To render to Caesar what was Caesar's was to return his own coin to him (compare 17:25; Rom 13:6-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14; Jer 26:8-9; 27:6-22; 29:4-9; Ezek 8-9); to render to God what was God's was to render worship to him alone (compare 4:10). Neither the image nor the superscription on coins in common usage could prevent Jewish people's single-minded devotion to God. The appropriate response to living in a society whose beliefs differ from one's own is to critically evaluate and withstand its claims, not to censor such claims from being heard or to boycott all participation in the society.

Further, some suggest that Jesus was challenging the idea that his opponents needed to hold on to the coins at all; why not return them to Caesar? Jerusalemites preferred death to allowing Caesar's image to enter Jerusalem on standards (Jos. Ant. 18.59), yet they carried it in on coins. Those who hated Caesar's image to such an extent would make an exception for coinage only if they valued money too much (W. White 1971:233; Witherington 1990:102). By contrast, surrendering to God what is God's implies the surrender of all one is and possesses (Patte 1987:309-10). In Jesus' teaching elsewhere, possessions have a zero value, and those who seek them are not the simple who trust in God (6:19-34). Rather than compromising his popular support, Jesus ends up embarrassing his challengers; they, not he, are the ones carrying the offensive coin, so scruples against it cannot be their own (Danker 1972:202-3). Thus they rightly earn his derisive title for them: hypocrites (22:18; 6:2; 15:7; 23:13-29; 24:51).