Isn’t it wonderful when you come across something in scripture that just answers a question with no enigmatic musing to be done, nor produces a battling of souls over various interpretations? Unfortunately, these bits are rare, such is the vast complexity of the mind of our God, and his instruction manual only naturally includes our dilemmas and the ethical mazes we find ourselves in as adults in Christ. In my humble opinion, once you’re past the basic tenets of faith in Christ, black-and-white answers are usually only for babes in the faith (spiritual milk), but a few do exist! Here’s one for you:

In a Facebook debate, I heard of a creationist who was currently in jail, and it sparked my ever-present curiosity. A quick wiki discovered he’s in jail in the USA for tax evasion. He has made six appeals against the ‘government conspiracy against him’ to no avail. I was left dumbstruck: here was a Biblical Literalist, who has made it his life’s work to prove the exact six days’ creation account in Genesis is true, who has actually chosen to ignore a literal command of Jesus!

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 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.”

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. (Matt.22:15-22)

There you are, plain as the nose on your face!

Grace be with you.