Jesus made it pretty clear that we need to choose. The narrow path or wide path. The right or the left, the dark or the light. We must choose. Choose to build on sand or on rock. We need to choose to save our lives or to lose them.

In the first Century the question before the followers of Jesus was about choosing between Caesar and Jesus. Caesar had declared himself to be a god and to follow another meant putting your property, your family, your freedom in jeporady. It could mean even death.

This was not like choosing door 1, 2 or 3. Or snickers or mars… Oh, no.

This was the most serious of decions.

Luke 20

¹⁹ The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

²⁰ Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹ So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²² Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

²³ He saw through their duplicity and said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

²⁵ He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

²⁶ They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

The religious leaders, worried about the effects of living under Roman rule and trying to protect their own influence, did not take lightly to the disruption that could come to them if the Romans determined that the question of who was god was challenged. And here was Jesus saying He was The Messiah.

Therefore the trap set before Jesus. “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?”

You may remember that Matthew the tax collector was despised by his own people as he not only supported the Romans by collecting taxes but lined his own pockets – and here right in front of Matthew, now a follower of Jesus, the question is raised. They assume that Jesus will support the paying of taxes and anger the Jews listening. If he does not He could be accused of treason.

And so Jesus responds, wisely and escapes the trap set before Him.

And so we must live within the rule of law, the law of our land, pay our taxes, honour the authorities and be good citizens of earth while also choosing Jesus as our Master.

There are no easy ways to follow Jesus, in case you think being a follower of Jesus is about having an easy life.

Jesus in preparing the disciples for His crucifixion and death told them, “¹⁸ “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. ¹⁹ The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. ²⁰ Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you.” (John 15)

And then in John 16…

³³ I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

In this world you will have trouble – do you want to make a choice for trouble, for sacrifice, for submission, to lose your life that you might gain it?

So is it Caesar or Jesus for you?