As Jesus approached Jerusalem, today’s gospels says, some of the leaders tried to trap him with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. 

Taxes are always controversial, but in Jesus’ time they were moreso. This was a Roman tax. No good Jew was in favor of it, but if you didn’t pay it you could be put to death.

You can see his enemies wanted to discredit Jesus before the people, and if he refused to pay the tax, he could be executed.

Jesus’ answer squarely acknowledges the rights of Caesar and the rights of God.

“Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” 
Then they handed him the Roman coin. 
He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” 
They replied, “Caesar’s.”
At that he said to them,
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God.”

Did you ever think what would happen if Jesus said.  “Don’t pay that tax.” If he said that some would say, “Finally, we have someone who’s protesting. Someone’s standing up against injustice.” And of course they would have taken Jesus there and then, and executed him.

So this is a story that reminds us that we don’t live in a perfect world, but even in an imperfect world we have to give to God what belongs to God.

We all live in an imperfect world where you pay taxes to Caesar, where we live in a society that’s flawed and unfair and unjust.

Jesus was not a revolutionary. He spoke up against injustice and unfairness, but be wasn’t a revolutionary advocating violence. He lived in the world as it was.

Is that what he teaches us to do too? To live in the world as it is.  Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, but to God what belongs to God.