Matthew 22:15-22 “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.”
The enemies of Christ were always trying to entrap Jesus in some kind of wrong-doing, a futile exercise; futile because Jesus would not, could not, and did not do any wrong. It was also futile because Jesus was way ahead of His enemies spiritually, mentally, and articulately because He knew their thoughts and their hearts. One lesson here is that we should beware when people begin to flatter us. Flattery is often lying for a selfish reason. A second lesson is that even the lying efforts of our enemies, when they try to hurt us, may be turned into a teaching opportunity. Jesus saw this occasion as an opportunity to teach the truth about the separation of Church and State.