The Pharisees sent their disciples and the Herodians to test Jesus with this question. When they heard his answer, they went away, marveling at it.
But it is a question of more than money. To whom and to what are we to show our loyalty?
This question is not easy to answer today than it was in the time of Jesus. What do we do when the demands of the gospel and the demands of the government conflict?
The government in question could be local, state, or national; it doesn't matter. Taxes are often spent on issues that we do not support. Governments are not always supportive of the poor and enact laws that will further damage their livelihoods.
Are we more concerned about our pocketbooks? But, what about what we need to render to God?
The first thing that I think of is our praise and our thanks. We owe God our praise: he is beyond all things, and is responsible for the creation of all things as well as our existence.
We owe God thanks for the above, as well as for all the blessings he has given us. The most important of these is the gift of salvation.
If we are genuinely grateful, our lives will echo that gratitude. All we have is a gift. Those gifts are to be used well and for the good of others.
Our job is to love others and see that those in charge help us. If we don't like what the government is doing, we need to work to the best of our ability to make changes in the government.
We should do the best we can for the poor and the vulnerable with other members of our community. And do remember, we can not build our loyalty to money; we should let our hearts be loyal to God.
