MAY 21

Matthew 22:15-22
Memorise Matthew 5:37
"Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s."

DO YOU STRIVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS SINCERELY?

I was erroneously taught in my Christian secondary school’s religious knowledge class that Jesus was a master at replying trick questions with trick questions. Nothing could be further from the truth! When the disciples of the Pharisees tried to trap Christ by asking whether it was lawful to pay taxes to the Roman emperor Caesar or not, Jesus saw through their question and asked whose image it was that was on the coins used to pay taxes. When they replied it was that of Caesar, Jesus pointed out that the coins then obviously belongs to Caesar. In Christ’s words, they should "render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s." Note that Jesus was not cleverly side-stepping the issue like a trickster does, but He was answering the question directly and sincerely. Christians must obey human authorities and pay their taxes to them for these authorities are placed over us by God (Romans 13:1-2), just as Christians should also tithe and give offerings to God. The Pharisees were left speechless by the sincere reply given by Jesus to their trick question, for they could not fault it one bit!

Sadly, our schools and mass media like to applaud clever answers rather than sincere answers. Teens then use such techniques to answer the questions of parents and teachers, much to the admiration of their fellow teens. For example, when during a test one teen was asked where one particular treaty was signed, his answer was: "at the bottom". I know of a teens who strives very hard to be popular by trying to be witty at every opportunity. Till this day, I don’t think he has a true friend in church because no one can take him seriously or trust him to be telling the truth. Even when I shared with him the gospel, he would never answer sincerely, or at least as far as I could tell. This may be an extreme example, but it does remind us of the importance of answering sincerely just as Christ did, rather than to give witty answers like what the world appreciates. For example, when your non-Christian classmates ask you why you give thanks for the food, what do you say? Are you afraid that if you answer sincerely that you know God provided the food and you are thankful for it, you will get laughed at, and therefore you try to think of a clever reply instead? The more we do not answer sincerely, the greater the likelihood that our testimony is affected and others doubt our sharing of the gospel. On the other hand, when a Christian is sincere and shares the truth of the gospel, then he is a most trustworthy witness for Christ. Yes, he might get mocked by the world for showing such sincerity, but this trustworthy witness will point the elect to Christ.

Thought: Am I truly humble if I am trying to be clever?
Prayer: May my yea be yea and my nay be nay.