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Setting the Scene

Jesus is approached by the Pharisees and Herodians, who “were sent to trap Him in His words” (Mark 12:13). Their loaded question about paying taxes to Caesar is designed to force Jesus into either defying Rome or alienating the Jewish populace.

•Mark 12:13-17 (excerpts):

 “They came to Him and said, … ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?’ … Jesus replied, ‘Bring Me a denarius … Whose image and inscription is this?’ … ‘Caesar’s,’ they answered. Then Jesus told them, ‘Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’”

•Proverbs 26:4-5:

 “Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

 or you yourself will be like him.

 Answer a fool according to his folly,

 lest he become wise in his own eyes.”

• He does not dismiss the question outright—He asks for a denarius, drawing the crowd into the object lesson.

• He exposes their hypocrisy: “Why are you testing Me?” (v. 15).

• He gives a concise, authoritative answer that satisfies truth and wisdom: honor civil authority without compromising devotion to God.

• “And they marveled at Him” (v. 17)—their trap collapses, and Jesus’ credibility rises.

1. Verse 4—“Do not answer … or you will be like him.”

• If Jesus had angrily denounced Rome, He would have entered the fools’ arena and been accused of insurrection.

• If He had flatly endorsed Rome without nuance, He would have seemed indifferent to God’s covenant people.

2. Verse 5—“Answer … lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

• Jesus does answer, but on His terms.

• By revealing the coin’s image, He forces the questioners to acknowledge Caesar’s limited jurisdiction and God’s ultimate sovereignty.

• Their supposed wisdom is exposed as self-serving folly.

• Jesus first reframes the debate (obeying v. 4) so He isn’t dragged into false choices.

• Then He delivers truth that corrects the deceivers (obeying v. 5), preserving His integrity and teaching the crowd.

• This perfect balance fulfillsProverbs 26:4-5—avoiding entanglement in folly while still confronting it for the sake of truth.

•Colossians 4:5—“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time.”

•James 1:5—“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.”

•1 Peter 3:15—“Always be ready to give a defense … yet with gentleness and respect.”

Jesus models each of these, showing how to respond wisely under pressure.

• Evaluate whether a question is sincere or a snare before answering.

• Refuse to be provoked into foolish arguments, yet do not remain silent when truth is at stake.

• Keep the authority of God central; earthly obligations must never eclipse heavenly allegiance (Acts 5:29).

•Proverbs 26:4-5 is not contradictory; it teaches discernment.

• Jesus’ handling of the tax question embodies the two-fold wisdom: sidestep folly, then refute it.

• The same Spirit who guided Jesus offers believers the wisdom to navigate modern traps with grace and truth.