Give to Caesar What is Caesar’s and Give to God What is God’s
Mark 11:27-33; 12:13-17, 28-34
Introduction
What’s in your wallet? It’s a slogan for a credit card company. It is also a good question–the kind of question Jesus asks the Pharisees and Herodians who try to trap him into saying something that could get him killed. What is in your wallet?
For most of us our wallet is a place to keep ID–those government issued cards that verify our identity and give us access to the privileges of citizenship. A health card. A driver’s license. A social insurance card. A birth certificate. Our wallet is also a place to keep money and our access to it. Perhaps we carry some cash, a bank card, a debit card, a credit card or cards. And we may also have some loyalty cards so that when we make purchases from our favourite retailers we build up credit to put against a future purchase. We might have business cards or other cards that identify our credentials or our membership in a club, a gym, a professional association. Perhaps we have room for pictures of loved ones in our wallet. You can tell a lot about a person by the contents in their wallet. It is a window into their identity, access, privilege, loyalty and values.
In the biblical story we heard today, when Jesus asks the Pharisees and Herodians to show him a denarius–the standard, silver coin minted by Rome, he was essentially asking a ‘What is in your wallet?’ type of question. But let’s zoom out a little bit first and explore the wider context for this story, and this question.
Context
We are on a Lent journey exploring the last week of Jesus’s life. We are using the book, Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week, by Jason Porterfield, and I want to recognize that book as a key source for this series and this sermon. In particular we are paying attention to how Jesus fights–how he wages peace, with some urgency and intensity in the last days of his life. He began the week on Sunday, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, and weeping over Jerusalem, with his wrenching lament, if you…had only recognized the things that make for peace! (Luke 19: 42). On Monday, he cleared the temple, chasing out the money changers, and the people selling animals for sacrifice.
Most of us probably can’t recall a single thing that happened on Tuesday of Holy Week. We usually jump from the events of Palm Sunday right to Good Friday. And yet Tuesday receives more attention by the gospel writers than any other day in Holy Week. Most of what happens on Tuesday is dialogue based. Perhaps that makes it less memorable. There isn’t any dramatic event on Tuesday. Not like some of the other days that week.
On Tuesday, Jesus goes right back to the temple, the scene of his dramatic clearing effort from the day before. At first glance that seems crazy! Why would he go back there?! After what he did there on Monday, the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to kill him! But there is some protection in the crowds that follow him. The temple was full of his supporters, which meant his opponents didn’t dare to touch him there. So the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders need to convince Jesus’ followers to turn against him. They make a plan to trap Jesus in his own words. They are going for a “gotcha” moment to discredit him in front of his followers.
We won’t cover all of the Tuesday dialogue today. Here is an overview. There are three main acts on Tuesday. The first two take place in the Temple. In the first act Jesus is baited with 5 tough questions by the religious leaders, and astounds the crowds with his answers. In the second act Jesus goes on the offensive with a lengthy rant/critique of the religious leaders and a series of warnings In the third act, as Jesus and his disciples leave the temple and head back to the Mount of Olives, he uses coded and apocalyptic language, foreshadowing the coming destruction of the temple and a tragic future filled with suffering when nations war against each other, calling his disciples to refuse to participate in the violence.
Exploring the Text
Today we are only looking at the first act of Tuesday–when Jesus is baited with 5 tough questions. Sandy read about three of those. And I will mostly focus my attention on one of those. A text that has often been misused in Christian history to justify violence. I want to look at the second question the religious leaders ask Jesus. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? (Mark 12:14).
All 5 of the questions meant to trap Jesus have to do with authority. The religious leaders are threatened by Jesus. He speaks and heals with authority, he forgives sins as if he has the authority to do that. Who does he think he is to clear out the temple courts? Who is he to challenge the way that pilgrims to the temple pay for their sacrificial animals? And so they try to trap him with a money problem. A politically loaded question. But first they try to flatter him, they praise him for his integrity, for always telling the truth, for not being swayed by public opinion, or giving deference to someone just because they have an important face, and then they lay the trap. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? If he says, “yes” then the people will turn against him because they hate paying the tax and hope that Jesus will rid them of the Romans. If he says, “no” the authorities could arrest him for inciting a revolt against Rome. But Jesus recognizes the trap, and evades it.
Bring me a denarius and let me look at it (Mark 12:15), he says. In other words, what is in your wallet? The denarius that Jesus asks to see is the standard silver coin minted by Rome. On the front is the face of Tiberius Caesar, and around his image are the words, “Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus.” On the reverse side is an image of the goddess of peace. The message on the coin is clear: respect the face, pay the tax and the son of God will give you peace. Pious Jews refused to carry the coin because its image and inscription violated the first and second commandments (see Exodus 20:3-4), so Rome permitted the Jews to produce their own non-idolatrous coins to pay the taxes. Rome didn’t care how the tax was paid. Just so long as it was paid.
By asking for the coin, Jesus does two things. First he reveals that he doesn’t have one, and he shows that the Herodians and Pharisees questioning him do have a denarius, and inside the sacred space of the temple at that! They have disclosed in front of the watching crowd that they have the hated Roman coin.
Whose image is this (Mark 12:16), Jesus asks, looking at the coin. The answer is obvious. Caesar’s, of course. Notice that Jesus doesn’t ask whose face is this. He asks whose image is this. Previously his questioners praised him for not giving deference to someone just because they had an important face. But by switching that word face to the word image, he does something significant. He is alluding to the central Jewish teaching that all of humanity is created in God’s image, and he is inviting his listeners to ponder what that means.
So then, Jesus says Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s (Mark 12: 17a).There is another subtle nuance to the language Jesus uses here. When we read “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” the word Jesus uses, apodidomi as it is translated in the Greek, actually means more than give. It really means give back, repay, or return. And you can’t give something back if you don’t know to whom it belongs. Now the brilliance of his answer becomes clear, and his listeners are utterly astonished. Now he is asking them to consider what does belong to Caesar. And what does belong to God? If we are created in God’s image, if we have God’s image imprinted on us, that we owe everything to God. All that we are, all that we have and all that we do belong to God. It’s a refrain that runs throughout the Scriptures. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, declares the Psalmist (Psalm 24:1). You’ll notice that there is a mirror here, at the front, on the path to the cross. That mirror is the reminder that we are created in the very image of God, and that all of who we are belongs to God. Heart. Soul. Mind and Body.
But if everything belongs to God, what’s left for Caesar? What do we owe to the Caesar’s of this world? The logical answer then would be nothing.
Application
The Christian church has wrestled with this question throughout its history. What do we owe the state? What is the relationship between the church and the state? The apostles and earliest Christians answered the question by saying that since everything belongs to God, we owe Caesar only those things that align with God’s purposes. We must obey God rather than human beings, they said, when they were ordered to no longer preach about Jesus.
But in the second century, when Justin Martyr was trying to convince the Roman emperor to stop persecuting Christians he wrote that to God alone we give our worship, but in all other things we gladly serve the emperor. This began a dualism in Christianity that persists to this day. It puts spiritual matters alone under God’s authority. Caesar is lord over everything else. It meant that the only thing for pastors and priests to worry about was getting people into heaven. Freeing the Caesars of the world then, to boldly tell Christians what they must do with their life on earth.
During the Reformation, in the 16th century, Martin Luther took this dualism one step further. His teaching came to be known as the doctrine of two kingdoms. He claimed that God actually put earthly kingdoms in place, and they were governed by a different set of morals. So Christians, in their private lives, were to obey the teachings of Jesus. But in their public role as citizens of an earthly nation, they were to support their political leaders, including taking up the sword for them if necessary.
At first glance the apostle Paul, in Romans 13 seems to agree with Luther’s position, when he tells his readers to submit to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1). But submission is different from obedience. Submission implies accepting the consequences of your behaviour whether you obey or respectfully disobey. And when Paul specifically addresses paying taxes, he draws a line in the sand. He says, give to everyone what you owe them: if you own taxes, pay taxes; (v 7), but then he adds, owe no one anything, except to love one another (v 8), and to drive the point home he adds, love does no harm to a neighbour (v 10). According to Paul, when the Caesar’s of this world order us to do something that would harm others, we must not obey. Love knows no boundaries. It is meant for all people, no matter their nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. So Christian peacemakers are called to oppose laws that conflict with God’s all inclusive, non-violent love. The bottom line is love.
So let’s come back to the question, What is in your wallet? If we have learned from Jesus’ answer about paying taxes, that the bottom line is love, then how does that impact what we do with what is in our wallets?
It is a timely question, as we are right in the midst of tax season, gathering our documents and paperwork to file our taxes for the year 2023. Most of us have probably complained about taxes at some point, grousing at how they mark up the price of goods and services and grumbling at how they seem to keep on increasing. Of course we all appreciate good roads and bridges, clean water at the tap, sewer systems that work, security, safety, hospitals, libraries, parks, daycares and so much more that our taxes pay for.
I was really glad to be planning and leading this service with Sandy, who also serves as Mayor of Woolwich Township. She knows first hand the reality of taxes. Part of her role is to work with staff and other elected members of both Regional and Township councils to determine the needs and levy the taxes to pay for the services we need and want. These are difficult conversations about priorities and preferences. There are many things to try and balance: present and future, urban and rural, expectations from diverse groups, age demographics. A good council will consult widely, listening well and asking important questions about who seems to be left out of the services, or harmed by the systems in place. Doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people is a worthy goal, but it can also be a bit of a blunt instrument, if we are not also asking, who is left out? Who is struggling? But even with the best of intentions you can’t please everyone. We probably don’t appreciate how difficult this role can be (Sandy didn’t ask me to say that!).
Jesus says more about money than any other topic. He reminds us that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). And he reminds us that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). He calls out religious and political leaders for exploiting and oppressing the poor. He encourages generosity. He tells parables about debts and wages. He challenges the rich young ruler to sell all that he has and give it to the poor (Matthew 19-16-22).
Now, this is not a rant against government leaders who make decisions about taxation levels. Our most cherished and valued services are paid for with our taxes. And most of us appreciate being part of communities where we all contribute to the well-being of others. Nor is this a rant against business people. Many of our beloved organizations and institutions are generously supported by people who have a knack for making money, who are willing to take risks, and be leaders and employers. Not all of us are willing or able to do that.
Challenge
The question today’s text raises for us is how can we be peacemakers with our money? How can we use our resources to create families and communities of Shalom? What do we do with our cash–purchasing power? What are our priorities?
What happens with our dollars in our economy? Who and what are they supporting? Who and what might they be harming? Where does the food we eat come from and how is it grown? Where do the clothes and shoes we wear come from and how are they made? What about our furniture? Our vehicles? Our jewelry? The battery components in our cell phones and computers? How are the workers paid who make all of these things we consume? What is the environmental footprint of the manufacturers? What kind of companies and businesses do our investments support? It is tricky. It is tricky to trace the supply chain and figure out where our stuff comes from and how it gets to us. It takes work to figure out what harm or good our investments might be doing. And it takes effort to find more sustainable options. And it is complicated. What if more sustainable options are not available? What if greener, more just options are priced out of our reach? What if a product is greener in its production, but not at the end of its life cycle?
It is tricky and it is complicated. That is true. Sometimes our resources can be tools of peacemaking and tools of exploitation at the same time. For example, when I buy a piece of clothing that is made in Bangladesh, I am, on one hand helping to provide a job for a seamstress, most likely a woman with limited opportunities. At the same time, I am contributing to an industry that is one of the worst for its environmental impact on things like water use and pollution, probably harming the very community that woman lives in. Or if I purchase an electric vehicle, I am eliminating carbon emissions from my driving, but the manufacturing of the battery, and its disposal after the life of the car has a significant cost to the environment. So it is complicated.
We can also say that it is actually simple. As he does throughout the last week of his life, Jesus sets up a contrast here. His radical vision and campaign for peace by non-violent means creates a “confrontation of two competing ideologies, the collision of two incompatible approaches to making and maintaining peace (Jason Porterfield, Fight Like Jesus, 30).
On the one hand, there are regimes that exploit, oppress and put heavy burdens on their citizens. They take more than their fair share, and use harsh force and violence to impose their will. On the other hand, is Jesus’ vision, where the works of Shalom create communities of peace and justice, where all have what they need.
In Holy Week, it is a clash and a showdown for the ages but it will not be a battle fought with fists and swords, at least not by Jesus. In Holy Week Jesus sets up the difference between his approach to peacemaking and that of the religious and political leaders whose authority he challenges. And he leaves us with a stark choice. Will the way of Jesus be our way or not?
The way of Jesus is the way of Shalom. It means harmony, health and wholeness for all. It means that all our relationships, with God, with each other, with the Earth, and with ourselves, are flourishing. It is a comprehensive vision that touches every aspect of our lives. It becomes a reality when truth, mercy, justice and peace kiss each other, as the Psalmist describes (Psalm 85).
What we do with our money and our resources matters. Does our money make peace, or contribute to violence and harm? Do our resources create communities of Shalom or communities of inequality? Does our capital make love grow or does it make hate and harm flourish? Do our investments foster good in the world, or harm? Do our loyalties promote harmony or division? Do our values encourage compassion, kindness and generosity, or jealousy, selfishness and greed?
What is in your wallet? Shalom? Or injustice? Jesus’ way of peace or the seeds of violence?
I hope this is only the beginning of the conversation. I know it’s hard to talk about money, partly because it is so tied up with our identity, our sense of self, our values. But, what’s in your wallet, is an important question–an important starting place. In Holy Week, Jesus waged peace by calling us to a bottom line of love; by challenging human law if it conflicts with God’s nonviolent love. Can we use that bottom line of love to guide what we do with what is in our wallets? May it be so.