"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods." If only we could offer such witty comebacks! What a great way to open up a stewardship sermon! It practically preaches itself. I also admire how easily Jesus offers a rather extraordinary lesson without really answering their question the way that it was asked. Jesus has been challenging the religious authorities and leaders of the people. He has stumped them with questions and he has told parables that don’t show much respect for the leaders. They are becoming worried that their status is being undermined. They start to work together to trap Jesus. They want to make him say something unpopular or difficult – as if they were making points during a debate.
The question they pose has to do with the Roman poll tax. It had to be paid with a Roman coin. No one likes to pay taxes, but this coin has the image of the emperor, who is considered a God. The devout authorities, the Pharisees, believe it might be sinful even to touch the coin. The Herodians are political leaders who have been granted power by the emperor to rule the people, so they want people to pay the tax. If Jesus tells the people to pay the tax, he will be ridiculed by the devout Jews. If he tells people to not pay the tax, then the political leaders will arrest him for disloyalty to the emperor.
Jesus doesn’t answer them yes or no. He asks to look at the coin. Since it has Caesar’s image, it belongs to him. This is the subtle point Jesus is making. If the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, then what bears God’s image? We do, of course. If fastidious observers want to have nothing to do with a coin because of the image it bears, that same particularism therefore applies to us. We bear God’s image, and therefore we belong to God. Then we must give all that belongs to God back to God. We must give ourselves to God.
This is the hard calling. It would be a great stewardship sermon if I could deduce from this saying the exact percentage you should all give to know that you were all doing God’s will. The hard answer is more than we can measure. It seems as if Jesus is telling us to take care of our responsibilities, remembering that everything we have and everything we are belongs to God.
This is the difficult calling we have as Christians. We know that God reaches out to us and loves us no matter what. God gives us everything freely. The challenge is in how we respond. We live in a culture that is increasingly self-centered. We are living in a world where the measure everyone uses is “what’s in it for me?” We are growing used to a culture where we are all increasingly isolated. We are connected with more and more technological ways to connect with others, but all these connections are increasingly on our own terms. We can use social media or not. We can choose to text our friends and ignore the people around us. We are surrounded by the subtle message that we can choose everything about our lives. We are being groomed with the message that we are the measure of all things. We are made in our own image.
Jesus reminds us whose we are. Jesus reminds us to whom we belong. Jesus’ call to give ourselves to God rescues us from giving ourselves to false idols. Jesus also rescues us from ourselves, when we would make ourselves the center and force the world to adjust to our own personal taste and wishes.
It is not that we must lose ourselves and become spineless drones to follow God. When we realize that we belong to God, and all our gifts come from God, and all that we do is connected to God – it frees us. We are no longer hurrying to adopt a pose or personality that impresses our followers or friends (however loosely we define them.) Our worth is not based on how well we control or use the latest technological tool. Our value is based on how we reflect the face of God.
We live in a world where we need to define who we are and to whom we belong. We have nationalities and cultures that we use to name ourselves. Perhaps we follow certain ideologies. Maybe we follow sports teams or listen to certain bands or artists. Jesus reminds us that we are not Pharisees or Herodians. We are not Jews or Greeks. We are not male or female, rich or poor, white or black. We are all made in the image of God. This is what gives us value. This is what reveals our loyalties and our responsibilities.
The apostle Paul visited the city of Thessalonica. When he preached and taught about Jesus in the synagogue, a few members believed him. Many of the visiting Greeks also believed as well as a few important women. The good news divided the synagogue in Thessalonica. The city authorities got involved and the opponents of Paul arrested some of them “because they were turning the whole world upside down.” This is the faithfulness that Paul gives thanks for when he writes to them in the letter to the Thessalonians.
We take it for granted that God loves us. God wants to give us more than assurance that we will get to heaven someday. God wants to change the world. God wants to free us all from the narrow definitions that enslave us. God wants us to bear this good news to anyone who will hear. It will cost us everything, but it is worth everything. Giving to God the things that are God’s ultimately returns us all to God. It may turn our world upside down, but it will put us in a place where we will find life.
The question they pose has to do with the Roman poll tax. It had to be paid with a Roman coin. No one likes to pay taxes, but this coin has the image of the emperor, who is considered a God. The devout authorities, the Pharisees, believe it might be sinful even to touch the coin. The Herodians are political leaders who have been granted power by the emperor to rule the people, so they want people to pay the tax. If Jesus tells the people to pay the tax, he will be ridiculed by the devout Jews. If he tells people to not pay the tax, then the political leaders will arrest him for disloyalty to the emperor.
Jesus doesn’t answer them yes or no. He asks to look at the coin. Since it has Caesar’s image, it belongs to him. This is the subtle point Jesus is making. If the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, then what bears God’s image? We do, of course. If fastidious observers want to have nothing to do with a coin because of the image it bears, that same particularism therefore applies to us. We bear God’s image, and therefore we belong to God. Then we must give all that belongs to God back to God. We must give ourselves to God.
This is the hard calling. It would be a great stewardship sermon if I could deduce from this saying the exact percentage you should all give to know that you were all doing God’s will. The hard answer is more than we can measure. It seems as if Jesus is telling us to take care of our responsibilities, remembering that everything we have and everything we are belongs to God.
This is the difficult calling we have as Christians. We know that God reaches out to us and loves us no matter what. God gives us everything freely. The challenge is in how we respond. We live in a culture that is increasingly self-centered. We are living in a world where the measure everyone uses is “what’s in it for me?” We are growing used to a culture where we are all increasingly isolated. We are connected with more and more technological ways to connect with others, but all these connections are increasingly on our own terms. We can use social media or not. We can choose to text our friends and ignore the people around us. We are surrounded by the subtle message that we can choose everything about our lives. We are being groomed with the message that we are the measure of all things. We are made in our own image.
Jesus reminds us whose we are. Jesus reminds us to whom we belong. Jesus’ call to give ourselves to God rescues us from giving ourselves to false idols. Jesus also rescues us from ourselves, when we would make ourselves the center and force the world to adjust to our own personal taste and wishes.
It is not that we must lose ourselves and become spineless drones to follow God. When we realize that we belong to God, and all our gifts come from God, and all that we do is connected to God – it frees us. We are no longer hurrying to adopt a pose or personality that impresses our followers or friends (however loosely we define them.) Our worth is not based on how well we control or use the latest technological tool. Our value is based on how we reflect the face of God.
We live in a world where we need to define who we are and to whom we belong. We have nationalities and cultures that we use to name ourselves. Perhaps we follow certain ideologies. Maybe we follow sports teams or listen to certain bands or artists. Jesus reminds us that we are not Pharisees or Herodians. We are not Jews or Greeks. We are not male or female, rich or poor, white or black. We are all made in the image of God. This is what gives us value. This is what reveals our loyalties and our responsibilities.
The apostle Paul visited the city of Thessalonica. When he preached and taught about Jesus in the synagogue, a few members believed him. Many of the visiting Greeks also believed as well as a few important women. The good news divided the synagogue in Thessalonica. The city authorities got involved and the opponents of Paul arrested some of them “because they were turning the whole world upside down.” This is the faithfulness that Paul gives thanks for when he writes to them in the letter to the Thessalonians.
We take it for granted that God loves us. God wants to give us more than assurance that we will get to heaven someday. God wants to change the world. God wants to free us all from the narrow definitions that enslave us. God wants us to bear this good news to anyone who will hear. It will cost us everything, but it is worth everything. Giving to God the things that are God’s ultimately returns us all to God. It may turn our world upside down, but it will put us in a place where we will find life.
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