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Gospel of Mark

Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: Mark 12:12-17

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Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s: This story also appears in Matthew 22 and Luke 20

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

Mark 12:12-17

 Moreton, Dorset: 5th June 2025

There is a war on. The temple authorities, the leaders and custodians of the Jewish nation, are determined to be rid of Jesus. He has seriously upset them.

It is Passover. Jerusalem is at bursting point with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims swelling the crowd at the Temple. Their Temple. This Jesus is attracting attention. With so many eyes and ears around, they need to get this right. They need to catch him out in his own words. They want him out of the way. They want him arrested. They want him dead.

They have tried questioning his authority. In reply he told them a parable in which they, the leaders of Israel, were portrayed as the villains. Publicly humiliated, they are forced to retreat.

I can’t escape the idea that there was some kind of secret meeting place, some kind of strategic command point, hidden within the temple, where the leaders of every faction, religious and political, have come together to organise the disposal of Jesus. It is to this headquarters that they withdraw and make their humiliating report. It is quickly agreed that it is time for a new tactic.

Now, like a new tactical deployment in a war game, The Herodians approach Jesus. They are a political group who support the tetrarch King Herod. Herod sees himself as ‘King of the Jews’ and his supporters would be deeply angered by people openly applying that name to Jesus. The Herodians are not a religious faction, but they are sent into battle alongside some Pharisees. These two groups are unlikely partners. But these are challenging times. The need is urgent. Even past enemies sometimes unite in common purpose on the field of battle.

Rather than trying to catch Jesus out by leading him into blasphemy, they try to catch him out in treason against Caesar. They begin with false flattery. ‘We know that you are sincere and show deference to no-one, for you do not regard people with partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.’ (v14)

This thinly veiled attempt to soften him up, is followed up by what is intended as a killer blow. ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?’ If Jesus encourages payment to Rome he is in effect colluding with the Roman occupiers of Israel. This would give the Pharisees the opportunity to stir up the crowd against him as a collaborator. On the other hand, if he criticises the payment of taxes to Rome, the Herodians have him. He will be guilty of treason against Caesar. It’s a two pronged attack. Their confidence is high.

Jesus knows exactly who these people are. If he doesn’t recognise them personally (he probably does), their style of dress indicates the factions which they represent. He recognises the trap. He recognises the hypocrisy.

‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius..’ Roman coins carry the head of the ruling Caesar. Not, I suspect, the response they had anticipated. A coin is quickly found.

‘Whose head is this and whose inscription?’ The answer is obvious. It’s Caesar Augustus. They hold their breath, ready to pounce.  ‘Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar…’ The Herodians can’t argue with that. The Pharisees can! The excitement of the Pharisees crumbles when they hear the words ‘Give to God the things which are God’s.’ The Pharisees  can’t argue with that.

There is a moment while it sinks in. Neither the Herodians nor the Pharisees can stir up the crowd. They set out to humiliate him in front of the crowd. Once more, he has turned the tables on them.

Another skirmish lost. Embarrassed, the joint forces of the Pharisees and Herodians beat a retreat to that hidden command post where the strategy is under constant review.

With each lost battle, with each public humiliation, the determination to destroy Jesus increases.

End Piece

There was an expectation within contemporary Judaism that the Messiah would rid Israel of the Roman invaders, re-establishing the Kingdom of God. Jesus had the opportunity to take a very public stand against the Romans. He didn’t take it.

‘Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar.’ You are called to live in this world. Even Jesus seems to accept that payment of taxes are one of the few certainties of life. The word translated as ‘give’ or ‘render’ means to ‘pay back’ or ‘give what is due’.

I’m interested that, when these verses are quoted, the second part often gets overlooked. We forget it’s there. That, in case you haven’t noticed, is the really important bit. If Jesus hadn’t said it, the Pharisees would have been all over him! The message is simple. Every good thing that you have comes from God (James 1 17). Jesus isn’t just referring to money. Time. Resources. Gifts. This phrase becomes ‘Give to God what he is due’. Your time. Praise. Worship.

There is no area of your life ‘off limits’ here. In every area of your life, you need to give God that which is due to him. Relationships. School. College. Workplace. Neighbours. Friends. Family. Relationship. Marriage. Finances. Leisure. Nothing in your life is off limits when it comes to your relationship with Jesus. Not even your personal ministry.

You are called to live in this world (John 15:19). But you are not of this world (John 17:14). You are called  serve Jesus. You are called to live differently. That’s counter cultural. That’s what it means to follow Jesus.

‘Give to God that which belongs to God.’ (Mark 12:17)

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod: Mark 8:14-21

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The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 

16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.”

21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Mark 8:14-21

9th October 2024: Paphos, Cyprus

‘To a Jew, leaven was a symbol of evil. Leaven was a piece of dough kept over from a previous baking and fermented. To a Jew, fermentation was identified with putrefaction, and therefore leaven stood for evil. ‘

(Wm Barclay, New Daily Study Bible: Gospel of Mark, Kindle Edition Loc 3859)

Take some flour, water and perhaps a little salt, and mix it into a dough. Cook it in a hot pan or in an oven. You will get something that looks like a flatbread. It is called ‘unleavened bread’.  It will be ok, especially if you mix it with other food, but on its own, you’ll probably find it rather dull.

Repeat the process, but this time put a little yeast (sometimes called ‘leaven’) in the mixture and leave it to rise for an hour before cooking, and some real magic happens. The yeast will move throughout the dough. This time, you will end up with something quite different, and more like ‘proper’ bread.

You may have noticed the quote from William Barclay at the start of this post. For various reasons, in literature, the Jews associated yeast with evil.  Jesus warns the disciples to beware of the ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees and of Herod. The followers of both these groups are out to get Jesus.

At this moment, our band of disciples are in the boat with Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee. They had just witnessed a confrontation between Jesus and some of the Jewish leaders, Pharisees and Sadducees, so there is plenty for them to talk about.

Imagine you’re in the boat. It’s a nice enough day. Listen to the chatter of the disciples. ‘Be careful,’ he says to his disciples, ‘of the yeast  of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’

Maybe the disciples, at least some of them, didn’t catch what Jesus said. I can almost hear one of the disciples saying ‘What did he say?’ The reply, ‘I think he mentioned yeast.’ There follows a conversation about bread. ‘We should have brought extra bread for the journey!’ ‘We’ve got one small loaf.’ ‘Yes but why didn’t you bring some more bread?’

Then, back to the Scripture, Jesus…“Why are you talking about having no bread?” 

Jesus reminds them of the bread which was multiplied to feed 5000 near Bathsheba, and then later 4000 in the Decapolis. He reminds them of the baskets of bread which were collected at the end of these miracles. It’s as if he’s saying, ‘When did you lack for anything?’ ‘Do you still not understand?”

End Piece

The teaching of the Pharisees is based on a rigorous application of God’s Law, and hundreds of detailed regulations which were thought to make a right relationship with God. The teaching of Herod and those who supported him is about living selfishly. It was about suppressing people so that he and his peers can enjoy luxury whilst keeping tight control over the local population.

The teaching of Jesus is about servanthood and selfless love. Jesus warns the disciples that of they allow themselves to be drawn into listening to and accepting any part of the false teachings of he Pharisees or the Herodians, then in the same way that yeast changes the nature of the dough,  so the corrupt teaching of others will permeate their whole being and undermine them.

What has this to do with you and me?

‘Be careful’, Jesus might say to me, ‘of the yeast of social media and the culture all around you.’ In our own culture, we are bombarded by information, much of it manipulative or false. Misinformation, lies, conspiracy theories and half truths of ‘spiritual’ or ‘unspiritual’ friends who either have no concept of following Jesus or are opposed to it. The fact is that we can’t avoid that stuff, any ore than the Disciples could avoid the teaching of Pharisees and Herodians. Jesus was saying don’t engage with it. Listening to or being open to the wrong stuff is like putting yeast in the dough. Allow some of it in, and it will take hold and permeate your whole being, altering, corrupting and undermining our character.

The wise man listens to Christ’s words and puts them into practice. Be on your guard, says Jesus. Be careful.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK