What Jesus says about Taxes

Day 4

Text:  Matthew 22:1-21 & Romans 13:6-7

LIFE LESSONS

1. As a believer Jesus wants us to be always sensitive spiritually and be wise. (Matt.22:18). Jesus said in Matt. 16:10“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (NKJV)
2. Submit to the Authorities. Be it human authorities, including and especially government authorities. Christians are called to do this because we believe that God is the one who has put every human authority in their position. We should all try to live peacefully with government as long as they allow us to live our religious convictions. Romans 13;6-7

LIFE APPLICATIONS.

1.Devil is Always at Work. 1 Peter 5:8-11

The Pharisee in the Gospel is a symbol of the devil. It always finds ways to mislead us from the good path we are trekking in. Most of the time if we are too gullible and weak, we are tempted to betray our Lord God and fall prey to the depths of hell. But, if we have a strong faith and we stand firm through every test that the devil is plotting against us, then surely God will lift us up and we will never again be shaken by the devil’s deceiving ways. Matt.22:15-21.

2. Give to everyone what you owe them. Romans 13:7 & Matt.22:20-21a

Paul concludes in Romans 13:7 on submitting to government authorities with a broader statement about paying what is owed in every sense of the word. In short, Paul describes as a mandate for all Christians to pay what they owed in all cases. This includes paying taxes on all earnings (wages, salary, income, take-home) on yearly bases according to the law of the land, as described in that verse, as well as respect and honor to whom is due. While we’re obligated to disobey openly ungodly commands (Acts 5:27–29), Christians are to live lives, in general, of lawful obedience. Jesus Christ also told the Pharisee categorically in Matt.22:21a “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. As much as we are here on earth, we have dual citizenship (1 Peter 2:17). Our citizenship in the nation requires that we pay money for the services and benefits we receive. Also, we own our government prayers.

3. Loyalty to God by given back to God what is God’s

 The second part of our dual citizenship is our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. It requires that we pledge to God our ultimate obedience and commitment. In a Christian setting, taxes mean giving God praise and glory by helping others and offering your life in the service of your fellowmen. It means to give back to God what He wanted from us as His sons and daughters. Brethren, it is good and right to be loyal to government, and other authorities in our lives, but our greatest loyalty should be shown to the one whose image we bear: God Almighty!

Many of us have our loyalties mixed up. We talk a lot more about governmental issues, political figures, and divided loyalties in our country than we do about the most important issues in life, the most monumental figure of history, and the greatest loyalty we should have in all the world. 

Let’s get our loyalties in order! Let’s be good parents, good employees, good students, good spouses, good church members, good citizens, and more, but may we never put any of that ahead of our loyalties to our Lord and King, Jesus Christ!

LESSON OF THE DAY:

As a believer our righteousness must surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers before we can smell heaven. The Pharisees and the teacher’s problem is that they were not good inductive Bible students.  Bible tells us in the book of 1 John 5:17 “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death”.