The 2016 presidential campaign season has been as divisive as any we've seen in decades. In the midst of all of the political pyrotechnics, many local pastors are wondering how to properly address socio-political matters from the pulpit without threatening the peace, purity, and unity of the flock. Jesus' instructions about paying taxes to Caesar offers wisdom for how to address thorny political issues from the pulpit.

In Mark 12:13-17 some Pharisees and Herodians approach Jesus and publicly ask him about his politics. They ask "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" The kensos or "poll tax" was at the center of a socio-political firestorm because it was considered the symbol of Jewish oppression. It was the annual one denarius tax, about one day's wage, that Rome imposed on every non-citizen (including every Jewish man and woman) throughout Empire to fund the continued Roman occupation of Judea. Every time they paid it, the Jews were reminded that ...