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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about
how Jesus handled a difficult question from the religious leaders.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.[a] 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.[b] 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
In this part of God’s Word, we see the religious leaders, who would have opposed Rome, teamed up with some who embraced Rome, in order to entangle Jesus. Jesus’s answer not only teaches us a practical lesson, but also teaches us some valuable information on how we are to live our lives.
Jesus’ answer tells us that we are to pay our taxes.
Matt. 20:20-21, Rom. 13:6-7
This involves:
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Submitting to governing authorities, so long as it is not sinful to do so
Rom. 13:1-5, Titus 3:1-2, 1 Pet. 2:13-14, Acts 5:29
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Trusting that God will provide for us
Phil. 4:19, 1 Tim. 6:17, 2 Cor. 9:8, Jer. 17:7-8, Ps. 84:11
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Turning our focus to what God has for us
1 Tim. 2:1-2, Rom. 8:7, Heb. 13:5, Ps. 34:8-10
Underneath Jesus’ answer, we learn:
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We can’t manipulate God
Matt. 22:15-18, Job 42:2, Ps. 115:3, Gal. 6:7, Matt. 7:21-23
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We need to give all of who we are to God
Matt. 22:36-40, Deut. 6:5, Rom. 12:1
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True freedom is only found in Christ
1 Pet. 15-17, 1 Pet. 2:16, John 8:36, 2 Cor. 3:17, Gal. 5:1
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
● Take some time to read over Matthew 22:15-22 and pray.
● Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you
as we were talking about it?
● What surprised you as we talked about it?
● Have you ever read this story and only learned about what Jesus has to
say about taxes, and missed what He teaches us other than how we are
to handle our taxes?
Diving In
1. Jesus makes it clear that we are to pay our taxes. Do you struggle with that,
and if so, why? How do you grapple with Jesus’ teaching here, and the fact that
the government can easily use tax dollars in a way that does not honor the
Lord?
2. Read Romans 13:1-7. What is the most difficult thing for you to grapple with in
that passage? Why is that?
3. It is so easy for us to get distracted and put our focus on the wrong things.
How can you keep your focus on what God has for you?
4. Read Matthew 22:15-18 again. This makes it clear that we can’t manipulate
God. In what ways have you tried to manipulate God?
5. Ironically, if the Israleites would have been faithful throughout the Old
Testament, they wouldn’t have had to pay Roman taxes in the first place. True
Freedom can only be found in Christ. In what area(s) of your life do you need to
experience more of this freedom that can only be found in Christ?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
● What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply
what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
● How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the
Lord?
● Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?