Everything
“‘Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’
’Caesar’s,’ they replied.
Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’”
Today’s Text: Matthew 22:15-22 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Of course, “what is God’s” is everything. But Jesus didn’t literally mean that we are to give “everything” to God.
The Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus into making a rebellious comment against Tiberius Caesar. In Jesus’s response, on the one hand, He was acknowledging Caesar’s right to govern and to collect taxes. And it is the duty of those under governing authorities to obey the regulations and laws of the government (Romans 13:1-7).
On the other hand, Jesus is pointing out that literally everything in this world comes from God. What “things” do we have in our lives that have not come from Him? What “things” can we give back to God as recompense for our very lives. What “things” can we give back to God as recompense for our salvation?
Nothing.
And yet, God demands a tithe from His people. It is true that some of the commands from the Old Testament no longer apply to believers, in particular the dietary laws. But nothing was ever explicitly said about the repeal of tithing. In fact, Jesus commended a widow who “out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44).
What Jesus was commending about the poor widow was her faith. She gave out of faith that God would always provide for her needs. And in that way, tithing is a “sacrifice of praise,” and act of worship to God born of faith.
And it does take a sacrifice to tithe. But God would not demand that we tithe in order to condemn us to abject poverty.
God spoke through the last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi -
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
— Malachi 3:10
Trusting God means trusting in His promises.
Father, You have promised to always provide for Your people. You are generous and kind beyond measure. Forgive us for being stingy with what we have, because everything comes from You. Thank You for always taking care of me and my family and blessing us in our obedience. But continue to grow our faith so that we might always trust in You for everything. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
