Are God and Caesar separated in your life? Or have you integrated your obligations to both?

Jesus sometimes uses enacted parables or �prophet theatre� to make a powerful point. This enacted parable calls us to put our faith in God�s absolute power to bring salvation for his people, despite the failed religious structures surrounding his people

Having laid out his teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus concludes by calling his hearers to action. Doing as has taught results in a house that stands firm. Hearing Jesus� teaching but failing to put it into practice results in loss.

Jesus is the Messiah King and praised by the crowd as he approaches Jerusalem in a carefully managed processional. But there is a great anti-climax as he enters the Temple. The welcome and acclaim quickly falls away. Those who ought to have recognised their Messiah most readily are silent, absent or mocking.

Central to the life of Jesus� disciples is to be their trust in the goodness of God to provide for them. They need not store up treasures on earth nor serve �money� as though it were a �master�. The disciple has but one Master, who will supply their every need.

Our �acts of righteousness�� the things we do in response to God�s grace� include generous giving, prayer, and fasting. They are important. More important, however, is our motivation for doing them. We do them not for public acclaim but for God and his approval alone.