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Truth and Alternatives

Preached at St. Barnabas Church, Bellville, TX

Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, 2008

by The Rev. Stephen E. Stults

Matthew 22:15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

“It was not the least grievous of the sufferings of Christ, that he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, and had snares laid for him by those that sought how to take him off with some pretence.” So states one of my favorite commentators, Matthew Henry, in his commentary on the 22^nd chapter of Matthew.[1] Once again, we see Christ’s enemies engaging him, with the express and sinister purpose of laying some trap into which they hoped Christ might fall. John Calvin also addresses this, as he tells us that the Greek word used here is to denote snares which hunters lay. Thus, we find the Pharisees teaming up with their archrivals, the Herodians, to find some way to entrap and thus rid themselves of Jesus.

This is a very interesting and complex scene, for these two groups despised each other. It is really quite fascinating that they could overlook their mutual hatred in order to focus on what they thought was a greater threat, Jesus. Their hatred for Christ was so intense that they could lay aside their mutual enmity to make an attempt upon Him. The question remains, why did these two factions, the Pharisees and the Herodians have such despite for each other? Also, what was it about Christ that caused them to unite against him?

First, the Herodians, as their name implies, were very much pro-regime and pro-social establishment. That is, they backed the current puppet government of Herod, and by extension, complete submission to Roman authority. Thus, it was no question to them whether paying tribute was legal and desirable.

On the other hand were the Pharisees. As the Gospels illustrate again and again, the majority of these men were proud, self righteous, and zealous guardians of the Law. Their job, as they saw it, was to safeguard Judaism from the corruption and contagion of the world and to keep the Jewish religion “pure.” Recall that this group arose out of great tribulation during the time of Judas Maccabeus, who had violently resisted the “Hellenization”, or the infusion of Greek ideas into Jewish life. As a result, they became rigid standard-bearers of the Law, so much so that by Christ’s time, the Law had grown from ten commandments into some four hundred different laws governing all aspects of Jewish life. As one might expect, this group vehemently opposed the Roman occupation in all its forms; not least of all, Roman taxation.

Yet, both of these groups united against Christ. According to Henry, there were two ways to get rid of Jesus: by law or by force. If the Herodians could prove that Jesus was a threat to the civil authorities, they could have the civil government remove him, thus using the power of law. If the Pharisees could prove that Christ was teaching contrary to the Law, they could, perhaps, incite the mob against him, using force. At this stage of Christ’s ministry, the likelihood of this was remote, for the people took Him for a prophet, Yet, this was the situation in which Our Lord Christ found Himself.

Note an interesting sub-point here. The Pharisees “took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.” These men were fine and detailed thinkers, often spending hours discussing some minute aspect of the Law, “parsing” it, if you will, to arrive at some detailed interpretation. Perhaps if they had gone to Christ themselves, He would have more guarded and more suspicious. Instead, they sent their young disciples, along with a group of Herodians, to “innocently” ask Christ about the validity of God’s Nation paying tribute to a heathen nation, the Roman occupiers.

Note also, the lavish use of flattery to attempt to get Jesus off his guard. The obvious obsequiousness of this statement is very apparent to us, as we know it was to Christ:

They said  “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.” (Matthew 22:16)

In the words of sales trainer I once knew in my former secular career, “It’s just a little too much sugar for a dime.”[2]

Then comes the question, phrased innocently, almost casually, "Tell us, therefore, what You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" (from the new King James version.) This is posed almost as a discussion question, almost like, “Some people think this, and some people think that, what do you think?”[3]Thus, the trap was laid.

Yet, Christ displayed the same cool, profound wisdom that He always did, even, you will recall, from the age of twelve. St. Luke tells us: “And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luke 2:46-47). Jesus avoids their trap as Matthew tells us: “But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money.” With a word, he destroys their carefully laid plot and takes the discussion in a new direction. Jesus asks them, “Whose is the image and superscription?” That is, Christ forces them to recognize whose authority is on the coin. They were, in fact, tributaries to Rome, whether they liked it or not. He also causes the Jews to recognize that their current servitude to a foreign power is a result of their own sinfulness. They were not free, but because of their grievous sin again and again, became subjects of foreign powers. Recall that the prophet Jeremiah told the inhabitants of Jerusalem to not fear the Chaldeans, but to go out to them and serve them. If they had done this, all would have been well. Instead the King and his party obstinately refused and were thus made subject to a dreadful siege, resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem.

In the time of Christ, there was a similar obstinate party called the Zealots. They were known for their violent opposition to Rome. Later, in a.d. 70, some 37 years after Christ’s death on the cross, they would engage in such serious insurrection as to cause the might of the Roman army to fall upon Jerusalem. The Romans didn’t come to play, but massacred the population and with their leveling bars left not one stone upon another. They literally made Jerusalem level with the ground.

Once again, it was this unreasonable obstinacy and rebellion that would bring disaster again on the Jews. As it was with the Babylonians, so it was with the Romans. This recollection of past sin and a prediction of future sin is why Christ asked the question.

Now, comes the amazing answer. Having avoided their trap and skillfully forced the Pharisees and Herodians to acknowledge their status as a sinful subject people, Christ gives them the timeless answer. He says: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” He doesn’t side with those who favored slavish obedience to the Romans, nor did He declare, like the Zealots, that paying tribute is wrong. Instead, he causes all those listening to understand the nature of civil authority, that is, to submit to lawful governors and their power, while also realizing that this world and all that is in it ultimately belongs to God. Yes, we Christians will pay our taxes, obey the law, and give lawful submission to the authorities. Yet, we will never give the State allegiance over our souls and our spirits. These precious things, washed clean in the blood of the Lamb and sanctified in the waters of Holy Baptism, belong not to the State, but to God. They are His forever and will not be surrendered to secularism.

The great principle here is that we Christians make good subjects. We are not a danger to the secular government, but will submit to reasonable laws and taxation. Yet, most or all totalitarian governments are ignorant of this fact and seek to suppress or destroy Christians in their midst.

Recall the suppression of Christianity in the old Soviet Union, or the current persecution of the Church in modern-day China. An interesting exception to this was Saddam Hussein, notably one of the more monstrous tyrants the world has ever seen. His highest ministers, notably Tariq Aziz, were Iraqi Christians. When it came down to it, Hussein felt that the Christians in his cabinet were more trustworthy and honest than the others surrounding him. Christ Himself laid the groundwork for this when he said. “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…”

This scenario and its resulting wisdom give us a key principle for our lives. Christ had at least three ways to answer. The first was the way symbolized by the Herodians and their “go along, get along” philosophy. We can take this to mean that we too could be guided by the values and mores of society, taking our cue from the popular, the chic, and the convenient. Secondly, Christ could have answered the way the Zealots did, defying authority and embracing “rugged individualism”, or if you will, “autonomous arrogance”.[4] In effect, they said, “No one’s gonna tell me what to do.” This course, in the face of a determined civil authority, usually leads to disaster. Thirdly, we come to the way Christ did answer, which is God’s way: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Christ is telling us that we are indeed “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”[5] At the risk of using a timeworn phrase, we are “in the world, but not of it.” Submit to lawful earthly authority, yes, but keep your heart for God. Keep your innermost loyalty to Him.

In the end, the things “rendered unto Caesar” will pass away. All of the pomp and ceremony, the budgets, the militaries, and the governments, will cease to be. In the never-ending book of eternity they will merely be a footnote. We however, those who trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, will not pass away, but will behold His face in heaven among the faithful blessed, for ever and ever. There we will shine as the stars in Heaven, beholding the One, the True and the Holy for all eternity.

Matthew 22:21 “Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”

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