Money. One of the main subjects to avoid at family gatherings. Yet, Jesus keeps bringing it up. It is a bookend of this section. The last week of Jesus life starts with him dumping over the tables of the money changers, Roman and Jewish coins all mixed up together and everyone in a tizzy about how they are going to go on with the sacrificial system with all this mayhem. Not to mention is their biggest week for business with everyone in town for the Passover. This story today about the Scribes and Pharisees trying to trick Jesus by asking about taxes. Money becomes a bookend in this story of this week about the taxes and the coin and even more when you consider the bag of gold that Judas receives for betraying Jesus to the authorities.
We may not like to talk about money but Jesus did. He talked about treasures and coins and
possessions, ALL THE TIME. He liked
talking about it because it challenged people to think deeply about what was
important to them. He liked them to
think about what holds value for them.
He wanted people to think about their life-focus, who and what they
spend their time on, what they worship, what their idols might be.
So now the religious authorities come to Jesus, using one of his
favorite subjects to try to trap him.
The religious authorities are trying to rile up Caesar and Rome by
causing Jesus to say something disloyal.
They are trying to catch Jesus off guard and make him say something that
will get him out of their way.
Caesar and Rome are an occupying force. They march their army all over the place and
seize by force lands and people, enforcing laws, collecting taxes and
oppressing religions. Caesar believed
himself to be a god. There was a virgin
birth story for him. The money was made
with his image, declaring him to be a god.
There were no checks and balances on his power. He ruled for life, without election.
The Jewish faith holds that graven images are
prohibited—actually we have that commandment in Christianity, too. No images of people or gods are to be made,
according to Judaism, carved in stone or wood.
It was just too tempting to worship those engravings. I remember sitting at my grandma’s Missouri
Synod church before the crucifix, at 8 years old, wondering how they got around
that commandment to make the altar piece.
For Jewish people, to even have a Roman coin in your pocket was to break
that commandment. Yet, in order to
business with the Roman Empire, and to pay taxes required by and supporting the
Roman Empire, to not be crushed by the Roman Army or thrown in prison, you
would need this idolatrous coin.
The Roman Empire called its Emperor a god or the god. It made him the absolute authority without
question. The Roman Empire used its
power to raise[AB1] armies, to steal lands, to control people, to
collect wealth, and to ensure its future strength and power. Yes, the Roman Empire developed modern
systems of delivering water, incredible works of art, roads and highways,
culture, and improved nutrition. And the
Roman Empire was a system that crucified thousands, enriched the wealthy at the
expense of the poor, expected people to turn their backs on their culture and
religion, and used violence to control people.
In other words, it was not so different from Empires today. Like any human system or institution, both
good and bad find themselves in positions of power and find themselves tempted
to hang on to that power and enrich themselves and great advances occur as well
as great acts of violence and control.
When the religious authorities ask if people are to pay taxes or
not, they are asking about whether Jesus says people should support the agenda
of the Empire. If he says they
shouldn’t, and they listen, they can be thrown in prison. If he says they should, he is saying he
supports state violence and theft. This
is a loyalty oath, that Jesus is being asked to sign. This is Jesus being asked to wear the flag
lapel pin. Instead of giving any
straight answer, Jesus makes them think.
“Give to the Emperor the things that are the Emperor’s and give to God
what is God’s.”
Give to the Emperor the things that are the Emperor’s. What is the Emperor’s? Temporary power, tentative control, the
illusion that he is a god, immortal, the illusion that this power structure
will endure, violence, death, imprisonment, silencing of dissonant voices, a
shaky image on a shiny object. In other
words, nothing of value.
Money doesn’t mean anything to Jesus. He never shows any interest in money of his
own, having it, collecting it, spending it, or how much anyone else has. He has a different currency that never runs
out—mercy, compassion, self-sacrificing love.
People ask Jesus what is important, he spends his currency, his
compassion and love, listening to children. They have no money they can give him, but they
give him their love. Sick people ask
Jesus to show them what matters. He
doesn’t give them money to go to the doctor. He gives them love in the form of
healing. Hungry people gather around
Jesus. He doesn’t give them money to go
buy a sandwich. He gives them love in
the form of bread and becomes the bread of life for them, sets a table where
all will be satisfied.
It would be impractical for us to live without money, but we
should ask ourselves what position it has in our lives. Do we pay attention to people who have more
money or possessions more than those who are poor? If so, we do not follow Jesus’ way. Do we admire people with money, do we spend
much time and energy trying to make money, do we count on money to get us out
of our troubles? How much faith do we
place in money? In what ways is money an
idol to us?
Give to God what is God’s.
What is God’s? Now we really have
to think because I want to separate what is mine and what is God’s because I
like to do what I like to with what is mine.
But when we start thinking about what is mine and what is God’s, we
realize that it is all God’s. What do I
have that is not made by God? God made
this world and everything in it. God
made us. When we rebelled, God sent us
Jesus to give us new life. Every breath,
every ability, every trait, every possession, every job, every opportunity,
even every coin—all of it belongs to God.
It was made by God, it wouldn’t be here without God, it should be used
for what God made it for and that is to give glory to God and to advance God’s
plan of love, compassion, mercy, and new life.
Today, as we consider the gifts we give to God in the form of
offerings and our time and talents, we open our wallet or look in our change
tray and we take out a coin or a dollar bill.
It used to be that those gifts were given and burned on the altar. Gone in a puff of smoke! Today, we use those gifts to help those in
need in our community. We consider the ministry of our small but mighty
congregation, how our gifts feed the community, how our church building is
filled with children every day as they learn and grow, how we are connected
with our siblings in Christ in our Synod, and yes how you support your pastor
so she can help shepherd you and remind you that you are God’s beloved Child
and challenge you to think and pray and stretch yourself. We let go of what we spend so much time and
attention on. We release what God has
first given to us and put our faith in God, the one who knows what has long
term value and what really matters in life.
I heard a story this week that made me laugh. The offering was being collected at church
and there was a visitor there that didn’t have any money. So he put the plate down on the church floor and
stood in it. He was giving his whole
self to God. This visitor showed a deep
understanding of giving to God what is God’s.
This also fits with the idea of the image of Caesar on the coin, because
we know that humankind is made in the image and likeness of God. To give God what is God’s is to give God our
whole selves.
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