|
About Jesus - Steve (Stephen) Sweetman God
Or Caesar Throughout the Covid
crisis and now in our chaotic political environment I hear Matthew 22:21
quoted in support of varying viewpoints. That
verse reads: "'Caesar's,' they
replied. Then he [Jesus] said to them, 'So give back
to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'" Some disciples of the
Pharisees as seen in Matthew 22:15 to 22 tried to trap Jesus in a legal
matter. After calling Him a
teacher of God they asked Him if "it is right to pay the imperial tax
to Caesar or not?" Noting
their hypocrisy Jesus asked to see a Roman coin.
Seeing Caesar's image on the coin, He said, "give back to
Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." The specific question
asked of Jesus concerned paying taxes, but Jesus' answer concerned all
things pertaining to Caesar's rule. I
say this because our words "what is" in "what is
Caesar's" is a plural article in the Greek text that means
"things," not one thing, belonging to Caesar. If Jesus' response was
just about paying taxes, then our present-day application would be simple,
but it wasn't. This makes a
present-day application problematic. Our
debates to figure out what belongs to government and what belongs to God
is ongoing, but that's not new.
Christians in the mid
second century struggled with this issue when Caesar demanded worship by
commanding all people to confess "Caesar is Lord."
This divided the church. Some
outwardly confessed "Caesar is Lord" while inwardly confessed
"Jesus is Lord." Others,
like Justin Martyr a Christian apologist, refused to confess "Caesar
is Lord." He was executed
around 165 AD for not giving to Caesar what Caesar believed belonged to
him. Emperor worship was
fairly common throughout Roman history, and thus the proclamation
"Caesar is Lord." In
contrast, Jesus taught that true worship was worshipping God in spirit and
truth (John 4:24). For Justin
Martyr, confessing "Caesar is Lord" violated truth and God's
Spirit living within him. True
worship belonged to God, not to Caesar which must be one central factor in
our attempt to figure out what belongs to government and what belongs to
God. Jesus performed miracles
on the Sabbath against the will of the Jewish authorities, something He
believed was a matter belonging to God, not to the authorities (John 5:8).
Peter and John preached Jesus against the will of the authorities,
something they believed was a matter belonging to God, not to the
authorities (Acts 4:19). Paul
visited his brothers in Christ before leaving town against the will of the
authorities, something he believed was a matter belonging to God, not to
the authorities (Acts 16 :40). To
be clear, Jesus, Peter, and Paul were not right-winged radical zealots.
Paul taught Christians to obey the authorities since God had
established their rule (Romans 13:1).
The political culture in
Jesus', Peter's and Paul's day is nothing like ours, so debating what
exactly belongs to God and what exactly belongs to government is a
difficult process that is dividing the church.
There is, however, one thing I know for sure that belongs to God
and not to Caesar, and that is me. It's
also you if you are a Christian. Jesus
owns us. "You are not
your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your
bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:20). Honouring
God with our bodies would include our mouths in the midst of the debate.
A spirit of unified godliness must prevail.
An arrogant carnality must be left at the door of the debate.
Scripture
References (NIV)
Matthew 22:15 - 22 "Then the Pharisees
went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their
disciples to him along with the Herodians. 'Teacher,' they said, 'we know
that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in
accordance with the truth. You
aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.
Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial
tax to Caesar or not?' But
Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, 'You
hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
Show me the coin used for paying the tax.' They
brought him a denarius, and he asked them, 'Whose
image is this? And whose
inscription?' 'Caesar's,'
they replied. Then
he said to them, 'So give back to Caesar what is
Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'"
John 4:24 "God
is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in
truth." John 5:8 "Then Jesus said to
him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.'" Acts 4:19 "But Peter and John
replied, 'Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You
be the judges!'" Acts 16:40 "After Paul and
Silas came out of the prison, they went to Romans 13:1 "Let everyone be
subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except
that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been
established by God." 1 Corinthians 6:19 - 20 "Do you not know
that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you
have received from God? You
are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with
your bodies.'"
|