Sermon Tone Analysis

So, some guys are sent to Jesus to pretend that they were righteous asking righteous questions.

This is the craftiness of the devil.

He tries to blindside us because he is our enemy.

But for the fact that Jesus is who He is I wonder how we would have answered this question.

There was more at stake for Jesus than just a political statement or giving credence to the Emperor and therefore getting the crowd against you.

And the trap was in the sense that whatever you chose it was not going to turn out good for you.

Today’s politicians I’m sure could get away with it by simply not answering the question or giving an answer to a different question.

But back then you would not get away with it.

I, personally, am also wary of political questions and whilst I have some strong views about certain things or the way I think things should be done I do not endorse a political party in public and I don’t believe I have done so.

The issue is that if I was a Pastor in London or in Chichester or in Glasgow or in Norfolk or here in Swansea the congregation would, on the whole, favour a particular party which are in opposition to all the other places I have mentioned.

In this congregation there will be a wide range of views which have been moulded throughout our lives and we would have been influenced by family and friends as well as our faith.

Of course, I may have something to say about certain political personalities should the need arise for we certainly would not want to support the kind that certain churches were supporting up to the second world war such as the Lutheran and Catholic Churches that supported Hitler.

I think that there are dangerous individuals in politics today and we have to all make our judgement for those we will vote on when there are elections.

But the day that Jesus lived there was no such thing as an election in the Roman Empire.

At least we are given a say and so we should all live up to our rights as citizens.

However, Jesus did not come to talk politics but, of course, it is impossible to avoid for it affects every part of our lives.

The politics that Jesus was more concerned with was with the Kingdom that He had come to establish which we read about two weeks’ ago in our 3 yr readings in:

The fourth kingdom was the kingdom of Jesus’ day - the Roman Empire - and as we find out - it will be destroyed and in the fullness of time another kingdom will take its place and the place of all kingdoms - that is, the kingdom of God when all that went before shall seem like a shadow, a dream.

In Mark’s gospel we are told that the Herodians and Pharisees plot together to come up with their scheme.

What is interesting about this is that they are enemies of each other.

They were the extreme right and left wing as it were of politics.

Herodians had thrown in their lot hook line and sinker with the Roman Empire and were completely in league with them.

The Pharisees on the other hand wanted the Roman Empire out and wanted nothing to do with them.

And that is how they came up with the dilemma that they did today.

But let us see their approach, first.

These righteous pretenders reveal who they are immediately by their flattery.

They want to bolster your pride.

I don’t know about you but I find those who do this in an underhanded way seem really creepy to me.

To be honest I find it difficult to receive compliments at the best of times but they had it down to an art form trying to catch you unawares to their plan.

Gossip is the opposite of flattery.

Gossip is saying behind their back what you would not say to their face.

Instead, flattery is saying to their face what you would never say behind their back.

We are warned of such people in Scripture

And so the question was posed.

Tax was a very sensitive issue for their had already been revolts and indeed it will be this issue that will eventually lead to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70.

So, why was this tax question in particular, so problematic.

Because on the face of it there was no right answer.

If Jesus had say ‘no’ you do need to pay taxes the Herodian part of this conspiracy against Jesus would run to the authorities and have him arrested as an insurrectionist.

But if Jesus said ‘yes’ you do need to pay taxes then the people would simply reject Him as one who is collaborating with the oppressors.

They had been so crafty and thought they had got Him - these two opposing groups had come together in their joint hate of Jesus.

Jesus was not fooled by their flattery or their question.

Show me a denarius, He said.

Well someone there had one.

On one side it had the head of Caesar and the inscription ‘Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus’.

The coin was an abomination to the Jews for it gave credence to the Emperor of being god which broke the command and was blasphemous.

And like the championship point of a tennis match about to be served at a Wimbledon final a hush was upon the crowd as they waited with bated breathe.

How will He answer?

Whose portrait and inscription is on the coin?

Caesars.

And here came the answer that has gone down as one of the greatest soundbites of history long before Alexander Campbell and other communication directors.

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.

Astounded by His answer there was nowhere for them to go for He had completely confounded them into silence.

Their trap had unwound and sprung empty.

The coin was thought to be the property of the person whose picture and inscription was on them and so no one could object to giving Caesar what was already his own.

What an answer Jesus gave - we also need to be full of this kind of wisdom not just spouting our view on something - render to Caesar what is his and to God what is His.

Out of this saying has come our theology about the purpose of government and our relation to it.

Today historians universally say that Jesus’ words have been the single most influential political statement ever made.

It has been decisive and determinant in shaping western civilisation.

And here is the theology set out by Paul and Peter that we need to give close scrutiny to.

Let us hear closely what is going to be said for, as Christians, we need to get God’s perspective on politics:

Governments are necessary for civilisation along with the rule of law.

They exist to prevent evil getting out of hand.

As Christians and as citizens we are to submit to authorities for it is God who has established them - whether like we in a democracy or a despot.

And we have to remember that both Peter and Paul wrote what they wrote when Emperor Nero was on the throne, far worse than any other ruler with some notable exceptions.

Today there is a push against authority of all kinds whether our government, the police or God and His law.

Our day is marked out by its lawlessness.

This can be seen the increase in violence - at least 34 people have been stabbed to death in London this year alone.

God has seen it fit not close the door as yet on this generation but the patience of God is not forever.

When God removes His Church then lawlessness will get completely out of control and then the judgement of God will be poured out upon the inhabitants of the earth.

For those who repent they shall be saved - it is the last-chance saloon for this time will be the last opportunity - God in His grace will leave the door open just a while longer even giving the schedule in Scripture.

However, like today, Scripture is avoided, unread and ridiculed but it is there for them to discover and for us to warn that such a time is coming.

This means that we also need to make sure we are not neglecting Scripture and not allowing our bibles to collect dust.

Having a government is better than being out of control for God has put it there for a reason.

We are told to obey including all the laws, even traffic ones and paying our tax.

But God expects the government to uphold the law and punish those who do wrong and reward those who do right and not allow corruption where those who do wrong are freed and those who do right suffer.

This obviously applies to sexual morality and so we see that governments, including ours, are colluding what is wrong and even forcing parts of our nation to allow abortion and homosexual marriage.

They can’t get proper business done at the moment in parliament but they have time to pass godless and lawless laws.

What this reveals is that Governments are not perfect and that means that there are times when a Christian can refuse to obey and submit.

These, though, are few and far between.

Like in Daniel when he was told to pray to King Darius for 30 days in Daniel 6 that you will read this week, he did not and instead prayed to God three times a day as was his usual practice.

He ended up in the Lion’s den as a result and we know that God saved him though, under conscience, God may not always save us from persecution for righteousness’ sake.

So, when are we allowed to resist authority?

When we are asked to voilate God’s command

When we are asked to do an immoral act

When we are asked to violate our Christian conscience

And we know that in our United Kingdom there are magistrates and registrars and others who have lost their jobs in recent times for conscience’ sake.

Conclusion

Well, just as the coin belonged to Caesar because it had his image printed on it, we also belong to God for we bear His image.

This is something that we were trying to grasp and understand at a recent Wednesday meeting.

We bear His image especially in our sense of what is right and wrong.

And we know that right is right.

And that is true even though we are not perfect in our senses.

We are also those who have a sense that this life is not all for we have in us something that animals do not and that is the eternal.

We know that our existence is not finite even though we are going to die.

We bear the image of God and if that is truly so then we need to give to God what is God’s.

Have we?

This Jesus who answered in such a remarkable way to silence the questioners wants us.

We must give God what is His which is our very lives.

He wants us!

Now, that is even more remarkable!