Trick Question

August 31

(Luke 20:22 NIV) “Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

(Matthew 22:15 NIV) “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.”

(Jeremiah 9:8 NIV) “Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.

The religious gestapo was trying to get Jesus to say something that would be impeachable -- something in violation of Jewish or Roman law. They asked Him a trick question: “Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” There was no good answer to this question. If Jesus said “Yes”, the crowds would likely have turned against Him. He would have lost all credibility with the very people He came to reach. But if Jesus answered “No”, He would have likely been arrested by the Romans for public insurrection. His enemies thought they had him -- either answer, and Jesus was in trouble. But the Lord was wiser than they thought. He still is! We waste our time when we try to trick Jesus with questions for which we already know the answer. A newer and trickier phrasing of the question won’t get you a different answer from God. Do what you know is right. Jesus is Lord! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day