⁷ Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. ⁸ Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Taxation—the bane or privilege of living in a civilized society. Communally required sharing of resources has been around since more than one human being existed. Adam and Eve shared the garden’s food. As population increased, efforts for the common good increased—not always according to God’s plan, mind you, as we see in the Tower of Babel, which was an extremely well-organized community project. But government as a concept is a God-ordained institution. Therefore, we all must pay our fair share into the common pot for the benefit of all.

The Lord Jesus Christ supported taxation when He taught: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matt 22:21). And that was during the time of Roman dictatorship. To be fair, the Romans provided military protection, law and order, and stability. However, they ruled with an iron fist, their economic policies rarely benefited the common person and their human rights record was atrocious. Repression was endorsed for its economic benefits through the widespread practice of forcing defeated enemies into slavery.

Murder, extortion, embezzlement, political conniving and graft were common in politics. Votes were commonly sold to the highest bidders. The wealthy erected statues of themselves, for benevolence was worth nothing unless the benefactor was glorified by his beneficiaries. Witness the proliferation of statues in the ancient Roman ruins!

If believers at that time were commanded to “[r]ender … tax to whom tax is due…” then how can we object today in our free, democratic society? We should rather give honor to those to whom honor is due. Scripture makes clear that we are primarily to be givers, not receivers. Paul wrote, “Each one will bear his own load” (Gal 6:5). But he goes further in our passage today, “… to love one another.” This should extend not only to individual acts of love in our personal relationships, but also to a love for the larger populace by being a contributor to the common good. Taxation is one of those contributions. We may have little control over how it is spent, true; some of it may pay for policy decisions with which we personally disagree. But it is still right and good to pay our taxes, and to honor our governing officials. Both the Old and New Testaments agree about loving your neighbor – and this is one way to do that!

Lord, help me see taxes as one way of fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor.