Hello @creatr,

An interesting response to that segment of scripture. Though I agree in part with your conclusion, the targeting of the tax collectors and their taxes as being the origin of the issue pursues a conclusion In a different manner than I would. Jesus' insistence that the tax collectors are "sick" does not necessarily preclude any others from that sickness. His retort was primarily a rhetorical play to show the Pharisees His true purpose, which was to seek out the sinners and not those who already believed themselves justified (though in reality even the Pharisees still fell short: Matthew 5:20) In reality we all fall into that category of individuals who are in need of the physician's work to which Christ refers. Jesus' choice to spend His time with the tax collectors was a display of the breadth to which His grace will extend. He frequently goes out of His way to show kindness and love to those who are considered the lowest in society. (See: John 8:1-12, Matthew 8:1-4)

I agree with @johnjgeddes that you may read a bit of your own opinion into this text. Tax collectors were the face of the Roman oppression. The average Jew was quite resilient to Roman rule. This is why Jesus' concept of a "kingdom not of this world" (John 8:36) was not as attractive to the Jewish population who, for the most part, were awaiting a military coup from their "messiah."

John's words further this point in that they imply that the tax collectors were taking more than that which they were authorized too. This does not mean that the Roman government paid them nothing. However, it did mean that a tax collector could easily demand more than that which was owed to the government so that he might pocket the remainder. This could be done because that which was owed by the Jews was likely not well known by the taxpayers themselves.

The reference to the soldiers in Luke 3 is extraneous as John's reprimand would be appropriate for any army occupying another nation. If that means that foreign military occupation by empires is wrong then I will gladly agree. But that does not mean taxes are sinful.

However, Jesus' comments regarding Caesar do make a simple statement on government issued currency. His statement reflects a similar concept from a passage in Ecclesiastes: "All are from dust and to dust all return" (Ecclesiastes 3:20). These both describe the tendency of things to return to their origin. In this way, Jesus is merely saying that it is natural for the Roman's to demand back that which they created (in this case money). Therefore, we can conclude that to avoid the plague of taxes we must simply abandon governement backed currency. As a crypto currency investor I cannot help but view this as a biblical endorsement of Bitcoin, steemit, and the new economy we are creating.

I have one final note I believe is always important to bring up in regards to this passage of scripture. Jesus' response is "Render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar's, and to God the things that are God's" (italics added, Mark 12:17) That second half of that passage is crucial and the Pharisees reveal their hearts in that they do not pursue it by asking: "How do we know what is God's?" Because the natural response to this would have been for Jesus to ask "What image is on you?" Which undoubtedly refers us to the passage in Genesis in which man was made in God's image (Genensis 1:27) So just as it is natural for Ceasar to demand back that which has his image on it, so to is it natural for God to demand everything of we who act as His image bearers on earth.

So sorry for the long response. I genuinely enjoyed the article and truly appreciate the opportunities for intellectual engagement that your work provides. It is always a joy to dig into Jesus' words, which can contain so much, with others who are just as excited about pursuing truth. Grace and peace to you.