They became Silent

Luke 20:19-26

I’m sure you have heard the term stacking the deck, it’s been preplanned, prearranged, in that much of my life was in Corporate America, I learned after a while that a job listing was often a formality and the outcome had taken place long before the interview happened.  It leaves one at first disgruntled that they had believed in the process, and later it becomes clear that if you are not consulted before the process begins, you are only spinning your wheels.

Now, if you are Jesus and you have the total understanding of what is in a person’s heart, it does not come as a surprise that the scribes and the chief priests want to put you out of business.  And do not think deception began in the Human Resources of Corporate America, for the scribes, that’s a term for lawyers, and the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were very skilled at deception.   Scripture has many warnings of deception as seen in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”   And look what 2 Timothy 3:12-13, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 

Do you recall Satan tempting Jesus and how Jesus always replied, “It is written,” in that He was the author of all Scripture, would we not be wise to apply Psalm 119:11, to our hearts so that we also could say when tempted, “It is written.”

So the chief priest and scribes put a plan together, they sent in spies who would pretend to be sincere so they could catch Him in something he said and turn him over to the authority.  Now their plan was amazing, for many reasons, most of all the Jews hated the Roman rule and were looking forward to Messiah, who would free them from foreign rule and be their king.  They also held only contempt for Jews who worked as tax collectors and that would bring them to also despise the denarius with the inscription of Caesar, which was the common currency of that day.

“So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.  Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”  Folks the deck has just been stacked, the crowd wants a fair tax, not the Roman IRS, and they are hoping to hear Jesus say it is not lawful to give tribute to Caesar and the deceivers want to hear the same thing for a much different reason.  This is a we gotcha question, but listen to Jesus’ reply; “Show me a denarius.  Whose likeness and inscription does it have?  They said, “Caesar’s.”  He said to them. “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”  These con men of the chief priest were blown away at Jesus’ answer, and they became silent.

It makes me wonder, if as followers of Christ we did as our Lord and Savior did, and what did He do?  He went to the Father for everything and allowed the Father to show him what to say and do.  It makes me wonder, would the religious deceivers, the world system, and its godless puppet become silent?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice