It's Never About The Money - Week 1

Opening Story

How do I struggle with this?

U.S. coin quiz

Penny - Abraham Lincoln

Nickel - Thomas Jefferson

Dime - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Quarter - George Washington

Question

How do we all struggle with this?

Text

Matthew 22:15–22 (CSB)

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 22

22:15–22 Using a question about taxes, the Pharisees aim to get Jesus to speak against the emperor—which would support a charge of treason.

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap him by what he said.

16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You don’t care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 22

22:16 Herodians Likely refers to Jews who supported Herod Antipas and, by extension, Roman rule. This is the only mention of this group in Matthew’s Gospel.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 22

we know that you are truthful This flattery is intended to provoke Jesus into criticizing imperial taxes.

17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 22

22:17 Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar A clever query. Answering yes could discredit Jesus among the people for supporting the empire; but answering no would incriminate Him for opposing it

18 Perceiving their malicious intent, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, hypocrites?

19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” They brought him a denarius.

20 “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them.

21 “Caesar’s,” they said to him. Then he said to them, “Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 22

22:21 give to Caesar the things of Caesar Jesus brilliantly avoids the Pharisees’ trap (compare note on v. 17). Since the coin bears Caesar’s image, it belongs to him.

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 22

However, he said that coins ultimately belong to the one whose image it bears, which implied that all a person is and has belongs to God since we bear God’s image and likeness (Gn 1:26–27).

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 22

22:22 they were astonished Even His opponents marveled at His brilliant answer. He appeased the Herodians, who had political interests, and satisfied the Pharisees, who were concerned with legal and national matters. Neither side could contest His reply

Genesis 1:27 CSB

27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.

Application

What should you do about this?

Challenge

How can we all live this out?