To Caesar What Is Caesar’s

Several years ago, I was staying at a quaint New England bed and breakfast to officiate a wedding later that afternoon. The Saturday morning breakfast brought together a random assortment of folks staying at that inn. As the conversation unfolded with increasing congeniality, a British couple on vacation expressed wonder at the myriads of political posters on lawns and storefronts. This would never happen in Britain, they said. They did not even know the political affiliation of many friends.

Then, a burly American asked if Britain was following our presidential debates and what they thought. But before anyone could answer, he began to rail against one of the candidates. A brief awkward silence ensued, which I was tempted to break by saying, “I believe that Jesus is the Light of the World. Can you pass me the salt?”

Faith and Politics. Difficult to talk about as independent topics, even harder when put together.

Jesus was asked whether it was “right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not” (Matthew 22:17). His deft reply to the trap set by the Pharisee is a master class of political discipleship, “‘Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’” (22:19–20).

As an imperial coin, the denarius of Caesar was imprinted with an image of Tiberias surrounded by the phrase “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of divine Augustus” and on the reverse was inscribed “Pontifex Maximus” (High Priest). This coin, which affirmed Caesar in divine terms, was specifically minted for imperial purposes and managed to break both the First and Second Commandments (Exodus 20:3–6). It could not be a more offensive symbol of idolatry. Would you carry a quarter with the image of George Washington that said, “GW, first president, son of God”?

After the leaders answered, “Caesar,” to question about whose image was on the coin, the Master now replies with words that have been repeated many times: “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (22:21). Here Jesus offers the possibility that loyalty to God and to the state may not be incompatible, that one can be a good citizen and faithful servant. Scripture will later expand this point by teaching that the Christian can be a faithful servant by being a good citizen (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–17).

Jesus did not simply stop with “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” The two clauses must be understood together. The cult of Caesar made him out to be divine, and loyalty to Caesar, therefore, entailed a form of worship. Loyalty to Caesar may be given in terms of public policy, civic duties, civil justice or civil peace. Jesus’ statement was not understood to be a pious escape clause from the hard work or harsh world of politics. But loyalty to Caesar cannot be given as a form of worship. That only belongs to God. The conflict of this loyalty became a real point of discipleship in the eventual persecution of Christians throughout the empire as treasonous rebels who refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord. Like them, we must give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.

Walter Kim became the president of the National Association of Evangelicals in January 2020. He previously served as a pastor at Boston’s historic Park Street Church and at churches in Vancouver, Canada and Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a campus chaplain at Yale University. He preaches, writes and engages in collaborative leadership to connect the Bible to the intellectual and cultural issues of the day. He regularly teaches in conferences and classrooms; addresses faith concerns with elected officials and public institutions; and provides theological and cultural commentary to leading news outlets. He serves on the boards of Christianity Today and World Relief and consults with a wide range of organizations. Kim received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, his M.Div. from Regent College in Vancouver, and his B.A. from Northwestern University.?