Matthew 22:15-21
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he
said. 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. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful
to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the
test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin
used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this,
and whose title?’ 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.’ When they heard this, they were amazed; and
they left him and went away. The same
day some Sadducees came to him, saying there is no resurrection; and they asked
him a question, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses
said, “If a man dies childless, his brother shall marry the widow, and raise up
children for his brother.” Now there
were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died childless, leaving
the widow to his brother. The second did
the same, so also the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman herself died. In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the
seven will she be? For all of them had married her.’ Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong, because
you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry
nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have
you not read what was said to you by God,
“I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is
God not of the dead, but of the living.’
And when the crowd heard it, they were astounded at his teaching.
A man suffered a serious heart attack and had an open heart
bypass surgery. He woke up from the surgery to find himself in the care of nuns
at a Catholic Hospital.
As he was recovering, a nun asked him questions regarding
how he was going to pay for his treatment. “Do you have health insurance?”
"No,” the man croaked. “No health insurance."
“Do you have any money in the bank?”
"No money in the bank."
"Do you have a relative who could help you?" asked
the nun.
"I only have a spinster sister. She is a nun."
The nun bristled. "Nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are
married to God."
“Alright, already!” croaked the patient. "Send the bill
to my brother-in-law."
Does it seem to anyone else that the only time we talk about
money in Church is when we’re asking for it? Money is a tricky and ultimately
very personal subject – people are more likely to ask for intimate details of
your baby making activities than about your paycheck. Yet Jesus mentions money
more than any other topic we have recorded in the Gospels! The way we earn our
money, the way we spend and give it, form a large part of our identity – as
individuals, as a community and as a country.
People, both pastors and politicians, have used these verses
in many, often dubious, ways. Some will tell you that Jesus was intending to
keep religion and politics separate – forgetting that Jesus was the greatest
proponent of political reform in history. Others say that this story proves
that religion is a matter of the heart, and that Jesus doesn’t really care
about mundane things like what you do with your money. And some have cited this
passage as proof that Jesus taught that the law is the law, and our duty as Christians
is to support the government no matter what.
Rubbish.
I am the first to admit that I am no expert in political or
social studies – but I am trying really hard to become an expert (haha) on my
relationship with God. And I can tell you know that the Jesus I know cares very
much about the ‘mundane’ things of life, and was certainly not known for
supporting a government that was prone to corruption and injustice.
Matthew’s Jesus has already spoken on the subject of money
and divided loyalties: “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” (6:24). Jesus is making a political statement right
from the very beginning of this passage – he asks for a Roman denarius to be
brought to him. This was the currency of the ruling invaders – no devoted and
observant Jew would carry such an item on their person. He then asks them what
‘image’ there is on the coin. The image of course was of the Roman emperor,
emphasising his divinity and status as the high priest of the state religion. The
image was of a man who was also a God, who was present at every gathering and
whose power was undisputed – sound familiar?
By bearing and using this coin, a person was tagged and
committed as participant in the Roman state and economy. Jesus’ words, ‘give to
the emperor’, indicate the repaying of a debt. By owning and using this coin we
benefit from the prevailing authorities. We must acknowledge our privilege as
part of an economic majority before we can think to remove ourselves from it.
The emperor gives and the emperor can take away – could we say the same for
those who supply our currency?
The ruling powers give nothing for free. Whether we possess
coins, prerogatives, influence, opportunities or status, they will demand some
sort of fealty in return. Are we willing to pay that price? Where do our
loyalties lie?
All of this makes it harder for us as individual Christians
to decide where our loyalties lie. WE are competing with many loyalties and
influences – and few of them are from God.
For one thing, to be a member of society -- simply to be in
the game -- puts me at risk of becoming complicit in society's blasphemies. As
a Lenten discipline 5 years ago I vowed to not purchase any new item of
clothing for myself or my family unless I knew the makers had been paid a fair
and reasonable wage. I have kept that up, because once the appalling practices
and conditions behind cheap clothing was seen it could not be unseen. But still
the war in my head and heart goes on – when I buy my milk, has the farmer been
paid a fair price? When I buy my chocolate, have children lost their childhood
and their lives in order to produce it? When I vote, how is the candidate and
party I am supporting treating those most in need of our compassion?
Second, Jesus calls our attention to the dangers of seeking
power or courting the establishment. As someone who is active within and
restricted by the Anglican communion by which I am licenced, I have chosen to
work within a structure that I see as being occasionally faulty and sometimes
actually against God (I’m not talking about the parish level here, by the way,
but the Anglican communion overall). I enjoy the benefits of having some power
within this structure. If I was to decide that this structure had strayed so
far beyond God’s will that it was irredeemable, would I be able to leave, with
all the social, economic and spiritual pain that would ensue?
Finally, what is true for Churces is the same for
individuals. Am I in danger of courting the worthy goals of safety, security,
freedom and status for myself and my family at the expense of another?
Jesus is famous for his ambiguity. And here, as always,
there is no clear pathway through the moral maze he has presented. But one
thing is clear – as I negotiate and navigate my way, my overarching goal must
always be to give to God all the things that are God’s. As a created being in
the image of God, that would include me.
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