We Give God's Kingdom Our Fearless, Primary Loyalty
Daily Scripture
Matthew 6:9-10, Mark 12:13-17
Matthew 6
9 Pray like this:
Our Father who is in heaven,
uphold the holiness of your name.
10 Bring in your kingdom
so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.
Mark 12
13 They sent some of the Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you’re genuine and you don’t worry about what people think. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is. Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay taxes or not?”
15 Since Jesus recognized their deceit, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a coin. Show it to me.” 16 And they brought one. He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” His reply left them overcome with wonder.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Jesus’ enemies tried hard to ask “no-win” questions—questions for which either answer would get him in trouble. Taxes were a hot political topic then as they are today. If Jesus said, “Pay taxes,” he’d alienate Jews who resented Roman occupation. If he said, “Don’t pay,” he’d be guilty of sedition against Rome. But Jesus’ answer wasn’t as simple as “yes” or “no.” There was a valid realm for “Caesar” (human authority), including a citizen’s duty to pay taxes. Yet God’s kingdom was larger, and in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus clearly showed that his—and our— first loyalty was to God’s kingdom.
- “At Abraham Lincoln’s funeral in Springfield, Illinois, Rev. Matthew Simpson shared this story: “To a minister who said he hoped the Lord was on our side, [Lincoln] replied that it gave him no concern whether the Lord was on our side or not. ‘For,’ he added, ‘I know the Lord is always on the side of right;’ and with deep feeling added, ‘But God is my witness that it is my constant anxiety and prayer that both myself and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.’” * Lincoln didn’t assume God would inevitably favor his ideas of right. He humbly sought to align himself with God’s will. Do you think Lincoln’s approach was correct? How can you let the Holy Spirit guide you in discerning whether you are “on the Lord’s side” of divisive issues and decisions?
- Instead of a yes-or-no answer, Jesus gave the Pharisees a principle for discernment: give each authority what belongs to it—but know which authority is ultimate. In today’s politically polarized, fear-driven climate, how do you determine when to “give to Caesar” and when God’s kingdom demands something different? What helps you discern between true civic duty and giving up kingdom values?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, guide me to a clear sense of what my loyalty to you and your kingdom asks of me. Help me to respect earthly authorities, but never more highly than I respect your authority. Amen.
GPS Insights
Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory, who serves as Resurrection's Human Resources Lead Director, wrote today's Insights. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* From http://lincoln.digitalscholarship.emory.edu/simpson.001/, page 16.
