The Pharisees set up a trap for Jesus -- they're always working to catch him in his own words. If Jesus says that they should pay tribute to Caesar, then he's acknowledging and perhaps approving of the Roman occupation of Jerusalem, which would upset some people. If he says that it's not lawful, then the Romans might want to arrest him for sedition. There's no right answer.
So Jesus doesn't directly answer the question. Instead, he acknowledges the reality -- that some things belong to Caesar, but much more belongs to God. Who are we to limit what God has a claim on? Are the Pharisees going to define this?
We often try and offer God some meager corner, or believe that if we do one thing over here, then we've taken care of our offerings to God for the week. We'd be wise to think seriously on what Jesus has to say here, and recognize God's claim on all of us. How do we think about giving everything over to God, since God has created all?
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