Mark 12:13-17

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marvelled at him.

The Sangha of the Jews and their political collaborators teamed up to send a deputation with a clever question, in the hope that Yeshu’s answer, if he said, ‘No’, would anger the Roman authority as a form of protest; or, if he said , ‘Yes’, it would make him unpopular with the people who resented paying tax to the Romans.

Pointing to the coin taken from their pockets, Yeshu said, ‘See how you yourselves make use of Roman law and good order in our land. Of course we have a duty of worship to God, but, as to the government, it also must be paid.’