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 Jesus the people this parable in the temple at Jerusalem:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now 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.

  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.  The lectionary repeats this verse from yesterday's reading (above).  We understand the motivation of those who wish to trap Jesus into giving an answer for which they can arrest Him.  And, on the other hand, we know that the people wish to hear Jesus teach.

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.  This is an affirmation of the verse before it, but with elaboration.  There are spies who pretended to be righteous.  They want to seize on His words, and deliver Him to the power and authority of the governor; that is, to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

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.  Here's a question designed to trap Jesus so that either He may be reported to the Roman governor, or so that the people will turn against Him.  A "yes" answer would turn the Jewish people against Him.   A "no" answer means a charge of treason can be brought against Him to the Roman governor.  But instead, His answer defeats both outcomes.  It shows that a believer can render the state its due while also serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  My study bible says that as the coin bears the image of the emperor and is properly paid to him, so each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God.  Conflict arises only when the state demands that which is contrary to God.

Jesus' truth works in particular ways.  A question that is designed to trap Him simply doesn't work, because He won't allow His truth to be subverted by false distortions.  For Christ, there is no conflict between living in the world and worshiping God.  There is only conflict when we feel we must choose between one and the other -- or worse, when we substitute one for the other.  To pay taxes to Caesar, even when Caesar was a despised figure by the Jews, was not in conflict with worshiping God.  Caesar had his own system of necessary taxes, just as any other government does.  But paying those taxes does not mean that our heart does not belong to God.  More importantly, those who would distort the doctrine of Christianity into a dire system of conflict between living a life as a human being and as a "spiritual" being are not upholding Christ's point of view.  And let us clearly understand from Christ's example that political parties and movements do not stand in as substitutes for faith in God nor worship practices.  Fully human and fully God, Jesus lives in the world to teach us how to be like Him, how to love God and be fully human at the same time, loving the creation given to us by the Creator, being good stewards of our world.  There is not meant to be a conflict between a material life and a spiritual life; the body itself is seen as a wholistic part of spirit and soul.  Indeed, practices like fasting are meant to teach us this; they offer the body as part of spiritual practice, not as something "bad" or "evil."  To fast is simply to make a choice, to assert loyalty to God over and above all else.  Such a practice is not meant to be severe and punishing, but rather to be "for" the body.  In fact, recent studies on methods of fasting (used, say, as diets, and not as spiritual practice)  conclude that fasting in some sense resets the body, and in particular the brain.  Our body begins to gear itself in different ways, actually activating the growth of neurons, synapses, and new neural connections in the brain, thus potentially improving memory and brain function in ways that may impact all aspects of life.  In fact, those who study this particular field for dietary purposes suggest (among other options) what they call a 5:2 diet; that is, a normal diet 5 days a week, and a restricted diet 2 days per week. This is identical to the tradition of fasting in the ancient church on Wednesdays and Fridays.  (Let us note that for religious purposes we speak of fasting as restriction from certain foods, not elimination of eating altogether.  These studies also suggest simply restricting total food intake on the 2 days, not eliminating food altogether.)  Another suggestion made by such studies is limiting eating to a particular window of time during the day, similar to routine practices in many monasteries.  Since prayer, fasting, and almsgiving have always been meant to go together in religious teaching, one thing we may conclude from these recent scientific studies is that, in fact, fasting really does help us grow spiritually when accompanied with prayer and almsgiving, done for the purpose of strengthening our relationship with God.  If the brain is "primed" in some sense for better function and memory, then how does prayer truly deepen within us - as those proponents of Prayer of the Heart have always taught -- when aided by fasting?   As Jesus Himself has implied, fasting can function as assistance to effective prayer.  Real fasting, in fact, in the sight of the church, is abstention from sin; fasting from food is a discipline to help teach us choice and self-mastery.  In this way, we can begin to understand the truth that our faith and our worldly lives are meant to go hand in hand.  Contrary to the picture presented to Christ of the choice to be made by His false questioners, Jesus' transcendent way of teaching that God is always in our hearts, even as we live our lives in the world, is the truth that we need for a truly good life.  Christ shows us that we are meant to live full lives, but within the overarching umbrella of a dedication to God, and this is the way that we must see the thrust of our faith and the kinds of choices we are called upon to make.  Do not be taken in by those who may suggest dire dilemmas to us, or worldly circumstances in which we are torn from our faith.  Christ has a way -- the way, the truth, and the life.  Let us find it through prayer and by His grace, even through a decidedly fallen world that will frequently offer us false dilemmas.