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April 30, 2023

Luke 20:20-26

20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 

21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it? “Caesar’s,” they replied. 25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

Read Luke 20:20

  1. Who are ‘they’ in this verse? If you don’t know, how might you find out? What difference might it make?
  2. How many times in Luke’s account (up to this point) have these same people tried to trap Jesus in something he said? How successful have they been?

Read Luke 20:21-22

  1. It’s clear that part of the strategy was to ‘blindside’ Jesus by beginning their question with false praise and affirmation. How vulnerable are you to this strategy? How do you tend to respond when people begin acknowledging how good and wise you are?
  2. We see that the question they pose in verse 22 is intended as a trap to Jesus. Why is this question a potential trap question for Jesus?
  3. If Jesus answered in the affirmative, how would they have attacked him? What if he had answered in the negative?

Read Luke 20:23-26

  1. In your best understanding, what does it mean to ‘give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s?’ As a group, brainstorm a list of things that we owe ‘Caesar’ or our own civil government.
  2. In your best understanding, what does it meant to ‘give God what is God’s?’ As a group, brainstorm a list of the things we owe God.
  3. They became silent. What other options were available to them? How do you think you would have responded?