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

 

 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceive their wickedness, and said, 'Why do you test Me, you hypcrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  they said to Him, "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."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

 

- Matthew 22:15–22 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and spoke to the chief priests and elders again by parables and said:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready.  Come to the wedding."'  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'  So those servants went out into the highways gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

  Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceive their wickedness, and said, 'Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  they said to Him, "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."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.  This question on taxation is designed as a trap for Jesus.  If He replied "yes" to the question, it would turn the Jewish people against Him.  If He replied "no" it would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  But Christ's answer yet again evades the intentions of those who question Him and gives a perspective they don't expect.  Christ's answer shows that a believer can render the state its due, and at the same time serve God (Romans 13:1-7).  My study Bible explains 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.  

 

Christ's answer (and my study Bible's explanation) suggests something interesting to us. If there is not necessarily a contradiction between service to state and service to God; that is, if we can honor both our obligations to the state and to God at the same time, then it is fundamentally possible for even the state to designate "good" as something pleasing to God.  Obviously, human beings need good governance.  Whatever problems we have in the world with power and governments, they do not come about because no government is the answer or pleasing to God.  On the contrary, we understand from the creation story in the Bible that our world is meant to be not a place of chaos and anarchy, not a place where we human beings simply struggle against one another for limited goods, or a life of "all against all."  The Bible tells us that God organized life from its fundamental beginnings, separating land and sea, ocean from ocean, putting man in a specific garden.  Moreover to guide human beings and human enterprises, God gives us angels.  In the Revelation we read of each angel meant to lead every church St. John is told to write to; The Lord tells John to write separate messages to the angels of the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and the church of the Laodicaeans.  In fact, it is an angel sent by the Lord, by Christ, to tell John all of the instructions of the Revelation to the churches.  In the tradition of our faith we understand that angels are put in charge of states, nations, cities, that even each one of us has a particular guardian angel.  What that tells us, then, is that the normal human activities of the regulation of states need not conflict at all with our duty to God.  But, of course, this would mean that the state align itself with the will of God in some sense, for in that case there is no conflict with our loyalty to God.  Good governance is something respected in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament and in the writing of St. Paul (such as the passage in Romans 13:1-7, cited by my study Bible).  Clearly, human beings need governments and states of various kinds, but we may seek good government in accordance with the values of our faith.  Moreover there is a subtle emphasis implied here on the responsibility of the people, both communally and individually.  For in each case we may render proper duty to God and to the state.  Of course, what all of this tells us is that our first duty is to God, and that this is also true of the state.  In a conscientiously secular modern sense, we expect the government to impose no religion upon us, but we cannot get away from conscience and our love of God, for these are where values come from to begin with.  Our very concepts of human rights in a modern sense were developed culturally as a result of our faith (see the book by Tom Holland titled Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World for a greater eye-opening discussion on just how much modern life owes to the Christian faith).  In the ancient world, of course, and in the context of our reading, Caesar was worshiped as a god, and thereby the Jews and many Christians to come would be persecuted.  But Jesus teaches here -- as does the whole history of Christian faith and its effects on culture and society -- that our first duty is to live faithfully to the extent that we are able, for we are first those who render the soul unto God, and the rest of life, including its necessities, follows.  What we observe about today's reading also hinges on another aspect of Jesus' response to these men, and that is that He openly calls them hypocrites. Indeed, the Pharisees, who are exceptionally prideful of their intensely scrupulous observance of the law, here ally themselves with the Herodians, who are the followers of Herod's court, which serves Caesar and rules Israel.  What kind of partnership is that for those who quiz Him regarding paying taxes to Caesar and the Jewish law?  Their own hypocrisy exposes them in their murderous envy of Christ, and the greed for which they are known themselves.  So in the light of today's reading, let us consider what a true examination of conscience is and means.  It does not imply that we ascribe to a particular political theory or philosophy.  Neither does rendering our due to the Lord mean separating ourselves from participation in worldly life.  We walk a fine line by rendering unto both God and Caesar what belongs properly to each, with our faith being the guide for what is good and what is not.

 

 

 

Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?

 

 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  so they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. 

 

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

- Mark 12:13–27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A men planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

 

  Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  so they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.  My study Bible explains that the Herodians were Jewish political supporters of the ruling house of Herod the Great and therefore willing servants of Rome.  This question is design to entrap Jesus in either way He might answer.  A "yes" answer would turn the people against Him, for whom the Roman taxation and occupation were onerous.  A "no" would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  But Christ's answer defeats their cunning, and shows that a believer can render the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  My study Bible explains 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.  We should keep in mind also that our lives aren't divided into the secular and the sacred -- God is Lord over all of life, including the secular.  Paying taxes and other civil duties aren't detrimental to holiness.  

 

 Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."  The Sadducees represent landowners and other wealthy families in Jerusalem.  My study Bible explains that they held many high offices in Israel, and so controlled the temple and the Sanhedrin.  They were different from the Pharisees in that they were politically prudent and adapted to the presence of the Romans.  According to my study Bible, the Sadducees interpreted the law even more rigidly than the Pharisees and differed from them also in that they rejected belief in angels and in the resurrection from the dead at the end of the age.  The Sadducees completely disappeared after the destruction of Jerusalem.  

 

 In today's reading, we get both the question from the pro-Roman Herodians and one from the landowning, aristocratic Sadducees.  In both of these testing inquiries of Jesus, we observe a materialistic perspective, and one that we might say is not very spiritual.  That is, the first question is designed to trap Jesus around questions of money and taxes.  Jesus' response focuses in upon the coin or currency itself, as if to shape a perspective on a clear vision of what it means to pay and owe taxes to the state -- and what our duties are to God.  The contrast regarding which authority has domain over which area becomes the crux to Jesus' answer.  Whose image is printed on the coin, minted by the realm of Caesar?  So to return the taxes to Caesar is fitting.  But what belong to God?  And where is God's image?  Our whole lives are under the domain of God, and we are made in God's image, therefore our primary loyalty is to God.  We perhaps should keep in mind that these coins weren't allowed in the temple as they bore the image of Caesar, who was worshiped as a god (see Jesus' cleansing of the temple, including the tables of the money changers, in Monday's reading).  The Sadducees. landowning aristocrats, so to speak, of the Jewish society, with inherited positions and control of the temple, also posit a question with a rather materialistic perspective.  Because they didn't believe in resurrection, nor did their Scriptures include anything but the Torah or Law (the first five books of the Old Testament), they lack a spiritual orientation (neither did they believe in the existence of angels) and general perspective on the reality of the spiritual realm.  Thus, Jesus says to them, "You do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God," and they are therefore mistaken.  He explains of those in the resurrection, "For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken." So their materialist perspective renders them mute and blind, in a sense, to the true reality of life as it exists in the fuller picture of God's creation, including the angels, the spiritual realm, the resurrection -- and the transformation possible for human beings in the resurrection.  Their blindness extends to their understanding of Scriptures, for they do not understand the meaning of God's words to Moses at the burning bush:  "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."   Additionally, we're given to understand, through Christ's words, that where the Sadducees with their materialist perspective see only death, the true God proclaims life:  "He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."  In our modern age, it's quite tempting to adopt such a "down to earth" (so to speak) "materialist" position.  We can just accept the rules as they're taught to us through Scripture, follow them, and leave every other question to either unknowing, or as in this case, scoffing or ridiculing.  But Christ's fuller picture shows us the power of God, and the depth of meaning of the Scriptures, for it shows us the true fullness of life -- and that life is not limited simply to a worldly perspective.  Our real job in life isn't just to collect fortunes and do well materially; neither is it simply to produce offspring or expand the material or political power and property we have in life.  Our job is faith, and that includes the fullness of life as abundance we can't necessarily see, but nevertheless must keep in mind.  For if there is a resurrection, and if God is truly the God of the living, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all who come before and after us, if angels do live and work among us, if Christ is who He claims He is, then we are all in a world of unimaginable beauty and transcendent goodness -- which calls us to live according to that greater sense of God's kingdom.  In the course of the past two readings, we've had opportunity to discuss prayer and seeking God's will in Monday's reading and commentary (as in the Lord's Prayer, we pray to our Father in heaven, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"), and also the topic of prophets and prophecy in yesterday's reading and commentary.  These men who question Jesus, the Herodians and the Sadducees, understand neither, as they are bereft of these teachings through their exclusion of them.  It was Herod Antipas who had John the Baptist beheaded at his wife's request and through his own extravagant oath at a party; the Sadducees wish to retain their power and places but will be scattered at the Siege of Jerusalem.  Perhaps we should consider, in terms of Jesus' fuller picture of life, what this does to add to our own choices and considerations in our lives, how we are blessed, and how we must see all that we do in this perspective and through the lens of the life of the Kingdom.  For all that we do has a greater impact and importance than we think; we walk even among the great cloud of witnesses who belong to it all and among whom all live to God.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

A silver denarius

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, while teaching in the temple, Jesus 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.  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.

 

 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 says that this question on taxation is designed to trap Jesus.  A "yes" answer would turn the Jewish people against Him.  A "no" would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  His answer is a defeat to their cunning, and it shows that a believer can render to the state its due, while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  As the coin bears the image of the emperor and is properly paid to him, my study Bible tells us, 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.

 

 I always find Jesus' assertive rebuffs and answers given to the religious leaders who come to test Him quite intriguing.  This is because they are illuminating as examples of how to respond to those who quiz with the intent of entrapment or denigration of faith.  In our lives, we might find challenges to the things we believe, and often beliefs will be ascribed to us that we don't actually hold.  Similarly to the question in today's reading which is posed to Jesus, we might be offered dilemmas -- and assumptions contained therein -- that don't at all reflect the fullness of our values and beliefs.  In this case, Jesus is openly teaching in the temple, and so He has deliberately come to Jerusalem to make His Triumphal Entry, and to do as He is doing.   Without openly declaring so Himself, He is there in the temple at Jerusalem as a messianic figure.   He has already expressed this in the cleansing of the temple (see this reading).  So, as these men seek to trap Him in a "yes" or "no" answer, Jesus gives us an example of responding to such questions given with these types of motives.  He doesn't accept their dichotomy, the choices offered through the question.  Instead He asserts His own teachings, and does so using the brilliant example of a coin of the realm, a Roman coin printed by the state authority that controls Israel.  To paraphrase His response, "Whose face and inscription are on that coin?," Jesus asks.  Clearly the coin is printed by Ceasar's government, for currency exchange within the Roman system of administration.  Under an emperor such as Caesar, whatever is imprinted with his image or insignia is an extension of himself, his authority, and his power.  But by the same token, as those who are created by God, we also bear an image and inscription within ourselves, and so we belong to God, as my study Bible points out.  In His teaching and His response, Jesus not only refutes without falling into their trap or accepting their potential responses, He also teaches us about who we are.  He gives us a teaching that is essential to Christian faith.  As we are created in the image and likeness of God, and Christ Himself became Incarnate as a human being, so we are saved through His Incarnation in that we are to follow and become like Him -- to grow in that image and inscription of the name of God within us.  For this is eternal salvation, that we may come to dwell with God, and be a part of God's kingdom.  Every ruler, every state, mints coins and currency that bear the stamp of authority and belonging to its realm.  So we also bear God's image.  In this one instant, in these few words directing these men to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's, we receive the gospel message and the power of salvation from our Lord, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  And in the presence of all the people, all these men who seek to entrap Him can do is to marvel at His answer.  Would that we all could be so eloquent, using so few words, as Jesus is, and know what we are to be about as His followers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 told the people this parable, as He was teaching in the temple in 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 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.  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 a continuation from yesterday's reading (see above) in which Jesus had told the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers to the people, in which those wicked vinedressers were clearly meant to be the religious leaders.  The chief priests and scribes sought to lay hands on Him to have Jesus arrested and put to death.  The governor is Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea, whose power and authority is Rome's. 

 

 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 notes that this question on taxation is designed to trap Jesus.  A "yes" answer would turn the Jewish people against Him.  A "no" would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  Christ's answer defeats their cunning, and it shows that a believer can render the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  As this denarius coin bears the image of the emperor and is properly paid to the emperor, so each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God.  Conflict arises, my study Bible says, only when the state demands that which is contrary to God.

 

How do we discern the things that are Caesar's from the things that are God's?  Perhaps we might better consider this question if we ask ourselves what we render to either one.  What is it that we render to God?  When Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment in the Law, He replies that there are two:  "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).  If we read those commandments carefully, we're given a text that teaches us what we should render to God:  our heart, our soul, and our mind.  And to love one's neighbor as oneself is also something we render to God, for this makes us God's community.  To follow the commands of God is to render unto God the things that are God's.  In Monday's reading and commentary, we pondered the question of authority, with which the religious leaders quizzed Jesus.  We considered this statement in the Epistle of James:  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  If every good and perfect gift is from God, then clearly we must render unto God our thanks for all that we have, for this also is rightfully God's.  What must we render unto the state, or "unto Caesar" as the text says?  In Christ's time, let us keep in mind, the Romans were hated by most of the Jewish people, and collaborators were despised.  The coin, with Caesar's image on it, was considered to be defiling in the temple, for Caesar was worshiped as a god.  So Jesus is clearly not talking about a government which any of the people in the temple would agree is all "good" or even desirable.  There was great unrest among the people, including many movements seeking to overthrow the Romans, or at least to assassinate their leaders and authorities who held power and used it in ways considered to be abusive and even unbearable.  But even with such a worldly authority over them, Jesus still recognizes that there are things in the world which are required of us, and that there will be worldly authorities -- even those which we find abhorrent -- which nevertheless we may find ourselves living under in our societies.  The Romans printed their coins just as our governments print our money.  But the things we render unto Caesar do not include our hearts and souls and minds.  Those things belong to God, and as such we seek God's guidance and blessing for all things in our lives, the choices we make, and how we conduct ourselves within the society.  Paying taxes is something every government will ask, and so we might ask ourselves about other ways in which Christ proposes we use our assets in this realm of "mammon," or money, material things.  In chapter 16, Jesus tells the disciples, "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home" (Luke 16:9).  This is understood as a prescription for helping others, particularly the poor, by sharing wealth with them (see the parable of the Unjust Steward, in Luke 16:1-13).  So there are ways in which even that which is Caesar's might be used in service to what is God's (the "everlasting home" of God's kingdom).  So what Jesus is advocating here is a perspective on life that does not divide our world into the sacred and secular in stark ways that allow only for black and white thinking.  As my study Bible puts it in commenting on this story as told in Matthew 22:15-22, God is Lord over all of life, including the secular.  It notes also that -- as the statements from Jesus in today's reading tell us -- paying taxes and similar civil duties are not detrimental to holiness.  In discerning, therefore, the things we are to render unto Caesar and the things we are to render to God, let us conclude that in a properly prayerful life, we place these decisions into the hands of God, and seek God's will for us for all things.  For if even what is to come at Christ's Passion can be used by God for the ultimate good and redemption of all the world, imagine what God can do with all things in our lives.  Let us take our direction from Jesus, and follow His way.

 

 

 

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

 

 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "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."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

 

- Matthew 22:15-22 

 

In our current readings, it is Holy Week, and Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He has made His Triumphal Entry; He has cleansed the temple; He has been questioned by the religious leaders as to His authority to do so.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready.  Come to the wedding."'  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

  Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "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."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.  My study Bible explains that this question on taxation is a design to trap Jesus.  A "yes" answer will turn the people against Him, but a "no" would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  Christ's answer defeats this effort to entrap Him, and shows that the faithful can render the state its due, while serving God (Romans 13:1-7; contrast with Acts 4:19; 5:29).  As the coin bears the image of the emperor, and is properly paid to him, my study Bible notes, so each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God.  Conflict comes when the state demands that which is in opposition to God.   So, the division of things that are Caesar's and things that are God's doesn't mean we divide life into two compartments, the secular and the sacred.  Instead, we know God is the Lord over all of life, including our secular lives.  But we fulfill the requirements of government that don't conflict with that first, primary responsibility to the One who holds all of life.  To pay taxes and other civil duties are not detrimental to holiness.  

How does life get divided between the sacred and the secular?  Perhaps it is wise, in pondering this question, to consider the parable Jesus taught in yesterday's reading (see above).  When we consider the question of the wedding garment, required for attendance and participation at the wedding of Christ the Bridegroom, and His Bride, the Church, we are left with an understanding that all of our lives -- whatever we participate in life -- contributes to that wedding garment, or it does not.  If we understand the wedding garment as the condition in which our soul meets the occasion of the wedding feast and the judgment that accompanies it, then we see life as weaving that garment, or leaving us without it.  The garment, according to the parable, is provided by the King.  That is, God has given us all we need to inhabit that garment, to live to its beauty and image, or not.  So secular life and sacred life are all of a piece, because -- as my study Bible puts it -- all belongs to God.  This is the rock and foundation of life.  God "weaves" opportunities for the creation of that wedding garment into all the parts of our lives, private, public, sacred, and secular.  Each moment may be an occasion for prayerful living, a life filled with the presence of God, regardless of what we're offered in our experiences.  Just as Christ is here faced with a test designed to entrap Him, He takes His time and uses His tremendous capacity for words and teaching to assert His own response.  He will not simply follow where He is led by these men who are trying to entrap Him and destroy His ministry and mission.  He asserts the truth of God.  So Christ forms for us an example of what it means to cling to truth regardless of circumstances and the temptations and traps life might present to us.  Let us endeavor to remain grounded in that truth, as He sets the example, so that wherever we find ourselves, we stand on that rock -- we weave the wedding garment of the soul we want to present to God.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a 'den of thieves

 

 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

 

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read,

'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise'?" 

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

 

- Matthew 21:12-22 

 

Yesterday we read that when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"  So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Hosanna in the highest!" And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."   

 

 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"   My study Bible tells us that those who bought and sold were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  The money changers were a necessary part of these transactions, as they traded Roman coins for Jewish coins.  This is because Roman coins bore the image of Caesar (portrayed as a god) and were therefore considered to be defiling in the temple.  The cleansing of the temple, my study Bible notes, also points to the necessity of keeping the Church free from earthly pursuits.  Each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), and so this also presents to us a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11.  

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.   My study Bible cites a verse from the Orthodox Vespers service of Palm Sunday:  "Keep the feast with the children, and holding branches in your hands, sing 'Hosanna.'"  It notes that there are many liturgical hymns of this day (Palm Sunday, the day in which we celebrate Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem -- see yesterday's reading, above), which emphasize the perfect praise of the children, which my study Bible says was unlike that of the adults; the praise of the children was innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love.  It notes that we are called to glorify Christ in the same spirit (see Matthew 18:1-4).  In contrast, the praise of the adults carried earthly expectations and agendas which, when left unfulfilled, led them to rebel against Christ just five days later (Matthew 27:20-23).  Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:2.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.   The fig tree, my study Bible explains, is a symbol of prosperity and peace.  But here it withers as it is fruitless; this is a prophetic act by Jesus, directed at the nation, for after three years of Christ's preaching, teaching, and healing, both the leaders and the crowds were destitute of spiritual fruit.  Jesus curses this tree also as a warning to each generation of what will befall anyone who fails to listen to His message.  

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  My study Bible comments here that while it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, in patristic commentary it's clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (certain saints did make crevices appear in mountains).  Moreover, not all things come by the apostles was written down.  Beyond this literal meaning, Christ's promise is also an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  My study Bible quotes Theophylact:  "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

Jesus cleanses the temple in today's reading.  In the commentary on this passage, my study Bible reminds us of St. Paul's teaching in (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), that we are each, in fact, a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in each one.  Effectively, since this is so, we are reminded that we also need to be aware of our own need for either regular "cleansing" ourselves, or to be on our guard against the kinds of things that would necessitate such cleansing.  In the case of ourselves as a temple of God, this practice is often called guarding the heart, and what it indicates is that we need our own vigilance regarding the things we take in from the world and allow to grow to become a part of ourselves.  In Galatians 5, St. Paul speaks of a kind of battle going on between the desires of the flesh and those of the Spirit.  He says, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish" (Galatians 5:17).  He then lists the works of the flesh:  "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like" (Galatians 5:19-21).  We note that these are things that begin within us, as Jesus has explicitly taught in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:21-30).  There, as well as in chapter 18, Jesus has taught about taking decisive action to "cleanse" ourselves (He likened it to amputation of a diseased body part), in order to save the whole of ourselves (Matthew 18:6-9).  Here in today's reading, Jesus cleanses the temple of those who profit from the people's need for pilgrimage and sacrifice, we presume particularly at the expense of the poor.  Matthew tells us that Jesus overturned the seats of those who sold doves.  Doves were the small sacrifice affordable to the poor.  But we might note that what remains necessary to get at the root of the things that defile temple is simply repentance -- and remind ourselves that from the beginning of the Gospel, John the Baptist comes preaching the same message in preparation for the coming of Christ, and Christ echoes His teaching (Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17).  The same is true of the impulses we take on from the world around ourselves that lead to such outcomes.  In a "fallen" world that abounds with sin, we know about all the passions and desires that come from lusting after wealth, or another person's property, or envy, or myriad other impulses that can lead to what St. Paul calls the "works of the flesh."  These are things that cross the line of sin and trespass.  To guard the heart, then, is to be aware of our own mind and heart and the impulses we nurture and indulge ourselves in, fanning the flame of the desires that lead to such works.  We are meant to be rational sheep, obedient to Christ, but highly aware of ourselves and our capacity for failure, especially our own personal weaknesses.  So the elements of our own cleansing as temples of God may take on forms of repentance or "change of mind" that involve guarding our own thinking and correcting ourselves when necessary, or making more formal amends once the indulgence of such patterns of thought result in bad works, things that ultimately cause harm.  It's easy to be confused in the modern world we inhabit, especially now through the pervasive and ubiquitous influence of social media that works like a worldwide machine to make all kinds of harmful behaviors, and personal attitudes that lead to such behaviors, seem, in fact, "normal."  The need for this ongoing awareness, and work within ourselves and our hearts and minds, actually highlights Christ's later teaching on the power of prayer and faith.  This is because the only way to make our prayer truly effective is through hearts that are pure in the sense that we work at what kind of persons we are, that we develop the kind of discipline that makes our prayer life strong and clear -- so that we may nurture desire in prayer for what Theophylact calls "spiritually profitable" things.  The cleansing and guarding of our hearts and minds therefore is linked to the effectiveness and power of our prayer lives, even to the insights we may gain from prayer.  For, without cultivating the regular practice of such personal spiritual discipline, how to we come to the clarity we want in prayer, to discern the ways God wants us to go forward in life, from the ways that we're called to go by "the flesh" as St. Paul calls it?  That is, the endless desires for all kinds of things cultivated in us by the influence of the world around us, such as the competition for the best car or house, the things we envy that others have, a certain circle of friends or influence or power, for vengeance, for exploitation of others, and so on; the list can go on ad infinitum and extends into the future until the seemingly inexhaustible fantasies and imaginings of the wider web of the internet or any form of public dissemination crowd out the message of the gospel within us.  In this sense, our lives of worship -- whether in the personal and unique temple that each of us are, or in our public forms of worship in Churches -- really depend upon Christ's examples and teachings to us.  To be aware of what we tolerate in one sense or another that we should not, then, becomes essential to the effectiveness of prayer and the quality of our faith.  Let us endeavor to adopt His discipline for ourselves, asking God for guidance and direction, and the wisdom for what we need to let go, as well as the wisdom to know what to pray for and what we truly need. 

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

 

 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  so they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "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."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

 

- Matthew 22:15-22 

 

Our recent readings take place during Holy Week, the final week of Christ' earthly life.  Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and spoke to the religious leaders in the temple again by parables and said:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready.  Come to the wedding."'  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.  But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen."

 

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  My study Bible explains that this question on taxation is a trap.  If He answers "yes" it will turn the Jewish people against Him.  But if He answers "no" that will bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  But, once again, Christ will have His own answer for this question.  Herodians are those followers of Herod's Court, Jewish political supporters of the ruling house of Herod the Great, the dynasty that ruled for Rome.

 

  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  so they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "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."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.   My study Bible says that this answer by Jesus defeats the cunning of the religious leaders, and shows that a believer can give the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  Jesus illustrates His point with the coin which bears the image of the emperor and so is properly paid to him; but so, as well, each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God.  The conflict comes only when the state demands that which is contrary to God.  The differences between  things that are Caesars and things that are God's doesn't imply a division of the lives of believers into the secular and sacred.  God is Lord over all of life, including the secular, my study Bible tells us.  But we fulfill governmental requires that are not in conflict with our first responsibility to God (see also Acts 4:19, 5:29).  To pay taxes and fulfill similar civil duties is not detrimental to holiness.

One thing we can notice about Christ's response to this "trick" question designed as a trap:  He doesn't accept the premises of the question put to Him.  That is, while the question is posed in order to elicit an either/or answer, Jesus asserts His own premises, making it clear that paying taxes is part of the rule of government which establishes the economic system and prints its money.  But while the coin may be precious to Caesar, our lives and souls are governed by God.   In another comment about money and what we do with it, Jesus teaches the parable of the Unjust Steward, and then comments, "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.  He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" (Luke 16:8-11).  In other words, while Christ would never advocate a materialistic lifestyle, He does teach that we can do good things with our money ("unrighteous mammon"), in making "friends" by sharing with the needy.  So Christ establishes that there are proper ways in which to use our wealth to do good works, as well as improper ways in which compassion and generosity go unexpressed.  With wealth we may also employ people to do good works with their skills and labor, contributing to good things in our world and caring for their families.   My study Bible emphasizes that Christ teaches there is no separation in our lives of the sacred and the secular; all is under God.  In a verse that is often misquoted St. Paul says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10).   It is not money per se that is evil in and of itself, but the "love of money."  That is, valuing wealth in and for itself.  St. Paul subsequently instructs Timothy, "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:17-19).  Let us consider also, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  Let us consider that all of our blessings come from God, and that Christ is asking us to place every blessing in service to God, using what we have to bless the world, for in so doing we render to God the things that are God's.

 

Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?

 

 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. 

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

- Mark 12:13–27 

 

Yesterday we read that once again Jesus and the disciples came again to Jerusalem. (The events in our current readings  take place during what we commemorate as Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.)  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing,  and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

 

  Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.   My study Bible explains that the Herodians were Jewish political supporters of the ruling house of Herod the Great.  Therefore, these are willing servants of Rome.  Jesus understands that this is a test, and the text also lets us know that He is wise to their hypocrisy which is involved here.  The trap is that if Jesus answers "yes," it would turn the Jewish people against Him.  But if He answers "no" it would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  My study Bible comments that Christ's answer defeats their cunning, and it shows that a believer can render the state its due while also serving God (Romans 13:1-7; contrast Acts 4:19).  Christ's brilliant response, holding the coin to illustrate, shows the image of the emperor and so is properly paid to him.  But at the same time, each person also bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God (Genesis 1:26-27).  My study Bible says that conflict arises only when the state demands that which is contrary to God.  Moreover, the distinction between things that are Caesar's and things that are God's does not imply the division of a believer's life into the secular and the sacred.   On the contrary, God is Lord over all of life, including the secular.  But we fulfill governmental requirements that do not conflict with our first responsibility to God.  To pay taxes and similar civil duties are not detrimental to holiness.

 

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."  My study Bible says that the Sadducees represent landowners and other wealthy families in Jerusalem.  They held many high offices in Israel.  They controlled the temple and the Sanhedrin.  They were different from the Pharisees, in that they were politically prudent, and they adapted to the presence of the Romans.  My study Bible adds that they interpreted the law more rigidly than did the Pharisees; and unlike the Pharisees, they rejected belief in angels and in the resurrection from the dead at the end of the age.   The Sadducees completely disappeared after the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jesus tells them that they do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God; they accepted as their Scriptures only the Pentateuch (the first five Books of what Christians call the Old Testament).  Their scenario which they present is absurd, and Jesus tells them that the resurrection is not what they imagine, a simple continuation of earthly life.  The Scriptures in fact reveal a complete transfiguration of life in the resurrection.  Moreover, Abraham and his sons, as the Lord's voice testified to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:15), are alive in God even if they are physically dead.   The Sadducees fail to know how this is true.  My study Bible says that it is the clear teaching of Christ that the souls of the faithful who have departed this life are sustained before the face of God in anticipation of the final joy of the resurrection.  

 

 Jesus asks the Sadducees, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?"  It is important to consider this question in light of our own understanding of Scriptures.  A very literalistic sense of Scripture is a limited way to approach the Scriptures, for example.  That limits the ways that we can look at Scripture and think about the truths revealed within Scripture.  It is not that there is nothing "literal" in the Bible.  But to limit oneself to that single way to understand would be tantamount to the limitations of the Sadducees in this sense, that they cannot apprehend the resurrection nor the qualities which Jesus teaches here.  It's important that Jesus reveals that in the resurrection, there is not a simple continuation of earthly life, but one that is transfigured, changed.  When we think about what that means, it should take our minds to what is called the Transfiguration (see this reading), in which something of that heavenly reality was revealed in quality to Peter, James, and John.  Through such a revelation, Christ gives us glimpses of the changed life He's talking about here.  He says also that people in the resurrection are like angels in heaven.  What does it mean to be like angels in heaven?  In what way are people in the resurrection like angels in heaven?  Are they holy?  In the eyes of the Church historically the answer is yes, and a saintly person is one who reflects such similar qualities to the angels.  With that consideration, a whole host of qualities open up as possibilities regarding life in the resurrection.  But without knowing the Scriptures, and without knowing the power of God, what can we imagine this means?  Like the Saduccees, we would have no idea, and would be utterly limited in our understanding and expectation.  And finally there are also the words of the Lord to Moses at the burning bush, in which God identifies to Moses as the I AM (Exodus 3:14), the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (Exodus 3:15).  If we cannot understand that the phrase "I AM" conveys a state of timeless pure being, if we cannot wrap our understanding around how God can be -- in the present tense -- the God of Abraham and his descendants, at the same time, then we will not be able to understand the Scriptures -- nor the power of God -- as Jesus presents them here.  We won't be able to understand or to accept Christ, for this is His teaching regarding how we are to understand such things.  Therefore Christ Himself is testifying here to the many ways in which we're to approach and understand the Scriptures, to open our hearts and minds to them, and to see more than is simply literally on the page.  So, we need to be steeped in the Scriptures.  We need to have a wide understanding of them, and a complete one, if we're going to approach passages with a sense of how Scripture texts work, and what the God is like who is being presented to us through Scripture.  For this we turn not simply to our own reading, which should be ongoing, but to what are known as the Church Fathers (and Mothers as well).  That is, those who have come before us, dedicated their lives to a holy way of life, to the Scriptures and their understanding, and who have stood the test of time with their insights.  These early scholars and saints of the Church are the ones upon whose writing the commentary in my study Bible is based, and that forms an important part of how we understand and receive the Scriptures as well.  Everything is not simply redone every decade or so and started from scratch.  In fact, such approaches usually miss enough so that substance is lost.  In such saintly tradition, we have a tie to the earliest Church and its receipt of the gospel message from the apostles themselves, and we have the advanced learning not only of brilliant scholars but as those who sought the holy as the one prize worth having in life, and to sustain a life beyond, those who understood the wisdom of the Scriptures and the word of God as true treasure.  We have a lived experience of dedicated lives, even to the point of martyrdom for their faith.  This is something to recognize and respect, for although life may change on the surface, the spiritual enemies of those who love God have not really changed in the ways that we are all tempted. Neither has the basic spiritual struggle of human beings changed in substance, for we struggle against our own self-centered vision for a larger one based on where God calls us.  And these things mentioned are only a taste of what "the Scriptures" and the "power of God" hold for us if we approach with the respect due to these things, and to a holy way of life, a struggle for humility in the face of God and those who would point the way for us.  Let us consider how much remains that we don't yet know, and open our minds to both the Scriptures and the power of God which Jesus names here in our reading today.  

 

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 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.  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.  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 comments that this question on taxation is designed to trap Jesus.  A "yes" answer would turn the Jewish people against Him, but a "no" would bring a charge of treason by the Romans.  Christ's answer, my study Bible says, defeats their cunning and shows that a believer can render the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  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.

So what is Caesar's and what is God's?  What are we to make of Jesus' answer today?  There is first the understanding about the image on the coin.  Images are important considerations in Christianity.  In Greek, this word for "image" is εἰκόνα/eikona, meaning "icon."  An icon in this context is a picture of someone meant to evoke that person's presence.  For example, if we see a photograph of a loved one who is far away, and we kiss the photo, we don't do so because we love the photo, but because in so doing we are kissing the person, expressing our love in relationship to that person and not to the photograph.  This was well-understood in the ancient world, as Caesar's image imprinted on the coin, as well as the inscription or title which Jesus also names, were representative of Caesar himself.  Everything that bore his stamp or image was an extension of his person -- and this is what Christ is getting at here when He responds, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  So, in such a context, we must think about what belongs to God.  Of course, we're also told in Scripture that we are created in the image and likeness of God.  Εἰκόνα is the same word used in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament, the version Jesus quotes in the New Testament.  So, while the coin is minted by Caesar and created with his image on it, we have been created by God and God's image placed in us.  This is something we need to consider in prayer and worship, for Christ came to show us that image, to be an "icon" of God ("He who has seen Me has seen the Father" - John 14:9).  Therefore we are taught by the example and word of Christ to become "like Him," to fulfill that image -- and this is also the purpose of the Spirit sent to us.  St. Peter writes, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).   We human beings are clearly capable of choosing that to which we want to be conformed, and this is a very important reason for proper worship.   Worship is a form of community participation; it is that which we worship to which we will tend to "conform."  Here Jesus contrasts Caesar and God.   Our earliest Christian martyrs were those who would not give worship to Caesar, who was also called a god.  Possibly our current cultural understanding is so steeped in politics that it is hard for us to understand that paying taxes to Caesar was simply honoring an obligation to the state, and not a form of worship.  We might find questions posed to us today of a similar "tricky" nature.  Sometimes we're asked to support an extreme perspective that has harmful effects, but if we object, we're accused of some hateful behavior.  Or perhaps we object to warfare and violence, but in so doing we're accused of supporting an oppressor.  The question posed to Jesus is tinged with the politics of the time, and the hostility of the Jewish people to colonization and the harsh conditions it imposed, including taxation.  But Jesus offers us a different perspective, refuting each side of the dilemma.  The struggles of the time fueled messianic expectation of a political messiah who would be king.  Indeed, at the Crucifixion, the crowd preferred to save Barabbas the rebel to Christ.  But Jesus avoids the "trick" dilemma posed here.  His answer, instead, provokes us to consider whose image and inscription is in us, first, and what and whom we worship.  How do we render unto God the things that are God's?  Jesus quotes the two greatest commandments in which are summed the whole of the Law and the Prophets:  To love God with all one's heart and soul and strength and mind, and neighbor as oneself (Luke 10:27).   This active love is participatory worship, and creates the bedrock of our reality, the recognition of true image into whose likeness we're asked to grow.  He asks us to go deeper than the heated questions of the day, and to find first what we must love, and live that love.