Jesus and Caesar
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INTRO
INTRO
I’m in awe of the Sovereignty of God. That this Sunday, that was planned months ago, even with the switching of sermons and weeks, we find ourselves in this passage of Scripture. 85% of Christians believe we should have influence into matters of politics. After the 2016 election in America the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline had 660 calls in one hour. Here in Taiwan there is a history of certain denominations being tied to a certain political party. The voting rate in Taiwan is 75%,compare that to 56% in the States, and that number is high, so people see a value in voting but often times it’s easy to place our hope and our trust in the outcome of that decision. In the last week both here in Taiwan and in the States, people are confused, the church seems to be divided, and so let us go back to Scripture, listen to the words of Jesus, so He can bring some clarity.
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 we?” 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 and inscription is this?” he asked them. “Caesar’s,” 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.
他們來到了，就對他說：「老師，我們知道你為人誠實，不顧忌任何人，因為你不徇情面，只照著真理把 神的道教導人。請問納稅給凱撒可以不可以？我們該納不該納呢？」耶穌看出他們的假意，就對他們說：「你們為甚麼試探我呢？拿一個銀幣來給我，讓我看看。」他們就拿來了。耶穌問他們：「這是誰的像，誰的名號？」他們回答他：「凱撒的。」耶穌說：「凱撒的應當歸給凱撒， 神的應當歸給 神。」他們就對他十分驚奇。
World’s Way 世界的道路
World’s Way 世界的道路
Jesus defines it as hypocrisy:
Compromise: Pharisees and Herodians. These are two groups that usually do not work together. They both have beliefs that are opposed to each other, but what do they do in this situation? They compromise their belief and work together, to oppose the truth of God. These are men who have no backbone, who have no convictions, other than getting what they want. World’s wisdom often looks like this. I will compromise my own morals, I will team up with people I might disagree with, in order to oppose truth. The real danger in living a life this way, is that it blinds you to the truth. They have the truth of God right in front of them, but because of their hypocrisy they are blind to see it.
They did a study on your brain and they found that the more you lie, the more your brain literally becomes numb to it. That in living a life like these men, they are literally, destroying their conscience.
2. Not only does their hypocrisy cause them to compromise and have no backbone. But what does the text say was their motivation to come and see Jesus? To hear the truth? To really have honest dialogue? No. “to trap”
This word trap ,is only used here in the whole New Testament and it means to capture in hunting. It’s an aggressive word. So the motivation of these men was not to hear the truth, but to oppose the truth, by trapping Jesus.
How did they try and trap Jesus?
1.Flattery奉承. Look with me at verse 14 ““Jesus we know you’re great you teach the truth and you don’t care about what people think.” This is such the language of our culture. This is what worldly wisdom does: It’s okay with lying and flattery if you get what you want. These men are not sincere, even though what they say about Jesus here is true, they are saying it to flatter Jesus in order to draw Him into their trap. The bible says this about flattery
A person who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
As Christians we are called to be truth tellers. As hard as it may be, flattery does nothing, but attempt to deceive people and set a trap for them. . The word “flattery” means to make slippery. When when flatter it’s as if we are pushing people towards a path where they will slip and fall, not a solid path.The bible says that our speech as Christians should be edifying, should be building up, and flattery doesn’t do this!
While the world operates in flattery, Christ has called you and me to operate in truth. On social issues, on sin issues, we don’t want to flatter and deceive people, we want to be sincere and speak the truth in love. However hard that may be.
2.They Polarized偏振 the issue. Notice what they do here. Look at the question. “Jesus is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. Yes or no Jesus. To understand what they are doing let’s look at the tax they are referring to. This tax was called the Poll Tax.
Romans taxed just about everything and the yearly tax burden of the Jews may have been as high as 40 percent of one’s total income!In Judea they were required to pay an extra tax called the “poll tax”. It was because of this tax precisely that in 20 years earlier, there was a man in Judea who led a revolt for the Jewish people. Their slogan was “we have no other King but God”. They believed that if you as a Jewish person paid this tax you were committing idolatry. That there was no way you could be a good Jew and pay this tax. Do you see the theological firestorm Jesus walks into?
While the Pharisees represent the conservative group of Jews, the Herodians were people who liked to work with Rome. So if Jesus says “no don’t pay the tax”, the Herodians will get Jesus take Him right to Pilate and accuse Him of treason against Rome. However if Jesus says “of course pay the tax” then He is seen as being a compromiser and an enemy to the Jewish people!
How many of us have experienced this? In this case it’s the poll tax, but as Christians we find ourselves in this season, in this time, in the very same spot. With politics, with religion, with social issues. The church is often faced with this same dilemma. If we say we believe this, then people say “oh you hate these people” or if we say we love those people, then people say “oh so you are a compromiser!” So the question, that I want to spend the rest of the time with, is the question they ask Jesus.
Jesus, how does a righteous person live under a corrupt government? How does a Christian submit to an authority who isn’t godly?
Last month I was sitting in Starbucks, and I had my bible open. When a Taiwanese lady came over and sat right across from me. She asked if I was a pastor and I said yes. Then she looked at me really intensely pushed your head forward and said “Do you think we are in the end times?!” “Don’t you think that the vaccine for COVID is actually the MARK OF THE BEAST( 獸的記號)?!” She said her husband and her are going to move out of the city and go off the grid to get ready. Complete retreat! IS that the answer? Are there only 2 ways ? To live like the Herodians and compromise and seek political power? Some churches see this as the only way. Or is the answer to retreat and separate ourselves from the world and culture and live like the Zealots? Some churches do this. OR is there a better way? A Gospel way?
GOSPEL WAY福音道路
GOSPEL WAY福音道路
I love the wisdom of Jesus. In this time, we need to pray, that our lives would be marked by the wisdom of the Spirit. He says bring me a denarius to look at. Here is a picture of a denarius:
This coin had the image of Caesar, and the inscription read, Caesar son of the Divine, the High Priest. Conservative Jews often did not use these coins because they would see that even carrying them was idolatry. The very fact that Jesus asks them to give Him a coin, and the fact that they had one is a huge point. This shows that they are in no position to criticize Jesus’ love for the nation of Israel.
The first thing that Jesus affirms, is that we live “in the world”
IN THE WORLD
IN THE WORLD
We live in this world’s system. Jesus doesn’t say escape or retreat, but He says what? “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”. Jesus recognizes that there are responsibilities that we have as citizens of a nation that we need to fulfill. This word “give”, means to “give back” to “repay” basically, give back to Caesar what is rightfully his. This money. Notice Jesus doesn’t begin to make comments on the Caesar’s character. This Caesar in particular was known for his great lust and cruelty. Yet Jesus affirms you can be a disciple of Jesus, and pay taxes to this ungodly, evil, corrupt leader. I’ve heard people use Christianity as a way, as an excuse to get out of certain civil responsibilities, and I just don’t see that in Scripture. Look at
Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
你們要向各人清還所欠的；應當納稅的，就要給他納稅；應當進貢的，就給他進貢；應當敬畏的，就敬畏他；應當尊敬的，就尊敬他。
你們為主的緣故，要順服人的一切制度，無論是至尊的君王，或是君王所派賞善罰惡的官員；因為這是 神的旨意，要藉著你們的善行，塞住糊塗無知人的口。你們是自由的人，但不要用自由來掩飾邪惡，總要像 神的僕人。要尊重眾人，愛護弟兄，敬畏 神，尊敬君王。
The Gospel way is not to retreat or to compromise, but to live lives above reproach. We will say “yes” to obeying the government and paying taxes to Caesar, but we will say “no” to disobeying the Word of God.
NOT OF THE WORLD
NOT OF THE WORLD
Although we live in this world, we are not OF THIS WORLD. We are citizens of a different kingdom. Jesus says “give to God the things that are His.” A good Jewish person would know that the answer to this statement was everything. Everything is His! We owe our lives to Jesus. Not to a political party, not to a human institution, but to God and God alone. Why? Because as the coins bore the image of Caesar, we are the one’s who bear image of God.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
神說：「我們要照著我們的形象，按著我們的樣式造人；使他們管理海裡的魚、空中的鳥、地上的牲畜，以及全地，和地上所有爬行的生物！」
This is what Christianity calls the Imago Dei. You and I reflect the image of God. We are made in His likeness. Even though this was distorted through sin and the fall, it is redeemed in Christ.
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
因為 神預先知道的人，他就預先命定他們和他兒子的形象一模一樣，使他的兒子在許多弟兄中作長子，
Who do you belong to? Not Zealots, Not Herodians, not to Caesar, you don’t belong to a political party.YOU BELONG TO GOD. Not to a political party, not to a candidate, not even to a country first, but first and foremost we belong to Christ. We owe Him what is rightfully His, our lives, our worship. 1. We must remember who we belong to.
I wonder do more people at are our jobs or on Facebook, know that we belong to a certain political party more than they know that we belong to Christ?
Not only do we belong to Him, but we get our value and identity from Him. I want go back to phrase “image and inscription”. This coin only had value, because of the image and inscription that was on it. When a new Caesar came in power, the coins that were made in the previous Caesar’s image, lost value. That literally if you walked to a store and had a coin with old Caesar’s image on it, many people would not accept it. Jesus says, that if these coins have value because the bear the image of their maker Caesar, then it is His image on our lives, and His word that gives us value.
It’s these two things, His image, and His word, can never be taken away.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
天地都要過去，但我的話決不會廢去。
CNN,Fox News, TVBS, or CTi news station is not meant to have the most authority and influence in your lives, it’s the word of God.
While governments can give you freedoms and political rights, they can NEVER GIVE YOU, the value and worth that comes from the work and word of God. And yet how often is the church, are we, guilty of giving to Caesar what rightfully belongs to God.
When we begin to believe that our identity is tied to a political party, we are giving to Caesar what belongs to God.
when we begin to believe that our influence and value comes from the political power or freedoms we have instead of Christ, we are giving to Caesar what rightfully belongs to God.
When we choose disunity with brothers and sisters over political issues, instead of biblical issues, we are giving back to Caesar what rightfully belongs to God.
When we say things like “everything will be okay if my candidate gets put in office, we are giving to Caesar what ONLY belongs to God.” Our trust, our worship, our lives.
If you look at history, history shows us, the church grows quicker and faster under political persecution and very little religious freedom. Look at the world right now. The fastest growing church in the world is where? Iran! That is a place that sees intense persecution and no religious freedom! I believe that God often allows political freedoms to be taken away, allows earthly kingdoms to be shaken, so we can see again, where the church’s power and value and identity come from: Christ, and Christ alone.
In this past year alone, while we’ve seen political and national chaos, God’s kingdom has been growing. The Chinese church has grown to over 60 million believers in this past year. In this past year in Iran a ministry has recorded 10 times more salvation this year, with 3,000 Iranians coming to Christ every month since March. In America this past year one denomination planted 552 new churches.
Brothers and sisters, as citizens of heaven, we are a part of something that started before America was founded, was started before Taiwan was founded, and will exist long after America and Taiwan, are merely notes in a history book. This the kingdom of God. It is eternal.
APPLICATION: How do you walk out these next 4 years, or these next 40 years
Direction from Isaiah Chapter 6.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.
烏西雅王去世那年，我看見主坐在高高的寶座上，他的衣裳垂下，充滿聖殿。在他上面有撒拉弗侍立，各有六個翅膀；用兩個翅膀遮臉，兩個翅膀遮腳，兩個翅膀飛翔。他們彼此高呼著說： 「聖哉！聖哉！聖哉！萬軍之耶和華！他的榮光充滿全地。」 因呼叫者的聲音，門檻的根基震撼，殿也充滿了煙雲。那時我說： 「我有禍了，我滅亡了！ 因為我是個嘴唇不潔的人， 又住在嘴唇不潔的人民中間， 又因為我親眼看見了大君王萬軍之耶和華。」 有一個撒拉弗飛到我面前，手裡拿著燒紅的炭，是用火鉗從祭壇上取來的。他用炭沾我的口，說：「看哪！這炭沾了你的嘴唇，你的罪孽就除掉，你的罪惡就赦免了。」 我又聽見主的聲音說：「我可以差遣誰呢？誰肯為我們去呢？」我說：「我在這裡，請差遣我。」
Isaiah gives us a clear example of how we as disciples of Jesus can live in the midst of political chaos.
1)”In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne” We have confidence that no matter Jesus is King and on the throne. Uzziah is dead, but God is reigning.
He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
他改變時間、季節； 他廢王、立王； 他賜智慧給智慧人， 賜知識給聰明人。
I don’t know of any other doctrine than the sovereignty of God that gives us hope. Since Jesus is King the Christian always has hope.
2)We recognize that we are sinful people, and we live amongst a sinful people. Isaiah recognized his own sin, didn’t just blame the other Israelites or say the problem is out there, but said I am a sinful person, that part of the problems in this world is because of my own sin. It’s not Biden’s fault, it’s not Trumps fault, it’s not Tsai’s fault, but I’m at fault too. The brokenness we see in this world isn’t just because of the sin out there, but my sin also has a part. We are people who repent over our own sin! But he also lamented and wept over the sins of his community. This is what we can do. We don’t pretend that everything is golden and fine. Things are broken, and we need to be people who see and weep over our own sin, but also over the sin that is in our land. Are we being people who first take the log out of our own eye, before we begin to address others sin? Are we taking time to lament and pray for the sin in our community or do we just complain?
3) “Now that the Lord has touched you, your sin atoned for.” We are people who believe that only the Gospel is the hope for humanity. That sin can not be atoned for, ultimately fixed, there can not be reconciliation without the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The answer for the brokenness and sin in our world IS NOT, and I repeat IS NOT government policies and systems, while they might help humans thrive, the only hope for sin and evil and wickedness is the blood and body of our Lord Jesus Christ! Biden didn’t die to save you, Trump didn’t die to save you, Tsai did not give her life to save you, Jesus Christ died to save and redeem us from our sin! As another pastor said “Our independence day isn’t July 4th, or 10/10, our independence day is marked by a victorious cross and an empty tomb!”
4) “Who will go?” I will, send me” We are people who go proclaim and live this good news to the world around us. We vote in light of this Gospel, we work from the identity of the Gospel, we bring this gospel message into every sphere of society God has called us to, to be salt and light. Reflecting the image of Christ! As Christians we have only one sword, not the sword of military power, not the sword of the government, but our sword is the Word of God, the victorious Gospel.
Let’s stand and close by declaring this together from Revelation:
Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! 被殺的羊羔是配得權能、豐富、智慧、力量、 尊貴、榮耀、頌讚的！
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! 願頌讚、尊貴、榮耀、能力， 都歸給坐在寶座上的那一位和羊羔， 直到永永遠遠！
Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, 這些事以後，我聽見天上好像有一大群人大聲說： 「哈利路亞！ 救恩、榮耀、權能都屬於我們的神!
