October 16, 2005

Pentecost 22

A prominent citizen of Washington, D. C. once invited President John F. Kennedy to play golf. On the first hole Kennedy floated a nice shot about three feet from the pin. He walked up to the ball and glanced over at the man who had invited him. Kennedy was looking for the man to concede him the putt. The man ignored him, and stared up at the sky. "You're certainly going to give me this putt, aren't you?" Kennedy asked. "Make a pass at it," the man replied. "I want to see your stroke. A putt like that builds character. Besides, it will give you a feel for the greens."

With an anguished look, Kennedy said, "I work in the Oval Office all day for citizens like you," he said. "And now you're not going to give me this putt?" The man said nothing. "O.K," Kennedy sighed. "But let's keep moving. I've got an appointment after we finish with the director of the Internal Revenue Service."  "The putt's good," the man said hastily. "Pick it up."

We have to tell jokes about taxes, to keep from crying about them. After all, the two inevitable events in this world are death and taxes. Someone once said, "At least death doesn't get worse every time the government meets.”

People pay attention when their taxes are being discussed.  That’s what the Pharisees banked on when they set out to trap Jesus one day. They wanted desperately to trip Him up.  He was taking away their influence over the people, claiming to be the Messiah, and they just couldn’t have that.  They were now going to try to trap Jesus in his own words.

And they teamed up with their own enemies to do it – the Herodians.  These two groups were very much at odds.  The Pharisees wanted nothing to do with the evil Roman empire that occupied their country or the taxes they were required to pay to them.  The Herodians, on the other hand, were Roman sympathizers, and supported paying taxes to Rome.  But both groups feared Jesus was taking people away from their influence.  They wanted Him gone.

So they teamed up together for an evil purpose.  They tried to trick Jesus into saying that God’s Word does not permit us to pay taxes to an evil government.  If Jesus would speak against the government, they could turn Him in to the Romans, who would sentence Jesus to death.  Jesus would be gone, and the people wouldn’t blame them!  Just doing their job, you know!

So they asked Jesus, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” They were sure Jesus was going to speak against paying taxes and hang Himself with the Romans.  But if, by chance, Jesus supported paying taxes, He would lose his credibility with the people, and no longer be a man of integrity, who teaches the way of God in truth, and who isn’t swayed by men.  The people would no longer believe in anything Jesus said.

They thought their plan was fool-proof.  They had Him!  Right?  Wrong.  How silly it was for them to think they could trap Jesus!  He had bested them time and time again.  The same way He always defeated Satan.  With his Word.

“Show me the coin used for paying the tax.”  There is a bit of humor here.  Standing on the holiest ground in all of Israel, within the Temple walls, Jesus’ adversaries quickly produced a coin that bears a graven image, an idol. Their religious laws that they were so proud of keeping expressly warned against this kind of “idolatry.” Their hypocrisy is exposed!

So they showed Him the coin and Jesus asked, “Whose portrait is this?  And whose inscription?”  The imperial poll tax was paid with a coin that had the Emperor’s head on it, as well as inscriptions which described the religious and divine claims of the Caesar: “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus, Pontifus Maximus.”  The coin claimed Caesar was divine and should be worshipped.  They answered Jesus’ question, “Caesar’s.”

Then Jesus spoke those well-known words: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”  The amazing answer left them dumbfounded.  Jesus walked right into their trap and destroyed it.  He didn’t get Himself in trouble with the government, with the people, or with God.  He once again silenced his critics.

And He taught us an important truth:  Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.  We are obligated to obey the government.  If we owe taxes, let’s pay taxes.  The coins belong to them in the first place, and in order to govern us, they have ruled that we must give a percentage back to them so they can do their work.  It was applicable in Jesus’ day as it is in ours.  We need to obey our government whether it is God-fearing or evil.

As long as they don’t force us to disobey God.  Which brings us to the more important teaching Jesus gave us here.  In his statement, Jesus was sharply disagreeing with what was written on that coin.  The coin claimed that the Emperor deserves our worship because he is divine.  But Jesus pointed out that our worship, our lives, do NOT belong to the Emperor.  They belong to God!  “Give to God what is God’s!”

This is what the Pharisees were missing.  And maybe it’s what a lot of us are missing too.  If you are paying your taxes, great.  It is expected of you.  You are a citizen of this world, and as a citizen of this world, you owe your government.  God endorses that.  He wants you, as his child, to pay your taxes and obey all the laws that don’t cross his.  So if Jesus’ incredible answer to this test has taught you that it is right to pay your taxes, good!  Because you should!

But don’t miss the more important point Jesus was teaching us!   “Give to God what is God’s!”  We need to submit to governing authorities.  But more importantly, we need to submit to God.  The first can never get in the way of the second.  It is more important to make sure we are giving to God what belongs to Him!

And what belongs to God?  We answered that last week.  E stands for Everything.  Everything we have already belongs to God.  He has simply allowed us to be managers of it.  And good managing of God’s gifts means giving part of them back to Him in worship and thankfulness for what He has done.

So how much do we owe God?  What belongs to Him?  What should we give Him?  In the Old Testament, his people were required to give Him ten percent of everything they had.  Simple.  Ten percent of everything.  God no longer treats us as children.  He doesn’t tell us the exact amount.  So we are no longer limited to ten percent.  We are free to give 15 %, or 20% or 30%!  I suppose we are also free to give 5% or 7%.  But let’s honestly ask ourselves today:  Is that really “giving to God what is God’s”?  If I am giving God 3% of what He has given me, am I really giving Him a gift?  Am I really letting Him know I am thankful?

Friends, we are all guilty of not always giving to God what is God’s.  And I am not just talking about money.  Everything we have: time, gifts, talents, money, possessions, relationships, family, friends, opportunities; has all been given to us by God.  And we must give part of all of these things back to Him.  In service to Him!  That’s how we thank Him for his incredible giving to us!  Are you giving to God what is God’s?  Are you giving Him your time?  Your skills?  Your money?  Your love?  Your worship?  Your life?  They’re all his!

Years ago, Dr. George Truett was preaching in a Texas church. He preached on the text: "You are not your own. You have been bought with a price." He was met after the service by a cattleman who had not long been a Christian. The man said, "Let's go for a walk. I have something to show you." They went up the canyon more than a mile away. All along the pathway the cattleman did not say a word. He was obviously deep in thought. Dr. Truett waited for him to speak, and finally he did. He said, "I want you to pray a dedicatory prayer for me."

"What do you want me to dedicate?" asked Dr. Truett. Slowly the cattleman began to talk and tears began to stream down his cheeks and he said, "I did not know until this morning that all of these cattle that I have called my own are not mine at all, but everyone of them belongs to God. I did not know that these thousands of acres of land are not mine. They belong to God. Please help me pray a prayer to dedicate all that I have to Him.  It is his.  I will be his manager."

When Truett had finished, the deeply moved cattleman also prayed, "And now dear Lord may I also give you my wayward son? Please save him." And not long after that day, with the work of the Holy Spirit, that wayward son came to faith in Christ. That cattleman's vast estate did not obscure what was really important: his relationship with God and his relationship with his own son.  He learned how important it is to Give to God what is God’s.

Because God, out of love, gave Everything for you.  Friends, reflect upon the struggle that Jesus faced, as He struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane, as He gave to the emperor what belonged to him, and to God what belonged to God. Clearly, Jesus acknowledged the right of Pilate to take his life, even though he could have avoided death. Yet he gave his life, his all, back to his Heavenly Father on our behalf, for our redemption, according to God’s will.  He gave to God what is God’s – his life.  His perfectly righteous life.  And because of that, God has given you life – his perfect life.  Forgiveness.  Eternal life.

So give to God what is his.  Give Him your trust, your faith, your life, your good deeds, your love, your help to those who need it, your encouraging words to those who are down, your service for his kingdom, your money for his ministry, your prayers for your fellow man, your devotion to his Word, your honour, respect, and your worship as you bow at his feet and thank Him for the gift that goes beyond all our understanding!  Give to God what is God’s!   Amen.

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