The Gospel of Mark: I Pledge Allegiance to . . . ? Caesar vs. God

The Bible teaches us that God has established every government in the world that has ever or now exists. And by implication, it means that God has de-established every government that has fallen.

“Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power. 15 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; 16 by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth.” (Proverbs 8:14–16, NIV84)

“He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:21, NIV84)

“Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. 15 “Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate. 17 “Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its men and their animals, 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.” (Ezekiel 14:13–18, NIV84)

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1–2, NIV84)

Passages like these, and our text in Mark’s Gospel have huge implications for us. How do we relate to the civil authorities whether we live in Boston or Bagdad, Northern Ireland or North Korea. How shall believers relate to the civil authorities? The issue is immense and the implications are breathtaking.

There are implications here for war and peace.

There are implications for presidents and prime ministers; dictators and despots

There are implications for laws and law enforcement.

There are implications for political activism and civil disobedience.

There are implications for elections and lobbying.

There are implications for voting and paying taxes.

There are implications for speed limits, seat belt and child car seat laws.

This is not a small text. The question is: How is the Christian supposed to respond to governmental authority, and especially toward governmental authority when it is seemingly at odds with our faith? What part of our life belongs to Caesar and what part of our life belongs to God? Let me share with you three observations: Our Debt, Our Dilemma, and The Demand

I. THE DEBT: CHRISTIANS ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF CIVIL BUREAUCRACY

1. most of us have — more than likely — complained about our taxes or our government

a. but at the same time taxes and government bureaucracy provide us many, many benefits

1) fire and police protection

2) roads and water and sewers

3) courts and judges where — more times than not — justice is fairly dispensed

4) our military protects us and provides security from foreign enemies

2. and though we may sometimes complain about it, the multi-tiered bureaucracy of local, state and national government — which we call Federalism — provide our society with order and stability

a. society needs structure or it will eventually digress into a state of anarchy where we become like Israel in the time of the Judges where everyone did as he saw fit

b to that end God established civil government as a divinely ordained institution

3. in His simple statement “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s,” Jesus lays down the believer’s basic relationship to the state

a. from Jesus’ statement and the bible’s instructions, we arrive at two fundamental principles

A. FIRST, CIVIL AUTHORITY IS AN EXTENSION OF GOD’S AUTHORITY

1. this does not mean that the State is divine (even when they attempt to act that way), but that as an institution of political authority it is ordained of God and we are to submit to it

a. when you think about it, that statement has huge ramifications for us

ILLUS. It means that AOC is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Donald Trump is President of the United States because they’ve been established in hose positions by God. So God is 1) in control and has a plan, or 2) has one really weird since of humor. Of course there is a third possibility ... they both represent God’s judgment upon a nation because of national sin. (But that doesn’t play well in the press and so we usually keep that opinion to ourselves).

2. it is by God’s will that governing authorities are appointed to maintain order, encourage well-doing, and punish wrong-doing

“For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:4, NIV)

a. government is meant to be good and beneficial

1) it is good for society that everyone does not do what is right in their own eyes

2) anarchy is worse then even bad government

B. SECOND, OBEDIENCE TO THE STATE CARRIES WITH IT RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP

1. one of those responsibilities is obeying the laws of the land

a. Paul maintains that if we are disobedient to civil authority it is as though we are being disobedient to God Himself

“Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:2, NIV84)

ILLUS. Think about that the next time you decide to do 70mph in a 55-mile-per-hour zone!

b. there are times when laws seem terribly intrusive ... what right does the government have to tell me I must wear a seat belt, I must observe the speed limit, I must stop at stop signs

ILLUS. Did you know that America’s first fatal traffic accident between to automobiles (“horseless carriages”) occurred in Kansas City? Two drivers came to an intersection, both assuming the other would yield the right of way. Neither did and one of the drivers died. From that incident came some of the nation’s first traffic laws.

2. secondly, we ought to be involved in the political process

ILLUS. James Garfield, our 20th President spoke to this issue. Listen to one of my favorite political quotes. He delivered it on July 4th while a congressman on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876: “Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. ... If the next centennial does not find us a great nation ... it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”

3. another of those responsibilities is paying taxes for the services provided by the State

“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” (Romans 13:6–7, NIV84)

4. the last responsibility of the Christian citizen is to keep all those in authority in our prayers

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,” (1 Timothy 2:1–3, NIV84)

a. there is no qualification as to whether-or-not they’re good authorities or bad authorities ... we are to pray for them

II. THE DILEMMA: CHRISTIANS ARE CITIZENS OF A MORE SIGNIFICANT KINGDOM

1. the early Christians emphasized that their true citizenship was not on earth but in heaven

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,” (Ephesians 2:19, NIV84)

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 3:20, NIV84)

a. this is not our future state, but it is a present condition

b. in Hebrews, the apostle Paul tells us that Abraham was a pilgrim of faith who understood that his citizenship in this world was only temporary

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8–10, NIV84)

A. HERE’S THE DILEMMA: OUR TRUE CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN, BUT WE ARE ALSO RESIDENTS OF EARTHLY NATIONS

1. the question is: How do believers function in a lost and pagan society that is frequently hostile to the believer’s agenda?

ILLUS. What do you do when a Florida ministry is told to choose between Jesus and helping the poor? ... that they would not be allowed to receive USDA food unless they removed portraits of Christ, the Ten Commandments, and a banner that read 'Jesus is Lord' and stop giving Bibles to the needy.

ILLUS. What do you do if you are a Christian adoption agency, and the state commands you to include LGBT couples as adoptive parents when it is clearly against your policy?

ILLUS. What do you do when the Air Force tells a Chaplain he will be Court Martialed if he does not perform gay marriages?

ILLUS. What do you do when the U.S. Park Service demands that churches get permits to hold baptisms in public waters?

ILLUS. What does a pastor or church counselor do when an LGBT person comes to them wanting help to leave that lifestyle, but the state has passed a law prohibiting anyone to do so?

a. these are just a few examples of laws state or local governments have passed targeting churches and people of faith

2. these are all very real questions, are they not?

a. Jesus implies and Paul expressly said that we are to be subject to the governing authorities in our lives

1) but what do we do when those governing authorities would command us to deny or hide, or contradict, or abandon our faith?

b. Jesus himself warned us of the world’s hostility toward us and our faith

“ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.” (John 15:18–21, NIV84)

c. the Apostle Paul tells us that we are on a collision course with this world

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV84)

1) the culture now demands that the believer conform to the state ... or else we will bring the full bureaucratic weight of the government down upon your head

d. so ... How do believers function in a lost and pagan society that is frequently hostile to the believer’s agenda?

B. WHEN FACED WITH CONFLICTING CHOICES BETWEEN THE STATE AND GOD WE SHOULD HAVE NO DILEMMA

1. the question of submission to government authority takes a twist when the State demands an allegiance that rightfully belongs to God

2. this is the trap that the Jewish religious leaders set for Jesus

“Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 “Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him." (Mark 12:13-17, NIV)

a. in this passage we find the only direct teaching Jesus left us concerning the state

b. one commentator I read stated that Jesus was admitting that the State does have certain claims upon the people of God, but that we should not give it one iota more than it deserves

3. sometimes the state asks too much and when it does we must deny them

a. throughout the Scriptures we find God’s people defying the authorities when the state demanded from God’s people only that which belongs to God

b. examples: Daniel, Esther, the Hebrew midwives, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Peter and John, Paul and Silas

4. we may, at times, have to disobey the state, but we are not to be revolutionaries

a. there is more to this episode between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders than meets the eye

1) one of the first thing we see is the true of the old adage, Politics makes for strange bed-fellows.

ILLUS. The Pharisee and the Herodians come to Jesus. Under any normal circumstance these two groups would not have been allies — they loathed each other. The Pharisees were the arch-conservative conservers of the Law, opposed the Roman rule. The Herodian were throughly secular collaborators with Rome.

b. but they’ve come together to catch Jesus in his words

“They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”” (Mark 12:14–15, NIV84)

c. but there’s a backstory to this that has it’s origin about twenty-five years before when Jesus would have been a little boy

ILLUS. The tax that is the Jewish leaders are asking about here is the head tax. It was a despised tax. It wasn’t a huge tax, just one Denarius per family member a year. It was a tax for the “privilege” of being a subject to Caesar. Judas the Galilean, in A.D. 6, led an insurrection when the Romans instituted the tax. He did three things: 1) He called on all Jews to refuse to pay the tax, and those that did had their houses burnt and their cattle stolen by his followers, 2) He led an armed band of men to Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple — expelling all the Gentiles, and 3) He proclaimed that God was Lord, not Caesar and that he would establish the kingdom. It was a short-lived revolt that Rome crushed.

d. do you see what’s going on here? The Pharisees and Herodians are not merely asking Jesus about his opinion of paying taxes — they are asking, “Are you a revolutionary?”

1) Jesus has already met two of the criterion of Judas the Galilean

a) Jesus’ entire ministry has been about the coming of the Kingdom

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”” (Matthew 4:17, NIV84)

b) now, he has just a few days before, cleansed the temple

2) if they can get Jesus to say, “No, don’t pay the tax” they can instantly brand him a revolutionary, turn him over to Rome and their problems are solved

5. Jesus’ answer is remarkable

ILLUS. Jesus asks them to show him a Denarius and he asks, “Who’s image is on it, and what is the inscription?” The image is that of Caesar Tiberias and it reads “Tiberias Caesar, Son of the god Augustus, and High Priest.”

a. his answer is nuanced ... “Render to Caesar what has his image on it, and give to God what has His image on it, i.e. ... you.”

1) render is the word used in the KJV and means to pay back what one deserves

2) the coin literally belongs to Caesar, and it’s fine to give back to him what is already his ... BUT you cannot give Caesar ultimately what he wants, which is to completely give him your full allegiance

b. see, that’s the nature of human government ... as long as men keep acquiescing to their demands, the state will demand more and more until ultimately it demands our complete allegiance

4. there may come a time when we must obey God instead of the State

III. THE DEMAND: CHRISTIANS OWE MORE TO GOD THAN ANY EARTHLY INSTITUTION

1. what do we owe to Christ?

a. we owe Him the totality of our being

b. in fact, we have a debt to our Lord that can never be paid in full

2. we owe God everything because He created us

a. just as the coin bore the image of Caesar, so our lives bear the image of our Creator

b. we bear the stamp of His likeness on our being

3. we owe God everything because He bought us

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV)

A. WHAT WE OWE GOD IN PRACTICAL TERMS

1. we owe Him our time

a. in order to give God ourselves, we must give God our time

b. in order to come to know Him intimately and personally, we must spend time with Him

2. we owe God our tithe

a. when we give God our tithe, we are really only giving Him His tithe

1) the Bible says, "The tithe is the Lord's"

2) all the monetary and material blessings we have are from God

b. when we do not return to God His tithe, the Scripture teaches that we are literally robbing God

3. we owe God our talents

a. God has called each of us to service

1) He has called all of us to be actively involved in building His Kingdom

b. that means we cannot be satisfied to sit passively back and be a spectator

1) Christianity was never meant to be a spectator sport

c. God expects each of us to get involved in the life of the local church, and involved in the ministry of His grace

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