Render to Caesar Mark 12:13-17
Notes
Transcript
The Rules Laywer.
All of us have played games of different kinds with people. I’m sure we’ve all encountered at some level the “rules lawyer”
This is not someone who just a stickler about the rules and wants to keep everyone in check, This is the person who wants to exploit every possible loophole in the rules for their own advantage.
We have a game at home that actually encourages this behavior, and where such things would break the mechanics of the game, the rules are extra specific to prevent that from happening.
Often the rules lawyer is not the most fun to play with because they are really operating by a different set of game play ethic: win at all costs, even if that costs the integrity of the game by bending rules to their breaking point.
They may accomplish their purpose in the end....they will win the game… but they actually create a larger problem for themselves: they create an environment where people become distrustful of them and their motives for all game play choices, and over time, if they don’t curb their rules lawyering tendencies, people are less likely to invite them to play a game because of the dread of what they bring to the table.
I have to confess that I have some of the rules lawyer tendencies. So much of the debate is about letter of the law vs intent of the law. By the letter of the law, some things may be allowed, but the clear intent was something else, so is it really in keeping with the rules to merely abide by the letter of the law?
We tend to be pragmatic thinkers, so however we answer that question will often be in such a way that is advantageous to us in either case.
The letter of the law is too stringent for our tastes? Well....the spirit of the law was really about this, so I can bend those rules...
The letter of the law allows for certain behavior? well....it’s nor wrong. so I’ll just go for it.
The religious leaders of Jesus days were expert rules lawyers. They could argue for or against anything and use their proof texts to do it.
In our text today, they attempt to trap Jesus on a question about the law....God’s law....and the law of Rome. This is going to fail, but the truth that Jesus is going to teach should have us all asking....am I rules lawyering my way out of my obligations to God in any area?
Let’s read our text.
And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Let’s break this down section by section.
1. The question
They…the Sanhedrin.
The questioners...
Herodians were pro-Herodian dynasty, and thus pro Roman. They made compromises with Rome in order to hold on to political power.
The Pharisees were anti-Roman rule and wanted nothing more than to overthrow Roman occupation.
They are united here for the purpose of trapping Jesus. Enemy of my enemy and all that.
The Trap.
Word used of hunters and fishermen catching their prey. Lure the creatures in then the trap springs.
There is a mouse we’ve been trying to catch in our house the last couple of weeks. We’ve set out different kinds of traps with different kinds of bait. Haven’t gotten it yet.
That’s the idea here. Lure the prey in and before Admiral Ackbar can say “It’s a trap!” the spring is sprung.
The flattery
Everything they say about Jesus is actually true, even if they don’t mean it! But this is the lure. When traps like this are set, flattery is often employed because it gets you feeling good about yourself and takes your defensive guard down. You’ll be more inclined to answer freely rather than shrewdly.
You are true/truthful…No lies detected!
You don’t care about anyone’s opinion…don’t defer to anyone…This either means that he doesn’t seek counsel from others before answering or that he doesn’t consider who he needs to appease before answering. He just gives it straight without regard for the opinions of others.
Not swayed by appearances/are no partial to any (You don’t look into the face). Jesus does not show favoritism as he answers someone. He doesn’t care about appearnces and making sure that he looks good for others. One commentator noted that in one sense you could almost take take the idiom phrase literally! He doesn’t look into the face, he looks at the heart!
truly teaches the way of God/teaches the way of God in truth…This is a crucial point for their question. Jesus speaks as from the Lord.
All this flattery is part of the trap and set-up. They are attempting to put Jesus into such a corner that however he answers the question is not just reflective of his own human opinion, but that he speaks authoritatively for God. Thus however he answers he will be in trouble with someone....right??
The question
Is it lawful....is permissible. Is God okay with paying these taxes?
Deliberative…do or don’t we? They ask as though they are in such a quandary and they don’t know what to do.
The tax
This was likely the poll or head tax. This was an annual tax on every household. In a moment Jesus is going to ask for a denarius, which was one day’s wages and was the amount of the tax. When this tax was first levied, it had sparked a revolt that was eventually put down. It was a very unpopular tax because to the Jews it signaled that they and their land belonged to Rome, an idea they absolutely hated and some even considered blasphemous.
With that context I’m sure you can understand the danger of this trap.
On the one hand, they common people hate the tax. If Jesus says “pay the tax” he will lose popularity with the crowds and it was his popularity that was preventing the Sanhedrin from having already arrested Jesus; they were afraid of the crowds.
On the other hand, if he says “don’t pay it” he will labeled as one causing sedition, treason, and another possible revolt or rebellion, something the Roman authorities would be quick to squash.
either way, Jesus loses, and the Sanhedrin can regain its control.
The Answer
Bring me a denarius. I’ve already mentioned how this was one days wage. The denarius had the image of the caesar on the coin with an inscription that said “Tiberius Caesar, August Son of the Divine Augustus.” August Son of the divine Augustus. Ironically, Caesar claimed to the son of a god and thus a god himself. On the reverse side, there was an image of a woman on a throne with words that read Pontifex maximus....or “high priest”. A pagan woman high priest to a false God....highly offensive to the Jewish people. In a sense, each of these coins is a small idol that everyone carries and uses for commerce and the annual tribute tax.
They bring him the coin, he asks who image and inscription is on the coin. As we said, it’s Caesar’s
And now we get to Jesus’ response: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that God’s.
The response.
This response has the questioners marveling. This is the only time in the book of Mark where it says the leaders marveled at him. Everywhere else its always the people in amazement.
Clearly this has thwarted their plans. The simply yes/no binary has been evaded somehow.
What to make of Jesus words?
Now, I have to say that I had certain assumptions about this text that were wrong when I started getting into the study of it. My assumption was that Jesus effective answered “You must pay your taxes” just doing it in a way that explained why it necessary to do so.
However, upon closer examination, this ends up being a faulty conclusion from Jesus words.
The question is not “Must we pay our taxes” the question was whether it was permissible to pay the tax, considering the idolatrous nature of Caesar’s rule and coinage.
Furthermore, consider Jesus’ words carefully.
“Render to Caesar the things that Caesar’s”
While this might seem to answer the question, it only kicks the question back a level because now the question must be asked “What things belong to Caesar?”
Is Jesus teaching us a political theory here about spheres of authority? Is Jesus telling us that Caesar can levy any tax he wants and use it for whatever purpose he wants we just get to bow down and take it?
My assumption coming in was that Jesus was teaching us to pay our taxes.
After careful study, I do not believe that is the primary thing Jesus is getting at.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t application here about paying your taxes, so before you go out and say “Pastor Kenn says I don’t have to pay taxes” just sit tight for a moment.
There may be appropriate application about you and your taxes, what I’m trying to communicate is that that was not Jesus’ primary point. And sadly, his point gets missed so often! We want to use this text as a proof text for our political theory and the Christian’s responsibility to the government so much that we miss what Jesus is really getting at!
So what is his point.
Consider a few things.
The context of the denarius. idolatrous. Blasphemous. And yet, when Jesus asked for the coin, they produced it on the spot. They were already comfortable enough with the coinage that they carried them and used them, even though there were other coins they could have used to accomplish their purposes. Jesus asking for the coin and they producing it so quickly demonstrated their hypocrisy. Can you really be so torn about this if you’re using it already? Not only are they using it, but all these things are taking place in the temple complex! Not only do they use the coins, but they bring the idolatrous coins into the temple!
One commentator noted that during the rebellion that was sparked due to the tax, the Jews minted their own coins for use in the temple and religious observances. Clearly they weren’t at that level of objection to the coin.
Thus, and I love how David Garland put this in him commentary: he says “They already pay a kind of tribute ot Caesar by possessing his coin. Therefore, they owe Caesar the tribute he demands from taxes. In effect, Jesus says “Let Caesar have his idols!” (Garland, NIVAC 403)
I love that. Caesar has created hundreds of thousands of idol to himself, which you seem to be using without any really qualms. If he wants it back. Let him have it.
But here is the real issue right here. This is what so many miss. So much time is spent answering the question of paying to Caesear and debating what things really belong to caesar that they miss what Jesus is really dirving at here.
Jesus doesn’t leave it at “Render to Caesar” but he goes on to say “And to God the things that Gods”
Caesar’s image is on those coins. He wants it. Let him have it.
Guess who’s image is on your very soul!!
And God said. Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.
Jesus is challenging them “you’re so worried about whether or not you are obligated to Caesar that you have overlooked how you are obligated to God!
These religious leaders have been robbing God at every turn. They have turned the temple complex into a den of robbers, in the parable immediate before this, they have been robbing God of the fruit of the vineyard, in the passages that follow we see that they rob the poor and destitute, and for what?? For material gain and self aggrandizement??
The question that these leaders must be asking is not whether it’s permissible to pay taxes.
The question they need to ask is “am I giving God His due out of my own life!”
And that is the question that we need to consider in ourselves as well.
The questions about political theory and the Christian’s obligation to the government is a significant one that is worth consideration. I came into this text assuming one thing and having my assumptions challenged. Perhaps some day I’ll do some direct teaching on that point.
But today, I want us to sit with the point that Jesus was trying to make, not whatever points people want this to teach about our response to the gov.
Are you rendering to God that which is due him?
This begins, of course, with a life of faith. Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He rightly is owed out faith and allegiance. Jesus is going to die on the cross for sins and only those who respond in repentance and faith will be saved!
Do our obligations extend beyond that? What area of life have you withheld from the Lord?
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Patterns of sin that have been withheld. Render yourselves to God.
Have you withheld generosity to God and others? Render yourselves to God.
Do you make time with the Lord a daily priority in prayer and Scripture reading? Render your self to God.
Do you attempt to justify things that God has said is not right because “I can serve God better if” or “it’s not as bad what others do” or “I will address that later” Render yourself to God.
You are not your own. Glorify God in your body.
Romans 6:8–14 “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
This is the key. Present yourself to God. God, today my hands are yours. My wallet is yours. My car is yours. My mouth is yours. My mind is yours. Use all of these for righteousness today.
Make that presentation a daily habit and it will change how you live your life.
Rule Lawyers always are asking questions about what the rules state so they can find their way around what is written.
Jesus demands a different mindset. It’s not about me. It’s not about what I want. It’s about honoring the one who has placed His image within me.
Lord may I be one who practices what I preach here today. May I render unto you that which is yours, which is everything. My life. My finances. My home. My vehicles. My business. My family. My time.
I ask that you would give all of us the courage to live for you.