Let's take an informal, random survey. How many of you like paying taxes? No one? As the animosity between Jesus and the religious rulers escalates, the rulers attempt to trap Jesus by various questions. If it is possible, taxes were even less popular among the Jews of this day than they are today in our country. It is one thing for citizens to pay taxes to their own government. But it grates even more when the taxes are going to a foreign power that ruthlessly rules over you. So the religious rulers wish to trap Jesus in a question about taxes.