Defining the Struggle
David C. Myers
October 26, 2008
Matthew 22:15 - 22
Text: "Jesus was aware of their evil intent and said to them, 'You hypocrites! Why are you trying to put Me to the test?" . . . Mt:22:18f
I vividly remember my first class with the late Dr. Harrell Beck in Seminary. The class was Old Testament Theology. At the very first lecture he began by saying that the issue wasn't if you had a theology, rather the issue is "what is your theology?" As he explained, the issue isn't whether or not you believe, the issue is in what or Who you believe. Likewise, the issue isn't whether or not you follow God, the real issue is which God or god (spelled with a small "g").
Today's story from Matthew's Gospel focuses us on that struggle - do we give allegiance to God (with a capital "G") as revealed in the sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments, or the god (small g") of society, as symbolized by Caesar in the Gospel reading today.
One of the difficult things about this passage is that people in today's times so take for granted paying taxes that we miss the point of what is behind Jesus' teaching. It's not paying taxes. For, if we look closely we will see that Jesus is drawing our attention to the more important question, "What should you render to God?" - which, when carried out to the logical conclusion really is an issue of which G(g)od do you worship. At least that's how I understand this lesson. And, if I'm at all successful in communication this morning, perhaps we'll all see that this lesson has more implication for us than our moanings about the IRS. It even has to do with the primacy of faith reflected in the Reformation which we celebrate this day as Reformation Sunday.
To set the scene, the Pharisees are trying - once again - to trap Jesus. So they sent some of their disciples and enlisted some Herodians to confront Jesus.
Well, it's time to attempt to be creative. I have asked an Oscar award winning cast of CCUMC characters to help act out the drama as it unfolds - with a bit of help from a narrator - that would be me.
Narrator: As you can see we have two disciples of the Pharisees (the upholders of the religious law) and two Herodians, who represent the oppressive Roman government to ask him a question about paying taxes. If Jesus favors taxes the Herodians would be happy and the Pharisees could claim Jesus wasn't upholding the law. If Jesus says "No" to taxes Jesus the Herodians would be unhappy. The Pharisees thought this would be a "no-lose" situation.
Pharisee: (said with your best "suck-up" attitude) "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth."
Herodians: (also trying to "suck-up" to Jesus) "You show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality."
Jesus: (getting impatient with the set-up and the effusive praise)
Pharisee: (said with confidence that you really have put Jesus in a trap that He can't get out of) "Tell us, then what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" Jesus: (said with disdain and anger) "Why are you putting Me to the test, you hypocrites!?! Show me the coin used for the tax." Herodians: (look on in disbelief at Jesus' bravado in the face of the Pharisees)
Pharisees: (fumble around their robes or pockets and pull out a coin)
Herodians: (cast aspersions on the Pharisees)
Narrator: The Herodians are astounded at what is taking place and they begin to think out loud, . . .
Herodians: "Ummmm. . . why do these supposedly pure religious folk even have coins?"
Jesus: (to the Pharisees) "Whose head is this, and whose title?"
Pharisee: "The emperor's."
Jesus: (to the Pharisees) "Give, therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."
Pharisees and Herodians: (amazed, wondering what just happened and turn and go away)
This particular union of delegations is a strange one - but one designed to put Jesus in a no-win situation. The Pharisees smarted under Roman taxes and other such intrusions into Jewish life. Church and State were, for them, one - and no taxes should be paid to this foreign government.
The Herodians, however, supported the Rome-endorsed Herod dynasty and, therefore, also supported the tax. The delegation represents both the "Yes" and the "No" response on the tax issue; Jesus will surely displease someone in His answer.
"Well, teacher, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
A tricky confrontation? Yes, but much, much, much more than that. And Jesus saw it all.
1.) First there is the reminder of remembering who you are. When Jesus said the words, "Whose image is inscribed on this coin?" the Pharisees would have immediately recognized another level of significance to the term. From childhood they had learned they were created in the image of God. One of the ten commandments is, "You will have no other graven image before Me." No more even needed to be said. If Caesar's image on the coin denoted Caesar's ownership and the bearer's stewardship of the coin.
God's image stamped on us suggests our value, our identity, and God's ownership. (By the way, did you wonder why our own coins have both a president's likeness and the words "In God we trust")?
2. ) Secondly, with the issue of identity now firmly in the minds of the Pharisees, now Jesus turns to the fundamental struggle at hand - which God (capitol "G") or god (small "g") do you serve?
Matthew was quite careful to use specific words describing the confrontation. In verse 18 we are told that Jesus was aware of "their evil intent". Biblical scholars tell us that it is the same grammatical form used in the Lord's Prayer where it says, "Deliver us from evil." Also, in the next verse, Jesus asks the Pharisees, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to put Me to the test?", which could also be translated into the same temptation referred to both in the Lord's Prayer and also in the Wilderness Temptation.
There is a clue here. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites, and then asked those same Pharisees to withdraw a coin from their own pocket. On that coin was whose image? Caesar's. Have you ever seen a Roman coin? Such a coin would picture Caesar decked out as a god, with the inscription, "Caesar: King and son of God." For the Pharisees to carry coins with Caesar's image violates not only two - but the first two of the sacred Ten Commandments of Moses at once - "you shall have no other gods before me" and "you shall not make for yourself an idol - the King James says, 'thou shalt not make a graven image' - and worship them."
Well, the upshot of this is that what Jesus is encountering is much more than a game of wits with the Herodians and the Pharisees. Jesus understands that He is being confronted by the fundamental struggle between good and evil - do we give our allegiance to the One in Whose image we are created, the source of all good; or do we give our allegiance to a lesser god - a graven image, Caesar's image - whose characteristics were to oppress and rule people.
As we dig deeper in the story we begin to learn about the nature of the struggle between the one true God and the many idolatrous "gods" of society; between God's realm and the temptation of evil. Even in this isolated case, the temptation of evil comes disguised in at least three ways: 1.) as religious leaders - the Pharisees; or, 2.) from those who support the state - the Herodians; or 3.) even by deception. This is especially true, for if you notice, both groups begin by flattering Jesus - "Teacher, we know that You are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth"; and "You show deference to no one; for You do not regard people with partiality."
The test of temptation comes before us constantly and assumes many disguises.
This is not a story just to show how clever Jesus was in the face of tricky opponents. In Matthew's world, Caesar was still Caesar, the tax was still due, and the Christians were still struggling with the place of Caesar - and all that Caesar stands for - if, indeed they were to be loyal to the God of their faith.
The struggle still exists today - at least in our churches.
What's worse, Jesus never resolves the issue. Rather, He simply defines the nature of the struggle. Discerning what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God is, for Jesus, a test, or a temptation. The struggle remains for all of us. Whether or not we yield to the temptation is up to us.
We struggle on a national level especially in an election year. What about taxation; and who really pays the cost? What happens to Medicare; health insurance, education? What happens to those living in poverty? What happens to our environment? Is slots an answer to solving a states fiscal needs, or does it prey on those who can least afford it? I am only framing the questions, you provide the answers, and your answers, I would like to suggest, come from your most basic beliefs about faith.
On a cultural level, we struggle with issues of lifestyle. On a personal basis we are in the midst of a daily struggle when we make decisions about how we will spend our time and money in the tension between the call of our faith and the lure of society.
Martin Luther defined the struggle nearly 500 years ago when the Reformation of the church began. Would the teachings of the Bible be available to all, or only to a privileged few of church leaders - much like the Pharisees of Jesus' time. Martin Luther made it available to all by translating the Bible into the native tongue of his country - Germany.
Martin Luther King defined the struggle for us with respect to institutional racism. Martin Luther King got his vision from the Old Testament prophets. The struggle he defined was whether or not we would work for an inclusive society. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived trying to make our society open to all people, equally accessible regardless of race or faith. Would we live in a society where "every hill and mountain are made low, where the valleys are lifted up, the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."
Our struggle is even defined as we consider the Stewardship campaign and the pledges we will make to support the church. Is our giving going to be based on what we think the church budget will be? Is it going to be based on what we have "left-over" after all our bills and "needs" are taken care of? These are conventional, societal ways of giving to the church. Or is our giving going to be based on our faith and the depth of our spirituality? Will it be based on what God promises when God spoke to the prophet Malachi, "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and thus put me to the test; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing." (Malachi 3:10)
For people of faith, we have to decide in Whose image we believe, and believe in such a manner that it determines our actions. Whose image is inscribed on our hearts and minds - God's or Caesar's?
Well, often when we come to church we want a sermon that reveals God's Good News. The problem the preacher has is that if she or he is true to the Biblical text is that it isn't always good news, at least as we would like to be comforted. But I believe that ultimately what Jesus did for us - define our struggle and focus our choices - does bring Good News to us; and to those with whom we share this walk of life.
To be sure, it's hard to be a faithful people in the face of all the temptations and all the beliefs of society. It is so easy to go along with the appealing attractiveness of society. And going along is much less risky than standing alone.
So Jesus defines the struggle for us, knowing that while we may have the support of a community of faith, in the final analysis we are left alone to make a decision as to which God we will serve. And since we know the end of Jesus' story we know that in His struggle with faces of evil's temptation - church and state conspiring against Him - He was alone.
One can hardly imagine a heavier demand: called upon to obey God, not simply in the face of political wrath but without the support of the community of faith. And yet, so often, that is the challenge of our day.
Particularly in our own country, in our own culture; as we shall see (and please forgive me if you have heard this story before):
About 25 years ago, Bishop Emilio de Carvalho, United Methodist Bishop of Western Angola visited the United States. At a speaking engagement in Evanston, Illinois, a person asked him what it is like to be a Christian in a Marxist country, "Is the Marxist government supportive of the church?" "No," the bishop responded, "but we don't ask it to be supportive."
"Have there been any tensions?" "Yes," said the bishop. "Not long ago the government decreed that we would disband all women's organizations in the church."
"What did you do?"
"Oh, the women kept meeting. The government is not yet strong enough to do much about it."
But what will you do when the government becomes stronger?"
"Well," he said, "we shall keep meeting. The government does what it needs to do. The church does what it needs to do. If we go to jail for being the church, we shall go to jail. Jail is a wonderful place for Christian evangelism. Our church made some of its most dramatic gains during the revolution when so many of us were in jail. In jail, you have everyone in there, in one place. You have time to preach and teach. Sure, 20 of our united Methodist pastors were killed during the revolution, but we came out of jail a much larger and stronger church."
And, as if seeing the drift of the questions, Bishop de Carvalho added, "Don't worry about the church in Angola. God is doing fine by us."
"Frankly I would find it much more difficult being a pastor in Evanston, Illinois. Here, there is so much, so many things, it must be real hard to be a church here."
Jesus said, "Whose image is this, and Whose inscription?"
May you know Whose you are and who you are. With that understood, there is Good News!