What belongs to God?
Dispute of Jesus and the Pharisees over tribute money (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 22:15–22 “‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away” ( vv. 21–22 ). Pompey, a famous general during the last years of the Roman republic , brought the territory of Palestine under Rome ’s control in 63 b.c. when his support allowed one side in a Jewish civil war to gain victory. From that point on, Israel ceased to be an independent kingdom and was ruled by client kings — like Herod the Great — who were loyal to the caesar. In 6 a.d., Rome began to rule directly that part of Palestine known as Judea through governors, or procurators. With this rule came also a yearly poll tax of one denarius, the normal daily wage, which was levied on every adult from puberty to age sixty-five. Most Jews loathed the poll tax because it symbolized Rome’s control of Judea. This background sets t