Göttinger Predigten
Göttinger Predigten im Internet hg. von U. Nembach
Pentecost 20, 10/22/2017
Sermon on Matthew 22:15-22, by Judson F Merrell
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said.
16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?"
18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.
20 Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?"
21 They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."
22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. (Mat 22:15-22 NRSV)
We live in such a divided world. Politics, race, religion, social-economical….you name it, even down to the nitty gritty sports team divisions. What is driving all this division? What is driving people to proclaim they are right while also proclaiming others are wrong? Is it narcissism? Is it social media and technology? Are the divisions in our world about power and money? I’m not sure there is a single correct answer. Instead, we have a summation of all of these situations, and more, which is leading to the unhealthiness we see in our society today. And while we make look at these divisions and say “that didn’t exist before the age of social media”, we would not be telling the truth. Divisions have always existed, and like today, sometimes those divisions are a summation of several factors. Our Gospel lesson shows us this today. As we look at Matthew 22, we see several factors that are involved with the division as it is presented in the text. First we have the Pharisees who are trying to entrap Jesus. They have their own disciples who also get thrown into the mix. Then there are the Herodians adding political fuels to the fire. On top of that, the subject of paying taxes is brought up, and that brings in the aspect of Jerusalem being under Roman Rule. Add all these factors together, and you have one big cause for division. The Pharisees have been plotting how to entrap Jesus, to have him be the cause of the division in Jerusalem, and with one question they think they have him. “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" How will Jesus answer this? Will he say “no” and commit treason against Rome? Or will he say “yes” and offend Jews? They have him! Or so they think. Jesus, aware of their plans, creates no new division. He neither offends Jews nor commits treason. Instead, Matthew presents Jesus as not dividing, but uniting. “Show me the coin used for the tax” he says. And then he asks “Whose head is this, and whose title?” Those disciples of the Pharisees present Jesus with a Roman coin that has a Roman image on it. Jesus then tells them to “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." In a very subtle way, it seems that Jesus has just reminded those that came to entrap him that they are breaking the second commandment. Jesus is not carrying a coin. He doesn’t possess it. He has to ask to see it. His answer to them is that by carrying and possessing that coin, they are idolaters. Those Pharisees, their disciples, the Herodians….they would have done well to be up on the mountain with Jesus while he was preaching to his disciples. Perhaps then they would remember what Matthew recorded in chapter 6: “24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. “(Mat 6:24 NRSV) As our pericope closes, we see those that tried to entrap him leave in amazement at what they had heard. But a division still existed. Not between Jesus and Rome or Jesus and the Jews, but between the religious leaders and what God was doing through his son Jesus. In our world today division still exists. As Christians, perhaps we need to evaluate ourselves on this. Is there a master other than God that we serve? Do we sometimes try to entrap God just so we can feel better about ourselves? Do we try to entrap others so we can be “right”? I like to reflect on this text based on the last line. In a world that is all about division, how does God amaze us? Is it not in the waters of the font? God’s Holy Spirit creates a new child of God with water and the Word. Are we not amazed at the Eucharist? God takes the earthly elements of bread and wine and makes them the body and blood of his Son for the forgiveness of sins. What if our world put aside the differences and divisions in social media, socio-economic situations, political arguments, etc….and instead looked for ways in which God amazes us? How much better the world would be! For the next two Sundays, we get festival celebrations of how God has amazed the world. Next week we, along with Lutherans and many other denominations throughout the world, will celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. God was certainly at work in Martin Luther, just as he has always been at work in the church and continues to be at work even today. The next Sunday, again with churches all throughout the world, we celebrate those that have died in the faith, the saints of the church. People who were filled with the Holy Spirit, claimed as God’s own. Their lives and witness still continue to amaze us today. A challenge for you this week is to especially look at how God is at work in your own life. Find the places where you leave in amazement, knowing that God is not about division. For in Christ there is no division. There is only one body, the church, with Christ as its head. As members of this body, let us always give back to God what is God’s, and let us start with ourselves. I think you will be amazed at the outcome. In the name of the Father, and the +Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.