As most of you know, I’m a financial guy. Financial Geek some might even say. So today, I’m going to teach you how you’re never going to have to pay tax again. OK, not really, but what I’m talking about is a shift in your perspective that will radically change how you see a lot of things, including that April 15th deadline.
Our guide for this is actually my favorite passage in the entire Bible, and you’ll find it in Mark, chapter 12. Jesus is teaching, and his enemies are trying to corner him. They want to get him in trouble with either the Jewish people or the Roman government.
Mark 12 starting in verse 13, it says: "Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, 'Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?'"
Do you see the trap? If Jesus says "yes," the Jewish leaders will call him a traitor. If he says "no," the Romans will arrest him for rebellion. I don'1t know about you, but I've had moments like that in my life—maybe not with Pharisees, but with circumstances, with people that seem to unite just to trap me. You feel stuck, with no good way out.
But then we get two of the most powerful words in Scripture. Verse 15 continues: "But Jesus..." Aren't those the best words? Whatever you're facing, whatever trap has been set for you... But Jesus! Jesus saw right through it. And he says, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought him a coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar’s."
Right here, Jesus takes the very thing they thought was a trap and turns it into a way to show God’s love. He looks at them and says in verse 17: "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s." And they were amazed at him.
They were trying to make it all about earthly kingdoms, about politics and money. But Jesus flips the script. He says, "Sure, you have earthly responsibilities. You live in this nation, you're part of this community, so pay the tax. Give Caesar his coin." That's the "give to Caesar" part.
But then He drops the part that changes everything for us: "...and to God what is God’s."
So, what has God's image on it? The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:27 that we are made in the image of God. You are stamped with the likeness of your Creator.
As we pray… Where do you feel trapped? Is it in your thinking? Trapped by your circumstances? Trapped in a relationship that feels like a no-win situation? We all have those smudged, beat-up pieces of our lives. But the good news is our two favorite words: But Jesus! When we give Him those broken parts, He doesn't just do a little touch-up. He makes them new. He restores His original, intended image in us.
So let’s surrender the worldly and rely on His restoration. Our ultimate citizenship isn't here; it's in heaven. That eternal perspective changes how we pray. We'1re not just asking for temporary fixes to earthly problems; we'1re praying for His eternal purposes to be fulfilled in and through us. We'1re not just praying for our kingdom to come, but for His kingdom to come. When you pray from that perspective, when you give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s, you’1ll never look at paying tax the same way again.