Time after Pentecost · Proper 24 · Year A
Matthew 22:15-22
Paying Taxes to Caesar
October 18, 2026
Overview & Insights
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)
In response to Jesus’ three provocative parables, various groups of Jewish leaders initiate confrontations with Jesus (see 22:15, 23, 34). These revolve around Torah adherence and how to live out faithful allegiance to Yahweh, similar to earlier disputes with Jewish leaders in Matthew (e.g., 12:1–14; 15:1–20). As in Jesus’ earlier teachings, love is shown to be central to proper interpretation of the law (22:34–40; see 5:43–48; 19:19). This series of encounters culminates in a final riddle by Jesus regarding his identity and authority, which silences all his opponents (22:41–46) and leads into a series of judgments on the Jewish leaders (chap. 23).
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Commentary
Commentary on Matthew 22:15-22 Working Preacher
The Lutheran home commentary on the trap about taxes and the image on the coin.
Matthew 22:15-22 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed preaching commentary on Caesar's image, God's image, and where we belong.
Matthew 22 - Paying Taxes to Caesar Enduring Word · David Guzik
A verse-by-verse evangelical study of the question, the coin, and Jesus' answer.
Matthew 22 Commentary Precept Austin
An inductive study page gathering word studies and cross references on the chapter.
Matthew 22:15 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentaries gathered verse by verse on the question about taxes.
Matthew 22:15 Verse-by-Verse Commentary StudyLight
A large library of expositors stacked verse by verse for a further voice on the passage.
Background & Word Study
Matthew 22:15 Interlinear BibleHub
The Greek of the passage word by word with parsing and lexical helps.
Enter the Bible: Matthew Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary's book introduction to Matthew for the setting of its temple debates.
Overview: Matthew 14-28 BibleProject
An animated overview of Matthew's second half and its Jerusalem controversies.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What does “render to Caesar” mean?
The Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus over the imperial tax. He asks whose image is on the coin, and answers that what bears Caesar’s image goes to Caesar, and what bears God’s image, human life itself, goes to God (Matthew 22:15–22). It is less a tidy split of church and state than a claim that God’s claim is total.
Where does this fall in the lectionary?
Proper 24 (Ordinary 29) in Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary, the Sunday whose date falls between October 16 and 22.
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