NoTBS. LuKB XX. 20—26.
20. — [Spies.] The Greek word so rendered is only found here. Farkhurst defines it as meaning " Liers in wait."
22. — [Lawful to give tribute to GcBsar, del ^^ ^^ ^^ remembered, that a large party among the Jews bore the yoke of the Eoman gOYemment most uneasily, and were disposed to regard with the greatest enmity any Jew who conceded that the Jewish nation was altogether in a tributary position under the Koman emperor, or " CaBsar." The question of our Lord's enemies was so artfully framed, that it seemed to place Him in a dilemma. Whatever answer He gave, it seemed that He must ofiPend one of two par- ties.— He must either give offence to the friends of the Eomish supremacy or to the zealots among the Jews.
23. — [Craftiness^ The Greek word so translated is only foimd five times in the New Testament. It is the same word that is used in describing Satan's " subtilty" in tempting Eve. (2 Cor. XL 3.)
24. — [ Whose image and superseription.] Lightfoot tells us that the Jews have a tradition among them, that to admit the title of any prince on then* current coin was an acknowledgment of subjec- tion to him.
25. — [Things which he Casar's., .things which be God^s.] Few principles contain more deep wisdom than the famous one in this verse. Few however have been found to admit of such difference as to practical application.
The grand difficulty in applying the principle arises from this, that men do not agree what are the " things of C8Bsar,"and what are the " things of God," — where the claims of CaBsar end, and where the claims of God begin. A meeting place there must be. A boundary to the respective claims of each party must be laid down. The definition of this boundary has been in every age a fertile cause of strifes, divisions, and controversies.
On the one hand the English government under the Stewarts used to push the claims of "Gffisar" to a fearful extreme. Men were persecuted, and punished, and fined, and imprisoned, like felons, because they would not worship God in a particular way. In this case " Caesar,*' beyond all doubt, was stepping out of his province.
On the other hand, the Eoman Catholic Church, in modem times, is continually interfering with the civil power of every nation where Roman Catholics live, and claiming for her mem- bers immunities and privileges which threaten to interfere with the existence of civil government altogether. In this case we have an extravagant and unreasonable assertion of the claim on behalf of the " things that are God's."