Jesus Is the Smartest Person Who Ever Lived

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Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

 
 

Jesus is really smart. Like brilliant! Like the smartest-man-who-ever-lived kind of smart. (This is one of the reasons the early church called him “Lord.”) Most people today wouldn't think of Jesus as being in even the top 10 smartest people who ever lived, but he is.

To cite a tiny example, consider his response to the Pharisees and the Herodians about paying taxes "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." It is a GENIUS answer, and even his enemies admitted this:

"When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away." [22:22]

“[D]espite the countercultural character of the kingdom that rejects the ultimacy of the social structures of this present world (Mt 4:18- 22; 10:34-39), life in the kingdom involves fulfilling the obligation to pay taxes (Mt 22:15-22) and thus offer support for the proper functions of government.” —David Bauer, The Gospel of the Son of God

Jesus is brilliant. And there is nothing about your circumstances that bewilder him today--he is completely competent to get you through life, all the way to the other side.

Trust him.