"Jesus said to them, "Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the
the things that are God's. And they stood marveling and greatly amazed at Him."
(Mark 12:17)
Christ And The Tribute Money
Gustave Dore
(1832-1883)
French artist
Image courtesy/Fine Art Storehouse
In the quotation above, the Lord was addressing some of the Pharisees and
the Herodians who came to Him to ask if they, being the Jewish religious and
political authorities of the day, and therefore were to adhere to the commandment
of God not to worship idols, should pay their taxes to Caesar whose image
and title was engraved on the face of the denarius, a Roman silver coin.
This group of men were actually trying to entrap Jesus in His speech and
they were duly surprised by His plain spoken answer to them. This incident
of the Lord being confronted by this group came to my mind after reading
the latest statistics regarding Christians voting in the 2024 election.
According to a recent article in The Economic Times, in research conducted by
the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, it is estimated that
104 million people who fall under the category of people of faith, of which
41 million are Christians and 32 million attend church regularly,
will not cast ballots in this year's presidential election.
The Jewish leaders of Christ's day were not enamored of the Roman Caesar
who sought to be worshipped like a god. But Jesus reminded them of the
difference between politics and religion. They were to obey the civil law
of the society they lived in and pay their taxes. Although we are not
obligated to vote, I believe it is the civil and moral duty of
every Christian to cast their vote on November 5th.
President Trump is not perfect. None of us are perfect. If you are
a Christian, you know that the only Person who ever walked this earth
who can claim the title of Perfection was crucified on the cross.
I know Mr. Trump has wavered on the abortion issue. This has angered
many in the pro-life movement in this nation. While I am dismayed by
his reneging on this most crucial issue, in 2020 he lost the election in
part because many Christians sat home and refused to vote. Others
claim that they are not into politics so they don't vote in elections.
We cannot let this happen again.
On the flip side of the proverbial coin is Vice President Kamala Harris.
Unlike Donald Trump, she lacks credibility and possesses no real
leadership skills. Her rhetoric is the voice of the political Far Left.
She wants to carry on their torch to systematically destroy our
nation and change America from a free, Constitutional Republic
into a free-for-all Third World-like socialist democracy which
would make even the most corrupt, self-serving Banana Republic
dictators shudder with revulsion.
She is also the first presidential candidate to visit an abortion clinic
while on the campaign trail. Both she and President Biden
share an unwavering commitment, not only to keep abortion
legal, but, to enshrine infanticide as a national right in America.
Although Donald Trump has said that he will not impose federal
regulations on abortion, I pray that after God spared his life
this past summer and in recent weeks from assassins' bullets, his
heart has softened on this issue and he will recommit himself
to protecting the most defenseless among us.
As for Donald Trump's faith in God, we cannot be certain
what the man truly believes or who he believes in.
Only God sees our hearts.
I pray that his association with the Reverend Franklin Graham will
perhaps inspire him to repent and surrender at the foot of the cross.
God works in mysterious ways and I do not think it is a
mere coincidence nor "just a show" as the media puts it,
that Donald Trump was one of the first on the scene after the
hurricane and that he prayed publicly with Reverend Graham
for the devastated storm victims in Georgia.
I think Mr. Trump, despite his rough and ready personality, truly cares about
the American people. He's certainly not an eloquent speaker, nor a folksy
charmer like the great Ronald Reagan, but, reminiscent of The Gipper, when
he speaks, people listen. This is because he talks to the people, not at them,
and this makes all the difference. Plus, there's not one teleprompter
within sneezing distance when Mr. Trump is at the podium.
So, I can forgive him for his often crude mannerisms and cussing
and I pray that he will refrain from using foul language in
front of an audience, especially with children present.
I further pray that he will look down on those babies and children and not
only see them as the future of America, but each one as a most precious gift,
made in the likeness and image of the Creator God Himself. Just like he is, himself.
