Pentecost 22
Jesu Juva
“Spurious
Alternative!”
Text: Matthew
22:15-21 (Isaiah 45:1-7)
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father,
and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Wouldn’t
it have been great if in the Holy Gospel today Jesus had said, “Taxes?
Nah, you don’t have to pay no stinkin’ taxes! Especially to that godless Caesar, or that
godless government, who aren’t doing things according to my will anyway!” Truthfully, isn’t that what you were hoping He
would say? But He didn’t. Rats!
Come April 15th, you’d better have your 1040s in the mail.
Actually
the Herodians were hoping Jesus was
going to say that too. They were the
pro-government part of this conspiracy against Jesus,
and were all ready to go to the Roman IRS to turn Jesus in for His rebellious
words. . . . And the Pharisees
– well, they didn’t much care what Jesus said.
They hated the Romans and the Herodians, but they hated Jesus more, for
telling all those parables against them!
They were the wicked tenants,
were they? They were the underdressed wedding guests, were they? Well now they’re bringing the battle to
Jesus, on their terms. Politics makes strange bedfellows, but if
they have to team up with the hated Herodians for the greater good, well, a
man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do! .
. . So, if Jesus says to pay taxes, then
the people won’t like Him anymore and the Pharisees will have their place of
favor with the people again; and if He says not to, then, well, they got the
goons in the wings to take care of Him then!
It
was the perfect storm.
But
as we heard, Jesus gets out of the trap.
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things
that are God’s.” Jesus will not
choose. He gives them both their
place. And so the conspiracy fails. Both Herodians and Pharisees will have to
wait for another day for their pound of Jesus’ flesh. That day would come, but not on their terms,
but on Jesus’ terms. No one takes His
life from Him, He would lay it down of His own accord, for the life of the
world (John
For the life
of the world. You see, that’s
what Jesus is all about. That’s why He
gave a different answer than either the Pharisees or the Herodians were
expecting; beyond what they had even considered! Because He is thinking on a
different level than they are; a different plane. The Pharisees and Herodians were both about
their own kingdoms, their own power, their own prestige, their own positions,
their own authority – and how to keep and hold onto what they had. It is a very small picture they had,
actually. And looking back in history,
we can see that. Empires and governments
come and go, people come and go, power and prestige
come and go. And those who live for these things, who try to hold
onto these things as all they have, turn out to be very pitiful and pathetic
figures, indeed. But from our very small
and limited perspective, it’s sometimes hard to see that. Losing sight of the forest
for the trees.
But
Jesus, the God of history, has no such trouble; no such limited
perspective. All authority, all
government, all rule – all things
come from Him. And so what He does He
does not for empires or kingdoms, but for
the life of the world. And not just the world at one moment in time, but of all time. And
so taxes? Please! If Caesar wants his money,
give ‘em his money! Caesar and
his money haven’t been around for so long, and they won’t be around
forever. But you will be. The things of this world have a limited
lifespan, but you were created for eternity. So live like it! Don’t get so wrapped up in the things of this
world, but see them for what they are – instruments
in the hands of a loving God, working His good in this world, for the life of
the world.
“Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
You
see, small pictures and perspectives make us tend toward what is called
“utopianism” – that is, trying to create a perfect society here on earth. Some try to do that through “big government,”
thinking that if we just have the right people and the right laws in place, we
can solve all the world’s problems. Others
try to do it through separatism, or
withdrawing from the things of this world, into their own closed
societies. You can see both the
Herodians and the Pharisees working for these alternatives, you can see people
in our society today working for these alternatives, you can see even see
people in our Synod trying to solve our Synod’s problems through these
alternatives!
But
both are wrong. Or, as one of my
favorite seminary professors would say, it is a “spurious alternative!” Jesus would not choose. Neither should we. What seems like an “either/or” to us may not
be so for God! For Him, things are not
so small. God has stamped His image on
this world, and so uses the things of this world for the life of the
world. Using the things of this world
for our good, whether we know it and realize it or not.
And
so when Jesus says “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” that’s Fourth
Commandment stuff there. Honor those in
authority over us, at home, in school, at work, in government. Whether we like them or
not; whether we always agree with them or not. They are God’s instruments to do us
good. They may not always, as we see it,
but that’s not a reason to rebel. . .
. Isaiah today spoke of a ruler named
Cyrus – a ruler, Isaiah tells us, who did not know or believe in the true
God! And yet God will use him. God is going to use him, in fact, to conquer
His people of
And
how often this happens! Joseph is sold
into slavery to
Herodians,
Pharisees . . . perhaps we fall into both traps from time to time. Thankfully God does not! But this is all more than just God’s
providence; the fact that He is almighty and can do what He wants. Because that’s not necessarily good
news! Most all religions believe in an
almighty God who can do what He wants, and because of that they are afraid of
Him and try to do all they can to please (or appease) Him so that He will use
His power to do good things for them!
And so they live in uncertainty and fear, for who really knows what God
will choose to do today? If He will like and favor me today? Or someone else? It is a horrible way to live.
But
that’s not who God is. He does not
choose: me, or someone else. Spurious alternative! He is for me, He is
for you, all the time. All the time, in all He does, for
the life of the world. Through the governments and laws, through families, through
vocations, through the Church and forgiveness. All have their place. All are His.
And
so we do not pit the physical (the things of this world) against the spiritual,
as if one is good and one is bad. Spurious
alternative! For all that God
created He created very good. Our sin has ruined it, yes. But God became man to redeem it. To reverse the curse of sin on all of creation,
and set us free from all that holds us captive.
From sin, death, and devil. That would require “a pound of Jesus’ flesh,”
but it is that flesh that He gladly gives.
Upon the altar of the cross, and upon our altar here. His body and blood for the
life of the world. For restoration and forgiveness. That His image that we lost in sin, might be restored in us. That we would “Render
to God the things that are God’s.” That we render unto Him
repentance and faith – confessing our sin and death, and receiving His
resurrection and life.
And
then, from that place, under the cross, under His body and blood, under His
forgiveness, under His life and resurrection – we can see things as they are,
and live in freedom, peace, and joy. Freedom, for we have been set free from
our sins and no longer have to make wrong choices between spurious alternatives! Peace, for at peace with God and no
longer separated from Him by sin, we can live at peace with others, no matter
who they may be. And joy, the joy of Christ’s
salvation. The joy of
knowing that we have been given life – life here, with purpose and meaning; and
life eternal, to live with our God and Saviour forever.
So
we pay our taxes. You’re going to run
across some Herodians and Pharisees. And
if they demand from us a pound of flesh, that’s okay. We’re in good company. And whatever flesh we may have to give is
given back to us even more. For the
flesh and blood we here give is sinful and rotten – not a very great
prize! But the flesh and blood of Christ
that we here receive is perfect and holy, full of forgiveness and life, and is
conforming us to His image.
So, life here
or life there? Herodian or Pharisee?
Me or you?
Spurious
alternatives. Jesus came,
Jesus is coming now, and Jesus is coming again, for the life of the world. For me. For you. Come, Lord
Jesus!
In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts
and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.