To Each What is Owed
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
It’s that time of year again where you’ve spent your Christmas budget, you’ve bought and received gifts, you’ve made your New Year’s Resolutions and you are trying to set out on a new course for the new year.
Some of you may have overspent for Christmas and decided that you need to get your financial house in order and “know well the condition of your flocks.” Some of you might need some more sheep in the pen!
But then, the mail man comes. You remember that notice that the local tax office sent out back in the fall about your property taxes that you glanced at and then set aside. But now, the mail man had to bring it up again! Only this time, it isn’t a letter saying what might be; it is a letter saying, “This is what you owe me!”
We look at the ridiculousness that is our tax bill and then we think, “Oh, wait! I also need to start prepping my income taxes for the year.” Speaking of income taxes you have some choice thoughts come to mind.
You might think that we are taxed enough. But that is just the tip of the ice berg lettuce!
These taxes don’t even take into consideration the taxes we pay every day when we buy normal items that we just have to have.
I love going to Ollie’s, because in addition to having “Great stuff cheap!” they also show you every tax you are having to pay on your receipt. Perhaps if more stores did this, we might make some different decisions regarding who we appoint to office!
Did you realize we pay taxes on nearly everything we have to buy? Taxes on gas, taxes on spending, taxes on property, and some people even have to pay a tax to die!
You might be thinking, “Why do we have to pay so much in taxes.”
Well, that’s a good question! It is a question that has multiple facets to it.
We should consider whether we are electing people to office who are spending money correctly, but did you know that Jesus also had something to say about the matter?
I probably need to get to the text before I say something that someone hears and gets upset over, but then, that was really the point of the question Jesus was asked in the first place.
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
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.
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
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.
It’s been a while since we were last in the Gospel of Matthew, so let me take a minute to catch us up to where we’ve been.
Passion Week
Tuesday
Temple
1. The Setup (vv.15-17)
1. The Setup (vv.15-17)
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
There will be a barrage of questions that Jesus will be asked by different groups of people to try to trap Him
Jesus will winsomely and wisely defeat every one of the questions so that the different groups are left speechless
Jesus first is questioned by two groups of people that are unlikely friends
Pharisees - send their disciples (they don’t even go themselves)
Herodians - those loyal to Herod who also sought to legitimize his reign
Herod was not a true Jew (though he was Jewish) and was hated by the Jewish people
Herod the Great got his position by cozying up to Rome and flipping sides in the struggle between Mark Antony and Caesar Augustus (This is the Herod at Jesus’s birth)
Herod had 3 sons (who survived at least - he killed three of his sons)
Caesar Augustus remarked, “I would rather be Herod’s pig than his son.” (quoted in Macrobius, Saturnalia 2.4.1) - see Crossway ESV Bible Atlas
Ironically, Herod refused to eat pig to not upset his Jewish subjects, but had no problem killing his children and rivals. Perhaps now you see why all of Bethlehem was upset when the wise men showed up looking for the one who was born “king of the Jews.”
Now his 3 remaining sons have been given different portions of Herod the Great’s kingdom
Phillip - Northeastern territories (outside of Israel in pagan teritorries)
Herod Antipas - Galilee adn Peraea
Archelaus - Judea and Jerusalem
Herod Antipas was the one ruling Galilee and who had John the Baptist beheaded
Archelaus (Arch-e-layus) had ruled over Judea and Jerusalem
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
He was one of the reasons the angel warned Joseph to go to Galilee instead of back to Bethlehem
He was so oppressive that Rome later removed him after nine years and later made Judea a Roman Province (would have been before Jesus was starting His earthly adult ministry)
Herodians
They were loyal to Herods house
Aligned more with the Sadducees - would make them enemies of the Pharisees
Were informants
Some scholars believe that they viewed Herod as a messiah-like figure that could gain Israel favor with Rome - Jesus is the opponent of their worldview
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” - Unknown
The alliance comes to question Jesus in order to either get Jesus in trouble with the Roman governor or the people who supported Judas the Galilean
The False Praise (which turns out is true) of the Opposition
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.
Jesus is the truth
Jesus teaches the way of God
Jesus doesn’t change His message for the person who hears it
Jesus doesn’t look at outward appearances
All of these things are true, regardless of the fact that the opposition group is trying to use flattery to trap Jesus
Application:
Have you ever walked into a trap like this where you let your guard down because someone flattered you?
Social media is the worst form of flattery
Don’t believe all the criticisms or all of the praises people give you
The Trap Question
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
After the removal of Archelaus, Rome took over complete rulership of the region of Judea and Jerusalem
Because of this, the people who lived in the region of Judea had to pay a poll tax, since it was a Roman province
Tax that was imposed was a full day’s labor
Some felt that they were being taxed to live in their own land
Question: When you are issued property taxes or if you happen to incur inheritance tax, would you feel the same way?
Taxed on what you already earned
Taxed on what you already paid for
New teaching emerges
God alone was Israel’s king and paying taxes to a Gentile ruler was equivalent to treason against God (Logos AI Assistant, Walt Kaiser)
Judas the Galilean became the principal advocate and led a revolt
37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.
Jesus was mostly in Galilee when He ministered, so the question didn’t arise, because a Jewish leader was over the people. Now Jesus has come to Jerusalem and the leaders are trying to trap Jesus into saying something that would get Him in trouble with the crowds, no matter what answer He gave - or so they thought!
2. The Response (vv.18-20)
2. The Response (vv.18-20)
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?”
Coins had the imprint of the emperor on them
one side said “Tiberias Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus”
Calling Caesar divine
Other side - Pontifex Maximus (high priest)
It basically was a form or worshiping the emperor
Jews accepted the convenience of using money from Rome, just like they accepted the convenience of bridges and aqueducts
Aside - I don’t believe that the mark of the beast is about a form of payment, so much as worship and allegiance to the beast, which is kind of what is happening here.
Coins were technically the property of Rome
Hold up a dollar
Property of the US Treasury dept
We accept the convenience of money too, and the use of bridges, roads, etc.
3. The Application ( vv.21)
3. The Application ( vv.21)
Jesus responded by saying,
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.”
There are two things He is saying:
Give Caesar what is his - the money or the tax
Give God what is His
As we seek to apply Jesus teachings, let’s use these two categories to figure out what we are called to do as Christians
3a: Render to Caesar What Is Caesar’s
3a: Render to Caesar What Is Caesar’s
Honor and Respect
Obedience
Pay Taxes That Are Owed
Fulfill Civic Duties
Why?
Government is instituted by God because of the fallen condition of Man
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Government is an agent of God’s punishment
Government helps to control sinful man’s urges
Government is established by God himself
Government is beneficial to people (roads, bridges, etc)
Governmental obedience is limited (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29)
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,
20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Also Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Application:
Do you render respect to leaders?
We need statesmen in office, but we also need to respect the positions of those appointed whether we agree with them or not
Do you do your part to get involved?
God excepts us to use our freedom to vote to impact the world we live in and the kingdom of God.
Do you cheat the government on your taxes?
There is nothing wrong with taking legal tax deductions or using legal investment strategies.
There is nothing wrong with taking a charitable contributions deduction on your taxes. The government wants you to so that you will be incentivized to give. You give because you love God, but don’t give Caesar bonuses!
Do you get involved in jury duty?
Have you considered running for office?
3b: Render to God What Is God’s
3b: Render to God What Is God’s
Look back again at what Jesus says about the money they were collecting:
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?”
The Roman coin was to be given back to Caesar because it had his likeness on it. It legally belonged to Rome.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
That’s interesting right there isn’t it?
You and I are like that Roman coin.
God imprinted us with the Imago Dei (the Image of God)
We belong to Him
How do we render to God what is His?
Reverence and Honor
Don’t take His Name in Vain
Give Him Respect as Your Maker and Master
Complete Allegiance
Put the Kingdom of God First in Your Life
Obey His Commands
Worship
Don’t Forsake the Assembling of the Saints
Lead Your Family in Worship
Giving - tithes and offerings
Give Generously
Give Faithfully
Live Responsibly
Service
Use Your Gifts
Don’t Be Lazy (work is a blessing)
Conclusion
These are all great things for us to do as Christians and citizens of a dual kingdom.
But this morning, what if you are not a Christian?
Before you start going through a list of things that you think God wants you to do for Him, realize that what He wants most in your heart.
God wants you to accept what He’s given you, not ask you for something to give to Him.
Your salvation is a gift from God, but you must receive it.
What would keep you from giving your heart to Christ this morning?
What is keeping you from living in devotion to Him and obeying His commands?
This morning, I want to invite you to do one of two things.
Come to Christ
Come to the Altar and Recommit to Living for Jesus
Coming to the altar is not going to mean anything if you don’t mean what you commit to. It is just a marker for you if you need it.
