Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21
Jesus says this quote in response to religious people who want don’t want to pay taxes. They don’t really want to pay the temple tax or the governmental taxes. They just want their own money (sounds familiar). Jesus says give what you are supposed to give to whomever you’re supposed to give it.
Christ-followers that desire to be obedient to the Lord in their life, must vote on Tuesday. Ours is a government of the people, for the people, by the people. We, as the followers of Christ, must participate not just in the tax plans of our countries, but also in its electoral process. It is what our government has required of us.
The issue is not just about voting, but about paying taxes, too. One of the most ridiculed statements in this election has been Biden’s statement that it is patriotic to pay taxes. The truth is; it is patriotic to pay taxes. It is doing what the government requires of us. It is not just patriotic for the Christian, it is obedience to Christ.
The issue of how this plays into the current political debate is about what is rightfully Caesar’s. We live in a country with the freedom to work and make a profit as best as you can. The American Dream has been built upon these basic truths since the founding of our country.
Is it American, however, for people in our nation to have to pay to Caesar what is another citizen’s? Is it right for people to be forced to share their profit just because another person did not make that profit? You must decide what you believe about this issue before you vote. It is the foundational economic issue separating these two men’s economic plans?
The hardest part is to give to God what is God’s. Truthfully if the Christians of America were giving to those who are thirsty, hungry, naked, and needy the way Christ commanded us, our nation would not be trying to legislate equality and fairness. The American government is facing an issue that is not really a Caesar issue. It is a citizen issue. No one would be proposing Robin Hood plans that take from the rich and give to the poor, if the rich gave to the poor because of their love for Christ.
When was the last time you helped this situation without legislation? It does not mean we should legislate the change, but we must change indeed.
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