Not in Polite Company...
Text: Matthew 22:15-22
It has been said that there are two subjects that should never be talked about around the dinner table: Politics and Religion. Following this past thanksgiving, I can imagine that there might even be those who have reaffirmed it. My wife tells me of stories around her family table, between her father, her uncle, and her aunt. More often than not, if the taboo subjects come up, things would get quite heated. Who knew that passing the potatoes could so be filled with tension? Sarah tells me that the Irish temperament is alive and well in the Fanning clan.
For myself, I’ve had a slightly different experience. While my second degree is in religion… my first had a great deal to do with politics. If one is not supposed to talk about these subjects in polite company, I wouldn’t make a particularly good dinner guest! I would really hope that it is not the case. I have learned that when it comes to talking about politics and religion, often those who say the most often know the least. There is at least some wisdom as to why these two subjects should not be invited to dinner.
The trouble is, this morning’s text would never make it as a dinner guest. It’s all about Politics and Religion…
We have a series of stories where Jesus is engaged in debates with the religious authorities. Following a series of parables in Matthew, we see a group representing the powers-that-be get into a huddle. Talking back and forth amongst themselves, they come up with a zinger of a question… one that Jesus cannot possibly answer without alienating the people or attracting unwanted attention from the Roman occupiers.
They approach Jesus as a group, all wanting to lean in and see what he will say. They giggle amongst themselves, just waiting for the answer this Galilean would give… they’re ready to pounce on whatever he would say… One of them steps out from the group, gives a bow of feigned respect. He begins to speak, his sarcasm oozing out of every word and phrase:
“Teacher, we know that you are honest. You teach the truth about what God wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are.”
An interesting preamble… but he goes on to ask, “So tell us what you think! Should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
This is a good no-win question. If Jesus says “yes,” then they could use the words against him as being sympathetic to the hated occupiers, if he says “no” then they could tell the Romans that Jesus is inciting rebellion by refusing to pay taxes.
Jesus looks at them and narrows his eyes. He knows what they’re up to. He replies, “Why are you trying to test me? Why all this grandstanding, you pious frauds?” Not exactly a polite reply, to an apparently polite question, but he gives it the respect he deserves.
“All right, I’ll take the bait… Let me see one of those coins used to pay taxes.”
Before one of the senior Pharisees can stop him, a younger scribe eagerly reaches into his pouch and hands Jesus a silver coin… a denarius… a full day’s wage for those who had income. It was like handing him one hundred dollar bill.
Jesus holds it up, looks at it, and runs his finger along its edge. Definitely a Roman Coin… Well refined, much cleaner than the local currency. “So tell me…” Jesus asks, “Whose image and whose name is stamped on this coin?”
The young scribe stammers out “the Emperor’s!”
Tossing the coin back to the young scribe, Jesus replies… “You have your answer… The coin belongs to the emperor. Give the Emperor what belongs to him, and give God what belongs to God!”
We are told that the crowd is dumbfounded… In point of fact, Jesus doesn’t really give an answer; he sidesteps the thrust of this trap, and deflects it with simple statement with a great depth of meaning. Jesus had turned this whole discussion about politics and religion into an object lesson: Give to the Emperor what belongs to him, and give God what belongs to God! Politics and religion… Don’t confuse the two… don’t give to political powers more than what belongs to them!
It should be noted that by the time of Jesus, the fledgling republic that Rome had once been had in recent memory given way to a line of Emperors. As absolute power the Emperors were to be officially acknowledged in some way as Divine. Tiberius Caesar ruled from Rome, part of Rome’s power came from this assignment of godly power to their ruler. Religion was a venire that served political purposes, but the Emperor’s increasingly believed their own rhetoric. The lines between politics and religion ended up being blurred… Somewhere they had crossed that line.
Politics and Religion… Don’t confuse the two.
American United Methodist preacher Will Willimon made an observation after the horrid events of September 11. He said, “four years ago, the people of the United States were cast down into great grief, when we needed help and hope, to whom did we turn? Americans reached, from what I observed, not for the cross but rather for the flag. After all, if right is to be done in our world, if we are to be secure, if we are to have confidence in the future, where will that be given to us if not from the hands of the all powerful state? It is up to the government to work peace, security, and justice, or peace, security, and justice won’t be done.
After President Bush gave his famous speech to congress, shortly after September 11, 2001, a commentator said, “The American people desperately need to believe that the President has the character, the power, the intelligence, and the wisdom to bring us through this crisis safely.” We tend to imbue our governmental leaders with divine attributes because we need a god to save us, even if we have to make up our gods for ourselves.”
Four years later, we are reminded that national leaders are indeed human. The moment we forget that is when we get into some serious trouble. I do not intend to be specific about our neighbours to the south… as any nation that begins to blend politics and religion together risks creating an idol out of the state. It happened in the Roman Empire, it happened in Europe, it can happen here. The trouble is that line is not that clear… but is so easily crossed.
Back with Jesus in the temple… the frustrating part is that Jesus is not specific. When asked about the Emperor’s tax, he doesn’t sit down with a list detailing exactly what belongs to the government and what belongs to God. There is something very profound in this short one-liner. In the story, Jesus is saying this while holding a coin that is stamped with the image of the Emperor. For those who knew their scripture well, Jesus was playing up on an image from Genesis… reminding us that we are created in God’s image… but it’s no simple matter. When do we cross that line between a valid affection for and loyalty to the state and idolatry to the state?
Politics and religion… don’t confuse the two… Give to the emperor what belongs to him, give to God what belongs to God.
In 1954, the Presbyterian Church in Canada adopted a subordinate standard called “The Declaration of Faith Concerning Church and Nation.” In it, there is this rather harsh sentence:
“It is high treason against the Lord Jesus, and deadly both for the Church and for the Nation, to attribute to any [human], group, or institution, the total power that belongs to [God].”
It’s rather harsh, but it emerged directly out of the ashes of the Second World War. Nazi Germany saw the German protestant churches giving divine sanction to the Third Reich. The government wanted Hitler portrayed as a “German prophet,” and for the most part they got it. Many Christians went along with it willingly, because that line between politics and religion was intentionally blurred. In 1934, a small group of churches and church leaders spoke out against those government pressures that had subjected Christ’s church to the will of the Nazis. It was called the Barmen Declaration. You can find the text for it if you do a Google search on the ‘net. The churches that opposed this growing “state sanctioned” church became known as the confessing church. They stood in active and vocal opposition that the church cannot and should not become subject to the state. Many of their leaders, including a theologian by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer paid for their lives in concentration camps.
Politics and religion… don’t confuse the two… Give to the emperor what belongs to him, give to God what belongs to God.
Perhaps the worst sin is to give to government that which should only to be given to God. Perhaps the greatest sin is not to care, to act as if there is no problem, no cause for concern… to assume that those whom we put in power can do no wrong. For Christians, we cannot afford to stand back and leave these as taboo subjects for the dinner table. God calls us to consider, to critique, to bring judgment to bear when we think our leaders and our nation is wrong… to seek to put right those wrongs. I don’t think Jesus ever intended for us to be “polite company” because our love for Christ is and must be stronger even than our affection for our country.
Give to God what belongs to God. Amen.
It has been said that there are two subjects that should never be talked about around the dinner table: Politics and Religion. Following this past thanksgiving, I can imagine that there might even be those who have reaffirmed it. My wife tells me of stories around her family table, between her father, her uncle, and her aunt. More often than not, if the taboo subjects come up, things would get quite heated. Who knew that passing the potatoes could so be filled with tension? Sarah tells me that the Irish temperament is alive and well in the Fanning clan.
For myself, I’ve had a slightly different experience. While my second degree is in religion… my first had a great deal to do with politics. If one is not supposed to talk about these subjects in polite company, I wouldn’t make a particularly good dinner guest! I would really hope that it is not the case. I have learned that when it comes to talking about politics and religion, often those who say the most often know the least. There is at least some wisdom as to why these two subjects should not be invited to dinner.
The trouble is, this morning’s text would never make it as a dinner guest. It’s all about Politics and Religion…
We have a series of stories where Jesus is engaged in debates with the religious authorities. Following a series of parables in Matthew, we see a group representing the powers-that-be get into a huddle. Talking back and forth amongst themselves, they come up with a zinger of a question… one that Jesus cannot possibly answer without alienating the people or attracting unwanted attention from the Roman occupiers.
They approach Jesus as a group, all wanting to lean in and see what he will say. They giggle amongst themselves, just waiting for the answer this Galilean would give… they’re ready to pounce on whatever he would say… One of them steps out from the group, gives a bow of feigned respect. He begins to speak, his sarcasm oozing out of every word and phrase:
“Teacher, we know that you are honest. You teach the truth about what God wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are.”
An interesting preamble… but he goes on to ask, “So tell us what you think! Should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
This is a good no-win question. If Jesus says “yes,” then they could use the words against him as being sympathetic to the hated occupiers, if he says “no” then they could tell the Romans that Jesus is inciting rebellion by refusing to pay taxes.
Jesus looks at them and narrows his eyes. He knows what they’re up to. He replies, “Why are you trying to test me? Why all this grandstanding, you pious frauds?” Not exactly a polite reply, to an apparently polite question, but he gives it the respect he deserves.
“All right, I’ll take the bait… Let me see one of those coins used to pay taxes.”
Before one of the senior Pharisees can stop him, a younger scribe eagerly reaches into his pouch and hands Jesus a silver coin… a denarius… a full day’s wage for those who had income. It was like handing him one hundred dollar bill.
Jesus holds it up, looks at it, and runs his finger along its edge. Definitely a Roman Coin… Well refined, much cleaner than the local currency. “So tell me…” Jesus asks, “Whose image and whose name is stamped on this coin?”
The young scribe stammers out “the Emperor’s!”
Tossing the coin back to the young scribe, Jesus replies… “You have your answer… The coin belongs to the emperor. Give the Emperor what belongs to him, and give God what belongs to God!”
We are told that the crowd is dumbfounded… In point of fact, Jesus doesn’t really give an answer; he sidesteps the thrust of this trap, and deflects it with simple statement with a great depth of meaning. Jesus had turned this whole discussion about politics and religion into an object lesson: Give to the Emperor what belongs to him, and give God what belongs to God! Politics and religion… Don’t confuse the two… don’t give to political powers more than what belongs to them!
It should be noted that by the time of Jesus, the fledgling republic that Rome had once been had in recent memory given way to a line of Emperors. As absolute power the Emperors were to be officially acknowledged in some way as Divine. Tiberius Caesar ruled from Rome, part of Rome’s power came from this assignment of godly power to their ruler. Religion was a venire that served political purposes, but the Emperor’s increasingly believed their own rhetoric. The lines between politics and religion ended up being blurred… Somewhere they had crossed that line.
Politics and Religion… Don’t confuse the two.
American United Methodist preacher Will Willimon made an observation after the horrid events of September 11. He said, “four years ago, the people of the United States were cast down into great grief, when we needed help and hope, to whom did we turn? Americans reached, from what I observed, not for the cross but rather for the flag. After all, if right is to be done in our world, if we are to be secure, if we are to have confidence in the future, where will that be given to us if not from the hands of the all powerful state? It is up to the government to work peace, security, and justice, or peace, security, and justice won’t be done.
After President Bush gave his famous speech to congress, shortly after September 11, 2001, a commentator said, “The American people desperately need to believe that the President has the character, the power, the intelligence, and the wisdom to bring us through this crisis safely.” We tend to imbue our governmental leaders with divine attributes because we need a god to save us, even if we have to make up our gods for ourselves.”
Four years later, we are reminded that national leaders are indeed human. The moment we forget that is when we get into some serious trouble. I do not intend to be specific about our neighbours to the south… as any nation that begins to blend politics and religion together risks creating an idol out of the state. It happened in the Roman Empire, it happened in Europe, it can happen here. The trouble is that line is not that clear… but is so easily crossed.
Back with Jesus in the temple… the frustrating part is that Jesus is not specific. When asked about the Emperor’s tax, he doesn’t sit down with a list detailing exactly what belongs to the government and what belongs to God. There is something very profound in this short one-liner. In the story, Jesus is saying this while holding a coin that is stamped with the image of the Emperor. For those who knew their scripture well, Jesus was playing up on an image from Genesis… reminding us that we are created in God’s image… but it’s no simple matter. When do we cross that line between a valid affection for and loyalty to the state and idolatry to the state?
Politics and religion… don’t confuse the two… Give to the emperor what belongs to him, give to God what belongs to God.
In 1954, the Presbyterian Church in Canada adopted a subordinate standard called “The Declaration of Faith Concerning Church and Nation.” In it, there is this rather harsh sentence:
“It is high treason against the Lord Jesus, and deadly both for the Church and for the Nation, to attribute to any [human], group, or institution, the total power that belongs to [God].”
It’s rather harsh, but it emerged directly out of the ashes of the Second World War. Nazi Germany saw the German protestant churches giving divine sanction to the Third Reich. The government wanted Hitler portrayed as a “German prophet,” and for the most part they got it. Many Christians went along with it willingly, because that line between politics and religion was intentionally blurred. In 1934, a small group of churches and church leaders spoke out against those government pressures that had subjected Christ’s church to the will of the Nazis. It was called the Barmen Declaration. You can find the text for it if you do a Google search on the ‘net. The churches that opposed this growing “state sanctioned” church became known as the confessing church. They stood in active and vocal opposition that the church cannot and should not become subject to the state. Many of their leaders, including a theologian by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer paid for their lives in concentration camps.
Politics and religion… don’t confuse the two… Give to the emperor what belongs to him, give to God what belongs to God.
Perhaps the worst sin is to give to government that which should only to be given to God. Perhaps the greatest sin is not to care, to act as if there is no problem, no cause for concern… to assume that those whom we put in power can do no wrong. For Christians, we cannot afford to stand back and leave these as taboo subjects for the dinner table. God calls us to consider, to critique, to bring judgment to bear when we think our leaders and our nation is wrong… to seek to put right those wrongs. I don’t think Jesus ever intended for us to be “polite company” because our love for Christ is and must be stronger even than our affection for our country.
Give to God what belongs to God. Amen.
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