Pentecost 21A (Lectionary 29A) | October 22, 2023 | Matthew 22:15-22 | Luther H. Thoresen
Note 1: All quotes in the sermon are from the English Standard Version.
Note 2: This initial two paragraphs in italics of this sermon might be used as the basis for a Children’s message. If not used that way, one might adapt it as the beginning of the “usual” sermon, or inserted at a later time in the sermon.
Good morning. Have you ever heard of trick questions? Here are some examples (one might briefly interact with children after each question): “If you have 15 sheep and sell all of them except 9, how many sheep do you have?” “Is the 4th of July celebrated in England?” “Which is heavier, a pound of marbles or a pound of feathers?”
Those are trick questions, but if you answer one way or another, it doesn’t really matter. These are just for fun. However, some trick questions are more like a trap. You can get in trouble based on the answer. We might call them loaded questions. Here are a couple of traps, a couple of loaded questions (again, one might briefly interact with children after each question): “Have you stopped cheating in school?” “Do you still beat up on your little brother?”
In the gospel reading today, people come trying to trap Jesus in his words. They come with a trick question, a loaded question, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” We will explore that question more in the regular sermon. For now, we note part of Jesus’ answer, “…give to God what is God’s.” What is God’s? (allow answers) In the end, everything is God’s, yes. That includes you and me. So, part of what Jesus encourages is that we give ourselves to God.
We usually think of the offering as a time to share our money to help with the congregation’s expenses and other things. But if we are to give ourselves to God, maybe you could step into the offering plate this morning. I happen to have an offering plate here. I invite each of you to step into it one at a time, and simply pray, “God, I give myself to you.” (After a time for this, simply say, “Amen”)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.” (v. 15). The word entangle is a word frequently used to describe hunting or trapping situations. I recall watching TV shows years ago called “westerns”. There were occasions when cattle or horses on open range needed to be captured. The cowboys would look for a “box canyon” – a canyon with fairly steep sides on the left and right and with an entry, by not a way through, thus it was like a three sided box. They would drive the livestock into the canyon, build a temporary fence or gate, or just use the cowboys on horses to keep them in while they were lassoed. The livestock were “trapped”. The Pharisees wanted to catch, trap, entangle Jesus in his words. They want an answer, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?”
It does seem like Jesus might become “trapped” …but will it be safe? I recall something that happened about 10 years ago. My cousin Eric and his wife live on a farm south of Osage with two medium sized dogs. One day the dogs were barking up a storm with some whimpering mixed in. Eric went outside to an empty grain bin where the dogs had trapped a raccoon. The door was open, the coon inside and the dogs outside. Apparently, with its back to the wall, the coon had scratched and bit, and the dogs were bloodied. It was a standoff when Eric arrived. Is it safe for the Pharisees to entrap Jesus? What happens when Jesus’ back is against the wall?
“And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians…” (v. 16a) We don’t know much about the Herodians…at all. Apparently they were part of Herod’s extended family, or those loyal to Herod. Yet Herod was also known as one who collaborated with the Roman Emperor, Caesar. By contrast, the Pharisees were Jewish nationalists. They were not militant, like the Zealots who promoted guerilla warfare against Rome. So that makes Pharisees strange partners with Herodians. It would be like in 1770 to have Colonists and British loyalists cooperating against someone…or like Democrats and Republicans collaborating to trap, to entangle someone in their words.
Anyway, the disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians come with a question, but first they compliment Jesus. Once? Twice? Even three times. They spread the compliments on thick, like putting a thick layer of butter on toast. “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” (v. 16b)
When is a person “true”? When is a wall “true”? A wall is true when can use a plumb line and it is parallel to the wall; and when the wall is straight. There is often trouble if a wall leans (is not plumb) and curves (not straight). In English, we use the phrase “straight arrow” to describe a person that is true. This is a person that “tells it like it is”. This is a person that follows through on their own word and does what they say they will do. Accordingly, to “teach the way of God truthfully” is to teach it straight, to be faithful to the Torah.
To that, they add a bit more butter, “You do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” In our culture, we put a person down who changes their stance on an issue. We call them a “chameleon”. Why? A chameleon changes its color to fit into its surroundings. The last bit of butter describes Jesus who does not change what he says based on who is listening…he is not swayed by appearances. Or we might say, “He does not change what he says based on the way the wind blows.”
That’s the butter…or is it bait for a trap? Are these slippery words to slip Jesus into a tangle of words by their question? “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” This can entangle or trap Jesus not just because the Pharisees and Herodians are on different sides of an issue. Rather, the question touches a “hot potato” issue.
You might recall that taxes to the Emperor were taxes paid to an occupying empire. The purpose of these taxes was to support Rome, not local government. These taxes provided nothing like Social Security or Medicare. Taxes to Caesar provided no infrastructure; but they did help pay the salaries for Roman troops, and any roads that were built with these taxes were to allow Roman troops passage into your territory. Great. My usual way of getting at this is to ask “What if the US and the Allies had not won World War two? What if Germany and Japan had divided the US at the Mississippi River with the western US under Japanese control, and the eastern US under German control? How would US citizens feel if our taxes went to the Japanese Emperor or the German Fuhrer? Would there be resentment? Yup. Might tax collectors be mistreated? Yup. So, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?” is a loaded question!
If Jesus says directly, “yes” he will lose favor with so much of the population that resented the Roman occupation. Jesus will lose followers if he says “yes.” But, if he says, “no” he could be arrested for rebellion against the empire. Either way, Jesus is trapped; Jesus is entangled…and Jesus is out of the way.
Jesus sees through their malice. “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” (v. 18b, 19a) Jesus has them produce a coin with the face of Caesar on it. At the time of Jesus, the inscription on a denarius like the one they bring was probably, “Tiberius Caesar, majestic son of Divine Augustus.” It is interesting that they have what is essentially an “idol” in their pocket. Now, Jesus seems to entangle them, trap them in their words. He asks “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They have to answer “Caesar’s.” Jesus has not been entangled. He has avoided their trap…but I don’t think he made any friends either.
Jesus can now follow up with these words, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The word “render” in Greek is made up of two parts, one for “give” and the other “back.” So, it is to “give back” to Caesar, “give back” to God. The questioners, must answer for themselves what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God. So do we!
Jesus seems to allow for paying the tax…whether you like it or not. Yet at the same time he says “Give back to God what is God’s.” You know that one of the Psalms begins, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” (24:1) This world is not ours to do with as we wish. If we give it back to God, we would probably want to return it as if we have cared for it, rather than just use it…but that’s another sermon. There are other scriptures that affirm that the world, the universe the Creation of God’s belongs to God, and not us.
For today, I remind you that the word “image” as we hear it in today’s text is an important part of the Genesis 1 litany of creation. On what is called day 6, God says, “’Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We could say that created in God’s image, we indeed belong to God; we are not our own. With today’s text thinking of Creation, we could say and sing, “We give thee but thine own, what e’er that gift may be. All that we have is thine alone, a trust O Lord from thee.” In addition, with ourselves in mind, we might also sing, “Take my life that I may be, consecrated Lord to thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.”
But, do we willing surrender all? Do we willing give back all? Really willingly? Some years ago, I read a story in a sermon online by Lutheran pastor, John O’Neal1…it seems like a folk tale, but not quite. Here’s my adaptation of it.
Once upon a time, not so long ago, a much loved king needed a heart transplant. People throughout the kingdom were quite concerned. People from near and far gathered outside the castle waving their hands and calling out, “Take my heart O King, take my heart!” The king didn’t know what to do. Then, as if inspired, he devised a plan. He asked everyone to quiet down. He began, “I will throw down a feather, and the person on whom it lands can be the one to donate a new heart for me.” After a moment, the king threw a feather out over the people, and watched it drift back and forth, back and forth. Everyone was still waving their hands and calling out, “Take my heart O King!” However, there was one difference. The people were leaning their heads back and blowing the feather back into the air. “Take my heart, O King (blow)2, take my heart! “Take my heart, O King (blow), take my heart!”
“Take my heart” is like “surrender my life” or “take my life.” We might say, “Take my life (blow), but first let me do such and such. Or, “Take my life (blow) but use someone else.” Or, “Take my life (blow), but I want to live my own life.” “Take my life (blow) but…but…but.
So, what is needed? The Gospel is needed, so that we can say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Among us today, Jesus says to each of us, “You were created in God’s image. Though that image is tarnished by sin, that image has been restored through my death and resurrection.” Among us today, Jesus says to each of us, “created and restored, united to my death and resurrection by baptism and faith, I say you are mine, all the time. You are mine all the time.” By the work of the Spirit, you are empowered to “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Now, may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen
—
Pr. Luther H. Thoresen, ELCA, STS, retired
1 As of today, this can still be found online at https://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_a_paying_taxes_to_caesar.htm
2 The intent here is that the preacher would actually “blow” into the air, rather than reading the word “blow”
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