Episode 36: Render to Caesar, Render to God

What do you owe Caesar, and what do you owe God?

Recorded live at the fall festival with a full table, Pastors Steven and Travis, and guests Paul Burkhart, Caleb De Avila, and Ruling Elder Andy Jobson walk through Mark 12:13-17. The Pharisees and Herodians, unlikely allies united by their hatred of Christ, try to trap Jesus with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus asks for a coin, points to the image stamped on it, and turns the trap back on them: render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.

The crew wrestles with whether the question was a real moral dilemma for first-century Jews, how it touches the American Revolution at 250, and what sphere sovereignty, Romans 13, and Daniel serving faithfully in Babylon teach us about living as sojourners and exiles. Along the way: book recommendations and raccoon stories!

So, what about us? When we see God as small, earthly powers look ultimate. When we see Him as sovereign over every king and kingdom, we can honor those He has placed over us with a joyful spirit, knowing that we bear His image and belong wholly to Him.