More Bad News for Caesar

and his imitators.....

Jesus statement about rendering to Caesar has been used to develop a theory that Jesus rules the church and the spiritual life, while the political powers control the political and economic dimensions of life. This is nonsense. Jesus could not assign authority over the political dimension to Caesar, because all authority belongs to God. He could not give authority to make laws to political dictators or parliaments, because God is the our law maker and has already given us the law that we need. God is not interested in power-sharing with Caesar, or any other political authority.

When Jesus said to give to Caesar what belongs to him, he was not giving Cesar authority over secular life. He was not legitimising political power. He was simply restating the biblical principle that stealing is wrong. If the people had received something from Caesar, they owed him payment. If he had taken more than he had given, they owned him nothing and he was in debt to them.

Jesus told the people to “give” Caesar what they owed him. He did not say paying tax was compulsory. Giving is a voluntary concept. If something is taken by force, it is not given. If someone steals your car, you do not say “I gave it to the thief”. We must choose to give, or it is not giving. Jesus told us to "give" what we owe to Caesar. This means that he was talking about something voluntary and not compulsory payment of taxes. Jesus was teaching that all payment to the civil authorities are voluntary.