Sermon: Stewardship 10/08/23
So, chances are, you’ve probably heard somebody say, whether to you or someone else, or maybe in a TV show or movie, “It’s your money. Spend it the way you want to…on whatever you want.” And it sounds really good, sometimes, doesn’t it? I mean, you do work hard for that money, don’t you? And isn’t there always something you’ve been wanting, but never let yourself buy, for whatever reason? But is that sound, Christian theology? Is that even good advice? What does the Bible say?
Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? It seems like an odd question to ask, just out of the blue, doesn’t it? Whose bright idea was it to try to trap Jesus with a monetary question? Good thing Jesus has Matthew the former tax collector to consult with, right? Where does that question come from? I’m gonna be honest with you—I was actually a bit confused about this myself. I mean, what does paying taxes have to do with stewardship, or with theology, for that matter? Something tells me that Roman taxes didn’t have a lot of loopholes that could get you out of paying taxes. I mean, after all, death and taxes are the two things that are certain in life, right?
So, I did a little investigating, and surprisingly, paying this tax has everything—everything to do with theology. You see, the specific tax referred to here is the Roman Census Tax, aka the Roman Head Tax that was initiated in 6 AD when Judea became a Roman province, around the time Mary was pregnant with Jesus. The Jews, including the Pharisees, disapproved of the tax. In fact, this tax itself triggered a surge of Jewish nationalism and the Zealot movement, which eventually led to the Jewish rebellion and ended with the Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, reducing it to a pile of rubble, just as predicted by Jesus. The tax amounted to one silver denarius for every inhabitant of Judea aged fourteen and up, equal to one day’s pay for a laborer. It wasn’t the amount of the tax that was problematic. It was the fact that it had to be paid specifically in this specific Roman coin—the silver denarius--which displayed the image of the emperor Tiberius and the inscription: "Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus, high priest."1 This inscription declared that the emperor was divine, both God and high priest. For monotheistic Jews, this was blasphemy, and to pay this tax, even to carry this coin, was tantamount to idolatry. The act of paying this tax was seen as a violation of the Jewish covenant. Why? Because the true and rightful king of Israel was always God, and their human kings were only representatives of God. It was to this one true God, creator of the Universe, to whom all citizens of Israel owed their allegiance. To recognize the authority of any other king, much less one who claimed also to be a Deity and their high priest was forbidden, unthinkable. The scriptures are clear that when it comes to Israel, God is a jealous God who insists on total fidelity. To pay this tax using this coin was essentially equivalent to acknowledging and declaring allegiance to Caesar as not only their King, but also their God and their High Priest. No wonder this was a hotly debated topic at the time.
The Pharisees and most other Jews opposed the tax, but still paid it. There really wasn’t a way around it. Then, as today, taxes were not optional, and the punishment for refusing to pay were quite severe. The Herodians, however, were supporters and collaborators in the Roman empire, and supported the tax, hence their presence and curious attention. Is it lawful to pay this tax to Caesar? If Jesus says “Yes,” then he will alienate the Jewish nationalists, who are among his followers and seeking the Messiah. Answering “No,” could result in his immediate arrest by the Romans, and the Herodians would not hesitate to testify against him. But he isn’t ready to be arrested—it’s not quite time yet.
Jesus asks to see one of these silver denarii with which the tax must be paid. And, lo and behold, one of the Pharisees pulls one out of his pocket! Not only do the Pharisees and priests allow money changers exchange other currency into Roman coinage in the Temple, but the Pharisee, by simply carrying such a coin in his pocket, reveals his allegiance to Caesar and his willing participation in the Roman economic system. Jesus asks him to identify the image and inscription, to verify it is, indeed, the emperor’s coin.
Jesus avoids giving a simple yes or no answer. "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." On the surface, this sounds like Jesus is skirting the issues of idolatry and affirming allegiance to a false God, but actually, he doesn’t. Instead, he reminds those in attendance, that their primary allegiance belongs to God, and that, in actuality, everything they possess, even their very lives belong to the God of Israel. Jesus reminds them who they are and whose they are, and leaves it up to each person there to choose which kingdom they belong to, and which King and God they will pledge their allegiance and service. No one can serve two masters.
This is the question at the heart of Matthew’s Gospel. Who is your king? Who do you serve? To which kingdom do you belong? Who or what has sovereign power over your life? Matthew presents two contrasting options: An earthly political kingdom ruled by a flawed human king or president who wants to be worshiped and adored, or the Kingdom of Heaven, ruled by Christ, the King of Kings whose law is love. To which do we pledge our undying allegiance? In truth, we can be both citizens of the USA, and also citizens of God’s kingdom. The church is, after all, people called out of their homes into public spaces in this world, to do the work of God and point to God’s activity and presence in the world. And insofar as we live and participate in the civic order, we have civic obligations to fulfill. Our ultimate obligation, however, which places boundaries and limits on all other obligations, is faithfulness to God, the ruler of all creation. It’s not an either/or question, but rather, a question of degree of commitment, of priority. God must come first.
Jews traditionally gave their first fruits as an offering to God. First fruits represent not only the first portion harvested or earned, but also the best portion. Today, as part of our stewardship discernment, I challenge us all to ask ourselves, “How does my ultimate allegiance to God and the Kingdom of Heaven impact my lifestyle and my habits of giving and spending money? Where do I give my first fruits, my best efforts, my most generous gifts? How can I make my giving better align with my faith commitments?”
1. Boring, M. Eugene. The Gospels and Narrative Literature, Jesus and the Gospels, Matthew, and Mark. Matthew 22:15-22. Vol. VIII. 10 vols. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995. https://www-ministrymatters-com.luthersem.idm.oclc.org/library/#/tnib/add77bfc574095cf0b01bbb03e62ae23/matthew-191-2246-conflict-and-ultimate-polarization.html.