14. This stater the Jews knew not, giving Him up to the betrayer. But the Law exacts half a shekel for the redemption of a soul, and devotes it to God, for she cannot claim the whole. For in the Jew scarcely a portion of devotion could be found. But he who is _free indeed_, a true Hebrew, belongs wholly to God, all that he has savours of liberty. He has nothing in common with him who refuses liberty, saying, _I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free!_ Which refers not only to his lord, but to the weakness of that man who shall have subjected himself to the world, in that he loves the world as his own soul, that is, his intelligence, the author of his will. Nor does it refer only to _his wife_, but also to that delight which cares for household not eternal things. This man’s ear therefore his lord nails to his door or threshold, that he may remember these words whereby he chose servitude. Sidenote: S. Matt. xix. 21. 15. This man therefore, O Christian, imitate not; for thou art not commanded to offer half a shekel, but, _if thou wouldest be perfect_, to _sell all thou hast, and give to the poor_. Thou art not to reserve a part of thy service for the world, but to deny thyself altogether, and to _take up thy_ Lord’s _cross and follow Him_. Sidenote: S. Matt. xxii. 18, 19. 16. Now we have learned that the half-shekel was required by the Law, because the other half was reserved for the generation of this world, that is, for secular life, and domestic use, and for posterity, to whom it was necessary that a portion out of the original inheritance should be transmitted. Wherefore our Lord answered the Pharisees, when they tempted Him by the crafty question whether He would advise that tribute should be paid to Cæsar, _Why tempt ye Me, ye hypocrites, shew Me the tribute money_. And they brought Him a penny on which was Cæsar’s image. He saith to them, _Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s_; shewing that they who thought themselves perfect were imperfect in that they paid to Cæsar before God. They with whom the world was their first care would first pay that which appertained to the world; wherefore He says _Render_, that is, render ye, _the things which are Cæsar’s_――ye, among whom the image and likeness of Cæsar is found. Sidenote: Dan. iii. 18. and i. 8. Sidenote: S. John xiv. 30. Sidenote: S.John xvii. 11, 14, 18.