Luke 20:19 - 26

  Luke 20:19 - 26

There are two great points in this passage that are often missed. The second of these is the unasked question. If the questioner had been sincere he would have asked a follow up question. Caesar's image on a coin indicated the authority and ownership of Caesar over that coin. The unasked question ought to have been, “Whose image is on me?” The authority and ownership of our lives is marked by whose image in which we have been made. Render to Caesar the things made in the image of Caesar and render to God the things that are made in the image of God. The fact that the questioner never moves beyond the first question indicates the shallowness of his thinking. What belongs to Caesar? That which bears his image.  What belongs to God? That which bears His image. 

There's another less noticed point. “And they watched Him, and sent spies…” Oftentimes Christians act shocked when someone in the church behaves in a wicked, backbiting, or destructive way. The powers of darkness have employed spies since the Garden of Eden. It may be the spies in this passage were a regular group and not just thrown together for this occasion. While being paranoid doesn't accomplish the Kingdom's work. We need also to avoid the folly of naiveté, being Pollyanna about the possibility of the presence of evil in the church. What does a perfect spy look like? The perfect spy looks like the real thing.  In the church they look just like the real Christian. But unknown, perhaps even to themselves, they are working for a different kingdom.

Lord, mark me with Your image and protect me from the powers of darkness, especially those that appear righteous.  AMEN”