Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
Matthew 22 is our text. And it starts with a fascinating, ironic seeing Pharisees and Herodians working together. How did that happen? Guys from political parties in opposite spectrums, theological enemies are joining forces, the Herodians word the supporters of the Roman Empire, the Pharisees were a strong opposition to Rome. Then these guys hate each other. They see pretty much everything in religion and society from different perspectives. But here, there's theming. Together, what is making them to do that? They want to put an end in Jesus, they came up with a meal trap. Jesus enemies, they have been trying through other questions before and they will try again, in the sequence. But now, the trap is about politics. They wanted to know what side is Jesus? And what's your favorite political position? Jesus? What's your ideology? I don't even need to say to you how controversial this conversation was.
And still is today?
How much this subject leaves people on the edge? In preaching about it is not easy. I wish I had a different text. I really do. I will proceed cautious than trying to explain what's going on here. There are two main points, if you will, there is a question. And there is an answer. Let's work through this structure. The question, it is right, to pay taxes to Caesar. Have you ever thought about it? What's behind this? What kind of question is this? What they really wanted to know? What is the trap behind the question? Now, one thing that helps us to understand is to see what kind of taxes they are talking about here. Because there were a lot of taxes back then. And the question is about one in a specific, the Imperial tax in the amount of money wasn't too high. But it was symbolic. It was the text paid to Rome, to have the benefit of being a colony. He was the text Rome charge every year to the places that they control. It was like we conquer you. But we will not kill you. We will not destroy everything in everyone. But that's gonna cost you IR B. We know from the history that when this tax was imposed by Rome, to Judea into that area, there was a big insurrection led by a guy called Judas Galilean. You and he did three things. He called everyone not to pay the tax. Second, He cleansed the temple of traders. And three, he said, From now on, we will only obey elap God to be our king will begin the kingdom of God. What happened to him? He was captured. It executed 25 years earlier than this story. And now what's happening? Here comes a guy Jesus. And he comes speaking about the Kingdom of God. Teaching throughout the country that the kingdom of God has arrived second, he cleans the temple. He expels the merchants and he caught the attention. People are intriguing what's happening here. We will have a new insurrection. A lot of people thought so. But there was one thing missing. He talks about the kingdom. He cleaned the temple. What was missing to characterize the revolution of 25 years ago? Yep. Call for a tax boycott. You see, the question goes deeper than just caught in Jesus to one side or the other. It's not just about attacking Jesus popularity. The question behind it is right to pay taxes to Caesars is Jesus? Are you a new revolutionary? In here's the trap. If Jesus says, No, don't pay tax, he will be calling for a revolt just like Judas did 25 years ago, he would be given the green light to the Jews to begin an armed revolution. And the Herodians would immediately report him to the authorities with a supposedly legitimate accusation. And the rebellion will be a nickel plated. And perhaps Jesus would be killed or arrested, before fulfilling his mission in Jesus would become none as only a political martyr, a second Judas Galilean, his work would have been this one more who rose again, the Empire. Now, if Jesus says yes, just go and pay the tax, then everyone who heard him teaching about the Kingdom of God wouldn't conclude his talk was just baloney. Why? Because Jesus could not talk in the first century about a kingdom of God, from a purely spiritual point of view, like something private, avoiding any social or political implication. Why is that? It is kind of difficult for us to understand, because in a way, we're all fruit of the Enlightenment. John Locke and Immanuel Kant, people who a few centuries ago, began to defend the thesis that religion and spirituality are matters of private life. That we should read the Bible, pray, come to church, thinking that Christ only wants to live inside here. He just wants to forgive us and take us to the heaven someday, that our faith in Jesus only serves to calm our consciences or to deal with feelings in has nothing to do with our everyday life, our social and relational life, our professional and political life and public life. When, when that's the case, we don't understand the trap Jesus was in for some today, it kind of would be completely okay for Jesus to say just, you know, I brought the kingdom of God to you come to church on Sunday, in whatever you do with the rest of your week, with your ethical decisions, with your priorities, with your relationships, with your multiple colleagues in your vocations with your money, none of that matters to God, keep God only in your heart, pray from time to time in whatever you do with the rest of your life is up to you. I am not sure if you are tempted to feel that way to think like that. The problem is that if Jesus said in the first century to that people who clung to promises and callings of a kingdom of God, they were much more real and concrete than just God in my heart. If Jesus said that to them, they would see the disconnection between him in the Old Testament and between him and himself in his words, because when he showed up and preached his first sermon, he said, I am the one who Isaiah has announced it. I am the one who came down from heaven to preach the good Gospel to the poor, to bring freedom to the captives, to give food to the, to the hungry, to be the God of the widows and the orphans to heal the sick. Do we understand? If Jesus who have been announcing the kingdom of God, if He now just says it is, it is right to pay taxes to says it? Oh, yeah, sure. Oh, stop doing, keep your heads down. Just pay the tax without any questioning. Keep God in your heart and be satisfied to be a law abiding citizen, enjoying your inner peace. If Jesus said that His followers wouldn't live him. Because this preaching don't match the kingdom of God. The God promise, he would lose credibility. And if he says Don't, don't pay it, don't pay a Texas QB hunt by Rome, and becomes a political prisoner, just like that. That is the drama behind the question. Are you? Or are you not the Messiah? Who will bring the to kingdom of God? That was the question. Let's work on the answer. Now. This is the situation in which Christ finds himself in his response is incredible. Interesting. When politics
when politicians in general, when they hear a controversial question, a question for which there was no prior narrative construction, no rehearsal with the team of advisors. What do they do? They avoid, right? They don't respond. They change focus, and we are disappointed, because we're expecting an answer. But Jesus, trappers were not disappointed. On the contrary, after Jesus entered, they marveled because not only Jesus did not avoid answering, but he said something that was so profound in the wreck in clear at the same time, render to Caesars the things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things there are gods in this answer, just like the question has more elements than we might notice, at first glance, and the best way to analyze is to think about this answer. And notice what Jesus is rejecting, with that answer. What is he benign? With those words, Jesus was cornered. He heard a question in now, in response, he will refuse a couple of things. First, with his answers, Jesus rejects a simplistic point of view, about politics and culture in our life in the world. The question is quite obvious. They wanted a simple answer, yes or no. To pay, you're not to pay one side or the other. Which party? Are you in? Are you going to join the Herodians, supporting Rome? Or the Pharisees against Rome? And in that sense, Jesus answer is disappointing. Because the answer give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God that things are God's to that question about our relationship to the state, our relationship to the Empire, our relationship to the politics, our relationship to the Texas was not a yes or no answer. But yes, no. It's not this or that. But this, in that both M. Jesus gives notice a balanced answer of nuances. On the one hand, he resisted what is on the court. On the other hand, he accepted. They wanted to know which side Jesus is, whether he's right or left in he refuses to see the situation in those terms.
He resists simplistic politics Next,
he resists polarized politics, we could say, the Gospel may not fit 100% into this, for that agenda, an implication
for us about this,
we should today, be careful to co opt Jesus into the agenda of one side, we can surely say, this value. This proposal seems to be in tune with the principles and values of God and Jesus in the gospel. But we should be cautious on saying, Jesus is on my side. I stand on the platform of Jesus. Anyone who does not vote like I do. I don't consider a Christian. I don't know. Jesus is inviting us with his answer to see the complexity of some things, to resist the temptation of oversimplify social and cultural and political matters. That's the first point of Jesus, he's refusing that simplistic answer to every question. Some questions. Sure. There is a yes or no. But not every question. Remember, brothers and sisters, the gift of the Holy Spirit, which one pastor, the gift of moderation, exercise moderation, on conversations about stuff happening in the world? Because sometimes they are not simple. Because maybe sometimes our brothers or our friends or our family members, maybe the little ones in faith, we're starting to walk with Jesus. Maybe they need patient, maybe they need a fraternal conversation, maybe because they don't know a lot of things yet, maybe because we may be wrong in this question, that's why Jesus is teaching first of all, humility, and moderation in these things. Don't be a mother zealot, how the zealot resolves their questions, they count, they cancel. They explore things. We don't need to be on the fence. We don't need to be always in a central position. Not necessarily. We can have our strong opinions about things. But whatever you find yourself, find yourself using moderation. Second thing on Jesus response, he resists both political admission and political idolatry. How so? I explained the details on the text, don't lose that. Jesus begin his answer asking for something. You see it. He asked for what a particularly coin to pay that specific Imperial text. It was a denarius. We know that currency. There are some examples in museums around the world. They are silver, and they have an icon printed in them. And Jesus then asks, Who is imaging is on the denarius? You have the emoji. And the scription, Jesus asked for the inscription to Tiberius Caesar, Son of God, Augustus, maximum pontiff, high priest. Jesus takes out a coin that says that the Roman Emperor is king, Son of God, in high priest. Jesus asks for this coin, and he's asked about the image and says, Give it to him. What's his pay him taxes? Not necessarily. It's not what he's saying. He said, Give to him. What his kids and to God, what is God's? Well, what is or what was Caesar's, so to speak. That which has his image, which is coins. There he is. They were minted from his wealth. Give Caesar whatever has his image printed on it. And we're talking about coins. We're talking about money. Now, give to God Whatever has his
image printed in it,and what has God's image printed in it? You
to Caesar the coin to God, all of it yourself entirely. It's Jesus way of saying, pay the tax, okay? Now, total commitment, total Alliance, your entire life, no way that belongs to God and only God. Until that time, Jesus in one way or the other by force, or rhetorically all human governments had asserted that they were representing God on earth, that they have divine authority to be unquestionable, God chose us we are Gods every empire said that. And therefore we have the authority. No one can speak against us. No one can stand against us. Jesus is saying No way. Don't you dare to give to Caesar or any other ruler, this kind of covenant, give him the things with his image imprinted on it, give him the coin. But don't give you your wedding ring. Don't idolize
your ruler.
Another detail the verb Jesus used. They asked if they should pay. Caesar, the verb to pay is to give a gift. Jesus respond with another verb, a slightly different meaning. Jesus talks about not giving a gift but giving something back, giving back what whatever he gives to you. It's giving good government, give it back. If the government is unfair, resist, go to the streets, go to the polls, open your mouth vote reported in the proper way, of course, but call out the government when they are doing something wrong. Make no mistake, there is something you can and should give to Caesar. That scenarios there is political involvement, participation, contribution, but we cannot give him the same things if he exceeds his limit and becomes a beast of the revelation. If he ultimately is demands towards our total Alliance. Are uncritical support, there are situations we have the responsibility to stand against it. become a citizen of the kingdom of God has this political social involvement in the sense, as sinners, we're all part of the problem. But as Christians, we are all part of the solution. We don't want to be an zealot who is revolting. But we don't want to be an s sin. Don't run to the desert running away from the problem and leaving everything behind. Let's not become a lineated or distracted by things. But find out where is our place, our vocation, that God has placed us with our gifts and responsibilities and experiences in society. So we cannot say that Jesus was a political agitator. If he was one, he would have taken the advantage of that opportunity and call for rebellion. But we cannot say that Jesus advocates for a completely spiritual kingdom without any political social engagement without any participation or criticism, because by publicly declaring that no one should give Caesar His covenant. In his idolatry. Jesus is declaring that the government it's not supposed to be our God in so we can question if the government needs to be questioned, but we can and should support if the government needs our support. With this answer gives to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's Jesus was saying, on the one hand, I am not a politician. On the other hand, I'm credible, engaged in the life of the world. On the one hand, I don't have a government platform, at least not a detailed one. On the other hand, I do have a kingdom platform, because I am a king, not a king, like all of the other kings. Because my kingdom is dealing with the real poverty, with the real suffering, with the real injustice and the real disease with real conflict with real evil. I will bring peace and reconciliation with God, with others and with yourself. Life, abundant life, real, eternal life. There were two kings in this story, a king without a coin. In on the coin, another king. One had all the coins in the world, both claimed to be the Son of God, the high priest, the savior of humanity. But look how different they are. One King Caesar is doing his thing through conquest and colonization, and killing and by force. The other King, Jesus, do not conquer, do not colonize. He converts by love. And this one, Jesus, thy kingdom doesn't come to replace Caesar. He says, I am better than Caesar. I am different. My work is to solve yours and the world's problems, one by one, each in their own time. And I'm going to start by solving the biggest problem of all, the monster that lives inside all of you. Your sin. And I will do that. Not with a sword, nor with power, nor with the crease. I will do it with a sacrifice with a donation. My life, my blood in ransom from all of you. I will die for you. Without any coin, without any penny. Without a political party supporting me. Without a legion of fans supporting me. I will die empty, naked, totally offered to you. A king without a coin. A king who came to give, to serve to wash feet to die for us. That's your king.
That's our King. Give to him. What is yes, he deserves it.
It's not a coin. Amen.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai