Give To Caesar
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Testing Jesus
Testing Jesus
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Mt. 6:19-
The Scene
The Scene
(v. 15-16)
Temple courts
Jesus’ victory over and condemnation of the chief priests, the Pharisees (21:45) and the elders (21:23).
The Jewish religious leaders now pull in political leaders in order to test him before those faithful to Rome, the Herodians.
False pretense and flattery in order to appear more pious or reverent toward Jesus than they really are. They say that Jesus is: true, he teaches the “way of God,” and impartial.
Truth - YHWH speaks truth (; ; ; ; ; ; Cf. ). Jesus himself brings out this reality when he says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the Life” ().
I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right.
And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Way of God -
You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
Impartial -
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.
Does this group really believe these things? This is a false pretense, it is flattery, and as Matthew says, it is a trap.
The Question
The Question
(v. 17)
This is the “setup,” the “problem.”
Hoping to trap Jesus, this group of religious and political leaders poses a question of imperial loyalty to Jesus.
“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
“Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
The Pharisees and Herodians being aligned is an odd scene, but it makes sense if their goal is to trap Jesus.
The Pharisees might answer this question saying that they must pay taxes, whether they want to or not. The Herodians would say that they must pay taxes as loyal subjects and to maintain the favor of Rome.
But, if Jesus is the revolutionary religious leader they believe he is (similar to Judas Maccabeus, son of Mattathias, who rebelled against the Greeks when they desecrated the temple), then testing his allegiance is a quick way to have him condemned and sentenced to death. Then, problem solved!
Jesus’ Response
Jesus’ Response
(vv. 18-21)
This is the “solution,” and the meaning is in the twist.
These opponents are far from pious, or interested in becoming disciples, or in hearing the truth from God’s Word. Their mind is already made up, they’re simply trying to trap Jesus in his words (ironically enough, this is the same thing that Jesus literally did to them in the previous three parables)
They’re “testing” Jesus - If Jesus is God, which his opponents do not believe, but if he is, then this breaks the command from , used by Jesus in response to Satan when Satan tempted him in the wilderness ().
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.
Jesus calls them hypocrites ()
Then Jesus asks to see the coin. This must be in the Gentile court of the temple, the reason for the money changers, since Caesar’s image was on the denarius, this type of currency could not be brought into the temple court proper as it breaks the 2nd commandment ()
“ ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Once Jesus has the coin, he uses it as a prop and asks whose face and inscription are on the coin.
The answer is obvious, they respond, “Caesar’s.”
Jesus then says the famous line, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Boom!
Subjects of Caesar should pay taxes
God doesn’t have a problem with His people paying taxes
The things that taxes go to support, that God and His people disagree with, are still paid for by God’s people. And, disagreeing with those things is not a good cause not to pay taxes (but why does God allow, or command this?)
While paying taxes, God’s people also must give to God what belongs to Him (What belongs to God? What does Jesus mean here?)
What might be implied here?
God sets up kings and kingdoms, so to challenge those kingdoms is to challenge God
Now, concerning America, and bad government
Context: What was Rome like during Jesus’ day?
What do believers do when the government is tyrannical, and when it is more important to follow God than to follow tyrants?
Is there a good reason for revolution?
Can or Should Christians take up arms against their government?
The Opponents’ Reaction
The Opponents’ Reaction
This is the “resolution”
The leaders hear Jesus’ response, and they have nothing to accuse him of.
They marvel and go away.
This sets the scene for the next confrontation, but for now, Jesus is seen as being “without fault” in God’s temple. Beautiful Picture!
So What?
So What?
Applications:
Who is Jesus?
Good, True, Impartial
Testing? Without Fault - We can test Jesus, but when we find our answer, we will be held accountable for how we respond to him. There is no sitting on the fence with Jesus.
Matthew Theology in Application
The more the leaders try to “test” Jesus and gather evidence against him, the more they fall on their own sword.
Osborne, 811
What does it mean to follow Jesus: Give to Government
What does it mean to follow Jesus: Government
What does it mean to follow Jesus: Give to God
What has Jesus just said in so little words?
For a Jew to handle Gentile money was not necessarily sin or evil.
Subjects of Caesar should pay taxes
God doesn’t have a problem with His people paying taxes
The things that taxes go to support, that God and His people disagree with, are still paid for by God’s people. And, disagreeing with those things is not a good cause not to pay taxes (but why does God allow, or command this?)
While paying taxes, God’s people also, or more importantly, must give to God what belongs to Him (What belongs to God? What does Jesus mean here?)
The unfortunate reality of the fallen state of the world, which God is working to overturn, is that we are subject to worldly authorities. This is not ideal for God’s people, but the time when God rules His people directly is coming with Jesus’ second coming. Thus, God allows governments to exercise (imperfect) authority over His people until He brings history to its consummation at the end of the age.
What might be implied here?
God sets up kings and kingdoms, and those kings and kingdoms are answerable to God
To challenge those kingdoms is to challenge God, while to obey those kings is to obey God. Thus, submitting to Caesar is to submit to Go
Biblical instructions for following ruling authorities
(; ; ; Cf. ; ; , , ; ; )
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away.
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’
that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
Now, concerning America, and bad governments
Context:
What was Rome like during Jesus’ day?
What do believers do when the government is tyrannical, and when it is more important to follow God than to follow tyrants?
Matthew Explanation of the Text
When government turns evil, it is up to God to bring them down (Rev 13:10), and he will, often through other governments (as in World War II).
(Osborne, 810)
1 Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, vol. 1, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 808.
Is there a good reason for revolution?
Can or Should Christians take up arms against their government?
What does it mean to follow Jesus: Give to God
Matthew 2. God in Control
If one rendered to the state its restricted due, all the more is one to render to God his unrestricted due—the totality of one’s being and substance, one’s existence, is to be rendered to God and nothing less.
Osborne, 812; Donald A. Hagner, , Word Biblical Commentary 33b (Dallas: Word, 1995), 637.
Matthew 3. All Human Resources to Be Submitted to God
the key to discipleship in Matthew (and even more in Luke) is the extent to which Jesus’ followers have sacrificed all for him.
Hagner, , 637.
Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, vol. 1, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010).
Osborne, 812.