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Both St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us, that these spies, sent forth to ensnare our Saviour about paying tribute to Caesar, were the Pharisees and Herodians: the former were against paying tribute, looking upon the Roman emperor as an usurper; the latter were for it. These two opposite parties concluded, that, let our Saviour answer how he would, they should entrap him; if, to please the Pharisees, he denied paying tribute, then he is accused of sedition; if, to gratify the Herodians, he voted for paying tribute, then he is pronounced an enemy to the liberty of his country, and exposed to a popular odium.
But observe with what wisdom and caution our Lord answers them: he calls for the Roman penny, and asks them, whose superscription it bare? They answer, Caesar's. Then says he, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. As if he had said, "Your admitting the Roman coin amongst you, is an evidence that you are under subjection to the Roman emperor; because the coining and imposing of money is an act of sovereign authority; therefore you having owned Caesar's authority over you, by accepting of his coin amongst you, give unto him his just dues, and render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's."
Learn hence,
1. That our Saviour was no enemy to magistracy and civil government; there was no truer pay-master of the king's dues, than he that was King of kings; he preached it and he practised it, Mat_17:27
2. Where a kingdom is in subjection to a temporal prince, whether by descent, election, or conquest, he derives the title, the sujects ought from a principle of conscience to pay tribute to him.
3. That as Christ is no enemy to the civil rights of princes, and his religion exempts none from paying their civil dues, so princes should be as careful not to rob him of his divine honor, as he is not to wrong them of their civil rights. As Christ requires all his followers to render to Ceasar the things that are Caesar's, so princes should oblige all their subjects to render unto God the things that are God's.