Render unto God- what is God's
Let us pray … In the name of God, Give us wisdom to discern Your call in the choices that confront us, & strength to walk the path we choose to follow with integrity. We ask this in the name of Jesus, AMEN !!!
Who here amoung us today has ever heard of Hugh Latimer or Nicolas Ridley?
Hugh Latimer, who became Bishop of Worcester, was a vigorous and colourful preacher, and was one of 12 licensed to preach anywhere in England. His preaching drew attention to social injustices and corruption.
Nicolas Ridley, who became Bishop of London, (in whom Ridley College is named after) achieved many reforms in the church, one example is the use of a communion table rather than an altar. He, also preached against the social injustices of the time,
Both were excommunicated under the authority of Queen Mary, and burned at the stake. Latimer’s words at the end to Ridley have become renowned: "We shall this day, light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England as I trust shall never be put out."
Hugh Latimer and Nicolas Ridley - Martyred this day October 16 in 1555
There is a tradition is Anglican and Catholic churches to remember the saints before us (and when I say saints, I mean those that would call themselves Christians), I hope by the end of this time together that you will see why this is a valuable tradition and what these two have to do with the gospel reading today…
v The Gospel story today is very familiar to many and the final line is often quoted to various purposes and agendas – I will ask ________ to read it now?
o “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
o What might you suggest would be the application for this passage?
o
o This has been used:
§ ???? - stewardship drives,
§ ???? - certainly at tax time,
§ ???? - even when considered whether to pay such things as an annoying parking fine
§ ???? - Is this a statement for divided loyalties – earthly and Heavenly
o What is Jesus trying reveal to the people then and to us now?
v No story in the bible should be read outside of its context. I would suggest that the readings that we have each Sunday morning should be a primer for the pump. Some of those questions satisfied hopefully by the sermon and some, hopefully, in your own investigation at home
v Firstly, The gospel story might be familiar because it is in Matthew, Mark and Luke and it appears in the same context in each:
o It is after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem – Palm Sunday – and after Jesus’ Cleansing of the Temple
v Here, in the temple, the taxation incident is one of five confrontations concerning the authority of Jesus. Controversies over the role of John the Baptist, over marriage, over the resurrection of the dead, over claims of messiahship, and over the great commandment, which we Anglicans have become so familiar with - as it has been made part of our liturgy
o 22:37 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
§ This context is important, so keep the concept of the great commandment in the back of your mind
v Here Jesus, in Roman occupied land, Israel - the holy land, specifically the holy city of Jerusalem in the midst of the holiest part of that city, the temple, prior to Passover, the holiest of all festivals, Jesus is addressing the questions and conflicts of some of the religious elite.
v So the reading starts off with the Pharisees sending their disciples to Jesus, along with the Herodians… wait, who and who?
v Tell me what do you think of when you hear the name Pharisees or Heriodians?
v
v ???? - Sidebar – There were many religious groups among the Jews – Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, high priests, Herodians and lawyers or doctors of the law are all described in the new testament
v ???? - It is also important not to fall into the a common misunderstanding which has happened over history and cast all Pharisees in the same group or to consider all Jews as Pharisees
o Acts 23:6 “But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee”
o Luke 11 Jesus had dinner with “a certain Pharisee”
v ???? - Now the Herodians – are Jewish political party who sympathized with the Herodian rulers in their general policy of government. They were, at one with the Sadducees in holding the duty of submission to Rome.
v ???? - The Pharisees – precursor to modern day Jews, were a nationalistic or Zionistic group
v * * * * * *These two groups that would normally be enemies, one in alliance with Rome and the other completely opposed to Roman occupation, yet they are joined forces to trap Jesus.
v They start out by smoozing Jesus – using over the top forms of compliments, their address to Jesus is dripping with irony – they call him master or teacher, they state that he is one in line with the truth and then they pose their trick question
o “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”
§ Maybe some of you can share experiences you have had with trick questions?
§
§ This type of question is so familiar to me, my son Jackson is always trying trick questions on Kelly and myself …at the point when we have just tried for the hundredth time to get him to finish his main course – he would put on his most sincere face and say “Okay Dad, you choose… should I have ice cream or pudding” …
v Jesus, sees right through their ploy – and says “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.”
v Sidebar – Money – who wants to hear about money – Well, the reality is that it affects all of our lives, Jesus was very aware of this – in fact, Jesus, taught more about money than any other subject. Twenty-seven of Jesus' 43 parables have to do with money and possessions. One of every ten verses in the gospels deals with money. The Bible includes 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 on faith, but more than 2000 on money. This is only one of two specific mention of tax –
o And in Matthew 17, where Peter and Jesus discuss whether to pay the temple tax – There is no question by Jesus that they will pay the tax – out of respect Jesus’ response is …“so that we do not give offense to them” – therefore I think that viewing the gospel today as a question about submission to worldly authorities is an incomplete understanding.
v Back to today’s gospel - The coin that they reveal, A denarius is a silver coin, a day’s wages for an ordinary laborer – it would have had the Image of and the inscription: "Tiberius Caesar, Augustus, son of the divine Augustus, high priest."
v a nationalistic Jew who confessed a radical loyalty to God alone, such as the Pharisees, this graven image would have been religiously offensive and politically humiliating – it was simply idol-atrous
o this was not just legal tender but also pieces of propaganda
v So the question is there - Pay or not
o To pay meant bowing to Caesar, excepting the superscription and honouring the graven image and there are questions of the cult of the emperor
o Not paying was being tricked into the lure of political opposition against Rome and the herodians were well connected (probably why the Pharisees invited them along)
v Collaborator …Subversive….these appear to be Jesus’ choices…
v So How does Jesus respond… by throwing a question right back at them –
o “Whose is this image and superscription?
o They say unto him, Caesar's.
o Then said to them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”
v The Pharisaic disciples, armed with the trick question of their Rabbis (teachers) and the enforcement of the Herodians …are matched with a confounder of Rabbis, I hear Jesus ability to confound his questioners described as “rhetoric kung-fu”, Jesus was and is the Master of all Rabbis
v Has anyone heard of the Jewish approach to teaching – heard of Bet Sefer, Bet Talmud and Bet Midrash?
v ???? - Bet Sefer – Jewish children between 6-10 years roughly would memorize the Torah – the Pentateuch the first five books of the Bible
v ???? - Bet Talmud - The best of Jewish children between 10-14 years roughly would memorize the rest of the Hebrew scriptures – memorize two thirds of the whole bible – what we call the Old testament
v ???? - Bet Midrash – is the best of the best and where they become Talmudeen aka disciples studying under a specific Rabbi, if the Rabbi select them deeming them worthy to study
v You see, these disciples knew their Hebrew scriptures - Gen 1:27 “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
v And I like how Luke puts it in his account “And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he said; but marveling at his answer they were silent.”
v We are made in the image and likeness of God. So you are God's tribute money…
v We are render or return to Caesar what is Caesar and everything that is created in God’s image, we are to give to God
v One commentary – sights the response as the “great commandment” - only a few verses later Jesus instructs them with this -
o “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
v The question they asked Jesus, is of a moral question with a political agenda: but Jesus turns it into a question about God – and about our very existence
v Jesus once again as a master of the cultural game of challenge and His response
- applies then as it does today
v It is a statement defining the "profoundly radical nature of Christianity,"…
o now we likely won’t be called upon to act as Latimer and Ridley did, to be burned at the stake, but we can be inspired by them and other saints before us…and we are assured by Jesus that we, each and everyone of us
- are called to live as they did
v Since their hidden agenda was really a question of authority – Jesus’ response turned into a question that spans time – what… will have authority in your life?
v May I suggest that you Repay God with nothing less then that which belongs to God, that which is called the Christian life…
v May I suggest we can take the two kingdom thought beyond taxes or God - to another angle – as in the prayer that Jesus taught us, the Lord’s prayer, and we live our lives… “on earth as it is in heaven…”
v As you come to receive the gift of Grace that God has provide in the sharing of communion today – remember that you are uniting with God, and the entire Christian church around the world and over history, with Latimer and Ridley. United in participation and remembrance of God’s greatest sacrifice – consider what should your response will be – and Give to God what is God’s - AMEN