Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
– Carl SaganAnd the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
– Luke (23:55-56)
Edward Munro (1864)
In His own raiment clad, with His blood dyed;
Women walk sorrowing by His side.
Heavy that cross to Him, weary the weight;
One who will help Him waits at the gate.
“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
My well-intentioned Sunday School teachers slaughtered this text. I learned our Lord was teaching church-state separation — but that was NOT His focus in this passage. I also learned it meant we give God a list of “things that are God’s” — Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, giving, etc. If your Sunday School lessons were like mine, push the reset button, clear your memory banks on this passage, and start over.
On the Tuesday just before His crucifixion and resurrection, the religious leaders met our Lord with a series of questions — including one about tribute to Caesar. (The account is in Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:12-17, and Luke 20:20-26.)
Many people think Christ’s response was intended to teach the separation of church and state. If we take ourselves back to first century Jerusalem and take a close look at a Roman denarius (tribute coin), we might see a different focus. A denarius is on display in the British Museum (room 68, case 3, panel 3).
Everyone I know says he is no worse than “the next guy.” He doesn’t hurt people or beat his wife or kids, he’s not a burglar. He’s just as good as “the next guy.” In fact, when you talk to people, it becomes clear they are better than the next guy. Everyone is.
I’ve never met “the next guy.” There must be millions of “next guys” out there, because everyone knows him, and is at least as good as him. But I’ve never met “the next guy” who tells me he isn’t as good as his neighbour, I only meet the ones who are better. It would be interesting to meet that “next guy” at least once….
Romans 3:10-12
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: “President Can’t Swim.”
– Lyndon B. Johnson…when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
– Paul (Romans 1:21)
Some of my readers know about one of our family traditions. In our house, the kids only get hot chocolate on days when there is frost or snow. If it is falling snow, there have to be 100 flakes in a day. But if the snow is lying on the ground, it counts as long as it is still there at some point in the day. This is VERY IMPORTANT! 🙂
Mind Renewers 