Today, we hear Jesus stuck between rock and a hard place, rhetorically. Two unlikely sides joined to pose a question. The audience gathered hoped to entrap this up and coming Jewish leader. They hoped that when they asked Jesus about taxes, that his having to choose one side or the other would land Jesus in trouble. Would Jesus anger the oppressed Jewish Palestinians by complying with the empire and emperor? Jewish law dictated an expression of monotheism which had no room for Caesar as a God. But Caesar was not simply a leader who expected taxes. He was named as a divine ruler, his figure etched on the coin in question. Jesus faced a reality in which obeying Caesar’s call for taxes, which was the law, challenged Jewish beliefs. Jewish people were specifically put in the situation to admit Caesar’s divinity This included their being taxed a specific coin, to be paid by Jewish Palestinians. This was one way in which Caesar kept a stranglehold of control, and insisted on belittling the Roman colony of Palestine. Admitting that taxes were the law, and an obligation for all, was a challenge to those who upheld Jewish law. The other response Jesus’ opponents imagined he could share was a denial of empire. To deny taxes brought possible charges of sedition. So would Jesus align himself with empire, or endanger himself with civil disobedience? In the context of the time, Jesus was in a catch 22, and I imagine that the crowd would have waited with baited breath. Instead of choosing a side, Jesus called into question what belongs to Caesar, and what belongs to God. Humans, made in the image of God, and all of creation are God’s, after all.
Christ followers, whether Jesus’ contemporaries or today’s Christians, are thus invited to consider how much to invest in our governments, what we support and what we call into question. Jesus avoided calling directly for an uprising, but he does call into question nations or states that consider ourselves especially blessed by God. He challenges attitudes that wealth is evidence of divine favour. This passage centers around considerations of the right relation between obedience to the state and obedience to God. Rather than choose a side or risk further danger by maligning those in power or those he preached to, Jesus gave a simpler answer than anticipated, which opens up the dialogue for a more complex conversation, and consideration of allegiances. While our taxes are generally accepted as avenues to support the army and government, paying taxes to a force that occupies your home comes with a conflicting call for a dual allegiance. How can we pledge allegiance to a government, when laws contradict our beliefs? These obligations were distilled by Jesus; the word we have here translated as “render” would have carried further meaning to “give what is due by obligation.” This nuance is vital to our understanding of Christ’s teachings. Jesus places believers in the position of having to balance our responsibilities as citizens of both an earthly and spiritual realm. The demands of a Christian conscience have always been central to Christian teachings, and today as always, we are called to consider what belongs to the government, and what belongs to God. I noticed an absence in the text this week. There is nothing about what belongs to us, the followers of Christ, in this equation. Believing that Creation is ours to do with as we please is a dangerous assumption, whereas seeking right relations with creation itself opens a very different path of conversation. As we worry about what we own and who owns which parts of creation, the test put to Jesus is worthy of consideration. Our government is represented on our money, the coin in question bearing the Queen’s image, much like it once did Caesar. But God is reflected everywhere else in creation. And so, what can we rightfully give to our king and country, and what can we give to our Spiritual king?
Jesus’ instruction to follow the laws of our country calls into question what we might do when our civil laws contrast with our spiritual and religious laws and beliefs. We tend to look for ourselves in the mirror, or in the world of commerce around us. Our identities can be formed as consumers. But what of a deeper inscription of who we are, each and every one of us marked by God as beloved children? When we begin to see the image that God sees, we can see much more deeply beyond material wealth, and move towards a spiritual wealth which overflows, and requires no financial obligation. As we consider our own gifts and how we reflect God, I encourage us to give back to God what is not ours to keep, including financial worry and social capital, and give with glad hearts to an investment whose return is beyond our imagination. Creation is an example of how God’s work is always ongoing. We sing our praises to God. Our prayers are known as liturgy, which translates to “The Work of the People.” The worship service we attend to each week is just that - service to God. The virtuous cycle of energy, from the invigorating energy from God and the proactive praise from humanity to God, is energizing1. Alongside the monetary offering we give as we are able, we offer ourselves in service to God. We are committed to God’s reign, which has already begun, but has yet to be completed2. Each of us are active players in our relationship with God and God’s creation. God is the audience for our worship. The psalmist paints a joyful canvas of jubilant creation. But remember, neither the psalmist nor any one of us sing God’s praises as a solo act. We are in relationship with God, with all God’s beloved children, and all of Creation. The whole of creation join in a joyful song of redemption3. This is the message of our Psalm this morning.
Both of this morning’s readings direct us into a personal relationship with God. But we are never alone in this connection. Jesus invites us into individual considerations of our roles and responsibilities to the different kin-doms we are called to support. I hope we can continue conversation and consideration about our personal responses and calls as we gather for coffee, and I look forward to great returns from our investments of discernment and lives lived in love and faith.
Amen