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10/22/2017

Caesar or God?

Matthew 22:15-22

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the words of my mouth and the ears of our hearts be open to the word of God this day. AMEN.

One day a woman was soaking up some warm rays at the local community pool when a little boy in his swimming trunks, carrying a towel, came up to her and started to starr at her. The lady felt a little uncomfortable and so starred back and that kid. Without blinking the little boy, asked “Do you believe in God?” She was taken a-back, most people don’t come right out and ask that, especially a little boy. But she played along and smiled and said, “Yes, Why yes I do.” So the little boy squinted at her even harder and asked, “Do you read your Bible and pray everyday?” Again she smiled and said, “Yes”. By now as you can imagine she was starting to wonder where this boy was going with these questions and the funny way he starred at her. Finally starring even harder without blinking, he said “Do you believe and live the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself?” Yes the woman answered. The little boy finally signed with relief, smiled and said, “Good can you hold my ice cream money while I go swimming, I figure I can really trust you.”

The little boy was straightforward and honest in his questions because he wanted to know if he could trust that woman with his ice cream money. His ice cream was important to him and he didn’t want to lose it, so he had to find someone honest enough that he could trust. So he asked straightforward questions, no beating around the bush, no hem hauling, no going about it with tact or subtlety. He asked straight forward questions to determine if he could trust that lady. He wanted to know the truth and so asked about it.

This is not what the Pharisees and the Herodians were doing in the Gospel reading we just read from Matthew 22. Just like the little boy who came to test the woman, they come to test Jesus. But where the little boy wanted to know if she was trustworthy and true, here in the Gospel reading, they don’t care if Jesus is trustworthy or true, they just want to trip him up to answer an impossible question. They didn’t want to entrust Jesus with anything. They didn’t want to have someone hold some money or their hopes or their valuables or the lives. They wanted to hold on to all that themselves and drive him out, to get rid of him and continue being in control of the people, their lives, their power, their righteousness. They wanted Jesus gone.

It is hard for us to believe that these religious leaders had such hate. We see Jesus as the Son of God, love incarnate, yet standing right before them in the flesh, they can not see the truth. Why in the world would they not believe and trust him. How could they have been so wrong when the truth of all life, purpose and hope was standing right there in front of them. And yet the more the stood by starring at him, the more they grew angry at him. Remember this has been building up now. Jesus has been lifted up by the crowds and declared Hosanna, King of kings. And yet in the temple on the holy mountain Jesus does not honor the religious leaders but instead calls them out, declares their hypocrisy. He holds them accountable in the parables he had been teaching. And one after another exposes their evil intentions and false hearts. By the time we get to this part of this Holy week story, Jesus has angered the Sadducees so much that they have left him in order to plot against him. Well the Sadducees are the rulers of the temple, the high place of Jerusalem, and Jesus has humiliated them in front of everyone. So now we get two more groups of Hebrew leaders. Two polar opposites if there every where any. The Pharisees, the leaders of the synagogues in every town and countryside. The ones who join with the people in the opposition of the Roman rule. And yet they come to Jesus with the Herodians, the scribes and lawyers of the court of Herod, the puppet king of Israel. He is only king as long as he does what the emperor in Rome wishes. He owes his throne to the Roman empire, he is their lackey, the traitor to his people, a Jew that works and holds office only to do Roman laws.

And so when they come to Jesus it isn’t like that little boy looking to find the truth. They both think they already know the Truth. The Pharisees would want rebellion, no don’t pay taxes, rise up against Rome, This is our County, this is our silver and gold, this is our produce and grain and wheat and animals. While the Herodians say yes we must pay taxes to Rome, we are under their graces, their rule, the emperor allows us to live so we must appease him with just some payments.

So when they come to Jesus these two sides joined together to ask a question, Jesus knows right away that they are coming to test him. It is not even because of their false flattery, Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. These two groups are not friends, they are not on the same page, and they are not full of flattery because they want a favor from Jesus, like perhaps he can hold their money or something. No they want to get rid of him. So finally they get to the question, What is your opinion, is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

And just like the Sadducees before them, Jesus puts them in their place. Right there in front of the crowds, Jesus says you Hypocrites. Why are you putting me to a test. Show me the coin you use to pay the tax. And they had him a denarius. A coin with the emperor’s face embossed on it. A coin that was not used in the temple. A coin that was not viewed as the money you needed for the temple tax or to pay your tithe to God. But a coin produced by the Romans with a face of the emperor and words that read Tiberius Caesar, Divine Son of the Divine God and High Priest.

The coin itself was sacrilegious. A coin required to be used for commerce by the earthly kingdom that ruled that area. A coin that declared Tiberius Caesar as Divine, Godly and the High Priest of all the empire. This was a pagan self declared God that people were forced to carry and use in their money pouches, Herodians and even priests and Pharisees alike. So Jesus takes this coin and says give to the emperor the things that are the emperors and to God the things that are God’s.

He answers their test in such way that they lose their trap. He speaks the truth, with wisdom and authority. And yet this is not what they wanted. They didn’t want Jesus to speak the truth and give them a good answer that they can trust. They wanted him trapped.

Yes pay the tax and the Pharisees could rise up against him leading the people of the crowds of the villages and towns, saying see he is a sell out to Rome. He is not your friend. He follows the emperor and is a puppet of the oppressive government.

But if he said No don’t pay the tax the Herodians could have risen up and called for the Guard declaring him a insurrections, calling for rebellion, that he speaks against the emperor. They could have inprisoned him or even force them to kill him for treason.

But Jesus simply looks at the coin, holds it up and says give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s. Which one is truth, which one is lawful. And the answer is both. God gives us order and government, to provide help. We are to support our earthly needs, work together to help each other. When there are hurricanes, fires, and floods, we are to have a good government that can do what we as individuals can not, that can come in with supplies, and help. That can protect and keep order, that can raise up the needs that slip through the cracks otherwise. We live with one foot in the world.

But yet Jesus also says we are to give to God what is God’s, and that is that we know God is due much more that this earthly things, but our praise and devotion for out eternal souls. To give God respect and honor, to love the Lord with our whole heart and our whole being. To receive his gifts and use them to the best of our ability.

Yes Ceasar can stamp his face on the coin of metal, but God is the one who creates the metal and ore, and minerals to form that coin, to give us the knowledge of metal work, to give the talent to make images and artwork such as coins. To give us the wisdom to have good order and government.

The question still persists just like that little boy, which one do we choose. Who do we look toward to trust and follow? Let us, being in this world, and yet still look to God and give God his due.

Amen.

May the peace and Grace of God be with you this day and throughout the week to come. AMEN.