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Mark 12:13-17
We learn in Mark 12:13-17, after the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders have failed to trap Jesus in their reasoning (Mark 11:27-33), that they then went to the Herodians for their help. The Herodians sought to trap Jesus by way of first noting His dedication to God and not man; and then questioning Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar. Mark 12:15-17 (NKJV) states, “‘15Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?’
But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, ‘Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.’ 16So they brought it.
And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’
17And Jesus answered and 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.”
This is an example of the intent of the human nature to disprove Jesus.
This is an example of the ways of man being lesser than the ways of God.
The LORD speaks through the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8-9 declaring,
“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the
LORD.
‘For as the heavens are higher than the
Earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.’”
As the earthly sinful nature fights against the Holy Spirit of God for our souls, the devil is always seeking to destroy the reputation of Jesus and our Father God in heaven. But the result is always the same: defeat for Satan, and victory for Christ. We know from 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil walks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, but we learn in Romans 8:37-39, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Dear LORD,
Please help us all to realize and understand that it is not us who fight against You but the sinful earthly nature that is indwelled in us all through sin. But help us also to realize and understand that it is through Jesus and the power of the gift of salvation for all who will believe in Him that Your Holy Spirit comes to live within us and drive the sinful nature out of our lives as we put on a new life in Christ Jesus. Please let it be so LORD for us all – in Christ. In Jesus name I pray, amen.