One of the more subtle aspects of the ego is how it promotes scarcity. Your ego would have you chained to the current system under the Economic Law of Scarcity. Scarcity is the fundamental economic problem of having seemingly unlimited human wants in a world of limited resources. Man created this definition. However the definition is restricted to the lower state of existence at the pure physical level without regard to the unlimited resources available to those with greater revelation and understanding. When people are scarcity-oriented, they will have pressure to walk in a lawless manner. The current system in oppressive by nature and thus the government creates a notable infrastructure to force compliant behavior in the area of revenue collecting. It was the same environment during the time Jesus walked the earth. The following passage is mentioned in Mark and Luke as well (Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:20–26 ):
Matthew 22:
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
Jesus is THE Pattern Son and we should take His example as the basis of our behavior. Inherent in this event is the fact that Jesus said “Pay the tax”. The Pharisees were subjected to Rome’s authority and were hoping for a conquering Messiah to take control and establish Israel as the authority. They viewed Rome as lawless to their way of life and rationalized why they shouldn’t be subjected to Rome’s taxation. Yet they walked the roads that Rome built and used other of Rome’s resources.
Today, people want to use all of the resources created by their current governments but do not want to fund the creation and maintenance of the infrastructure. They use the argument that much of the funds are misused, etc., etc. etc. Stop! Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. Pay your taxes and establish yourself above reproach. In the current system, the gun, the badge, and the prison are the law. Pay your taxes and sleep peaceful at night, I do.
The error in their lawless approach to evading taxes is that they don’t understand that Our Heavenly Father is greater than the current system. He has economic solutions that surpass man’s understanding. You are just one revelation away from having your needs met. The problem is that you don’t seek Our Heavenly Father’s voice in the area of scarcity. Instead, you spend much of your time trying to work the current system which is designed to keep you enslaved. Our Heavenly Father is in the business of setting the captives free.
The Economic Law of Scarcity mentioned above assumes men have unlimited wants. Not so. As I spend more time with Our Heavenly Father, my “wants” decline. Life is about building relationships and ministering to the needs of others. Love wants to restore and reconcile. Self-centeredness desires to divide and be condescending toward others in order to exalt itself. The ego is the source of unlimited “wants”. As you move toward being led by The Spirit, your needs and wants will decline. You will desire to simplify your life.
Jesus rallied the resources of Heaven to pay His taxes:
Matthew 17:
24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
25 He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
The fish responded to the words of Jesus. Peter responded to the words of Jesus. Are we not also “aliens” in this land? Let us not offend the tax collectors. Let us move into the Kingdom of unlimited resources where every need is met, not to supply our old man, but to minister Love and life to all mankind. The riches in Heaven are reserved and only accessible by those with the revelation of Love. That is where the real treasury is at. It will be protected from those with lawless intent.