Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's

[fishnet]

While referencing Scripture on a different subject I ran across the following in the Book of Mark. I interpreted Mark's recollection of Jesus' words as support for demanding lawful money, not accepting or endorsing federal reserve notes.

Mark 12
[14] And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
[15] Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
[16] And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.
[17] And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.

[David Merrill]

I want to hear your connections and parallels to redeeming in general (like Jesus/Redeemer) and redeeming lawful money.

I have an interesting interpretation that is generated from 2 Macabees 3 in the Apocrypha:


Now when the holy city was inhabited with all peace, and the laws were kept very well, because of the godliness of Onias the high priest, and his hatred of wickedness, 2 It came to pass that even the kings themselves did honour the place, and magnify the temple with their best gifts; 3 Insomuch that Seleucus of Asia of his own revenues bare all the costs belonging to the service of the sacrifices.

Much of the coinage around Israel bare some kind of "graven image" of WASHINGTON or some other iconic ruler, such as the Caesar image stamped on it. Here is a rendition roughly containing my thoughts:


https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1EaV_bU7VImYzlkNjc2MjItNjdhYy00YjBhLWI1ZDItMDJmM 2JkYmQ4Mzc0/edit

If you understand it my way, it will make your blood boil with rage too.

The Herodean Priests guarding the Temple Mount for Caesar were contracting the acceptable money supply. Shekel and Drachma coins were being hoarded because the administration was accepting any coins that could be spent for the expenses of running the Temple. So they could hoard the shekel coins and during the pilgrimmage of worship for the holidays they could sell (franchise) the coins to the venders who would then again sell the coins at a profit to the pilgrims.

I think the passage is a tribute to Jesus's knowledge of the Laws of Moses (http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4011/lawsofmoses.pdf) and judicial process.

The Herodean Guard approaches hoping to entrap Jesus. They Appear in a general appearance before his court of record. They of course want to rattle him into general conditioning (social programming) to succumb as though they are in authority. Jesus is not rattled but rather turns them into witnesses against each other. Jesus insists that the priest show Him what kind of coins they use in the Administration and sure enough, the priest produces an allegedly forbidden coin with Caesar's image on it!

Slick!!