A lesson on Deception

Mark 12:13-17

Can you remember your first job, your first date, or the first time in a new school? I do and I wanted to be liked in all of those situations.  So we try to impress those who do not know us, and in my case I was always trying to be funny.  It often did not work, and many times it got me into trouble with the ones I should have been trying to impress.  You know teachers and bosses, and often it was not taken in the way I hoped even with the ones I was trying to amaze.

Now as I got older, it was in high school that I began to grasp that funny was not working but everyone wanted to be told how cool sounding they were, even if you thought they were totally opposite.  But as I began my profession in sales, I saw the guys who if the customer was a known Christian they would talk about Jesus and church, and on the next call they would be telling someone a dirty joke if that   worked better.

I recall my boss’s boss asking me to come to a meeting with a person I knew about but had not met and he began by telling the guys how great I was.  It was over the top and he had never said any of this to my face before, my guard went from wow to watch out, something is not right.  After a very uncomfortable time they disclosed what they wanted, and it was for me to take a job introducing other products 3M made into the industrial market. 

That day I went from very wowed to very angry, and I told him I was not interested in the job and began to ask both of them questions they could not answer.  I was surprised when I was not fired, and Mr. Smith came and thanked me for asking questions they did not have the answer for. 

Now Jesus had a big advantage over me, He knew what was in the hearts of these men and that they were trying to set Him up.  But they had a good approach and most of what they said was true.  “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”  Jesus is so amazing, listen to His response; “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”  And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.”  Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice