Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's

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.

- Matthew 22:15-22

Jesus becomes further challenged by questions that are aimed at revealing flaws in his teachings, so that his answers can be used against him. This time the questioning centers around the rule and domination of Caesar. We have reflections in this story of the political life of Israel at the time. The Pharisees send their disciples to question Jesus, but also there are Herodians (followers who supported Herod the Great and his dynasty). Both the Pharisees and Herodians can be seen as playing a role as a form of political party. So the backdrop here is both religious and political in nature, and we recall that the Messiah widely expected in the context of these times was both political and religious in nature, a political liberator.

So, who is this Jesus, really, and where does he stand? He's been teaching about righteousness, and belongs to no party. They've already asked him about his authority to cleanse the temple. This time the question is both religious and political in nature. They put the question to him: "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?" Jesus is known as someone who treats all with equality, and speaks directly and plainly to all. By answering yes, or no, they hope to trap him into one or the other position: either he is a revolutionary, or he is a collaborator with the Romans.

But Jesus once again surprises people with his answers to questions that are designed to trap him one way or another. His answers are surprising and eye opening, and don't fall into any expected category or box. Again, as in the previous question in the temple, we're given to understand that the questioners are not sincere. They're deliberately trying to put Jesus into a bind. "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.'" Once again, Jesus is showing his sharp wit and intelligence in his answer. He's also unafraid to answer straightforwardly a question, both with authority and clearly defending himself. He's willing to engage in argument and to rebuff his questioners. His answers are bold and strong, and he does not shy away at all from the confrontation with those established in authority in the temple and the society. But his answer is surprising and clever. My study bible notes that the distinction between things that are Caesar's and things that are God's does not imply a division of life into two domains, the secular and the sacred. God is Lord over all. The note in my study bible goes on to read, "We must fulfill legitimate governmental requirements which do not conflict with our responsibility toward God. Paying taxes and similar duties are not detrimental to godliness. The fact that the Jewish establishment had a Roman coin in hand proved they accepted and used this coin, thereby accepting the earthly rule of the one who issued it."

My study bible also has a note indicating that Jesus constantly demonstrates that he is divine as well as human. The note reads: "Here again he does so by (1) revealing the secrets of their hearts, and (2) silencing them through his questions." But I also think this is reflected in the nature of Jesus' answer itself. Clearly, he's both a man of God and a man of the world. As incarnate Christ, he's teaching us about living in the world and in obedience to God at the same time. Our hearts, our very center, is to belong to God, and to seek discernment in our lives through this bond and relationship. But the things that are of God's kingdom are eternal, and we live in a temporal world, with political rule that comes and goes like that of the government that issued the Roman coin. Jesus teaches how we live in this temporal world while our hearts belong to that eternal kingdom. We live in peace with that which doesn't interfere with the loyalty in our hearts, and we seek discernment to do so. This is a model for all of us for temperance and forbearance, and living in peace and cooperation in a world filled with unnecessary conflict and violence. We render to God what is God's, and from there we gain discernment with regard to that which belongs to the state and is required of us from the state so long as it does not conflict with our loyalty to God. We will always have to live in patience with that which is temporal and passing and imperfect as part of our lives in the world. We don't separate our lives, in this example, into two parts: rather, we live in both, with our hearts - our center - in relation to God who is Lord of all.

How do you negotiate this question in our particular context of the times? We live in a world with a great deal of rather secular and material celebration of the coming holiday, Christmas. In this period of Advent, it is the perfect question to think about. How do we balance the great material social pressures built up around this holiday period against the meaning of this event of the coming of Christ incarnate in the world? What do our hearts tell us about passing through the temporal demands while we remain centered in Christ, in worship? I believe we are to walk through all of it with our hearts open to love, to the Spirit, to these teachings. And yet, with love, we make our way through the times, giving gifts and doing what we can, honoring our obligations - hopefully with the joy of what we know to be eternal and true in our hearts. How will you walk through this season with both? What unfruitful conflict will you avoid, and for what and when do you decisively speak up? Jesus' own response itself so brilliantly straddles both the eternal and the temporal that we are told "when they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away." In this season of Advent where so much intense activity is focused on the temporal, material and secular, don't forget to take time out -- in the midst of it -- for the things of the heart, the things that are God's, and watch.