God & Government
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
When 67-year-old carpenter Russell Herman died in 1994, his will included a staggering set of bequests. Included in his plan for distribution was more than two billion dollars for the City of East St. Louis, another billion and a half for the State of Illinois, two and a half billion for the national forest system, and to top off the list, Herman left six trillion dollars to the government to help pay off the national debt.
That sounds amazingly generous, but there was a small problem—Herman’s only asset when he died was a 1983 Oldsmobile. He made grand pronouncements, but there was no real generosity involved. His promises were meaningless because there was nothing to back them up.
Just as in today’s message, we must render to the government what they owe, but they cannot step outside what God has given them to do
The Trap (v.20-22)
The Trap (v.20-22)
The religious leaders could not stand against Jesus, in fact they hated him
We saw in Lk 20:19 “19 Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on him that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.”
Luke links this to a consequence of the parable of the vineyard
So while they are seeking to end Jesus’ life, they thought perhaps some spies could make him look like a revolutionist with how he responded to the question
The trap was this
First the people sent as spies were seemingly unaffiliated with the religious leaders
They set up a surveillance operation to monitor Jesus
Then to avoid further embarrassment they enlisted spies to act on their behalf
Second, they were very generous with the words
Teacher (title of respect)
You speak and teach correctly
Don’t show partiality, but teach truthfully the ways of God
If we are honest with ourselves, we tend to let our guards down when people sing our praises
It is a good reminder of Proverbs 27:6
6 The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.
Finally, the tap lay in the question:
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
This should be more accurately translated as “Is it proper/authorized [before God] to pay tribute to Caesar or not?”
Luke Religious Leaders Question Jesus About Paying Taxes / 20:20–26 / 193
There were three basic types of taxes: (1) a land or produce tax took one-tenth of all grain and one-fifth of all fruit (or wine); (2) a head or poll tax was collected when a census was taken—one day’s wages—and was paid by everyone aged fourteen to sixty-five; and (3) a custom tax was collected at ports and city gates as toll for goods transported—rates were 2 to 5 percent of the value of the goods. This question may have focused on the poll tax or on taxes in general. Luke’s Gentile readers knew all about the various forms of heavy taxation from Rome—all the taxes generally totaled over one-third of a person’s income.
This was not a simple tax, it was the tribute that people had to pay to Rome, and it would be a constant reminder of the submission they had to Rome
On top of that we have to remember that tax collectors would collect money from what they charged, and their wages came from what they charged above and beyond the Roman Tribute
The Gospel of Luke 6.1.3. The Question of Caesar’s Authority (and the Priority of the Temple) (20:20-26)
Within the Lukan narrative, then, the question about the legality (according to Mosaic law) of paying tribute to the emperor is also a question about the authority of the sanhedrin to serve as Rome’s agent in Judea. Much more, it is a question about Jesus’ fidelity to the temple, the Holy Place, the nexus between human and divine, inviolable territory. Jesus had already undermined the authority of the chief priests and legal experts, charging them with behaving in ways that opposed the purpose of God and that denied their legitimacy as Israel’s leaders. What is the reach of Jesus’ insolence? Will he go so far as to call into question the priority of the temple itself?
Now, if Jesus answered yes, he would lose the love of the people, but if he said no, it would be a charge to string him up by Roman law!
The Gospel of Luke 6.1.3. The Question of Caesar’s Authority (and the Priority of the Temple) (20:20-26)
Failure to pay the tribute was tantamount to disavowal of Roman rule, and this during a period when Roman policy provided no quarter for sedition. It is hardly surprising that, in their presentation of Jesus to Pilate later in the Lukan narrative, the Jewish leaders recall this episode (23:2).
So how does Jesus answer?
Jesus’ Question (v.23-25)
Jesus’ Question (v.23-25)
It is a good thing to pause and marvel at the fact that Jesus, with all his wisdom and knowledge often does not engage with the direct question, but answers a question of his own in return, perhaps a pattern we should use in our own lives
Yet, Jesus detects their craftiness, which is a word used of deceitfulness of a wickedness.
In fact, one of the Greek dictionaries uses the word Knavery, so these men are not good seekers of the truth, but are more similar to a band of rogues
Jesus asks them to see a denarius
It is interesting that for all the hate they have of Rome, they are able to immediately conjure up a Roman coin for Jesus
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 1. Tribute to Caesar (20:19–26)
This was a Roman silver coin which had the effigy of the Emperor Tiberius stamped on it. It was required that the tax be paid in Roman coinage
Who’s image and inscription does it bear? (Caesar)
The inscription would refer to Caesar as divine and the ‘chief priest’, as they were worshiped as gods by the pagans
Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and God the things that are of God
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Nineteen: Issues and Answers (Luke 20)
They wanted to discuss taxes and Roman authority, hoping to provoke Jesus into offending either the Jews (“Pay the poll tax!”) or the Romans (“Don’t pay the poll tax!”). But Jesus lifted the discussion to a much higher level and forced the spies to think about the relationship between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men.
The Response (v.26)
The Response (v.26)
The spies were unable to catch Jesus in any of the quandaries they had laid, and simply became silent and amazed at his answer
Why were they amazed at his answer?
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Nineteen: Issues and Answers (Luke 20)
To pay the poll tax meant simply to give Caesar back that which belonged to him. God’s image is stamped on us; therefore, He has the right to command our lives as citizens in His kingdom. We should seek to be such good citizens that God will be glorified and the unsaved will be attracted to the Gospel and want to become Christians (1 Peter 2:9–12; 3:8–17).
Secondly, they thought if Jesus is a king (as was proclaimed during his triumphal entry), then certainly a rival ruler would prohibit tribute being paid to another
Then certainly if he allows payment to another King, is he no king at all
Yet Jesus shows them life is not as compartmentalized as they would make it
The Message of Luke b. ‘Religious’ Religion (20:19–26)
His kind of religion is one which embraces all of life, the secular as well as the sacred, and has something to say about every part of it.
This is a repudiation of ‘religion’ that would put our lives in watertight compartments, and puts God into the corresponding boxes
Sundays, Church Buildings, among other religious people
Then put Government and Caesar in their own box, where Caesar is Lord, and frankly we see too many believers allow love of Country to reign over love of God
The whole world and your whole life belongs to God, not this one to God and that one to the Government!
I was struck this week as I am reading through the Bible, I am in 1 Samuel and there is an incredible story in 1 Samual 4-6
In this story the Israelites are at war with the Philistines, and they are losing
They just decide that it would be a good idea to bring the Ark of the Covenant to battle, not because God told them to, but because they are treating it like a good luck charm
They lose the battle, and the chief priest are killed and the Ark taken to Philistine territory
God then goes on to strike the temple god of Dagon down, and breaks his statue at the foot of the alter, strikes the people with plagues, rats, and tumors
Eventually they ark is sent back to the people, showing that God can win without the help of the Israelites
What does that have to do with the Government and God?
God does not need us to accomplish the goals he is starting
We cannot treat God like a good luck charm or a genie like the Israelites did!
Sure, the stakes are not as high, but the attitude is the same!
Which leads me to the point of what Jesus says in his response to this loaded question
Secondly, the word that Jesus uses in ‘Give’ has the meaning of ‘to give back’ or perhaps more pointedly, “To pay what one owes”
Pay what you owe to the government, but give to God what is owed to God!
Application
Application
Our first application is quite simple and straight forward from this text: Governmental Authority is instituted by God and must be respected
God knows that humanity does wicked things, and so Government is part of God’s grace to help keep sin under control
Now of course, governments also do evil, and just because they are instituted by God does not mean that is a pass on their actions being absolved of responsibility
Yet it reminds us that God is not an anarchist, Jesus affirms Caesar’s authority and the NT echoes this idea on governmental authority
This is also continued on in other New Testament texts in line with Jesus’ teaching here
1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks.
Furthermore Peter says this in regard to the emperor, and for Peter, this was not a good emperor, but a bad one
13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
So unfortunately you and I are stuck paying taxes this year, if we want to honor God
By obeying the government it is honoring God, so we should obey the laws we don’t even like, serve on Jury duty, give the Government what they are due!
There is another great passage that helps us have the attitude that goes in line with our vision of making disciples, Jeremiah 29:4-7
4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”
When we are working for our city that we live in, it shows off that we are not simply escapist trying to get to heaven, but that we care for the well being of people here!
That type of care makes people take notice, especially the younger demographic
The second thing is something that we infer from Jesus’ word choice in reference to the denarius
Jesus had just said that Caesar’s image is on the coin, so give to him what is his!
Yet, you know where else that term of image is used in Scripture?
The Greek translation of the OT which the NT uses almost exclusively when quoting from the OT uses that very word in Genesis 1:26
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
So Jesus is saying, well, this coin has the image of Caesar on it, so it is his, but you and I have the image of God on us, so we belong to him!
Do you remember that there was also an inscription on the coins, it said that Caesar was the high priest for the pagans
3 You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
We have God’s inscription on our hearts by the Spirit of God, elsewhere the same idea is used of the Spirit as our seal of proof of our salvation
We also know that Jesus is our High Priest as Hebrews 4:14-15
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
Which brings us back to the point that God has a higher authority than our Government
There are things that fall under the authority of the Government, and things that are not the Government’s right
An easy example would be when Daniel will not pray and worship towards the statute of the emperor, so he is thrown to the lion’s den
A more difficult one is, if the Government tells us to shut down our churches for covid, do we follow them?
As you can see, there are quite a few difficult of when and how and why
But we must always continue in the way of the Apostle’s in Acts, “We must obey God rather than man”
We cannot serve two masters, for we will love and hate the other!
Whatever role the Empire might have, it must find its appropriate function within subservience to God’s universal dominion!
We render to the government what it is due, but the government has no right in God’s domain, the government is limited
The government cannot and should not have the most significant part of your life, only God can command that loyalty!
We are citizen’s of heaven and earth at the same time
This does not mean we compartmentalize our lives, as if God is not supreme in all our life, or the duties as members of the United States should be thrown in the trash
It means we must not neglect either loyalty, but honor God above all
I’d like to close with this statement from F.B. Meyer, which gives summary this message so well
Luke Religious Leaders Question Jesus About Paying Taxes / 20:20–26 / 193
We must give Caesar his dues. They can be paid in the coin of earth’s mintage; but he has no claim on our conscience, faith, love. These bear the mint-mark of God, and to God they must be rendered. Ah, soul! Thou belongest to the great King; thou art stamped with his image and superscription! Give him thyself!
F. B. Meyer