Dale Ridge church of Christ

            It’s that time of year again – the season when people are filing their tax returns and hoping for a refund.  For many people, tax season is a busy time (such is the case with my father-in-law who is a tax preparer and bookkeeper), and it is particularly the case during this time of year that some people ask the question:  should I pay taxes if the government is using it for ungodly purposes (i.e. to fund the killing of the unborn, to foster laziness among certain groups of people, etc.)?  The answer to this question can be answered by taking a look at what Jesus has to say in the Gospel accounts.

                In Matthew 22:15-22, we read of how Jesus was approached by some of the Pharisees’ disciples as well as the Herodians and asked the question “What thinkest thou?  Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?”  We know from the account that Jesus recognized that they were trying to tempt Him with this question; yet, he answered them by having them bring Him the tribute money and asking them whose image and superscription was upon it.  They answered Him that it was Caesar’s to which He stated “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”  This answer caused those who heard it to marvel.  We can also read of this same account in Mark 12:13-17 and Luke 20:20-26.

                We can conclude from this passage that we are to pay our “tribute,” if you will, to our government, for it is a thing of the government.  However, we need to do our part to be involved in the decision making of our government as much as we can and to pray that those in governmental control will spend the taxes in the ways that God would want them to be spent.   May we always seek to do God’s will in all that we do.

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Filed under: Michael Carter on February 19th, 2009