Pay taxes and honor the government

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Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king...” Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death."

Luke 23:1-2,13-15 (NIV)

It is a marvel that neither of these men found any reason to put Jesus to death. Herod was a man so obsessed with power that he murdered hundreds of babies in hopes of ending the Messiah’s coming. Pilate was a Roman with no personal interest in the Jews or Jesus. Jesus' teachings themselves were subversive in their own way - it wouldn’t have been a stretch for either man to decide his teachings weren’t sufficiently Roman. Nevertheless, Jesus was declared innocent by the authorities, even before they capitulated to the crowd and had him crucified.

Entrepreneurs who wish to be like Jesus must follow his lead in their treatment of government authorities. Though the business' vision may be to transform its community, it must abide by the laws of that community and show respect for its authorities. A business may stand trial for the way it stands out like light in the darkness, but the judge ought not to find evidence either of subversion to authority or of tax evasion, even if justice loses to the will of the mob.