The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 162

rule was ever being plotted, a oomparatively the once beautiful but uow depraved fCl\tures eRsv mntter. The incident of the tribute of Tiberius; the title ' Pontifex Maxim us' rnonc)', which immediately follows, was part WIIS probably inscribed on tile obverse" of this new dep&rture in the Sanhedrin (Farrar). policy resp,·ctiug the murder they so longed Ver. 25.-And he aaid unto them, Render to see cnrried out. therefore unto Cmsar the things whioh be Y Ns. 21, 22.-And they asked him, saying, Cmse.r's, and unto God the things which be Master, we know that thou sayest and God's. As regarded the immediate issues teaohest rightly, neither aooeptest thou the the Lord's answer was in the affirmative: person of any, but teaohest the way of God "Yes, it is lawful under the present cir- truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute cumstancee to pay this tribute." The nnto Ca!sar, or not SS. Matthew and Mark Roman money cmrent in the land, bearing both tell us that in this plot the Herodians the image and title of the Crosar, bore per- were united with the Pharisees (e.nd San- petual witness to the fact that the rule of hedrin). The great Nazareth Reformer was Rome was established and nckuowledged by equally ha tcfu (to both these hostile parties; the Jewish people and their rulers. It was hence their union in this matter. It was a well-known and acknowledged saying, e. well and skilfully le.id question. This that "he whose coin is current is king of " tribute" was e. capitation te.J..-a denarius the land." So the great Jewish rabbi a head assessed on the whole population, Me.imouides, centuries after, wrote, "Ubi- the publicnns who farmed it being answer- cunque numisma regis alicujus obtinet, illio able for it to the Roman treasury. As a iooolm regem istum pro Domino agnoscunt." direct personal tax it was most unpopular, The tribute imposed by the recognized and was looked on by scrupulous legalists sovereign ought certainly to be paid as a =d the more zealous Jews as involving a just debt; nor would this payment e.t e.11 greater humiliation than the ordinary im- interfere with the people's discharging their port or export customs dues. It occasioned duties God-ward. The tithes, tribute to the at times popular tumults, as in the case of temple, the offerings enjoined by the Law Jude.a of Galilee (Acts v. 37). If Jesus they revered,-these ancient witnesses to answered the question in the nCirme.tive : the Divine sovereignty in Israel might and "Yes, it is lawful for thA Jews to give ought still to be rendered, e.s well as the this tribute to Cmsar," then the Pharisees higher obligations to the in visible King, would use this decision of his as a means of snch as faith, love, and obedience. Tl"ibute undermining his credit with the zealouR to the Cmsar, then, the acknowledged sove- populace. "Sec, after all," they would say, reign, in no way interfered with tribute to "this pretended Messiah of yours is but God. What belonged to Crose.r should be e. poor-hearted traitor. Thinl, of King given to him, and what belonged to God Messiah paying tribute to a Gentile." If, ought to be rendered likewise to him. on the other Land, the Master had said such Godet, in a long and able note, adds that paymer,t of tribute was unlawful, then the Jesus would teach the turbulent Jewish Herodians, who were watching him, hoping people that the way to regain their theocratio for some such expression of opinion, would independence wsR not to violate the duty at once have denounced him to their Roman of submission to Crosar by a revolutionary friends as One who taught the people- she.king off of his yoke, but to return to the only too ready to listen to such teaching- fe.itllful fulfilment of e.11 duties toward God. lesi;ons of sedition. In the latter case Pile.te "To render to God what is God's was the and the officials of Rome would have taken way for the people of God to obtain a new good care that the Galilmsn Master he.d David instead of Cmsar as their Lord. To troubled tlie Sanliedrin no more. the Pharisees and Zealots, 'Render unto Ver. 24.-Show me a penny; literally, Cmsar;' to the Herodians, • Render unto a denaritLB, a ooin of the value of 7½d., but God.'" Well caught the great Christian really representing a larger sum in our teachers their Master's thought here in all mo::iey. It seems probable. from the lan- their teaching respecting an institution such guage of Mark xii. 15, 16, that his interro- e.s slavery, in their injunctions concerning gators had to borTow the Roman coin in rigid and unswerving loyalty to established question from some of the neighbouring authority. So St. Paul:" Be subject to the money-changers. These Jews would scarcely powers . . . not only from fear of punish- carTy soy but Jewish coins in their girdles. ment, but also for conscience' sake" (Rom. The.t the Roman denarius, however, we.e xiii. 1 and 1 Timothy). evidently a coin in common circulation in Vers. 27-40.-The sccrnful question of those days, we gather from the parable of the Sadducees bearing on the doctrine of the the labourers in the vineyard. Whose image resurre.ction, and the Lord's reply. B.11.d superscription hath it 1 They amwered Vers. 27, 28.-Then came to him certain and said, Cmsar'1. " On one side would be of the Ba.dducees, whioh deny that there ill oil. xx. 1-47.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE.