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 

 

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.

 

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.

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

 

Byzantine Christogram:  Jesus Christ Conquers.  Graffito; Athens, Greece.  Spray-painted over black star.  © Author's collection

 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."  And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."  But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

 

- Luke 23:32–43 

 

Yesterday, we read that as they led Christ away to the place of crucifixion, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.  And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!"  Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

 

  There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.   Calvary literally means "the skull."  To be crucified between two criminals shows the complete identification of Christ with fallen humanity, my study Bible says; it also fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9-12.

Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  My study Bible calls this an intercession not only for those who sentenced and crucified Jesus, but for all of humanity.  That is, for people who have no insight into the profound mystery of God's salvation.  Jesus speaks these words not as a request, but rather with divine authority.  My study Bible adds that their great sin would still have been forgiven if they repented.  One of the soldiers did repent (verse 47), and he is considered to be a saint of the Church.  The soldiers divided His garments and cast lots:  see Psalm 22:18.

And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."  My study Bible points out that the taunt, "Save Yourself" is a continuing temptation of Satan to deter Jesus from completing His mission (see Luke 4:9-13).  

And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:  THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  This inscription is an indicator of the upside-down nature of the time, in which an Innocent is crucified while a murderer (Barabbas, whose name means "son of the father") is freed.  The inscription on the Cross is meant as an accusation and a mockery.  Instead it became a triumphant symbol that all nations would come under the reign of Jesus the King. 

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."  But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."  My study Bible says that the first of the criminals wanted to use Jesus to avoid responsibility for his actions, but the other accepts his sentence, and simply asks to be remembered.  It is the latter way that is the path to Paradise.  Jesus says that today this second thief will be with Him in Paradise:  My study Bible reflects that to be reconciled to Christ is to be in paradise immediately.  Moreover, it says, the souls of the departed are in the presence of God and they experience a foretaste of His glory before the final resurrection.

 

 Jesus' crucifixion fills us with a terrible sadness, a crushing horror that makes us weep.  How can this happen to the Savior of the world?  Why would such a terrible fate await the purely good, our Lord who is truly beautiful?  Some might answer that the Crucifixion presents to us an image of ourselves, an ungrateful and sinful humanity rejecting and even crucifying our Lord.  But my study Bible once again -- as the Gospel passages over the past week did as well -- points out that there is one culprit upon whom the ultimate blame lies for this scene, and that is Satan who continues to work through human beings as they sneer and mock.  This isn't to remove culpability from human beings for the choice to sin or to commit evil acts.  But the teaching of spiritual evil is not simple mythology used to naively explain away bad behavior, nor is it without tremendous theological foundation supported by the most brilliant thinkers and saints of history.  It is an unseen reality we'd be better off acknowledging if we want to understand ourselves, and our world, and how spiritual evil works off of our temptations, weaknesses, and passions.  Above, in the discussion of the inscription written on the Cross in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, my study Bible remarked that, although it was meant as an accusation and a mockery, it instead became a triumphant symbol that all nations would come under the reign of Jesus the King.   As we also noted, this is an indication of what we might call an "upside-down time."   It seems this quality of being upside down is an indicator of evil influence, a time in which rules and logic, an understanding of good values which include respect for one's fellow beings, are shoved aside for a rule of selfishness and criminality, where brutality becomes an acceptable means to an end.  If we look at recent historical examples, such as the time of the Cultural Revolution in China, or the early decades of the Soviet Union, the period of Nazi rise and rule in Germany, and a great many other examples in the world, we see what can be called "upside-down" periods of time, when traditional values are deliberately overthrown in favor of extremely ruthless means of assimilating and building power.  Concentration camps that tortured and exterminated whole groups of people on the basis of propaganda claiming to be scientific were merely a means of consolidating power in Nazi Germany, as earlier genocides such as of the Christians of the Ottoman Empire did the same.  The ruthlessness of the KGB in revolutionary Russia was made in the name of progress and human liberation, but equaled every bit the hideous practices of the Nazis.  The Cultural Revolution in China claimed also to liberate, while it decimated education, relations within all communities, and destroyed those who represented in the most tangential way the lengthy historical culture of the country.  At the same time, what was called "The Great Leap Forward" needlessly resulted in tens of millions of deaths due to starvation, just as collectivization had done in the Soviet Union.  Pol Pot called his country Democratic Kampuchea, while in reality instituting one-party rule and murdering millions of his own citizens.  These are examples of huge periods of historical chaos, but an upside-down time can occur on a large scale or a small, even to intimate and fleeting times of our lives, when suddenly nothing seems comprehensible, save for an extreme idea, or a slogan that grips the mind in response to fear or other passions.  The culture of the mob often produces upside-down results, unthinkable under historical systems of law or justice.  And in this period of the crucifixion of Christ, we see so many signs of a world turned topsy-turvy, as we look back at His ministry of love, care, and healing, the great teachings in fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, and the many good things Christ did within the immediate years preceding His death.  All know He is being crucified on the basis of lies and manipulation, and all know Barabbas to be a murderer whom the crowd has demanded to be set free.  Let us note, secondarily, that whether or not we correctly perceive this upside-down time really depends upon which side of the fence we're on at the time.  Those who only seek their own benefit perceive it the other way around -- and so, we might say their perception is also upside down!  If we look at the response of the women and others who weep for Christ, at the uncomprehending disciples, even at members of the ruling Council who have faith in Christ (such as Nicodemus, in his response in John 7:51), we see the stunned and bewildered effect a world turned upside down has on the ones who seek the truth they need.  This confusion only emphasizes the evil of the time, in which "whoever kills you will think that he offers God service" (John 16:4), and "you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death," and "you will be hated by all for My name’s sake" (Luke 21:16-17).  But in such times, Christ calls on us for endurance, and moreover suggests they may be opportunity for testimony and the work of the Holy Spirit in us (Luke 21:13-15), and by our patience we will possess our souls (Luke 21:19).  In these times, we turn to our spiritual weapons of prayer and worship, we seek to cultivate virtue and spiritual fruit, we remain alert and awake and rely on God.  We watch and pray, as will the women who remain faithful to Him, and the disciples.   For these are our examples in a time when even our Savior is numbered with the transgressors, and a King is nailed to the Cross.