Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Loyalties – giving God His due Mark 12: 13-17
Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you that Jerry struggles with authority! When inspectors of various agencies visited the church I served my guard went up. “Why?” was the first question that came to mind. Am I proud of my independent streak? Not at all. It makes me limp spiritually from time to time!
How do you respond to authority? It is a question every Christian should ask himself.
Christians have always had a difficult relationship with civil authority. Where does God’s direction for us intersect with loyalty to earthly authority? Some insist that we are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven exclusively, free from all constraints of human law. Others insist that to honor Christ we must be absolutely obedient to the laws of the land.
Here is what Jesus said when asked about God and Caesar (earthly authorities).
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.
True disciples are good citizens! They pay their taxes. They give due respect to those in office.
Peter wrote to the first-generation Believers, who were dealing with a very hostile empire, with instructions to submit to the governing authority. “For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.” (1 Peter 2:13) Paul reminds that earthly authority is part of God’s order for us and urges us to pray for those who hold office.
There is a tension however created by the higher demands of God on us. Those early Believers often found themselves persecuted, some even put to death, because they refused to give offerings to images of Caesar who claimed to be divine. They recognized that kind of worship belonged only to God and were willing to die for Him.
As we walk with Jesus, we must keep a humble heart that gives “Caesar” what he is due even as we hold unwavering to the will and way of God that supercedes all human authority.
Pray for our nation. Keep those in office, be it local, state, or national, on your prayer list, asking God to give wisdom. When necessary, choose God’s way even if means persecution. Peter tells us, “if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.” (1 Peter 2)
We are citizens of the Kingdom of God and citizens of the nations of this world. May the Spirit show us the way to be the best of both, for the glory of God.
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For reflection –
Where do I struggle with government authority?
Do I remember to give the respect that comes to the office, if not the person?
Are my prayers faithfully offered for God’s will to be done through those who govern?
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I am excited to hear of your discoveries, about your struggles, and to pray with you.
If you would like to share any of those things with me you may do by emailing me – JerScott55@gmail.com
For a video of this devotion go to
CoffeeBreak With The Word 
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