Week 5 – Day 28 (Saturday)

Psalm 37:30-31, 39-40 – Wisdom from Above

Again, the Pharisees attempt to trap Jesus in false teaching. Another such instance is found in Matthew 22:15-22. What seemed like the perfect setup was designed to catch Jesus criticizing the Roman government and thus put Him to death. “Tell us…what is your opinion: is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” The Pharisees believed they had devised the perfect trap. Jesus’ “yes” would declare His allegiance to the Romans and discredit Him with the Jews, while His “no” would be seen as rebellion against the Romans and punishable by death.

“Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” (vs. 19) When He points out that Caesar’s image is on the coin, He responded with, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” (vs. 21) Scripture tells us the Pharisees were amazed and went away.

We marvel at the wisdom of Jesus, yet today’s psalm tells us that “…the righteous utter wisdom.” Jesus lived out this statement because He was so intimately connected to His Heavenly Father. We can also share the wisdom of our Heavenly Father when we pursue His righteousness and meditate on His Word. When we do so, we are assured that our “feet do not slip.’