Daily Bread

1. Stubborn hearts (19)

The religious leaders knew that Jesus had spoken the parable about the tenants against them. Jesus exposed their motives and intentions and warned them of the judgment that would come if they continued to reject him. By rejecting him, they rejected God himself. They also dismissed the witness of all the people who supported Jesus. It was time for them to repent, but they wouldn't. Instead, they looked for a way to arrest Jesus immediately. We must learn from their poor example and pray that God would soften our hearts and lead us to repent of any worldly desires and ambitions that separate us from Jesus.

2. A failed attempt to trap Jesus (20-26)

The religious leaders tried to trap Jesus with a question that was impossible to answer. "Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" If Jesus supported taxes, he was a sympathizer. If he didn't, he was subversive. But Jesus saw through their duplicity and his answer astonished them. "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Like the tenants in the parable, they were unwilling to give to God what was God's. What was their answer to this? They were trapped by their own question! They became silent, but their hearts were still hard.