13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. 14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. 17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him. (Mark 12:13-17 KJV)
Paying Taxes to Caesar
When the enemies of Christ, who thirsted for his blood, could not find an occasion against him from what he said against them, they tried to trap him by asking him questions. Here, we see him tested with a question about whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar (Mark 12:13-17; cf. Matthew 22:15).
The people they sent were the Pharisees and the Herodians—groups opposed to each other, yet united in their opposition to Christ (Mark 12:13). The Pharisees, advocates for Jewish freedom, hoped to turn the people against Christ if he approved paying taxes. The Herodians, loyal to Roman authority, would report him to the government if he opposed it. It’s not unusual for enemies to unite when opposing Christ.
They pretended to seek an answer to a moral and political question, praising Jesus as a teacher of truth who was not swayed by people’s opinions (Mark 12:14). They called him “Teacher,” acknowledged he taught God’s way truthfully, and claimed he was impartial and courageous. If they truly believed this, their rejection of him later was a sin against knowledge. If they didn’t believe it, they were lying and flattering him with their words. Either way, their own testimony would condemn them—they either knowingly opposed the truth or pretended to honor it falsely.
Their question was: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Mark 12:14-15). They acted as though they genuinely wanted to know what was right, but they were simply looking for something in his response to use against him. Questions like these are often used to entrap religious leaders, drawing them into debates about political or civil matters that they are not meant to resolve. They seemed willing to follow whatever answer he gave:“If you say we must pay, we’ll do it even if it ruins us. If you say we must not, we’ll obey, even if it makes us criminals.”
Many claim to want guidance, but have no intention of following it, like those described in Jeremiah 42:20. Jesus saw through their hypocrisy (Mark 12:15). He knew they were pretending to ask sincerely, while hiding malice in their hearts. Hypocrisy, however cleverly disguised, is visible to him. Knowing their motives, he turned the trap around. He asked them to show him a coin used for paying taxes, which bore Caesar’s image and inscription. From this, he made two clear points:
- Since the coin belonged to Caesar, they should give back to Caesar what was his. If they used his money and lived under his rule, they were obliged to support the government that maintained order and provided services.
- But while they were to give Caesar what belonged to him, they were also to give God what belonged to God—namely, their hearts, obedience, and worship. Jesus likely had in mind the parable he had just told, where the tenants refused to give the vineyard’s fruit to its owner (Mark 12:2). Many are careful to fulfill their duty to human authorities but neglect their far greater duty to God.
Those who heard him marveled at his wise and clever answer. But sadly, it does not seem that any were moved to repentance or obedience. Many admire the skill of a preacher, yet refuse to be governed by the truth they hear.