I see. That helps a lot. Thanks. Jesus asked and answered a simular thing with Peter concerning paying the temple tax. Are they bound by it by being citizens of Heaven? No, but they would pay it anyways to not offend or be a stumbling block. (I think there was something else about avoiding being a stumbling block that Paul wrote about.)
I don't know. Jesus stood up to the false tradutions of the religous leaders imposing on the people. Made an example out of them. But sometimes perhaps if we don't conform to another's view of right and wrong we may be a stumbling block for them, as Paul advised concerning people's diet.
Ah, you bring up something that you may not have known you were bringing up.
I heard Ravi Zacharias talk about the temple tax situation.
Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
Its like this in our life also. We often come across those who say(to use jl's example) "Why were you at the liquor store??? Don't you know we should stay away from EVERY form of evil????"
There are countless people who would be offended about anything, and everything. If you were to try and not 'do' something that 'might' offend someone - you would literally have to disappear - and even that might offend someone.....
So, these people were coming up to test Jesus - entangle Him in His words - much like people like to do with us by telling us we should not 'do this or that'.
I was following along with Ravi as he spoke on this, and then he said they asked Jesus this question, but when Jesus responded - they just walked away(marveled of course). Ravi said, what is the next logical question? I says in my mind, 'well duh, I would ask what are God's things?'
Then it hit me just as Ravi was answering the same question - and it is also what hit those who tried to trick Jesus.
The coin belonged to Caesar because Caesar made it - it had Caesars image on it.
What belongs to God? What has God's image on it? The answer to that is what you give unto God.
Why worry about how God is using His possessions somewhere else? Often we look at our possessions as Gods possessions, and God's possessions as our possessions. We get it completely backwards.