Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy and true God, the Almighty Rock of Salvation, please give me the courage to speak your truth in every situation. Please help me to be less cognizant of the importance and rank of a person and more concerned with communicating to that person your truth that needs to be proclaimed. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then the Pharisees left the place where Jesus was teaching. They made plans to catch Jesus saying something wrong. The Pharisees sent some men to Jesus {to trick him}. They sent some of their own followers and some men from the group called Herodians. These men said, "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man. We know that you teach the truth about God's way. You are not afraid of what other people think about you. All men are the same to you. So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar ? Yes or no?" But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. So he said, "You hypocrites ! Why are you trying to catch me saying something wrong? Show me a coin used for paying the tax." The men showed Jesus a silver coin. Then Jesus asked, "Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on the coin?" The men answered, "It is Caesar's picture and Caesar's name." Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. And give to God the things that are God's." Those men heard what Jesus said, and they were amazed. They left him and went away. That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no person will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question. They said, "Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and he had no children, then his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother. There were seven brothers among us. The first one married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman. Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers. The woman was last to die. But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?" Jesus answered, "You don't understand because you don't know what the Scriptures say. And you don't know about the power of God. At the time when people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other. Allpeople will be like the angels in heaven. Surely you have read what God said to you about the rising from death? God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ' {If God said he is their God, then} these men are not really dead. He is the God only of living people." All the people heard this. They were amazed at Jesus' teaching.

Related Scripture Readings

So the Jewish leaders called Peter and John in again. They told the apostles not to say anything or to teach anything in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "What do you think is right? What would God want? Should we obey you or God? We cannot be quiet. We must tell people about the things we saw and heard."

My dear brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So don't think that some people are more important than other people. Suppose a person comes into your group. This person is wearing very nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor person comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. You show special attention to the person wearing nice clothes. You say, "Sit here in this good seat." But you say to the poor person, "Stand there!" or, "Sit on the floor by our feet!" What are you doing? You are making some people more important than others. With evil thoughts you are deciding which person is better. Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! God chose the poor people in the world to be rich with faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to people who love him. But you show no respect to the poor man. And you know that the rich people are the people who always try to control your lives. And they are the people who take you to court. And the rich people are the people who say bad things against the good name of the One (Jesus) who owns you.