Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's

 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.  So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?"  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."  And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

- Luke 20:19-26

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus taught in the temple, He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  No at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.'  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?  Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.  These words refer to the parable Jesus told in yesterday's reading, above.

 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?"  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."  And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.    My study bible has a lengthy note on today's passage.  It says that this question regarding taxation is a clear design to trap Jesus:  if He answers "yes" it would turn the people against Him.  They already feel oppressed and burdened by the occupying Romans.  But a "no" answer would bring a charge of treason by the Roman state power.  It says, "His answer defeats their cunning and shows that a believer can render the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7)."  The coin bears the image of Caesar and therefore is properly paid to him, as each human being bears the image of God within themselves and thereby belongs to God.  The conflict that arises comes when the state demands what is contrary to God.

There's a kind of parallel here of two kingdoms:  one belonging to the world, and the other is the kingdom of heaven, or kingdom of God.  Jesus has brought the Kingdom near, even into our midst, so that we live with "two kingdoms" all the time.  We have discussed in earlier readings (last week), as we read of Jesus making His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, and His lamentation over the holy city that it did not know the things that make for its peace, that Jesus' peace and joy are things that are gifts to us regardless of our circumstances.  His strength and constancy, patience and forbearance, discernment and wisdom, and peace and joy are gifts to us that come whether or not the world cooperates; they are gifts of the Spirit.  Here Jesus further gives us a sense of kingdom, of "ownership."  What does God own, and what do we give to God?  He is making it perfectly clear that it is possible to render what we need to due to worldly considerations while at the same time we belong to God, our hearts are there and we live our lives in accordance with what God wants for us.  It's clear that there are ways to follow God as we live in the world, but it all depends on where our hearts are.  Must we render taxes to Caesar?  Well, as Jesus points out, that money is minted by the state and is one of "the things" of the state.  Money isn't the foundation of the kingdom of God!  We also have to see this issue in its proximity to Jesus' cleansing of the temple.  It was not only a cleansing of those who traded in animals for sacrifice but also the money-changers; those who changed Roman coin for temple coin.  Again, I believe He would have us ask, "What is the foundation of the Kingdom?  Is it money, or something else we put our trust in?"  This is the essential thing to keep in mind.  In that sense, to pay taxes isn't contrary to God, because money is not the foundation of the kingdom of God; we are "freely given."   Loving God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind is the foundation for the Kingdom.  In the traditional perspective of the Church, the body isn't separate from soul and spirit:  all are a wholistic reality, and our true health is found in God's way for us.  To separate soul and body is against God, and against the true wholeness of the way the Kingdom is at work in us.  If we are to be wise and discerning we will understand the necessary structures of the state, and at the same time the necessary call of God as we live our lives.  In the Gospels we've read over and over again about the persecution of both the state (as in the slaughter of the innocents which sent Mary and Joseph with their baby Child into exile), and the religious leadership.  Christ's death will come from a sad kind of collusion of both,  a corruption of power.  Perhaps the real question we should ask ourselves is about betrayal of God, and failure to recognize God's dominion within ourselves -- where that breaks down and corrupts also human institutions.  Jesus tells us we are to live in the world in a way that is discerning enough so that we properly negotiate between "Caesar" and "God."  But rendering to Caesar cannot get in the way of God's kingdom.  We have so many martyrs to look at to teach us that the power of the Kingdom transcends everything.  And there are more every day in this world in all kinds of ways.  Let us consider the mystical reality of the Church - the kingdom of heaven that is within us and among us:  it lives in us and transcends the world.  It is our love and loyalty that are the foundation of life.