Our paragraph topic is: (Tribute to Caesar) Part 10.
And now we come to the meat of the issue. They wanted to know what Christ thought of the tribute to Caesar and he told them. He gave them what they wanted to hear. He knew that they wanted to trap him in his own words so he gave them words that they could not use to trap him and words that would not contradict his teachings.
Caesar was the face on the coin of tribute and the inscription. They wanted to know if it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar as he was the national leader of the Roman Empire. Christ told them: Then he said to them, "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's."
They wanted to know so he told them what they wanted to know. What they did not know was that Caesar belonged to God and not to Caesar. God created him, raised him, gave him power, allowed him to do the things that he did in order to fulfill his plans. So Caesar was a part of God's long range plan and not the other way around. When the time came for the Son of Man to walk the earth and to submit himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind all would be in place according to the long range plans of God. Everything came to fruition.
There is a saying that God smiles at us each day that we wake up and plan our days and what we want to do with our lives. We believe that we are in charge and that we make things happen according to our own will. He gave us free will and we can make our own decisions as to what we want to do each day. This is what gives him smiles.
We set our course down the road of life not knowing what lies ahead or what paths we take. We are in charge. We have rosy dreams of what we are going to make of our lives and how we are going to make it big in life. We are going to have this happy life ahead of ourselves. And when the roadblocks come and the letdowns and setbacks come we become broken and scared. Our dreams fly out the window and we settle for something much less. And this is the part where our morals and values are compromised and changed.
We are born rich. Our dreams are already fulfilled. We are who we want to be already. That is what is given to us from birth. But we must accept who we are and not compromise with what the world has to offer. Christ came to give back what was loss to us from the beginning. Our treasure awaits us in heaven. We are a humble people, a loving people. We are a forgiving people, a merciful people like our Father. This is our realization. This is our hope, our dream, our love, our desire, to be like him who came to live among us, to show us how to live. There is nothing here on earth that can satisfy the hunger that is within us. Only he can fulfill that need. And the joy and peace that comes from his presences is so overwhelming that once you have had that a tiny experience of it, you will want for nothing else.
Come then and seek that which is yours, freely given at no cost. His love awaits you. The door to his palace is open and the angels are preparing a feast in your honor. Let us celebrate and rejoice to your awakening.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
And now we come to the meat of the issue. They wanted to know what Christ thought of the tribute to Caesar and he told them. He gave them what they wanted to hear. He knew that they wanted to trap him in his own words so he gave them words that they could not use to trap him and words that would not contradict his teachings.
Caesar was the face on the coin of tribute and the inscription. They wanted to know if it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar as he was the national leader of the Roman Empire. Christ told them: Then he said to them, "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's."
They wanted to know so he told them what they wanted to know. What they did not know was that Caesar belonged to God and not to Caesar. God created him, raised him, gave him power, allowed him to do the things that he did in order to fulfill his plans. So Caesar was a part of God's long range plan and not the other way around. When the time came for the Son of Man to walk the earth and to submit himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind all would be in place according to the long range plans of God. Everything came to fruition.
There is a saying that God smiles at us each day that we wake up and plan our days and what we want to do with our lives. We believe that we are in charge and that we make things happen according to our own will. He gave us free will and we can make our own decisions as to what we want to do each day. This is what gives him smiles.
We set our course down the road of life not knowing what lies ahead or what paths we take. We are in charge. We have rosy dreams of what we are going to make of our lives and how we are going to make it big in life. We are going to have this happy life ahead of ourselves. And when the roadblocks come and the letdowns and setbacks come we become broken and scared. Our dreams fly out the window and we settle for something much less. And this is the part where our morals and values are compromised and changed.
We are born rich. Our dreams are already fulfilled. We are who we want to be already. That is what is given to us from birth. But we must accept who we are and not compromise with what the world has to offer. Christ came to give back what was loss to us from the beginning. Our treasure awaits us in heaven. We are a humble people, a loving people. We are a forgiving people, a merciful people like our Father. This is our realization. This is our hope, our dream, our love, our desire, to be like him who came to live among us, to show us how to live. There is nothing here on earth that can satisfy the hunger that is within us. Only he can fulfill that need. And the joy and peace that comes from his presences is so overwhelming that once you have had that a tiny experience of it, you will want for nothing else.
Come then and seek that which is yours, freely given at no cost. His love awaits you. The door to his palace is open and the angels are preparing a feast in your honor. Let us celebrate and rejoice to your awakening.
Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ . The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.
