Mark 12:13-17— 3/24/2024 - English

We've been looking at the last week of Jesus life. Today the religious world view Sunday as Palm Sunday, and we talked several weeks ago about what that day was Jesus riding in on the back of a donkey into Jerusalem the people shouting Hosanna. Lord save us is acknowledgement that he was the called upon and anointed Son of God the son of David the coming Messiah. now in our text while we were in the last week with Jesus in Jerusalem, specifically, we are spending a lot of time on Tuesday, but is in response to Jesus cleansing the temple and showing an authority that only

Just leaders. The people are starting to ask a lot of questions. Who does this guy think he is?

And asking him these questions not because they're and hers. but to Trappin and we looked at a couple of weeks ago the first trap that they laid and how Jesus expertly navigates out of that trap in only a way. He knows how last week. Jesus used a parable a story of a Vineyard. And how some people are just standing watching in the Watchtower The Gatekeepers to the kingdom of heaven.

And those are the people who were asking him these difficult questions. Into today, I want to propose to you that only two things in life are certain. You know how to finish that. death and taxes

This is a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin. He said our new constitution is now established and has an appearance that promises permanency. But in this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes. Nobody likes taxes. It's burned many internet memes the only difference between death and taxes. Is that death doesn't get worse.

This was a tweet. I found you always money. It's called taxes says the government me. How much do I owe? The government says you have to figure that out me. Well, I just want to pay what I want, but we know exactly how much you owe but you have to guess that number to what if I get that number wrong. You go to present, right? That's the reality we live in. And I think I'm going to have to start teaching Clara about taxes. My daughter asked me what taxes are like it so she could understand I went to the kitchen and ate 46% of her cookies.

And if you forgotten April 15th is tax day. So just a reminder. You still have plenty of time to do your taxes at the last minute? Taxes are rarely popular. They're not popular today. They were popular back. Then taxes are really popular and the only thing less popular or the politicians who are determining how much you pay in taxes. I saw this morning. I'm going to discuss two things that no one is supposed to discuss money and politics. Intertex today, we see historically clashing politicians asking Jesus his opinion on taxes. This morning. We're going to examine the context the conundrum the coin and the challenge. first the context After we read our passage this morning turn with me to Mark chapter 12 and will begin in verse 13.

Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words when they came they said to him teacher. We know you are truthful and don't care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't be? But knowing their hypocrisy he said to them. Why are you testing me bring me a Denarius to look at they brought a coin? Whose image in inscription is this he asked them Caesars? They replied? Jesus told them give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. and to God the things that are God's and they were utterly amazed at him. first the context which two groups of people who you would never find really interacting in first-century Palestine. You have the Pharisees who are the religious conservatives? They are so conservative every rule every law has to be kept perfectly. The lock is this fence that they've essentially built around the wall so that they can't even get close to stepping on one of the boundary lines. They can't step outside of the fence the Diego talked about last week because there's a fence around the fence and then they are the ones standing in the Watchtower making sure that no one comes through the fence that might get them into the next month. They might get them in the next fence.

And they have the ear of the people. The people are beaten down. They're tired of being slaves essentially to the Roman government. They're tired of being oppressed. They're tired of the Injustice. They're tired of having no say over their life. They're tired of paying taxes to a government that they see no benefit from

And the Pharisees have the rear. They're politically very conservative. Their religiously very conservative. I want as little government interference in their lives as they possibly can so that they can continue to build out their fences to protect themselves from breaking the wall. On the 2nd, you have the herodians will who was Herod who are the herodians. From what I can tell with an Edomite AKA not a Jew and he converted to Judaism and his line in succession became the rulers that the Roman authorities put in place as their little puppets to keep the Jews in line. in a few factions of Jews were totally fine with that because it gave them some feeling of self-rule will at least one of us has their ear the Heritage charged at least we have a Jew in Congress. right And so they are absolutely politically opposed to doing anything to upset their representation.

They have someone advocating for them. It's not much but it's good enough. It's on one side. You have one group of alcohol and politicians. Nothing. The government does is ever going to be good enough for them? And they don't want any government interference and one group who says it's good enough. Let's keep the status quo. And Herod after Herod after Herod comes through. And keeps the saddest quote.

And if you go back all the way to Mark chapter 3 these two opponents have been conspiring together. to make Jesus stumble Why are they getting together to make Jesus stumble?

the enemy of my enemy Is my friend? What are you have these two historically clashing political factions coming together with a common purpose. Because there's something Jesus threatens.

Jesus threatens the Pharisees view of what the Messiah was supposed to be. a pure Liberator of them from Roman occupation Jesus offends the herodians sense of what the Messiah was supposed to be someone to help him get closer to the Roman government to make them more influential and more powerful.

Jesus almost sounds like a revolutionary. And neither of them wanted the way Jesus proposes. If you go back 25 years there was a man named Judas the Galilean. Judas the Galilean did three things. He claimed Caesar is not. We should follow God. He should be our one and only King. Judas the Galilean said there shouldn't be Gentiles and Romans selling stuff in the temple and he took an armband of his people and they cleanse the temple.

Judas the Galilean said a third thing. Don't pay the head tax. The head tax with the tax that you just had to pay because you existed and if you wanted to keep your head, you paid the head tax, it was a known risk. It was a Denarius a single day's wage for the most common peasant think of it as a day's wage at minimum wage one day.

You just said we're not paying it. It's the principle the only person who sustains me and gives me life and keeps me alive and leave this head on my head is God himself not Caesar, so don't pay it. God is King. for cleansing the temple and we're not paying the tax.

Jesus already done two of those this whole Ministry for years has been about God and is coming Kingdom. His whole Ministry is led up to this point where he goes in and cleanses the temple. And now these two historically politically opposed groups want to know? Are you going to demand we don't pay the tax?

And that's the conundrum.

What would Jesus do? You see there were other two other political factions, there were the essence they said we're not paying the tax, but we're not going to rub it anybody's face. We're going to go out into the countryside where to go out at 3 to go out in the desert and people are going to leave us alone. And we're going to leave them alone. We're not going to pay our taxes. We're just going to exist because what's happening in Palestine it it doesn't really affect us. It's not really a problem for us. We don't want to get involved. And then there was another group on the Other Extreme called the zealots. The zealots were people who said we're going to start a revolution. I'm going to kill everybody until we get the way we want it.

Jesus is stuck between all of these options. The Pharisees in the rodians would really love for Jesus to pick a side. Pick a party.

Pick a faction. Make a decision because if Jesus says pay the tax. I don't worry about it. These Jews who are oppressed and is coming Kingdom to Jesus as promised that's going to fix Injustice and oppression and captivity and broken hardness. It was all a farce. He just wants the status quo. He just wants to herodian to stay in power. He doesn't want to ruffle feathers. And they're all going to walk away. And if Jesus says don't pay the tax. The road is no, it's one quick call to the Roman government. And they will squash him just like the bug that they think he is. Well, maybe Jesus is like a good politician and in a tough situation just says no comment. Maybe maybe he's in that scene and he'll just go out to the desert and he'll have his little clan of followers and I'll keep the scriptures and did you know that probably the reason we have the Dead Sea Scrolls confirming the authority of scripture going back to that time because of the essence they were sitting out in the desert literally just rewriting scripture. All day long is doing us a lot of good. Who knows how much good it did them?

Or is he a zealot? Is he going to rise up the Jewish people for a fight? Jesus is in a conundrum.

So, how is he going to answer? answers with the

I don't I don't keep things in my pockets very often. I definitely don't keep change. I barely keep cash on me anymore because we have the digital wallets and I'm getting some head shakes like that moron. He's going to get in trouble one of these days cuz he doesn't have cash on him. Jesus doesn't even have a coin on his person. 41

tre'darrius and there's a lot of these floating around because of this passage of scripture. They've been preserved through the years because Jesus asked for one and this is a picture of a Denarius as it has been preserved today. On the left, you see the front of the point. It looks like the front of a lot of our coins. We had the face of a president. They had to say. Cesar. The Denarius was a coin minted. When is money? An audit it has this inscription.

Tiberius Caesar God Augustus the god Augustus on the back. It says fex Maximus. Pontifex Maximus was a essentially the bridge builder to the gods. It was the title of the Roman high priest. It was that every Emperor had as soon as the one who communicated with the Gods.

It's on one hand. You have a coin represent.

Of someone who claims to be the king. Who claims to be the son of the Gods? And who claims to be the high priest?

And it's given to him the whole. Is it a restriction who claims to be the king? the son of God high priest

Oh.

Wait, there's more to this than paying taxes.

Because who's your king? Who's the son of God?

Jesus and just saying give me a kiss so I can look. Has this random question of them pooped Imaging inscription that is it so they can prove that they can read my seven-year-old can refund it.

Trying to the point.

He's trying to prove a point with a coin. you have a choice to make you can choose the king with all of the quarters. Or you can choose a King Without a quarter. Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. He doesn't even have a Denarius a simple daily agenda pocket. He has asked for one.

And he asked them this question whose image and inscription. is this

And that's where we find the challenge. Caesars they replied Jesus told them give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's and they were utterly amazed at him.

We first read that it doesn't sound that amazing to me. I'm not really that easily astonished by that statement. Why were they? It's subtle. But in the text, they asked Jesus should we gift taxes to Caesar? If you go back in the Greek, he changes the verb from the question that they asked to the answer he gives. The question I ask is should we gift back the text the Caesars asking for? And when Jesus says give some translations say render that verb means payback. What is do?

Payback what is do payback? What is due to Caesar? the thing that bears His Image in inscription give him his due. He back to God his due. the things that have his image and his inscription

and he begs the question. What is due a tyrant? We have many tyrants throughout history. Horrible awful leaders people who had absolutely destroy lives destroyed communities destroyed whole populations of ethnicities of people.

How do you pay back what they are doing?

You just pay your taxes and move on.

You just submit. to the Injustice and oppression

Do you go hide out in the woods and just hope no one finds you? Do you take up arms and lead a Revolt to take them down?

I think what's amazing about what Jesus saying here is there is incredible ambiguity. And what you are to repay to Caesar?

Jesus isn't saying pay your taxes. He said that money Caesars give it back to him. The fun is not yours. Not mine. it's it's You think that's what he do give it back with Stu.

Maybe it's not what do you do? Maybe there's another way. Payback what is do? I think there's some principles we can take away that will amaze us by Jesus response. first Jesus for Jack's political simplicity

these people trying to get Jesus to come down and pick a side. Is that what it sounds like he's doing here? Is Jesus taking the side of the rodians and saying pay the tax and keep your mouth shut and keep the status quo.

Nope. Jesus saying don't pay the tax and start a revolution.

Nope, is you the same going hide out in the woods and hope nobody finds you? Nope. Is Jesus saying start a revolution that's violent and oppressive and is all about maintaining and getting power. No.

You reject political simplicity. You're not going to be able to always pick a single side.

Because there's probably no one side that has it all figured out.

Second you're not going to be able to be politically complacent. No, one can look around this world and see that everything is perfect.

You can't be a Jew in Palestine in the first century and look around and see people hurting and say yep Caesar the emperor the Roman government. This is the climax of society. This is the climax of humanity. This is as good as it's ever going to get. You can't be a nice seeing and go out into the Wilderness and just say I'm good. Somebody else will take care of it. This one impact me anymore.

Please also saying politics government taxes. You're not the end-all-be-all. They're not the thing that has to be in the center of your life. They're not going to fix all the problems of this world. It's merely a mechanism and an instrument of God's righteousness to help his people.

It's not the fix all.

The government won't be great when we get our candidate in office.

Are we done with that illusion? Maybe I should call the double vision. Because in a few short months we're all going to be wrapped up in this delusion again. And they're going to be people on both sides of the political parties in this country who think that if we get the right man in the job. Everything's going to go back to some frankly imaginary perfect time in our past or some imaginary. Utopian future that doesn't exist on this Earth.

And I'm talking about this today because I am praying that none of us fall into that trap. Amen. Then when November comes and we are faced with a similar conundrum to pick a side to be complacent or to make Politics the primary thing in our lives. We will all say haha. I'm not falling in that trap. Amen.

It's a delusion if you think it's going to solve everything.

Because the kingdom of man in Luke chapter 6 as Jesus outlines it is for the powerful the successful but comfortable in the reputable. power success comfort and recognition That's what kingdoms of this world are looking for. All revolutions are just rearranging the furniture. It's one group saying hey, we think we got it figured out now. We're going to go and take all the power from people who had power and our little plan of people and our little proof and we can impress everyone else. Does that sound like the kingdom Jesus has been preaching about?

What is the kingdom of God? Westador the impoverished and the starving and the sorrowful. and slandered power success comfort and recognition mean nothing in God's Kingdom

There is no other political system that matters to a Christ follower then the kingdom that is a political system. But there is one ruler and one authority over all of Heaven in Earth. And it's the one who helps the impoverished the starving the sorrowful in the slander. As well ask you again. What is due a tyrant? Jesus is saying yeah, it's his money give it to him. That may be the only thing you can give him.

You may want to give him your time. You may want to give him your attention.

but Render unto him with his the thing that has his image and inscription the next question. What is Dua politician or political system?

Does it deserve your time? They deserve your anxiety. Did they deserve you're worried? Is it deserve this you deserve the hours you sit in front of the television watching Talking Heads on your choice of News Network.

Because I think we're confusing political information.

with political activity we're confusing being politically informed with being politically engaged.

Will Derrick we vote?

Check if only what you doing you're checking a box. Is that enough?

Can you just walk out into the woods and say I'm not going to vote or can you go to the box and just boat and be okay with it? That sound like the answer. Jesus is giving

or is it something altogether radical and revolutionary? Is it something that the Revolutionary is revolutionising revolutions?

What is the question we have to ask ourselves is how do you pay back. What he is doing?

How do you do it? It gives you the answer. You give to him what has his image and its friction.

giving you

not the part for 30 minutes on Tuesday evening for your favorite talking head. Not the part where you go when you vote twice a year.

That's not politically engaged enough for this world.

But politics is also not going to fix everything.

So what is this mean? for me and you politically Phoenix one thing you will politically move

I mean that in two different ways.

You're going to be able to look at fellow Christ followers. And you're going to see that they think being a good Steward of God's creation. It's something they have to do.

And a movie based on that. And you're going to look for common ground with those people to look for common ground with people who are in the community and you're going to understand or at least attempt to understand how they could come to the conclusion to vote for the person that they voted for.

and you may even move

you may move away from one end of the extreme. You may move within the center. You may move a little right. You may move a little left. Based on your understanding and sanctification in the spirit of Christ. You will politically be moved. I'm going to tell you you don't have it all figured out. And I don't either. I know you think you do. I know you think some do I do you think 51% of the population does?

Does your answer lie people amazed and astonished? cuz if it doesn't you may not be answering things the way Jesus did.

Second you were politically get moving. You will do something. Luke chapter 4 my favorite passage of Jesus in Nazareth talking to his hometown in the synagogue. They hand them a scroll. He opens it up to 61 how many times can I reference this? But I'm sorry. He says the spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor to Proclaim to lease to the captives recovery of sight to the blind to set free the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Maybe you say I'm going to go work on the problem of poverty.

Poverty is a big problem. Not just around the world. I'm going to I'm going to make it my life's mission to work on poverty. Vietnamese, my life's mission to make our neighborhood safer so that people are less depressed and there are people going to prison for the crimes that they're committed. Maybe I'm going to work on getting in people's lives and trying to help deter crime. Maybe you say we all need better Healthcare. Maybe you say we all need to fight for the Injustice has that are taking place whether we want to admit them or not in our country today.

Pick one. And do something about it.

Don't listen your favorite talking head telling you what's being done about it. You take up the mission and go do it yourself. Because once you understand what Jesus is saying and it amazes you you will politically move.

And only two things in life are certain. death and taxes and the irony is the climax of Jesus kingship isn't his election.

is execution

Remaining time scanner. He said he let us go Raditz was a revolutionary. He's out there killing people trying to restore order. He's kind of a Robinhood figure. It sounds like you can always stop him. The most Barabbas will do is go out and round up another bunch of gorillas and start another Riot and you will always stop him by bringing out the National Guard and putting down as Riot find out where he is keeping his ammunition raid his apartment without a search warrant and shoot him while he's still asleep. You can pretty easily stopped Raveis. How do you stop Jesus? They nailed him to a cross over his grave. They wipe their hands and said that is 1 radical who will never disturb us again. Three days later Jesus Christ pulled off. One of the greatest political coups of all time. He got up out of the Grave. The leader of a new creation of Christ has come to overthrow the existing order and to establish a new order that is not built on the kingdom of man. Put rabbits to Death In His Revolution to put Jesus to death only watches it to take away power from Barabbas ends is Revolution, but to take it away from Jesus launches it into a whole other Realm. Keep in mind my friend with all your militancy and radicalism all the systems of men are doomed to destruction. Only God's kingdom will prevail.

Jesus deaf pager do the thing that you were due to have to pay back Jesus Took on the cross for you. He paid your tax. He paid your debt. He paid your do. So how do we repay him his due?

Paul says it this way there for brothers and sisters in view of the mercies of God. I heard you present your bodies a Living Sacrifice.

Holy and pleasing to God. This is your true worship.

The only way to ever have a life worth having. Is to give it up. So give it up. Let go of it. politically move take care of a problem that Jesus came to take care of. You don't have to fix it. All you don't have to change the world. You have to do something about the problems that exist.

What did first century Christians do? Did they hide out in the woods? They lead an armed revolt. Do they take a political side? The victory this is a quote by Lesley newbie newbiggin. He was a missionary to India from England the victory of the Church of the Demonic power, which was embodied in the Roman imperial system was not won by Civic seizing the levers of power. It was 1 when the victim's knelt down in the Coliseum and prayed in the name of Jesus for the emperor. sound familiar father forgive them they know not what they do.

Talk about an amazing approach to politics. Be willing to sacrifice your whole life.

Do you know any politicians doing that?

Are we doing that?

If we have to pay back our Keen. What he deserves? Kevin needed a coming out while we stand in while we sing.