Matthew 22:15-22
If you’re a planner and a calendar person you already know that Tax Day is just a shade under six months from today.
- Regardless…the taxman cometh and there’s really nothing you can do about it.
- Or you could revolt against taxes.
- There is a long history of that.
- Our nation was founded in part because of taxation without representation…
- Like the Stamp Act (1765) and the Tax Act (1773) …which culminated in the Boston Tea Party.
- And in England in 1215…King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta…which…among other provisions…stopped arbitrary tax levies.
The earliest history of taxes goes back about 5,000 years to ancient Egypt.
- And the Roman Emperor Augustus started a direct system of taxation around 9 BC.
- Nobody likes taxes unless they’re on the receiving end!
- The Lord be with you…
It is little wonder then…as Jesus’ fame spread following his public entry into Jerusalem…
- That the Pharisees and the Herodians (those who supported King Herod) …realizing Jesus’ popularity was on the rise…
- Decided to challenge him in the form of a tax question.
These religious leaders considered Jesus a nuisance.
- They perceived him as a threat to their religious and political power…and their way of life.
- The Pharisees would have had him arrested…but they did not because of his popularity.
- They needed a way to diminish his standing with the masses…so…they came up with a plan.
Matthew tells us how the trap was laid.
- The Pharisees and the Herodians praised Jesus saying:
- Teacher…we know that you are sincere…and teach the way of God in accordance with truth…and show deference to no one…for you do not regard people with partiality.
- Everything they said was true…they may even have believed it…who knows?
But they had a hook in their next question:
- Tell us…then…what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
- They thought they had Jesus cornered.
- If he said the taxes were lawful…he would give offense to the listeners who hated the empire’s messing in their lives.
- If…however…he spoke against the tax…it would not take long for Jesus’ words to reach those in charge.
- He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t…they thought.
- And remember…that Jesus was known for telling the truth.
- He cannot wriggle out of this…they thought.
But Jesus perceived their intentions.
- Why are you putting me to the test…you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.
- Seeing the denarius they produced…Jesus said to them:
- Whose head is this and whose title?
- Ceasar’s…they answered.
Jesus responded: Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.
- Amazed at his answer…and having nothing to say…his opponents withdrew.
The religious leaders thought they had a trap that would put Jesus in their grasp.
- But of course…he quickly turned the tables on them.
- Jesus reframed the question.
- It was no longer about whose side he was on.
- Now the question was about where one’s ultimate allegiance lay.
- The tax was a silver coin…but the debt we owe to God is our entire being.
Jesus had to ask for a coin of the realm to use as an example.
- We know that Judas carried the purse for the group traveling with Jesus.
- Did Jesus even carry any coins with him?
- His questioners…though…had no trouble coming up with the coin.
- And the coin bore the image of Caesar.
- And Jesus’ logic was perfect: Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…
The religious leaders were thinking…a-ha…
- He’s about to fall into our trap!
- But instead…Jesus appealed to their own knowledge of the scriptures…
- And give to God the things that are God’s.
- You see…Jesus looked at the coin and thought…Are they really trying to compare money to a life fully devoted to my Father?
By comparing the things that are Caesar’s with the things that are God’s…
- Jesus was implying that everything is ultimately God’s.
- Or…to put it another way…we render some things to Caesar because we live in this world for a time…
- But we render all things to God because we belong to him for eternity.
A coin made in Caesar’s image belongs to Caesar.
- A person made in God’s image belongs to God.
- So…God created humans in his image…
- In the image of God…he created them…male and female he created them…Genesis tells us.
- If then…we belong to God…what are the consequences of belonging to him?
- For the LORD will not forsake his people…he will not abandon his heritage.
- I will never leave you or forsake you.
- We belong to God.
- What does God want from us?
- All that we are.
- And in return we walk through life with our loving God.
But sometimes we live as if none of this is true.
- It’s often not intentional.
- We get busy with life…work…family…marriage…bills…vacations…friends…health issues…neighbors…car troubles…highs and lows of life.
- It is easy to get wrapped up in the stuff of physical existence and forget about God.
When our taxes come due…we pay them.
- If we don’t…we get reminders and penalties and worse.
- So…we pay them.
- Ditto for our bills…Ditto for our obligations to other people.
But God doesn’t send us statements…and God doesn’t tax us.
- When life is going great…or when life is so bad we can hardly see straight…
- We forget what it means to belong to God…and what do we do?
- We give to Caesar…because we must…
- But we live like hoarders with God.
- We profess our faithfulness to God…but we live with God as an afterthought.
- Well…one thing leads to another and before we know it…we are figuring we can get by without God in our lives.
Life changes…though…doesn’t it?
- When we get used to everything going so well without depending on God…
- Something happens to humble us.
- Our peaceful life comes crashing down.
- Jobs end unexpectedly…health needs appear…relationships sour…families break up…you know the drill.
- These things or any of a thousand other unexpected…bad things happen.
And suddenly we remember we have moved away from the God who loves us and calls us to be part of his family.
- At that moment…we can turn around and remember who we really belong to.
- We spiritually sober up.
- I am the first of all life-gets-in-the-way-aholics!
- So…I remember…
- I belong to God…we belong to God.