Lead Like Jesus: Radically Faithful

Pastor Christopher Coats

January 24, 2026

In Matthew 22, Jesus is confronted with a carefully designed trap question meant to force Him into a lose-lose situation. Religious leaders who normally opposed each other unite because Jesus threatens their power and exposes their hypocrisy. Their question about paying taxes to Caesar is not asked to understand truth but to control the outcome.

 

Jesus responds with wisdom and clarity. He refuses to be rushed, manipulated, or trapped by false choices. By asking for a coin, He exposes the deeper issue beneath the surface question: allegiance. While coins bear Caesar’s image, people bear God’s image. Governments may claim taxes, systems may demand compliance, but only God has rightful claim over the human heart.

 

This moment reveals what faithful leadership looks like under pressure. Jesus does not avoid tension, lash out in anger, or compromise truth. He remains grounded in His identity and clear about His loyalty to God. Throughout Scripture, faithful leaders are those who refuse to waver between competing allegiances and choose obedience to God above all else.

 

For us, this passage challenges how we respond when faith is questioned or manipulated. Radical faithfulness means recognizing trap questions, refusing false choices, slowing the moment down, and remembering who we belong to before deciding how to respond.

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