SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST 2017 MORNING
Luke 20:18-26 New International Version (NIV)
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
The Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders did not like Jesus. Perhaps they thought He was a heretic with false teachings against the Jewish Religion. Or they might have been jealous of His popularity. Many times they tried to trick Him with hard questions. But as in the verses above Jesus always gave them wise answers. This however did not make them accept Jesus’ teachings.
What about you? Do you find some of Jesus’ teachings hard to accept or difficult to obey. Are you willing to submit to Jesus’ authority in every area of your life?
JUMAMOSI TAREHE 19 AGOSTI 2017 ASUBUHI
LUKA 20:18-26
18 Kila mtu aangukaye juu ya jiwe hilo atavunjika-vunjika; na ye yote ambaye litamwangukia litamsaga kabisa.
19 Nao waandishi na wakuu wa makuhani walitafuta kumkamata saa iyo hiyo, wakawaogopa watu, maana walitambua ya kwamba mfano huu amewanenea wao.
20 Wakamvizia-vizia, wakatuma wapelelezi waliojifanya kuwa watu wa haki, ili wamnase katika maneno yake, wapate kumtia katika enzi na mamlaka ya liwali.
21 Wakamwuliza, wakisema, Mwalimu, twajua ya kwamba wasema na kufundisha yaliyo ya haki, wala hujali cheo cha mtu, bali unafundisha njia ya Mungu kwa kweli.
22 Je! Ni halali tumpe Kaisari kodi, au sivyo?
23 Lakini yeye alitambua hila yao, akawaambia,
24 Nionyesheni dinari. Ina sura na anwani ya nani? Wakamjibu, Ya Kaisari.
25 Akawaambia, Basi, vya Kaisari mpeni Kaisari, na vya Mungu mpeni Mungu.
26 Wala hawakuweza kumshitaki kwa maneno yake mbele ya watu; wakastaajabia majibu yake, wakanyamaa.
Mara kwa mara Mafarisayo na viongozi wengine wa Dini ya Kiyahudi walimuuliza Yesu maswali magumu. Nia yao haikuwa kupata jibu bali kujaribu kumwaibisha Yesu. Hawakumpenda Yesu. Labda ilikuwa wivu kwa sababu Yesu alikuwa na wafuasi wengi au labda walifikiri Yesu alifundisha vitu kinyume na dini ya Kiyahudi.
Katika mistari hapo juu tunaona moja ya maswali waliyomuuliza na majibu ya hekima ya Yesu. Wewe Je ! unakubali mafundisho ya Yesu? Upo tayari kumtii katika kila eneo la maisha yako?
