Functioning Federal Folks

The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight. — Theodore Roosevelt

INTRO - In our world today we often face difficulties, as Christians, with how we interact with government. The same was the case with the early believers. When it comes to government, not everyone seems to abide by the structure and morality God provides humankind.

TRANS - While the times and culture are different from ours, today’s text continues to instruct Christians how we should interact with authorities.

Pray

What does it say?

Mark 12:13–17 ESV

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.

What does it mean?

Following Faulted Fellows

Who were the Herodians? What brought them together with the Pharisees in this instance?

The Herodians are noted as enemies of Jesus in Galilee and in Jerusalem.

Their association here suggests they agree that nationalism is more important than submission to a foreign state.

It seems that they were a Jewish group who favored the Herodian dynasty.

Generally, today we consider them to be a religious party known rabbinical writings as followers of the family of Boethus, whose daughter was one of the wives of Herod the Great and whose sons were raised to high priesthood.

POINT - Strange how a common “hate” brings people together with more interest than doing good.

Why do Jesus’ enemies test Him on the topic of taxes?

Keep this in mind:

They seek to put Jesus up against Rome to upset the peace between the people and the government in attempt to destroy Jesus.

BAK - They seek to prove Jesus is generating a messianic fervor like the one experienced just 2 decades prior.

That revolt was a disaster.

If Jesus sides with the Zealots who say “No king but God,” (opposing the emperor) he can be arrested.

If Jesus rejects the view of the Zealots, he chances compromising his ministry (people would question his allegiance with God).

POINT - Today leaders are not all on God’s side.

Jesus teaching reminds us that all persons are faulty and subject to sin.

In addition, Jesus encourages us that, even when powerful people and government are working against us, God does understand.

Remember El Shaddai means God Almighty:

Psalm 91:1 ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

POINT - God is sovereign over all the earth including the nations.

We may not understand everything going on in government, but we must trust that God Almighty is still in charge.

Don’t give in to the temptation that leads so many to think you have no say so in things pertaining to government.

With prayer and active support, American Christians accomplish many good things in the name of Jesus, including the direction this nation assumes.

There are faulty leaders, but God has a purpose even for them; Almighty God can change government just through speaking change.

Featuring Faulted Finances

What was the nature of the imperial poll tax mentioned in Mark 12:14?

People have lots to say about taxes:

Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed. — Daniel Defoe, in The Political History of the Devil, 1726

Which gave way to Franklin stating:

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. — Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789

And my favorite:

Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them. — Margaret Mitchell's line from her book Gone With the Wind, 1936

The term “tax” probably refers to head tax (each persons in the census pays a tax), but can, also, be agricultural tax.

It was a symbol of foreign domination.

The people despised the taxes they had to pay Rome.

It’s hard to imagine anything that could have angered the people more than Jesus supporting Isreal paying tax.

If he sided the nationalists, he’d get arrested.

No matter how he answered, come tax, somebody would have been upset.

Now, the Pharisees’ and Herodians’, they supported paying tax as it supported Herod Antipas who owed his rule to Rome.

They favored the imperial taxes because it benefited them to have power and get their way with things.

Yet, anger was brewing among the people:

BAK - A later Jewish uprising in 6AD, that opposed taxes, was crushed by Rome and became one of the things that led to the revolt of 66AD and it’s disastrous consequences.

At the root of all of this, taxes.

POINT - Seems the love of money and the disdain for taxes can both invoke evil.

These sensitive issues place people in opposition to one another.

POINT - Now, if personal desire divided God’s own people from unity in the Lord, what happens when church members seek to control finances without the knowledge or input from the whole of a church?

Well, many a church never experience God’s blessing because they lack unity.

The Bible tells us to “make every effort to be unified.”

Thats why, in this church, we take steps to make knowing about our finances easy to understand and our records open to everyone.

We’ve worked with Kim Westbrook, a wonderful expert and local pastor’s wife, to help us conduct an internal audit recently.

I promise you this, as long as I am here, I will never condone hiding what we do with finances; that kills God’s work.

Functioning Fiscal Foundation

What was a denarius?

The empire’s financial enterprise was founded on the smallest of coins: the Roman penny.

The litter silver coin was equal to the Greek drachma.

Even while small, the denarius is the most frequently mentioned coin in the gospels.

It was the most important of all Roman coins.

It circulated through the entire empire and was used in all public transactions.

Yet, even the little coins do add up:

In the story of Mary anointing our Lord the oil is valued at 300 denarii which is probably an annual income of a laborer.

We can note from the parable of the laborers in the vineyard how a denarius is considered liberal pay for a day of work consisting of 12 hours.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan 2 denarii are given to the innkeeper as reasonable payment for the wounded person to stay a day or two.

POINT - If you put it all together, the Roman penny was the foundation of the fiscal, the financial function of the empire.

That little coin was quite powerful.

Here, these leaders invoked that power hoping to “out” Jesus.

It was Caesar’s coin and they wanted to bring all of the power behind that coin down on Jesus.

Which Caesar’s image and inscription was on that particular denarius?

The tax was hated as a symbol of foreign domination and had to be paid with a coin bearing the image of the emperor.

Both the idea of domination and the offensive inscription angered the people.

It was issued by the imperial authority, and the Roman Senate was the only one with the right to mint the coin.

Here, it is the money used to pay tribute or tax and it bears the name, title, and effigy of him or someone in his family.

But when you think about it, it was right of Jesus to say it is Caesar’s coin.

After all, he paid to have it made and it had his picture and name on it.

Followers Financing Federals

What does Jesus teach His followers about submitting to government authorities and paying taxes?

Do you believe accepting the use of Caesar’s coin acknowledged his authority and obligated one to pay the tax.

I do.

The portrait and words on the coin noted the right of the sovereign, who coined the money, to demand tribute.

Also, there are obligations of the state that don’t infringe on the rights of God.

These rights are grounded in God’s own appointment:

1 Peter 2:13–17 ESV

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

God is telling us to obey the laws of the land!

What does it mean to “Render … to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17)?

Giving to God what is God’s is a broad statement that invites the Pharisees and Herodians to consider what they give God?

Sure included tithes that the Pharisees dutifully gave and any offerings the Herodians might have brought.

But, its meaning goes much father.

Think about it:

If Caesar’s image symbolizes things that belong to Caesar, what denotes the things that belong to God?

Don’t all people bear the image of God?

Yet, nobody gave God the things that belong to God!

By asking what belongs to God, Jesus charges the leaders that they rob God!

This seems to reenforce what he said to them earlier:

Mark 11:17 ESV

And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

In a world so divided, Jesus notes the all inclusive principle:

Whatever bears God’s image belongs to God.

For Jesus, holiness that comes from the creation of the world was not a matter of personal, ethnic, or cultic purity.

Holiness is the commitment to extend the rule of God to everyone and everything that belongs to God.

POINT - So, pay your taxes, but more importantly, be holy as God is holy.

What will I do with this?

Jesus taught His followers to obey the government and pay taxes. Paul also instructed believers to obey their authorities unless it would require disobedience to God (Rom 13:1–7).

Do you render proper respect and submission to the God-appointed authorities in your life?

Let us joyfully pay taxes and obey our nation’s laws as a witness to the greater authority over us.

Closing Points

Lastly, let me encourage you about this city.

On Minneola’s web site yesterday I read:

Ranked best city in Lake County for Millennials

Ranked most livable city in Lake and Sumter counties.

Whether or not you agree with “what” and “how” our city is doing things, those are two pretty noteworthy facts about Minneola.

Let me encourage you to consider being part of local civic events.

Minneola is growing fast and we need to be part of what is happing right here in our city.