GIVING TO CAESAR & GOD
1Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22
21st Sunday after Pentecost, October 22, 2023
Pastor Ritva H Williams
Today’s gospel lesson has so many possibilities for interpretation. What is Jesus trying to teach us? Is Jesus affirming the separation of church and state? Is Jesus encouraging civic engagement as part of a faithful Christian life? Is Jesus warning us against getting too wrapped up in political power games? Is Jesus reminding us that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” (Psalm 24:1)? Is Jesus encouraging us to be good stewards of it all? Lutherans faced with either/or questions, know that the answer is always “YES!”
Let’s start with a quick review of the main characters. The Pharisees were a religio-political coalition of lay Torah/Bible scholars and interpreters. They promoted the formation of synagogues in villages and towns for the purpose of scripture study, and aspired to live as if in God’s Temple at all times. The Pharisees popular with ordinary people. As a rule they were critical of the Roman Empire and encouraged resistance to Roman culture through non-violent means. In today’s Gospel lesson they team up with the Herodians.
The Herodians were the political supporters of Herod the Great and his sons. Herod’s family came to power and stayed in power by making a deals with Roman rulers and emperors. Roman military support enabled the Herodians to establish themselves as warlords and kings. Their agenda was totally self-interested. Unlike the Pharisees they were all about assimilation into Roman culture. They join forces here with the Pharisees, no doubt because they recognized that the parable of the wedding banquet was directed at them. Jesus called them out as moody, impulsive, quick tempered, given to erratic outbursts of unreasonable and murderous rage causing death and destruction. This uppity carpenter from Galilee needed to be put in his place.
These unlikely allies try to entrap Jesus in a zero-sum game. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor? Supporters of Rome would say yes. Critics and resisters maybe not. The Bible specifies tithes to alleviate local poverty and to maintain the temple and its priesthood, but says nothing about paying taxes to foreigners. Does Roman law supersede biblical law? Shouldn’t Torah — the constitution of ancient Israel — have precedence over Roman law?
A complication emerges when is presented with a denarius and Jesus asks, “Whose image and title is this?” Here’s an photo of ancient denarius, with the head of the emperor, identified on the coin as“Augustus Tiberius Caesar, God’s Holy Son” or “Tiberius Caesar, Holy Son of the Divine Augustus.” Either way the point is the Emperor claims to be God’s son. There were folks in the world of Jesus who regarded these coins as symbols of idolatry, an insult to the God of Israel.
Jesus responds simply, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus refuses to play either-or, zero-sum games. The reality of the world then and now is that all people are born and embedded into systems of politics and economics that they did not choose. We pay taxes because it is an obligation, legally required of all residents whether or not we are citizens. We pay taxes at the gas pump to build roads, property taxes to fund schools, sales taxes to fund local community projects, income taxes to fund the federal government, etc. It is nearly impossible to avoid paying taxes. Not paying taxes has consequences not only for the tax-dodger, but even more for people who benefit from roads, schools, community projects and the other things made possible by taxes. We may not always agree with how our governments assess or use taxes, but pay them we must, even as we work through democratic processes like voting to change them.
But, Jesus goes on to say “Give to God what is God’s.” So what belongs to God? Remember Jesus’s question about the coin, “Whose image and title is this?” Let’s pair that question with Genesis 1:27-28 — God created humankind, male and female, in God’s own image and blessed them. The coins minted by the emperor bear his image. Human beings created by God bear God’s image and belong to God. How do we give ourselves to God? Look at your neighbor. Your neighbor also bears God’s image and belongs to God.. You and your neighbor are both blessed by God and yet have needs and encounter difficulties that you cannot deal with alone. You and your neighbor both have strengths, gifts, talents and resources to help on another. Jesus insists, “whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me” (Matthew 25:40).
So yes, today’s scripture is about stewardship — stewardship of the earth, stewardship of our bodies, stewardship of our families, workplaces and neighborhoods, stewardship of our finances, and stewardship of the gospel of Jesus Christ .
At the beginning of this stewardship season, I introduced the wholeness wheel that shows how our spiritual wellbeing depends on nurturing six inter-dependent areas of life: relationships, emotions, intellect, physical health, vocations, and, yes, finances. For example, physical health depends on access to housing, food, clothing, and safe places to play and exercise. These are nurtured through positive emotions and intellect grounded in supportive relationships, meaningful work, and healthy finances. Each of us individually, and all of us together as a community of faith aspire to experience the spiritual wholeness and well-being that emerges when all of these areas of life are working well together.
When we look at the church through the wholeness wheel we can see, how our mission depends on these same things. Worship, learning and fellowship that engages our hearts, minds, and spirits depends on maintaining a place where all can safely enter and move about; on supporting and sustaining pastors, musicians, ministry and support staff; on acquiring resources and materials — all of which requires finances. Investing in non-gendered, barrier free restrooms, for example, ensures access that safeguards a person’s privacy and dignity, thus nurturing their physical and emotional well-being and sense of belonging. Similar dreams accompany the upgrading of our kitchen and entry way. Sharing our space with Family Promise supports their mission of giving a hand up to persons experiencing homelessness. Family Promise in turn is willing to share their resources to support our mission and neighborhood ministry. Our building becomes a center of cooperative mission for the sake of our neighbors. Leasing the church house to our seminarian is about relationship and vocation, and yes finances (his and ours both).
St Stephen’s doesn’t exist in a bubble immune to the economic realities of this time. To be good stewards of our mission to know, live and share Christ in this place we need to pay attention to finances, to build a realistic budget for 2024. Our Stewardship Team has made you aware that to maintain a steady state budget we minimally need a 4% increase in revenue. We pray that you will respond as you are inspired and empowered to do so by the Christ who knows us, loves and accompanies always. We — as in all of your staff and your elected leaders — are deeply grateful for your generous support of the mission and ministries of St Stephen’s. Thank you for your financial gifts, the gifts of your time and energy, and the sharing of your strengths and talents.
Please pray with me:
O God, in your love you have given the people of this land gifts of abundance beyond what our forebears knew or could imagine. Keep us from being captivated by prosperity and material blessings. Show us how to use our time, talents, energy, and finances to nurture and grow your mission in this place. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
