Ahhh. His answer in Matthew was
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.
in Luke, the answer was
Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
To me and the clergy I have discussed this with, the response was a way of showing the triviality of human authority compared to that of God. It also humbled the Pharisees who asked the question, because they hoped he would be arrested for speaking against the payment of taxes.
I was surprised that anyone would have your take on this so I went looking for other interpretations. There are many.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Render_unto_Caesar
I particularly enjoyed Henry David Thoreau's version, simply because it is
so Thoreau:
Christ answered the Herodians according to their condition. "Show me the tribute-money," said he; – and one took a penny out of his pocket; – If you use money which has the image of Caesar on it, and which he has made current and valuable, that is, if you are men of the State, and gladly enjoy the advantages of Caesar's government, then pay him back some of his own when he demands it; "Render therefore to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God those things which are God's" – leaving them no wiser than before as to which was which; for they did not wish to know.
I think I fall more in the Tertullian camp -
Tertullian, in De Idololatria, interprets Jesus as saying to render "the image of Caesar, which is on the coin, to Caesar, and the image of God, which is on man, to God; so as to render to Caesar indeed money, to God yourself. Otherwise, what will be God's, if all things are Caesar's?"
