Paying Taxes

“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, 20 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.” (Matthew 22:15-22 NIV)

Yesterday, income tax day, I paid out more to the federal and state governments than I have ever paid in the middle of April.  When I received back my return from the accountant, I went over the many pages trying to figure out why we were paying so much more this year. I really couldn’t make sense out of it, so I called my accountant.  He told me the state of North Carolina had simplified its tax code and had eliminated most deductions resulting in a ten-fold increase in our state taxes this year.  He said, “the state will sure be raking in the money this year.!”

I know many believers who hate our income tax system and want to see it changed or eliminated.  They see it as unfair and unjust.  I also have known some people who have refused to pay their federal taxes because they believed the government had no right to impose taxes on the states.  

As I drove to the post office yesterday to mail my checks, this passage came to my mind as my frustration grew at how much we had to pay this year.  The Roman tax system was no example of fairness.  They hired people to collect their taxes and those collectors, with a wink and a nod from the government, took a slice of the pie for themselves by charging citizens more than was owed.  Jesus knew all about this.  Yet, he told the people to pay the taxes.

No matter what I think, Uncle Sam says I owe so much in taxes.  I may think it is unjust or unfair, and there may be just a bit of corruption involved somewhere along the line, but, according to Jesus, that doesn’t eliminate my responsibility to pay taxes.  And if that is the case, then I guess that should eliminate my frustration and my complaining about it.  

Today, if you are frustrated with having to pay taxes and often complain about it, recognize that Jesus has commanded us to give that which the government says we owe.  And He didn’t put conditions on it.  It is just another way to trust Him to provide for you rather than in the money you are trying to accumulate.  

© Jim Musser 2015