SEPTEMBER 09 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#28 “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18)

 SEPTEMBER 09  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#28 “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?”  (Matthew 22:18)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer   

JESUS, praise the Name of Jesus, the Light of the world, the Way, and the Truth, the Worthy Lamb! All Glory and Honor is Yours and Yours alone! Lord, You came to earth and become flesh and took on the sin of the world, so that man could have fellowship with our Holy Righteous Father in heaven. Out of Obedience to the Father’s Will You endured a Pain greater than any man could imagine, and now all we have to do to live life eternal with the Father is to Believe in the Son whom the Father sent. Lord Jesus, I believe, and now I look forward to the day when my Faith will be made Sight, for this world is not my home! Forgive me of the many, many thoughts that take my attention off You and praising Your Holy Name — guide each step, each day.   AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

Jesus responded to the questioning of (1) His “Authority” and (2) from whom did He “receive” His “Authority” by Teaching several parables and now Jesus is going to silence all the other objections presented by the religious leaders including the Herodians, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees as each attempted to assert their self-proclaimed authority. The first assault came as the Pharisees “sent to [Jesus] their disciples and the Herodians, saying “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the performance of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22:15-17)  Jesus revealed Himself as the All-Knowing God because He knew the intent of their hearts as we read: “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18) It must have been a big “wake-up” call for the Herodians and the Pharisees to have to stand facing God and have Him call you a “hypocrite”! Jesus then said, “Show Me the tax money.” and “they brought Him a denarius”. (Matthew 22:19) Jesus looked at the coin and then asked, “Whose image and inscription is this?” (Matthew 22:20) The Herodians and Pharisees answered that it was “Cesar’s” and then Jesus spoke the line everyone knows, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) The Holy Scriptures records that the Herodians and Pharisees who had initially tried to entangle Him with their question on taxes that “When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.” (Matthew 22:22) If we look at this exchange, the Herodians and Pharisees started the confrontation by calling Jesus “Teacher” and then they said they knew that Jesus was “true” and that Jesus Taught “the way of God in truth” and then they said they knew that Jesus “[Jesus] did not regard the person of men” and yet they tried to test Him even though they knew they were actually testing God!?!?!? — we are that arrogant today as we pass laws that are an abomination to God that take God out of our government and our schools, we know that God is Truth yet we continually test Him with our arrogance --- I have to ask “Do you really think you can trick God and use your most brilliant intellects to make God look bad?”  We really ought to use our common sense here and render unto God all things that are His!