“Whose Head Is This?”

(Matthew 22:15-22)

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said.  So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality.  Tell us, then, what you think.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”  But, Jesus. Aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?  Show me the coin used for the tax.”  And they brought him a denarius.  Then he said to them, “Whose head is this and whose title?”  They answered, “Caesar’s.”  Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”  When they heard this they were amazed, and they left him and went away.

One thing we can expect in our Gospel stories at this time of year is that we will run into Pharisees and various other religious leaders and that they will be deviously working to entrap Jesus.  It happens over and over in each of the Gospels.

Today’s reading has those religious leaders attempting to establish their authority over Jesus.  In other words, they were setting up a situation in which they would appear to be one-up on Jesus.  If any of this reminds you of the political climate in our nation today, you will agree with me that there is nothing new under the sun.

As with most everything else in life, the issue of authority is fussed about, argued about and fought over, but, in my mind, it is finally a theological question.  That is, it’s about God and about us.  We, like the Pharisees in today’s story, may want to keep the conversation reined in so that it seems to be only about whether to pay taxes.

In our world these sorts of questions come up when certain groups are setting up another group to try to make them look bad.  For example, what are teachers allowed to talk about in their classes, or what are children allowed to read or how should students be respecting teachers or what are kids allowed to say back to adults?  Or it’s about workers and how hard they are working at their jobs or about manners and etiquette or laws, or, even, about the inability to elect a Speaker of the House.  But Jesus makes it clear to the Pharisees and to us what this is really all about.  It’s about those issues, yes, but it’s about so much more. 

As we have come to expect, the Pharisees, the religious leaders, or even the good church folk, we might say, were trying to trap Jesus when they asked him if it was lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not.  Of course, this was a trick question.  If he said it’s not lawful to pay those taxes they would sick the Romans on him.  If he said that it was lawful, there were some religious authorities who would take out after him, since this business of church and state, though framed differently, was a live issue even then.

But instead, Jesus held up a coin and asked, “Whose head and whose title is this?”  They answered, of course, “The emperor’s.”  And he said to them, “Then give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and give to God the things that are God’s.”

For a long time the church has used this as a proof text for citizens’ supporting and recognizing the authority of the government, but Jesus’ followers and the early Christians knew what he was really saying because they knew him, and they were beginning to know about the Gospel and about God’s truth.

Jesus was really saying to the folks, “All right now.  Whose authority are we REALLY under?  Look at whose image is on the coin.  In WHOSE image are we all made?  This should remind us of the first Creation story (and God made them, male and female, in God’s image). 

…So, give to the emperor what belongs to him (and what is that?  NOTHING!)  And now, what belongs to us? (NOTHING!)  …Now…what belongs to God?  (EVERYTHING!!)

…Let’s make sure we really have gotten it right here…of course there are earthly laws we must obey.  We must pay attention to the government of the United States of America because we don’t want to go to jail, and we want to pay our fair share of what it takes to run a government, provide roads and look after those who need our help.

We must pay attention to international laws because we want to live in global harmony.  I must pay attention to the Bishop if I want to continue enjoying all the privileges of an ordained person, even though retired, in the United Methodist Church.  You have to listen to and heed what your boss says so that you continue having a job and enjoying a good relationship with him or her. 

Kids, you’ve got to do what your parents say because they are your teachers and earthly guides.  Students, you need to comply with the expectations of your teachers so that you can learn and get credit for your classes.  Spouses, you must listen to and work with your wife or husband so that you can live in harmony and show each other respect. 

Now, each of these examples holds power and meaning in our lives, but finally and ultimately, we are under God’s authority.  All that we have, all that we are, belongs to God.

            …There is a way that we talk about our children that may give us some further understanding about this text.  It says that they are not ours, but are gifts to us from God, loaned for a while.  Always and ever, they are God’s.  WE all belong to God….

If and when we truly believe this, we will live our lives differently.  If we believe our children belong to God, we won’t get so scared and nervous if they make some choices that concern us or if they act differently than we want, because it won’t be OUR ego tied up in the outcome.  We can do our part as parents (parents are not owners), then we must trust God to manage the situation.  Though their path may not be exactly what we had wished and dreamed for them, they belong to God.

When we truly believe that we are God’s and that we are a part of the picture of God’s world, though not the center of the universe, we can lighten up on ourselves and those around us.  Whether we make it on time to a meeting or get the promotion at our job or are loved and adored by each and every person we meet seems not quite as important when we know and believe that we belong to God and when we live our lives under God’s banner.

            When our loved ones are ill, when we are ill, when someone we know and love is dying, of course we’re sad and devastated.  But when we believe and live as though God is in charge, and that we and those around us belong to God, we can trust God’s goodness.  We can turn ourselves and those we love over to God’s great love in Christ.

            When we believe that everything in the universe, on our planet, in our nation, in our village, belongs to God, we begin to think and live differently.  We begin to value each creature, each living thing, the trees (oh! The glorious trees!), but also the rivers and streams and even the soil.  When we think of them as God’s rather than just something that we can use for our own, often self-centered, purposes, we will look upon these things differently.  When we really believe that creation is God’s, we will make use of all of it lovingly, respectfully and with care.

            And, finally, when we believe that what we HAVE is God’s, we begin to think differently about it.  It has been our American heritage to own all that we can.  We want to own our property so we can do what we will with it.  We have our houses.  We have our things—our pianos, our computers, our automobiles, our photographs, our collections, our books, our antiques, our tools, our jewelry, our furniture, our wardrobes, our sports equipment, our screens and technologies, our boats….  And I’ve only just begun.  WE are glad and proud that these things belong to us.  WE INSIST on owning them.  We want them to be ours.

            And then, of course–and this is a very hot topic these days–there are our resources, our assets, our cash, our bank accounts, our CDs, our 401 Ks, our pensions, our Social Security, our stocks, our bonds, our trusts. 

Now, folks, living as though our possessions and our assets belong to God is not an easy concept to wrap our little pea-brains around.  WE still insist inside of us that this is all ours.  WE worked hard and saved for it and bought it.  “It’s mine,” we say.  “I’ll do whatever I want with it,” we think.

            When I was a kid we used to sing a response in church as the offering was brought forward.  It made an impact on my kid brain.  The end goes like this, “All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.”

Here’s the thing.  We need to think of EVERYTHING that we have as only a trust from God, something we have been entrusted with, something we are stewards over.  I think we would live differently and make different decisions if our thinking were different.  I know I would—particularly in regard to the time I’ve been given.  It’s not mine alone.  It really is a trust from God….

            We might think hard about how God wants us to use money and resources.  We might skip the new gadget and toss more in the Salvation Army bucket.  We might pass on the Saturday night karaoke and, instead, sing in the choir on Sunday morning.  We might wear our coat another winter and consider how that money might better be used.  We may be confronted with choices about how we spend our time.  We could be deciding between playing video games or spending quality time with our loved ones or between doing work on the computer or reaching out to far-away loved ones. 

We may have plans to watch TV but are given the opportunity to help a neighbor.  It may come down to deciding whether to clean house or spend time in prayer and meditation or reading something that will feed our souls.  Sometimes, believe it or not, we think of those activities as wasting time as compared to working!  Remember, our money, our gifts, our time are only ours in trust.

            All that we are and have is under God’s authority.  We are stewards of God’s creation—ALL of it. 

Our Finance Committee has been preparing a budget for our approval.  We will be looking this over come November.  We all have a say in these matters because our gifts, that is, our income from our giving and from our parking lot and from our rental properties are part of our budget line items.  These are all in trust, and we must consider how God wants us to handle them. 

As followers of Jesus Christ, let’s take a look at our coins, our shekels, our currency and see whose image is on them.  …Why, it’s the likeness of God.  That’s who all this belongs to. 

So let me add a few things: Good stewards, good servants, make wise and lasting choices over what they’re in charge of.  We are under the authority of a loving, compassionate and merciful God.  All other authority is limited and flawed, including our own.  Finally, God is in charge.  For that, I am relieved and grateful, for it is good to be under God’s benevolent authority.  Now, we must take the responsibility, the trust that comes with that, equally as seriously.

…I remind us of who and whose we are.  As you remember this story, as you hear it read again and again, I hope you will be reminded of this important lesson.  Amen.  

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