Notice the cunning in the approach of the Pharisees and Herodians in trying to make Jesus implicate himself. They try to disarm him by words of flattery - "You are an honest man... you are not afraid of anyone... a person's rank means nothing to you... you teach the way of God with total openness..." All, of course, perfectly true. Then comes the trap - "Is it allowed [to us Jews] to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" It is like the lawyer's famous question: "Have you stopped beating your wife?" A Yes or No answer will equally convict. If Jesus says it is right to pay taxes to the Romans, he is showing himself a traitor to his people and will be condemned by them. If he says it is not right, he can be accused of breaking the law and be in trouble. Instead, he gives a totally unexpected answer: Give to the government what belongs to them and to God what belongs to God. It is a principle which still holds. Legitimate tax demands are our way of supporting the common needs of our society and should be paid. But taxes which involve immoral issues should be challenged. It was a highly practical issue for the early Christians and can be for us also.