Jesus Mic Drop

Have you ever heard or seen something and it blew your mind???

You didn't see it coming...

Kinda like when you found out bubble gum is like rubber...which is why you shouldn't swallow it 😉 

(my daughter wanted me to add that)

Back to our story...

I remember reading something from the Gospels as a teenager

and it was a MIC DROP moment

and my mind was like (cue Joey Lawrence)

WHOA!  

What was it?

It was a situation where the leaders of the day (the Pharisees, etc.) wanted to catch Jesus blaspheming in order to have reason to arrest and kill him...

Now this isn't new...

The leaders of the church of that day didn't know what to make of Jesus because he wasn't like the Messiah they were expecting...

 Jesus just be droppin' truth bombs left and right..

calling people out, holding a mirror up to their faces...

AND THEY HATE HIM FOR IT...

so they're always trying to set him up...

but because he's GOD he knows what's up and ain't nobody foolin' Jesus, okay...

So, in this passage from the Gospel of Matthew, when I read it for the first time & was actually paying attention was when I was a teenager...

So teenage Bryanna is reading this passage where the Pharisees send people to set up Jesus...

nothing new....

and they're like  "okay, here's the plan..."

the following is me inferring how the set up was prepared...these words are not in the Bible:

"okay, here's the plan: 1. go to Jesus;  2. compliment him & tell him how great he is; 

3. Ask him if we (Jews/Israel) should be paying taxes to the Romans"

That'll get him!

Teenage Bryanna was like "OH MY LORD WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SAY?"

Either way, there's no good answer Jesus can give...

If he's getting arrested + killed by the Romans if he says, "yeah, these Romans are holding our people down & oppressing us! screw their taxes!"

OR

He will be hated by all of his followers and seen as a traitor to his people

if says...

"you know what, guys? we SHOULD be breaking our backs to give the money we can barely scrape up to our oppressors..."

then he would be seen like the Jewish tax collectors that work for the Romans: a traitor!

Teenage Bryanna is thinking...

"What did Jesus say? I know he doesn't die here but how did he get out of this unharmed?"

Oh young teenage you...

Immature in your faith...

Jesus doesn't "get out" of stuff...

he never runs & hides...

he doesn't try to escape anything in fear...

because Jesus is the KING!

and the King of Kings doesn't run & hide...

the Lion of Judah fears no man & no evil...

so what did Jesus say???

Let's find out...

From the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 22, line 15...

The Pharisees went off

and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech...

They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying...

"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man

and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth...

And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion...

for you do not regard a person's status...

Tell us, then, what is your opinion:

Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

Knowing their malice, Jesus said,

"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

Show me the coin that pays the census tax."

Then they handed him the Roman coin...

He said to them,

"Whose image is this and whose inscription?"

They replied, "Caesar's."

At that he said to them...

"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar

and to God what belongs to God."

MIC DROP  JESUS  

Teenage mind...blown...

my spiritually-immature soul's mouth dropped open...

I was blown away from:

1. how LOGICAL Jesus' response is...

2. how unafraid He is...he flat out calls them hypocrites to their face!

3. how simple the answer is...

4. how TRUTHFUL the answer is...

5. it's irrefutable...

So what did all these barneys do or say after The King of Kings SPOKE...

nothing...

it was irrefutable, remember...

Matthew 22:22

When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. 

MIC DROP....

How are you going to apply this to your life? 

Where in your life are you giving to Ceasar what rightfully belongs to God?

Are you tithing? 

Able to quote raunchy songs & TV shows instead of the word of God?

Going to restaurants for happy hour & the mall...

but not to mass because you still have dispensation & you're technically not required to attend...

technically...

technically is the letter of the law...

and not the spirit of the law, the true purpose/reason the law was created in the first place...

technically...

you & I can't stand before The King of Kings when our earthly life is over and say...

"Technically, Lord, I wasn't required to go to mass & eat your body & drink your blood like you said [John 6:48 - 70]...technically I'm exempt from XYZ, technically....technically..."

Technically is a hypocritical Pharisee game...

You and I....

like the hypocrites in this passage...

cannot pull a fast one on the Lion of Judah...

Today Is a new beginning....

let us confess our ignorant mistakes, the straight-up sins, and our technical b.s. to the Lord...

because although he is the Lion...

He is merciful...

He is full of love for you...

He waits for you with open arms...

No matter your past...

You are the child of God...

Come home, Beloved Daughter....

Come home, Beloved Son...

For more  MIC DROP MOMENTS   from Jesus....

Read the gospels, which are the "books" of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible...

ask God the Holy Spirit to open your heart to the words of God The Son: Jesus