Whats Going on Here? Who is Cyrus? Who is Caesar? Did Jesus pay taxes? 30 AD Jesus ministry Slavery in Egypt, under a king named Ramses II 1200 BC Exiled to Babylon under a king named Nebuchadnezzar. 600 BC 63 BC Conquered by Rome. All the kings were named Caesar. Caesar Tiberious is in power Then Now Just a few of the folks who conquered Israel Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered Babylon 539 before Jesus was born and allowed the Jews to go home to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus. Thats me! I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me. So Isaiah is saying: We were in exile in Babylon which was bad. The Persian King Cyrus conquered the Babylonians which was good. Cyrus was a pagan -- which was bad But God made it possible for Cyrus to free us anyway which was good. Foreign rulers want us to worship their gods which is bad. But there is only One God and that God saves us! And thats Good! Isaiah So What Was Jesus getting at? The denarius (coin) that Jesus was talking about The inscription on the coin read: Tiberius Caesar son of the divine Augustus, great high priest. Wait a minute . son of the Divine Augustus? Great high priest? But What does the first commandment say? I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery -- you shall have no other God before me! You tell em! So Jesus is saying: Rule 1: Give to God what belongs to God. Rule 2: It all belongs to God. Or Put God First! Some people who gave their lives to God: Dorothy Day Mother Theresa Martin Luther King Fr. Bender How do we put God First? What other things out there are asking to be first? How do we resist them? So