Sermon by Reverend Dr. John W. Mann | October 22, 2023

Matthew 22:15-22

The other day I was at the dentist’s office for a routine check-up. The dental hygienist was someone I had not met before and as I settled into the chair, she asked a routine question, “So what sort of work do you do?”

It’s a routine question; an ice breaker. Sometimes though, when I hear that question, part of me wants to answer, “I don’t know you well enough to address that subject.” Maybe I over analyze things, but it can feel somewhat intrusive; as in what you do is a measure of your worth and value. I could have said that sometimes I get the mower out and cut the grass. But instead I told her that I am a Presbyterian minister and that I serve churches in McGrath and Wahkon. Later on, the dentist had her own question, “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Growing up I learned how to deal with questions, especially the loaded ones. The loaded question is like a trap; it has no good answer. In grade school I had a love/hate relationship with school, which was reflected in my grades. My dad would yell, “Do you want to dig ditches for the rest of your life?!” I could have answered, “A heavy equipment operator probably makes more than you do,” but wisely would mumble, “No.”

My dad was a company man. He was at his desk everyday by 7:00 AM. He would go to the office on weekends. He was devoted to his work. Then the company made some changes and in his late 50’s, he was out of a job. The long story short of that episode was that he did not handle it well.

One of the lessons for me in that was to consider the importance of creating a measure of self-worth that was not solely dependent upon the current job title. I am proud to be a Presbyterian minister, in a humble sort of way. The challenge, as with any role in life, is to consider the difference between building up one’s resume and preparing for one’s eulogy. When it comes time for the eulogy, the resume doesn’t matter so much. We can’t take our job titles with us. What matters more for the eulogy are the relationships we share, the character we build, the integrity we live by and the love that we give and receive. Those are the ways that we touch upon God’s purpose for life and where we find life’s deeper meaning.

The story that tells of Jesus being asked about taxes is one that is often used for stewardship messages. It’s easy to take the give to Caesar and give to God message and turn it into a give to God your money sermon. Somehow that also gets turned into how God and the church budget are one and the same. I don’t go there. For me, stewardship is not about raising money for the church budget; it’s about raising Christians for the kingdom of God.

The story of Jesus known as the Gospel of Matthew was written probably around the year 80 AD. It focuses on his teachings as a way of saying, “This is what it means to be his follower.” The background to the story of Jesus in Matthew happened in the year 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Jews and Christians were scattered to other parts of the Roman Empire. Writing down the story of Jesus was a way of persevering and spreading his message.

The ministry of Jesus lasted around three years. A major portion of Matthew is taken up with the last week of his life. Two important events happened in that week. One: Jesus challenged the Temple authorities and Two: they killed him.

Jesus was popular with the crowds, though crowds can be fickle. Especially when there is social tension. Crowds can riot. Jesus went into the Temple and caused an upset by turning over the tables of the money changers. It was a bold political act on his part. What would he do next?

Jesus was in the Temple and he was approached by a delegation. Amongst them were “Herodians” representing political power and Pharisees representing religious power. Let’s not have any more scenes of violence, let us have a civilized conversation; a dialogue. And so they asked him a question. It went like this:

‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. ¹⁷Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’

On the surface it seems fairly simple – a yes or no question. But if we identify the cultural reference points, we see how it was a trap. That and the fact the narrator points out they wanted to trap him.

Teacher – it sounds like a respectful way to address someone. But in Matthew’s story Jesus is only called teacher by those who disagree with him. They are being ironic, saying, “Teacher, as if.”

Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.

It sounds like a compliment, but it was a veiled insult. In the Greek text what is being conveyed here is the idea while Jesus is sincere, he is naïve about the way things really work. They are implying that he doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into. He’s really just a country bumpkin, too ignorant to understand the shades of grey in human affairs.

“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

If he said, “Yes, I believe it’s lawful to pay taxes to Caesar,” then his enemies could say, “You see there, he is in favor of the Roman occupation. He’s not really for the people. Put him to the test and he withers.”

If he said, “No, it is not lawful to pay taxes to Caesar because God’s law comes before Roman law,” then his enemies could say, “You see there, he advocates rebellion. He’ll get us all into trouble. Perhaps the authorities should know about this.”

Jesus was wise to their ways. Instead of giving them the answer they required he asked for a coin. Not just any coin, but the one used for paying taxes. He showed whoever was there that he did not possess the coin for paying taxes and the Pharisees who gave him the coin showed that they did; they were inside the Temple where no pagan imagery was allowed, but they made an exception for money – thus they are technically in support of Roman rule.

He asked whose image and inscription were on the coin. “Caesar,” someone answered. Tiberius in fact. The coin bore his image and an inscription according him divine status. The trap his enemies tried to set was the very trap they fell into. The rabbis had a saying that went, “Wherever a king’s money is current, that king is Lord.”

When Jesus held up the coin for all to see he said, “Give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and give to God the things that belong to God.” Silence ensued. They themselves had said, “We know you speak the truth,” so what could they say now?

Not long before this conversation Jesus had overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple. In order to give to the Temple, the proper currency had to be used. The money changers would take coins from the realm and pay half their face value. Then they would pay the Temple authorities a percentage of the take. It was a tax on a tax.

There was no mistaking what Jesus meant. Obviously, they were under Roman rule. No one could pretend otherwise. Obviously, they were required to pay taxes. What Jesus meant was clear: this coin is all that Caesar requires of you and therefore that’s all he should get from you.

In “give to God what belongs to God” the underlying question is, whose image do you bear? Whose inscription is written upon your heart and soul? Who is Lord of your life? If you are created in God’s image, then your very soul is the currency God requires. Give God what belongs to God; your very self. No wonder they were astounded.

You pay to Caesar, pretty much whatever Caesars requires you to pay. You give to God. Where that gift comes from, how it is made, when it begins and where it reaches its limit is all to be found somewhere in you, from within your own heart and soul.

In answer to the question, “What sort of work do you do?” maybe I should refer to my primary purpose. Simply, I show up and remind you that God loves you.

A few days after this conversation in the Temple, Jesus gave to God what belonged to God. His questioners had gone away amazed – they had no answer, so they nailed him to the cross. Politics and religion tried to destroy him by taking his life. He had the last word on the subject though when gave all that was his to give, saying, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”

His prayer for dying is our prayer for living. Amen.