October 18, 2026 Text: Matthew 22:15-22
Dear Friends in Christ,
How many of you like a good debate? Do you like to step into the ring and go a round or two on politics or sports or construction projects or social media or vaccines or whatever else people like to go at one another with? I don’t like most debates because I don’t like conflict even as members of my family tell me I would have made a good lawyer.
For most of us there are subjects we just don’t bring up with family or friends. We know we aren’t going to change minds, and it is not worth affecting the relationship.
Jesus encounters a group of people we would not call family or friends. But oh how they love to debate the Savior. They had asked him many similar type questions already in his ministry. The ironic thing is that they always left with Jesus having the answer and upper hand, but they just can’t help themselves. They think they can trap the Son of God. Today’s text is another one of those traps they think they have set for him. They are ready for a good debate. How will Jesus answer? What we will see is that . . .
“IN THE END, THERE IS NO DEBATE”
Don’t you just love these men in our text? They are going to try a little flattery on Jesus before they shoot their question his way. They tell Him he is “true” and “teaches the way of God truthfully” and “you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” We use compliments because we want to be nice and kind and tell people what they mean to us. They are using them subtly and carefully and their compliments are full of venom and deadly intention.
They want to entangle Jesus in his speech, so the debate begins. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus the all-knowing knows the motivation and calls them “hypocrites.” But it is time for an object lesson. Jesus says alright, let’s see the coin. And like any good debater, he asks them a question, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they answer, “Caesar’s.” This is getting good, they think they have Him trapped. If he says to pay the tax to the pagan Caesar he could lose his following. If he says you don’t have to pay the tax, he could be arrested and lawfully they could put him to death. This debate is entering the final seconds of the fourth quarter, the people inch in closer. What is the play call? How can he triumph in the debate? “He said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.’” Boom. We have a winner. In the end, there is no debate.
These words are revolutionary. They are like the gospel, they change lives. We live in two realms – the civil and the heavenly. Though our first allegiance is always to God, we are also bound to obey the legitimate authorities that God has put in place. The church will advance, not with the sword of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane but with the sword of Paul – that is God’s Word. Christianity can thrive in every nation of our world because we can follow leaders and laws, but we know that our ultimate orders are given by Christ.
In the end, there is no debate. Our bodies belong to our Creator, our souls belong to our Redeemer. The Caesar’s of the world come and go. Christ is, was and will be the Alpha and the Omega.
Don’t avoid paying taxes and remind yourself of what our money says, “In God we trust.” Don’t shirk your civic responsibilities. Become involved. Make a difference. Debate if you want. But remember that our ultimate loyalty lies with God alone, whose Son Jesus ushers us into His own Kingdom.
You have life because of this Jesus. You have salvation because of this Jesus. You live daily in grace and mercy because of this Jesus. People can squawk all they want about who this Jesus is, but in the end, there is no debate. He won then, He wins today, and He wins tomorrow.
Amen.