Jesus said to them, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." (Mark 12:17 NRSV Bible)
On a can of room freshener there appeared these words: "Bring the clean, natural freshness of a country meadow indoors. Freshens the air in your home with a clean, back-to-nature scent--as refreshing as the summer grass and fragrant flowers of a country meadow." Following were these words: "WARNING: Inhaling the contents can be harmful or fatal." Just a reminder: that which smells sweet is not necessarily healthy. That which is popular is not necessarily true.

If you were to assess the situation in Jesus' day, wouldn't you say that Caesar had all the glory and Jesus had all the pain? Caesar had power, prominence, palaces. Jesus had no place to lay his head. Caesar could pass laws that would drastically affect the lives of men and women throughout his empire. Jesus could but tell stories and hope his listeners understood. With a wave of his hand Caesar could have a person put to death. Jesus died at the hands of the state. Yes, Caesar had the glory, and Jesus had the pain. But wait. That's not the end of the story. Caesar is in the grave. Jesus has been resurrected. Yes, Caesar was popular, but Jesus brought the truth. May we live in that truth!

God of all things, may I live in the truth of my savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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