Give Unto Caesar What Is Caesar’s and to God What Is God’s
Give Unto Caesar What Is Caesar’s and to God What Is God’s
In the Gospel of Mark 12:13-17, Jesus the Christ is asked a trick question, to expose him as a revolutionary or servant of the Romans, getting him in trouble with either the Roman Empire or the Jewish people. Knowing Jewish and monetary history reveals why this is such a hard question to answer, and why Jesus was so admired as a rabbi (teacher).
“Then they sent some of the Pharisees to him, with those who were of Herod’s party, to make him betray himself in his talk. These came and said to him, Master, we know that thou art sincere; that thou holdest no one in awe, making no distinction between man and man, but teachest in all sincerity the way of God. Is it right that tribute should be paid to Caesar? Or should we refuse to pay it? But he saw their treachery, and said to them, Why do you thus put me to the test? Bring me a silver piece, and let me look at it. When they brought it, he asked them, Whose is this likeness? Whose name is inscribed on it? Caesar’s, they said. Whereupon Jesus answered them, Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. And they were lost in admiration of him."[1]
This is actually a mistranslation of the text. Jesus actually says,
English: “Bring me a denarium, and let me look at it.”
Latin: “afferte mihi denarium ut videam.”
A denarium (or denarius) was a Roman coin of ~3.9 grams of silver in the time of Jesus. On the coin was minted the image of Caesar. Caesar was worshipped as a god and Augustus as the son of god.
Per the laws of Moses (2nd Commandment), no coins with graven images were allowed as payment the Temple tax (Exodus 30:11-16), especially not coins engraved with images of foreign gods.[2] Jews could not pay silver to the Temple with god-emperor Caesar’s graven image.[3]
Jesus was calling out the priest for either as being a paid shill of the Romans (pay back the bribe to Caesar) or pocketing excess money as a corrupt money changer. Why else would a priest have a graven image of a pagan god in the Temple?
By the time of Jesus, the money changers were charging high exchange rates, which meant that Jews were donating less silver to the Temple than they could bring as they were bringing Roman coins from everyday commerce. The priests were pocketing the coins, and giving back noticeably less silver. Observant Jews had no other way to get acceptable silver. The money changers, having a monopoly on acceptable silver, could rip off observant Jews.
Hence, Mark 11:15-17
“So they came to Jerusalem. And there Jesus went into the temple, and began driving out those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the bankers, and the chairs of the pigeon-sellers; nor would he allow anyone to carry his wares through the temple. And this was the admonition he gave them, ‘Is it not written, My house shall be known among all the nations for a house of prayer? Whereas you have made it into a den of thieves.’”[4]
In the Gospel of Mark 12:13-17, Jesus the Christ is asked a trick question, to expose him as a revolutionary or servant of the Romans, getting him in trouble with either the Roman Empire or the Jewish people. Knowing Jewish and monetary history reveals why this is such a hard question to answer, and why Jesus was so admired as a rabbi (teacher).
[1] http://newadvent.org/bible/mar012.htm
[2] http://newadvent.org/bible/exo030.htm
[3] http://faith.nd.edu/s/1210/faith/interior.aspx?sid=1210&gid=609&pgid=34570
