibilities toward government based on these verses. Matthew 22:17-21
27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them,
28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name,
and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, 27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."We must obey God rather than men.
1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities
For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God;
and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior,
but for evil.
Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good.
But if you do what is evil, be afraid;
for it does not bear the sword for nothing;
for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection,
not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them:
tax to whom tax is due;
custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action,
keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you,
be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work,
conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
Means and methods used for the improvement of society
and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful
only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ.
(See Romans 13:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:1-2.)
Jesus recognized the legitimate responsibility of His followers
to be obedient to the government,
which includes paying lawful taxes. .[But] we must not forget the second part of Jesus’s response:
we are to give to God the things that are God’s.
While believers are to give the government taxes that are due,
their ultimate duty is to honor God, the Creator and Giver of all things. (PSG, p. 93)
Jesus saw through His opponents’ trap
and explained that His followers should be obedient to both government and God.
His words here created a foundation
on which believers continue to build their
understanding of the relationship between our faith and the government.
EXPLORE THE TEXT
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
After the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus (vv. 15-22), He confronted the Sadducees over the doctrine of the resurrection, which they denied (vv. 23-32). That one, too, ended with the crowds being astonished at His teaching (v. 33). While the expert in the law here seems to ask a legitimate question, Matthew clearly intended his readers to see this as another test. The Pharisees took this action because they learned that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees. The Greek word suggests that He “muzzled” His opponents, leading the Pharisees to plan their next move.
Came together may indicate a formal or semi-formal conclave. During this meeting, the expert in the law may have been chosen as a delegate who could do a better job questioning Jesus than others had done. Regardless, Matthew clearly identified the purpose of his question-to test him.
As in the controversies of Matthew 22:16,24, the legal expert addressed Jesus as Teacher, using a generally respectful term by which Matthew indicates an outsider (see also 8:19; 12:38; 19:16). The question of which command in the law is the greatest? was hotly debated in rabbinic circles. Realizing some commands were more important than others, the rabbis divided them into categories. Within the weightier group, various rabbis proposed different commandments as the greatest. Perhaps this expert believed he knew the answer and was prepared to debate Jesus.
The expert and the crowd probably expected Jesus to quote one of the Ten Commandments. However, He pointed to the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5). Every pious Jew repeated these words twice a day-morning and evening. They also posted them on their doorposts and placed copies of them in their phylacteries (6:8).
Jesus’s answer focused on love for the Lord your God. Such love is not mere sentimentality or emotion, but absolute devotion. Jesus named two of the three items of Deuteronomy 6:5-all your heart . . . all your soul-but added all your mind in place of “strength.” In biblical terms, the heart includes both the intellect and emotions, while the soul refers to one’s essential being. The mind is the seat of the will that
defines action.
These terms alluded to the entire person. This is why all is repeated with each term. To be sure, the expert understood what greatest meant, but Jesus added most important to emphasize this command’s priority.
Without being asked, Jesus offered the second. When Jesus said the second command is like it, He was focusing on priority, not just format. The command to love your neighbor well is just as important as loving God well because, taken together, these two commands cover both tablets of the Mosaic law.
The Jews understood neighbor as a fellow Jew. Jesus, however, clarified in the story of the Good Samaritan that a neighbor is any fellow human being (Luke 10:25-37). When Jesus added as yourself, He meant that believers’ love for their neighbor should be as great as the love they have for their own being. They should seek the benefit of others just as they would seek what’s best for themselves.
All the Law and the Prophets encompasses the whole of Scripture (Matt. 5:17; 7:12; 11:13). Depend on literally is “hang on,” as a door hangs on its hinges. In other words, these two commandments bear the whole weight of-the essence of-God’s expectations for His people as defined by the law of Moses. The expert had asked for one command, but Jesus emphasized the vertical and the horizontal aspects of
genuine faith.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 96 of the Personal Study Guide:
Lead adults in a brief discussion of the first set of questions on page 96 of the PSG. Point back to Pack Item 6 (Poster: Loving God, Loving Others). Remind them that loving God includes loving our neighbors-and Jesus defined a neighbor as any other human we meet (Luke 10:25-37).
Invite a volunteer to read the second set of questions on page 96 of the PSG aloud. Emphasize that God calls His people to honor Him in every aspect of their lives. Encourage them to spend time during the week talking with God about what areas they might be holding back and how they can surrender those areas to Him for His glory.
Encourage adults to pray in pairs. Instruct one adult in each pair to pray that God would empower both adults to honor Him in every aspect of life. Instruct the second adult to pray for government leaders. Close with a prayer for your group.
This week, consider how you have seen the adults in your group honor God with their lives. Send a text or email to each individual, acknowledging how they have revealed what it means to honor God. Thank them for the example set for others. Send another text or email to the whole group, challenging them to continue looking for ways to apply what they listed on Pack Item 6 (Poster: Loving God, Loving Others).
Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. (See Romans 13:1-2; 1 Timothy 2:1-2.)
Use multiple Scripture passages to understand a Bible passage.
In Matthew 22:17-21, Jesus spoke about giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Compare this to Acts 5:27-29; Romans 13:1-7; and 1 Peter 2:13-17. Based on all these passages, write a description of the Christian’s responsibilities toward government.