Whose Image is on You?
A Sermon on Matthew 22:15-22 with thanks to the exegetical notes of Brian P Stoffregen for Proper 24A.
In the name of Jesus; amen.
In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to a friend, "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." Nearly 150 years later (1936), Margaret Mitchell used a similar phrase in Gone with the Wind: "Death and taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them."
Nothing is more real life than taxes. They happen to all of us whether or not we want them too. Even if you cheat on your income tax or refuse to pay it there is still sales tax. Taxes just happen.
Today Jesus is asked a question about taxes, but the taxes in our Gospel are nothing like any of the taxes we pay today-- not income, property, or sales tax. We know few details about this tax, other than it consisted of a flat-rate personal tax on all men from age fourteen and women from age twelve to age sixty-five and was levied at least at the rate of one denarius (about a day's wage) per year. Later (we do not know when) it was combined with a percentage tax on property.
While most are resigned to paying our taxes we should remember that the lives of Jews living in the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus or Matthew was nothing like living in America in the 20th century. Their God-given homeland was under foreign occupation.
For Jews and then the Christians, the annual payment of this particular tax to Rome was a painful reminder of living in an occupied country by foreign powers who worshiped false gods. The tax could only be paid with Roman coins which were not just legal tender but also pieces of propaganda. Most of the coins contained an image of the Caesar with inscriptions proclaiming him to be divine or the son of a god. "Graven images" and polytheism were blasphemous to both Jews and Christians. Thus paying taxes with Roman coins raised both political and religious issues.
Every time they pulled out their money, they would be reminded that their enemy was in power. Every time the Jews used Roman money, they were reminded that they were occupied and that the emperor was making himself another god.
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?"
The Pharisees had a good plan to entrap Jesus. Taxes were a serious issue in that time. While we may complain about the cost of a tax; for the people of Jesus’ and Matthew’s time the tax was about their belief and their sense of religious morals. It was about their whole sense of who they were as a people of God.
If Jesus had said that it was lawful to pay the tax the people would have seen him as being in league with the enemy. But if he had said that it was unlawful he would have been in deep trouble with the enemy.
So Jesus asks for a denarius, which is clever in and of itself because now the disciples of the Pharisees (who would have opposed the tax) and the Herodians (who would have supported it) had to provide the very coin that was in despute.
“Whose head is this, and whose title?” he asks. Well, it was Caesar’s. “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
How do we know what things belong to Caesar? Well, they have his image on them! Just like all governments put their mark or image on their country’s money.
And how do we know what things belong to God? Well, they have God's image on them too!
What are we to give to God? The things stamped with God's image -- us! We are to give God ourselves -- our whole selves -- not just some part.
Some may give God their minds,but have hearts far from God.Some may give God their hearts,but are unwilling to learn from God in the WordSome may give God their muscles,but are unwilling to bring their bodies to worship or education classes.Many give God 1 or 2 hours a week,but God wants all 168 hours a week.Many give God 2% of their income, perhaps think about 10%but God wants 100%.
We cannot say that "this part belongs to God, so I will give it to God." Everything we are and everything we have belongs to God. Everything we are and everything we have we are to give (back) to God. We are but mere managers or stewards of these gifts God has given to us.
Properly managing the money God has given us means some of it is to go to the government. Sorry folks we are to pay our taxes even when we think they are too much or don’t like how they are being spent.
Properly managing the money God has given us means spending wisely and paying our bills. Properly managing the money God has given us means saving some of it so that we have what we need when needs arise.
But properly managing the money God has given us also means remembering that it is not ours, but only what God has given us.
This morning our worship is about healing and this afternoon at the St Francis celebration to bless the animals worship is about giving thanks to God for the gift of creation. There is a theme today of God giving us wholeness but to get it (and I don’t mean “get” in terms of receiving, but in terms of understanding) we have to remember that we belong to God. We are God’s.
Not just parts of us, but all of us. Not just on Sunday mornings, but all week long. Not just while we are praying, but in everything we say and do. Not just in the money we put in the offering plate, but in ever cent we save or spend.
We are God’s 100% all the time. We have been marked with the image of God… let’s live it.
Amen.
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