Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's- Matt 22
The Herodians were a faction at the time that was loyal to King Herod and they wanted to play nice with Rome. King Herod embarked on numerous impressive building projects, which included building cities for the pagan population living in the area. Herod even erected a golden eagle at the entrance of the temple, which was a symbol of Rome’s dominion. He also spent lavishly on gifts for Roman officials. The Herodians embraced this as the practical way to live with Rome.
King Herod did not impress the rest of the Jewish population. Erecting pagan buildings in the Holy Land was not making him any friends among his own Jewish people. Neither was placing a golden Roman eagle at the entrance of the temple. The Pharisees, along with others, were very critical of Herod for many reasons.
The issue of paying taxes to the Roman Empire was one of those lightning rod issues of the day. If you wanted to start a fight, you started talking about that issue. For us those issues would be issues like abortion, medically assisted death, same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and in Alberta’s economy we could talk about oil pipelines, fracking, the oil sands, and maybe vegetarianism. The way you answered put you on one side or the other.
Those who are asking know very well that this question puts Jesus in a difficult spot. If Jesus says, “no, it is not lawful to pay taxes to Caesar”, then Jesus seems to be siding with the revolutionaries- the violent zealots. It was precisely this issue that resulted in a revolt by Judas the Galilean when Jesus was just a little boy. The revolt was violently put down and those who were part of that revolt lost their lives on crosses. … If Jesus rejected paying taxes to Caesar, the Herodians would make sure King Herod heard about it and Jesus would then be seen as dangerous to the stability of the region. That answer would probably bring Jesus favor with the people. Though, his life would be in danger.
On the other hand, if Jesus says, “Yes, it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar”, then Jesus will seem to be a traitor to the people. He is siding with the oppressive Roman forces. It would be like a Palestinian saying they should accept new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
It is a very binary trap. Pick A or B. … Either way they get Jesus in trouble. Either he’s in trouble with the political powers of the day as a rebel, or the people reject him as a prophet and teacher. So what is Jesus going to do?
First of all, Jesus knows that they are trying to trap him, and he lets them know.
Then, he asks for a coin used to pay the tax, and they give him a denarius. Jesus then asks whose image and inscription is on the coin. They reply that it was Caesar’s image and inscription.
The coin itself is interesting, and it’s important to note that Jesus doesn’t have one of these coins on him. And it is also important to note that they are in the temple courts. Caesar Tiberius would have been the face on the coin. A graven image like the face of Caesar would have been a violation of the law, especially in the temple courts. … Then, we look at the inscription which reads “Tiberius Caesar, son of divine Augustus”, which implied that Tiberius is claiming some kind of divinity, since his father is divine. …. Another inscription read, “pontifex maximus” and meant that Caesar was the high priest and highest religious figure in the empire.[1]
To have something like that on the grounds of the temple would have sickened most Jewish people. After considering the image and inscription on the coin, it would have looked like a dead rat to them. They would have probably felt uncomfortable touching it, and they definitely wouldn’t want it on the temple grounds. Having such a coin, not to mention valuing it, brings them dangerously close to violating the Law.
The implied question back to them is, “why do you have such a thing with you?” “Why do you value such a blasphemous thing?” … The Emperor controlled the production of gold and silver coins in the empire, and they were officially his property. So Jesus says, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's”. Give Caesar back that filthy thing. Why would you want to hold onto it? …
The second part of Jesus’ answer is important. “Render to God the things that are God’s”. Caesar’s image was imprinted on the coin. … But, we are made in God’s image according to Genesis 1:27, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Like the coin, we bear an image- God’s image.
“Enough about Caesar”, Jesus implies. “What do we owe God?” … Our whole selves. If God is our Creator, Sustainer, Saviour, and Sanctifier, then how can we owe God any less than all of us. … And that is much more demanding than the taxes Caesar asks.
What does it mean to give God ourselves? It means that there is no part of our life that stands outside of God’s loving rule. If we truly call God “Lord” then there can’t be any part of our life where God doesn’t have the final word. … God guides our ethics. God guides our politics. God guides our relationships. God guides our parenting. God guides our driving. God guides us in our spending. God guides us in how we spend our free time. … There is no part of our life that is off limits to God.
St. Paul says it this way, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers [and sisters] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:1-2). … The life we are asked to live as Christians is a life of extreme dedication- so extreme that it looks like a living sacrifice. To be a living sacrifice means we give ourselves over to God again every morning.
Ultimately, this demanding call is not a call to drudgery. It is a call to joy. God calls us to this because He knows that this is where our joy will be fulfilled. As St. Augustine said to God, “Our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you”. And as the 2nd century St. Irenaeus said, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive”. What God desires is for his image imbedded in us to shine brightly into the world. And, while it is a demanding call, it is also a call to a life marked by deep and profound joy.
[1] Matthew, Ben Witherington lll, Smyth
& Helwys Bible Commentary, p412
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