Matthew 22, Part 2

Paying Taxes

Now, we must remember that Jesus has spoken the third parable related to the wedding feast. In that parable Jesus is pretty blunt that “many are called”, but “few are chosen”. Does this mean God has already chosen those who will go to heaven? (Pre-destination?) Certainly not, what this eludes to is ALL are given the chance to attend the great wedding feast. But not all will choose to attend. Not everyone who hears the gospel will accept and believe, therefore they will not be admitted to the feast. What happened next at least shows us the Pharisees were paying attention and it apparently convicted them. They had a choice to make, and here in scripture their choice is recorded. Now, they plot against Jesus by using a wordly point of contention - paying taxes to Rome.

Plotting

Matthew 22:15 ESV

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.

This is the second time a direct challenge will come from the Pharisees. The first was in Matthew 21:23

Matthew 21:23 ESV

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

What do you think you are doing, and who gave you permission to do it? This was the first challenge. The second challenge was a little more sneaky & underhanded, but still sought to destroy His witness.

Now remember the setting here…we are talking about 2 or 3 days after His Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus isn’t backing down, and the Pharisees aren’t either. There is a festering sore that will soon break loose. Sometime (shortly) after Jesus speaks of the few that are chosen, the Pharisees gather together to form a plan on how they can get Jesus to say something that would be self-incriminating. Notice, though, they do not have the audacity to face Jesus but instead send their students and the Herodians - others they have conflict with around political and religious issues.

Question Asked

Matthew 22:16 ESV

16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.

Again, notice who the Pharisees sent - their disciples and the Herodians.

Thinking back to this morning, who are disciples? Ones who devote themselves to the learning of scripture. So, there were Jewish disciples, students, learning from the “masters”. The “m”asters sent their students to the “M”aster! Often times, professors will be busy and will send M.S. or PhD students to seminars to speak. It is a way to give experience to the students, the professor is represented, and…they don’t have to be bothered with it themselves as they feel there are more “important” or “pressing” things they could be doing. Now, when these students are sent I believe it is because the Pharisees were immersing themselves in conversation about how they were going to “control” Jesus. Interestingly, they also send Herodians - a Jewish political party that sympathized with the rulers of the Herodian dynasty, and therefore Rome. (Herodian Dynasty was a family of rulers over Israel after the fall of the Hasmoneans (the family that led the Maccabean Revolt - all taking place during the “silent period” of the Bible). The family reigned over different territories within the borders of biblical Israel from 30 bc to ad 100.)

The Herodians and the Pharisees certainly did not see eye to eye on economic or political issues, as the Pharisees felt paying taxes to a pagan government was going against the law, and therefore the church. Yet, they came together in this one instance - and notice why. They Pharisaical students were getting ready to ask a question that would directly involve both parties. And, as with many smooth talkers, notice the way they started the conversation. We know that you are true and teach the ways of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. They are laying out the plot for the coming question.

Question

Matthew 22:17 ESV

17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

Remember, the Herodians were sympathetic to Rome and to Caesar, the Pharisees to the law and the church. They were giving a question that had no right answer, either way it could be was answered would make one side or the other an opponent to Jesus. They tried to trap Jesus, get Him to say something contradictory to the law. If He said it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, He would be siding with the Romans against Israel and most Jews, including the Pharisees, and would be considered a traitor. Conversely, if He said taxes should not be paid to Rome, He could be accused of rebelling against the authority of Rome, and the Herodians would be against Him. They had Him! Or so they thought.

Jesus Response

Matthew 22:18–22 ESV

18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Notice how Jesus responds. Genius.

A person has two citizenships. A citizen of this world; which means, he owes to the earthly powers what belongs to them. But a person is also a citizen of heaven, of the spiritual world; therefore, owing to God what belongs to Him.

Christ saw through the false concepts of these men. He was the Son of God, so He naturally knew that their view of citizenship was flawed. Moreover, as the Son of God, He also saw that they had an evil motive.

Christ was pointed and forceful: “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?” He knew their hearts …

• their selfish ambition with every act of compromise and intrigue.

• their deception with all the flattery and destructive poison of their tongues.

• their close-mindedness and obstinate unbelief that led them to reject Him and to condemn themselves.

Note the words their malice and you hypocrites (v.18). They were wicked and they were hypocrites. They were pretending something that was not so.

⇒ They were pretending to be something they were not.

⇒ They were pretending to seek the truth when they were not really after the truth.

⇒ They were pretending to honor Him when they really did not.

There is something which belongs to Caesar: an earthly citizenship. Christ was brilliant and brief as He dealt with the Pharisees and their false concept of citizenship. “Show me the tribute money … Whose is this image and superscription,” He simply asked.

He forced the Pharisees (religion is supreme concept) to admit that some things belonged to an earthly power. The image was Caesar’s; the superscription was Caesar’s; and the coin had been made or coined by Caesar’s government. Therefore, the coin was Caesar’s if Caesar said it was due him. The point was clear: since the religionists, as citizens, used what was owned and provided by Caesar, then they owed to Caesar what was due him. Christ said strikingly, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.”

He also revealed a very important truth for believers of all time: they have a double citizenship. They are citizens of heaven, yes, but they are also citizens of this world. They have an obligation to the government under which they live. They receive the benefits of government just as the worldly-minded do: for example, roads, sewage, water, protection, public transportation, and on and on. Therefore, believers are to pay their due share.

There is something which belongs to God: a heavenly citizenship. Christ was just as brilliant in dealing with the Herodians and their false concept of citizenship as He had been with the Pharisees. The Herodians not only subjected religion to the state, but they were worldly minded and denied much of the supernatural, including life after death and the spiritual dimension of being.

Christ declared clearly to the Herodians: there is a spiritual world. God is; God exists, and there are some things which belong to God. “Render therefore … unto God the things that are God’s.” Again, the point is clear. Since the Herodians (the state is supreme concept) as citizens of the world and of life itself, used what was owned and provided by God, then they owed God what was due Him.

Christ also revealed a very important truth to all men. They are beings of God as well as of this world, spiritual as well as physical beings. Therefore, they are responsible to live as citizens of God as well as citizens of this world. All men have received much from God:

⇒ life that was made to exist with God forever; therefore man owes God his life.

⇒ a spirit that can be “born again” and live a self-denying life of love, joy, and peace for the sake of all men everywhere (Ga. 5:22–23).

⇒ a mind and body that have the power to enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the earth, learning to reason and produce for the betterment and service of all mankind.

All men receive these benefits and many more from God. Therefore, they are to pay their due share to God.

I love His answer. I love His explanation. I love that Jesus exposed their motives. Most of all, I love how Jesus showed both mercy, grace, and love in His answer. Now, if only we all could learn to do the same.