Surrendering our personal agendas
Samuel CaraballoIn Matthew 22: 15-22 we read about a monumental ambush that they tried to make on Jesus. By the time of Matthew chapter 22 it was no longer a secret that the Pharisees planned to kill him. However, all that these doctors of the law needed was a "motive or reason" serious enough to grant him the death penalty. Faced with this need, the Pharisees concocted a question captious. [It is extremely important to recognize that the ringleaders of this trap are the Pharisees]. However, what is interesting about this particular attempt is that the Pharisees send out a retinue made up of their disciples and supporters of Herod's government; "Herodians", (most likely Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee). To understand the effect of this combination of people, one must examine the question that was thrown at the Master:
“Master, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God according to the truth. You are not influenced by anyone because you do not pay attention to appearances. Give us your opinion: Is it allowed to pay taxes to * Caesar or not? " vv.16-17