The world belongs to God
The earth and all its people
How good and lovely it is
To live together in unity
Love and faith come together
Justice and peace join hands
Song “Autumn Days”
Let us in silence remember our faults and failings
Christ have mercy on us, and deliver us from our sins and may we amend our lives
Amen.
The Lords Prayer in our own language
Reading Matthew 22v15-22
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Song “All good gifts”
Reflection
Most people think this passage is about whether we should pay taxes. But did Jesus really mean they should financially support Tiberius Caesar – a pedophile, a murderer, an oppressive emperor who enslaved millions?
In 6 A.D., Roman occupiers of Palestine imposed a tax on the Jews. In 17 A.D Tacitus reports that the provinces of Syria and Judaea begged for a reduction of the tribute. There followed a tax revolt led by Judas the Galilean, who recognised only God's authority over Israel. The Romans responded brutally for decades.
The undercurrent of this situation underpinned Jesus’ ministry. This story comes immediately after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Thousands of Jews were in Jerusalem for Passover.
Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea, was temporarily in Jerusalem to oversee affairs and stop political revolt. Pilate was a cruel and angry man. A few years before Jesus’ ministry, the images of Caesar nearly caused a riot in Jerusalem, when Pilate one night, erected effigies of the emperor on the fortress Antonia, adjoining the Jewish Temple. Jewish law forbad the creation of graven images and their introduction into holy city of Jerusalem. Pilate averted a bloodbath only by removing the images. It is against this background that this story is told.
The question is designed to trap Jesus on this issue. It was a question of religious law but the Pharisees believed that only they could interpret Jewish law. They are trying to force Jesus to answer the question. If he doesnt answer he will lose credibility as a teacher.
The question is whether it is lawful under the Torah to pay taxes to the Romans.
If Jesus said it was lawful he would be seen as a collaborator with the Roman occupiers. If Jesus says that the tribute is unlawful he would be seen as a terrorist either way he would be killed!
Jesus sees the trap. He asked to see the coin, a denarius. It was worth a days wage for a labourer. The denarius gave financial stability. The denarius Jesus saw was issued by Tiberius, whose reign coincided with Jesus’ ministry. He issued three in his life time. The third produced by his own mint paid his soldiers, officials, and suppliers and carried the imperial seal. It was used to pay the tribute.
Tiberius’ denarii were minted in France at Lugdunum, Lyons, in Gaul. Its circulation in Judaea was scarce. The only people using it were soldiers, Roman officials, and Jewish leaders. This all took place in the Temple. It was a pagan symbol in a sacred space.
Jesus threw a counter-question, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They answered the Emperor.
He then answers the original question. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God, the things that are God’s."
In the Torah, everything belonged to God. By using the words, "image and inscription," Jesus reminded them that only God was owed allegiance and worship. Everything, even economics belongs to God.
The emperor claimed that all people and things in the empire belonged to Rome. The denarius indicated that the emperor demanded exclusive allegiance and Tiberius claimed to be the son of a god. The Roman occupation reminded everyone that Israel belonged to Rome and its economic life depended on the emperor.
Jesus has shown that the claims of God and Caesar are mutually exclusive. If your faith is in God, then God is owed everything. Jesus’ response is politically seditious. His listeners knew what he was saying.
"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s," means that the emperor is owed nothing.
Some leaders today are balancing peoples lives against the state and against capital. It’s the same question and the same answer. Amen
Song “Spirit of the living God”
Our Prayers
We pray for people and situations we are concerned about including, people coping with ongoing lockdown, the desperate people crossing the sea in dinghies, people with Covid19, the people of Belarus, the people of Hong Kong and the people of war torn Syria, Nigeria, Thailand, Armenia, Azerbaijan and other places we never hear about, rising fascism, the government, the Rohinga Muslims, Muslims being persecuted in China, protection for key workers and adequate PPE, protection for Black and Asian people, for people on low or no incomes, for those with underlying health conditions and those over 60, care for those who are alone and those struggling in whatever way, suffering with depression, protection for asylum seekers and refugees and ensuring that food is reaching the vulnerable and global warming.
May we not fail you. Amen
Song “Hallelu, Hallelujah”
The blessing of God be upon you
On those you love and those you meet
This day and forevermore. Amen
With thanks to the ©Iona Community adapted
