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22. Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?Luke 20:22. Today's verse is a trap set by the religious leaders. They are not coming to learn from Jesus, but to see if He says anything that they can report to the Romans as rebellious. They are asking Jesus if it is right for them to pay taxes to the Roman Empire. The trap is that if Jesus says, "Pay the tax to Rome," the people will turn from Him because they hate the Romans. If Jesus says, "Do not pay," they will report Him to the Roman governor as a rebel. So now the religious leaders think they have put Jesus in a situation where they win either way. Jesus knows it's a setup. He asks for a coin. "Whose image is this?" They say, "Caesar's."Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God the things that are God's." The meaning: the coin had the mark of Caesar's image; give him what is owed. We are made in God's image, and we owe Him our heart, obedience, and worship; our very life belongs to God. Jesus puts our life decisions in their proper place: give to the earthly kingdom what is owed. Give to God all we owe, in thoughts, time, and how we live each day. God has the highest claim on us. Amen.