The Gospel Story by R. Cox
Matthew 22: 15 — 22
The defeated and humiliated delegation withdrew to the council chamber: their attempt to discredit Jesus with the crowd had backfired. Their thoughts went now to the Roman garrison in fortress Antonia; Pilate would not worry about the feelings of the crowd if there was any suspicion of revolutionary talk. The demonstration on Palm Sunday showed clearly that Jesus had Messianic ambitions. They would make it a national issue. How could the Messias tolerate submission to a foreign power? This time they would be more subtle; the question would come as a case of conscience from a member of the crowd; they knew Jesus was always sympathetic to a sincere enquirer.
The Judeans paid taxes to Rome, the Galileans to Herod, a Jewish prince. A Galilean rabbi would not be familiar with the principle on which the Judeans squared their consciences: since Roman rule permitted public worship of Yahweh, it did not deny his sovereignty over Israel. Jesus' request for a coin was a vivid psychological touch: by producing the denarius, they answered their own question. This standard silver coin was minted only by Rome; it was Caesar's property. Since Jewish law forbade them to give it to God (because of the image on it), there was no alternative but to give it back to its owner (Romans 13: 1 — 7). But the real emphasis in Jesus' words is on 'give back to God, what is God's.' These men plotting his death are made in the likeness of God; their whole being belongs to him. Their first tribute should be obedience to him.
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