(The following is the February 26 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Mark 12 and pay close attention to verses 13-17.)
When some Pharisees and Herodians asked Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar, they tried to trap him (v. 13). They wanted to trick him into saying something that would get him into deeper trouble with the authorities. Jesus, of course, was wiser than his opponents, and he generally left them amazed or in stunned silence with his answers. They were no match for the all-wise Son of God.
You and I, however, do not know all Jesus knows. We are not as wise as him, nor do we understand or remember all of God’s Word as he does. Still, we may encounter others opposed to our faith who try to trap us. Some may be hostile. Others will raise occasional questions in polite conversation. Some may keep trying to trap us because their goal is not to get genuine questions answered but to make us look like fools or help them feel better about their unbelief.
In many contexts today, it is common to ask loaded questions of people with various religious, political, or other views. The questioner may hope to use their answers against them if they fail to give a socially acceptable response. Reply to a question in an unpopular way, and you may lose your job, the ability to practice your profession, your position in society, a good reputation, and more. Answer a question with biblical truth consistent with 2,000 years of Christian teaching, and you can be accused of hate speech and being on the wrong side of history. Opponents may try to punish you in every conceivable way.
Jesus did not play such games with people. He always told the truth and never wavered. He knew there would be consequences, but he did it anyway because it was the right thing to do to honor God and his Word. We can do no less.
Next Step:
Have you been in a gospel conversation where you sensed the person was trying to trap you? How did you handle it? How would you hope to deal with that situation now?
