Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.17UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.48UNLIKELY
Fear
0.15UNLIKELY
Joy
0.17UNLIKELY
Sadness
0.31UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.73LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.49UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.69LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.98LIKELY
Extraversion
0.09UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.77LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.79LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Introduction
Good morning and welcome back!
This morning I would like for you to start turning in your Bibles to .
In just a few moments we are going to reading and while you are turning there I would like for you to start thinking about economics for a bit.
Just last week we celebrated, if you want to call it that, tax day!
The glorious day that we all look forward to when our taxes for the previous year are due to the government.
A day that most do not look forward to.
The question always is, did I pay enough in to get some of it back or are they going to want some more?
It is something that none of us look forward to and one that I dread.
I dread it so much that I try to file my taxes as soon as possible so I don’t have to worry about it.
If I am getting a refund I send it right away, but if I owe, I wait till the last minute to send it off.
I don’t mind doing my part but also hold on to it as long as I can.
In our introductory passage this morning, the Pharisees are approaching Jesus about the issue of paying taxes.
Taxes were not an invention of the government of the United States.
Taxes have been around as long as people have been buying and selling goods.
The reason being is that nobody wants to buy anything the government sells, so they had to think of ways to get money to run the government.
And since their products were not very good, they decided we’ll just take a portion from the people in order to offer them all these services that they may or may not need.
So, it is not a new concept, and since our government is a republic that was adapted from the Roman form of government, the tax system was very similar in that the government got a percentage.
So, in our passage it was tax time and the Pharisees decided they were going to confront Jesus with a situation and see how he would answer them and address them, which is where we will pick up this morning.
So, if you have found in your Bible I’d invite you to stand as we read starting in verse 20.
Scripture Focus
Luke 20:20
To Pay or Not to Pay, That is the Question
So, we have to set the stage a bit here.
Jesus had been causing a lot of stir in Israel with all the wonders, miracles, teaching about repentance, the Kingdom of God, and such.
He had also caused quite stir with his claims to be the Son of God and the fact that this world is not His kingdom and quite frankly he was not subject to the ways of this world.
So, what they thought they would do is trip Jesus up and get him to say something that would give them the ability to go before the Romans and accuse Jesus of causing an uprising against the government.
The Romans really didn’t care so much what the people did, so long as it did not interfere with the government or cause issues.
If they could convince the Romans that Jesus was telling people not to pay their taxes and not to obey the government’s rules and laws, then in their mind the Romans would get rid of him and problem solved.
So, that is why they hatch this plan that they are going to trip Jesus up, which is what we read in verse 20 . . .
So, they send out these “spies” as the Bible puts it, pretending to be followers of Jesus, so they could catch him in the act of doing something.
There’s a couple of problems with this though.
#1.
Jesus isn’t going to do anything dishonest or wrong anyway so they are wasting their time.
#2.
Jesus is the Son of God, we would think that Jesus already knew what they were doing anyway.
So, they were pretty well wasting their time, but they do it anyway, and apparently some conversation about taxes must have came up somewhere along the way because they decide to ask Jesus a question.
First though they set up the question . . .
Luke 20:
Man, they are buttering him up good here: “Teacher (oh great teacher), we know that you speak and teach what is right.”
“We know that YOU do not show partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.”
And as we read this, we are thinking “how obvious” what they are doing is, but we do the exact same thing.
When we want somebody to agree with us or do something we want to do, the first thing we do is start buttering them up.
We want them to let their guard down so we can suck them in.
The same thing is going on here.
The only difference is they are trying to do it to Jesus, who we know cannot be fooled.
But how often do we try to fool God or butter God up into giving us what we want?
“Oh, Lord God, great and mighty God, we love you, PLEASE grant us this one request....” Sound familiar?
Remember though what Paul tells us . . .
Mocked meaning God cannot be “deceived” or “fooled.”
And the reason behind is that we try to approach God from a human standpoint and human point of view.
Folks, that don’t work.
Remember, God created us.
We can’t fool God, we can’t hide from God. God knows everything!
And most importantly or feeble attempts to justify the sin in our lives does not work either.
Jesus didn’t say, “come to me and explain why you sin . .
.”
No, Jesus said . . .
He told the woman caught in adultery . . .
John tells us that we have an advocate if we sin, not when we sin.
().
The point being, we might as well be honest with God because God cannot be fooled anyway.
We are not going to “pull one over” on God.
So, we need to just give up the game and be honest with God.
Admit our sin, repent, and move forward.
At any rate though, these “spies” thought they had Jesus right where they wanted him and were going to trip him up, so they ask him . . .
John 20:
Isn’t that the age old question.
If this world is not our home anyway, why do we pay taxes?
Why do we follow the laws and rules of the United States?
After all this isn’t our home, right?
Why can’t we just do our own thing?
We don’t bother anybody.
And we have probably all asked that question at one time or another.
Jesus’ response to them AND to us is brilliant . . .
Luke 20
Listen to what Luke says about Jesus here, he saw through their duplicity.
They were trying to merge two things that really didn’t have anything to do with each other.
God has authority over all things but the economy of the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of man are two separate things.
The kingdoms of man operate because God allows it and the things in the kingdom of man that are not directly against God, God expects us to follow and obey.
We see this play out in Paul’s words to the Corinthians about order in the church.
And this is not just limited to the churches.
God is a God of order and peace, not anarchy and lawlessness.
The reason we have lawlessness and anarchy in our world is because we have free will, which leads some to live a life of sin.
But that is the opposite of God.
And their question is what they SHOULD do, not what people actually do.
And actually the Kingdom of God is a higher Kingdom than that of man and IF people would live here like they belonged to the Kingdom of God, there would be no issues to even discuss what to do.
But they ask the question and Jesus answers them . . .
To which they respond . . .
If Caesar’s picture is on it, give it to him, it’s his.
Here is the catch though, Jesus says give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.
Which leads us to the question, what is God’s?
What Belongs to God?
I am glad you asked.
:-)
The simple answer is EVERYTHING!
And of course our favorite . . .
That is one reason why it really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things how much the government takes from us, because it is really all God’s anyway.
And the argument is (and it’s a valid one), “they leave me with nothing.”
But I want to remind you . . .
Now, does that mean that we will have absolutely everything we want?
No, but God will take care of us, so what is the government’s give to the government.
Because more importantly, what is God’s we need to give to God.
And, just what does God want?
Matthew
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9