Fri 21st August - #100. Tax

There are certain words that get a reaction, one such word is TAX. 

Mark Twain said ‘ "What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin." 
In our episode Mark this morning Jesus is questioned about taxes - 

Mark 12

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch Him in His words. 14 They came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the poll-tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?’
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. ‘Why are you trying to trap me?’ He asked. ‘Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.’ 16 They brought the coin, and He asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’
‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’
And they were amazed at Him.


The big question here seems to be linked to loyalty. Who is Jesus more loyal to, God or Caesar?

Jesus rejects their either-or approach. Obligations to God and state are not necessarily in conflict though obedience to God takes unquestioned priority. 

As Tom Wright says “The kingdom of God goes beyond the sterile either/or questions which crafty people (often with flattery, as here) like to pose. God grant us wisdom to see to the heart of things, and to give ourselves wholly to our true God and King. *1

This morning, give your everything to God. He knows us far more than our tax returns or the computer that knows how much we have in our bank accounts. 

On our own we are bankrupt and ready to be liquidated but He makes us a partner with Him and we move from this kingdom/ to His Kingdom. 

Yes, we give our taxes to HMRC but we give our lives to Jesus.

Much love 
Tim


PS. Today we reach our 100th devotional!  From next week onwards we will be sending them out twice a week, Paul on Tuesdays and Me on Thursdays.

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*1 Wright, T. . Mark for Everyone