A Different Kingdom
One group of people opposed Jesus from the beginning of his entry to Jerusalem on the donkey. The scribes, chief priests, and elders were already seeking to arrest and overthrow Jesus. They plotted together, trying to formulate a plan to trap Jesus in his words. Again and again, Jesus overcame their schemes and accusation with truth and wisdom.
Jesus entered Jerusalem with the sound of shouts and celebration. The disciples felt pretty good about themselves. This was a very reassuring moment for them as their master was finally being recognized at a higher level for who he was in their eyes: the anointed one.
Yet Jesus wept over Jerusalem. His procession was the first stretch of the road to Calvary. His world was mixed with grief over the blindness of the city, sobriety for the suffering he faced, and determination to see through the cross to the joy set before him. Remember Hebrews 12:2 ESV says, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame.” What graceful and holy purpose filled Jesus Christ that day.
The shame belonged to those accused, attacked, and condemned God. They represent us in our feeble attempts to put God in a box and oppose him for our own attempts to have control. They are a mirror for us when we are offended by God and would rather make God in our own image.
You can see it plainly when these scribes and elders put their trap into action. They determined they could catch Jesus off guard with a clever question about taxes. They figured if he renounced paying tribute to Ceasar, they could claim he was anti-roman, and if he supported Ceasar, they could claim he had compromised his message. It was a win-win for them.
What makes me queasy is how they approached Jesus. As if they thought he would be charmed by their flattery, they pretend to honor Jesus. They say in Luke 20:21 ESV, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.”
They, of course, did not believe that.
They ask him if it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, and Jesus eloquently responds in Luke 20:25 ESV, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
In other words, Jesus was proclaiming that his work had nothing to do—nothing at all—with Ceasar’s kingdom.
