To better understand what Jesus meant relative to rendering unto Caesar we must remember that the Roman’s were conquers. They held absolute power over the Jewish people at the time of Christ. They did what they wanted to do to the Jews. Conversely, the Jews could do ONLY what their rulers ordered them to do or allowed them to do. The ultimate question, which applies to the world today, is: Why did God do this to His “chosen people?”

The Jews’ enslavement to Rome was the result of their sins. Their forced subjugation to a heathen people was God’s way of reminding these descendants of Abraham that they could not rebel against Him with impunity. The wages of sin was then and continues to be, death (Rom. 6:23). Death comes in many different guises and occurs in many different ways. Death does not always mean the cessation of life. Emotional “death” can be experienced by the living, and in some cases is worse than physical death. During the Roman occupation many Jews chose death at their own hands rather than life under Roman rule. In 66 A.D. hundreds of Jews committed suicide at Masada rather than face the approaching Roman legions.

God’s message to the ancient Jews and their spiritual descendants today is: DISOBEY MY WORD AND DIE. According to the Scriptures, He will one day–soon according to the Biblical signs–teach the United States and other so-called “Christian nations” the same lesson He taught their spiritual brethren many years ago, and for the same reason and in the same way: military defeat, slaughter and enslavement of the survivors because of their individual and national sins. The primary reason for His punishment of the Jews in the past and professing Christendom’s punishment in the future is FALSE RELIGION represented by the rider on the white horse and his false prophets Jesus warned us about in Revelation 6:2 and Matthew 24:5.

When the worldwide holocaust (the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord) takes place it will not be a novel situation. Truly, as Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.”  Let us remember that some 1900 years after Christ’s tenure on earth the Germans turned on the Jews of Europe and conquered them in every way a people can be conquered. In a literal sense, THE JEWS WERE ROME’S PROPERTY. THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DO ROME’S BIDDING. This was the full extent of Christ’s Words to the Pharisees and the Jewish people when He told them to “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” Those “things” involved not merely the tax, but absolute obedience in every area of life. To rebel against that power meant physical death. AND GOD ARRANGED THE SITUATION, AS HE WILL ARRANGE THE NEXT HORROR THAT WILL BE VISITED UPON THOSE WHO CALL THEMSELVES BY HIS NAME.

From the Jewish perspective, the problem with this miracle worker from Nazareth who claimed to be God’s Son was that He wasn’t doing what the Jews “knew” their Messiah would do. They had made the mistake of listening to their religious leaders and not the Biblical God Who had promised no such thing in His Tora–the first five books of the Bible. He was not what they were expecting. He was not the great warrior who would free them from Rome’s yoke. Rather than leading them in war against the heathen, HE WAS TELLING THEM TO SUBMIT TO THEM.

Now let us return to the final eight words of the Lord’s statement: “… render unto God the things that are God’s.” Let us focus on what He is saying to modern church people who, unlike the ancient Jews, refuse to grasp the full extent of His Words. Unlike His Words concerning obedience to Caesar which involved immediate physical considerations, Christ’s Words relative to God involved (and continue to involve) eternal physical and spiritual considerations.

Modern day church people fully understand the financial aspect of Christ’s Words. But note that His “render command” to God’s people is plural in context–“thingS.” The command involves more than the tithe. It is at this point that billions of modern parishioners unwittingly reject God’s strait (difficult) gate (church) and narrow (strict) path (“walk”–1 Jn. 2:6) that lead to eternal life. Instead they unwittingly embrace Satan’s wide (all inclusive) gate (church) and broad (easy) path (“walk”) that lead to death (Mat. 7:13,14). “Few,” Jesus said, would choose the Father’s gate and path. “Many,” He said, would choose Satan’s false religion, known today as Catholicism/Protestantism.

Church people accept the tithe command as an important part of the Christian “walk” (1 Jn. 2:6). But such is not the case when it comes to the other “thingS” God requires for salvation. Due to lack of Biblical knowledge, the vast majority of parishioners know nothing about those “things.” The primary reasons for their lack of Biblical knowledge are: false prophets and false gospels. From pulpit and podium we are told repeatedly that all we are required to do is “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be (are) saved” (Acts 16:31). As future postings will prove, faith is simply the first step as one travels along God’s path to salvation. Faith without works (rendering to God the things that are His) is dead faith (Jam. 2:14,17,18,20). Faith alone cannot save the soul (vs 14). Contrary to universal Counterfeit Church opinion, SALVATION REQUIRES WORKS THAT PROVE OUR FAITH (vs 18). L.J.