Jesus lived the whole life in an occupied country. The Romans were probably not such an immediate presence in Galilee, leaving its control to their puppet king Herod Antipas, but their presence in Jerusalem was much more evident, their garrison being attached to the Temple Mount, much to the chagrin of the Jews. The question put to Jesus by the Pharisees, who were no lovers of the Romans, was devious. If Jesus says the Roman taxes should be paid, He can be accused of being traitor to His country. If they should not be paid, He can be accused of being a rebel and handed over to the Roman authorities.
Our identity is intimately bound up with God. The first element in our identity is being male and female. God hands over to us the stewardship of the world and asks us to carry out that stewardship as creatively as God has demonstrated himself. God is creator and sustainer, God is healer and inspirer. God loves this world and loves us. Our challenge is to discover whether we can love in the same way as God loves.