TUESDAY: IDOLS AND TAXES
Suggested Reading: Exodus 20.1-6; Matthew 22.15-22
I don’t know anyone who likes taxes, and this is nothing new. In Jesus’ day taxes were not popular, and in the political climate of his day they were an incredibly divisive topic between two groups ... try to imagine what that would be like.
This division over paying taxes was not just a small disagreement. In the past it was the cause of uprisings, bloody riots and rebellion. Any question having to do with taxes would garner attention, and how one answered would immediately put you on one side of the argument or the other. Knowing this, those who wished Jesus dead sent two groups to him to ask about paying taxes to Caesar. But not just any groups. They sent Pharisees and Herodians; two sides who vehemently disagreed about taxation. In their minds, no matter how Jesus answered he would side with one group or the other.
The Pharisees believed paying anything to Caesar was wrong. If Jesus sided with them the Herodians, who believed one should pay tax to Caesar, could accuse Jesus of sedition. But if Jesus said one should pay taxes, then the Pharisees could accuse him of siding with Rome. Jesus would then lose credibility among his people. Jesus was about to be placed in a very precarious position with this question.
This two-sided group came to Jesus and asked, “Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” (Matthew 22.17). It’s a simple yes or no question. But this is one thing I love about Jesus. He always sees the question behind the question and always responds to that second question; not the one people expect.
In fact, Jesus was asked well over 150 questions throughout the 4 Gospels, and he rarely answered any of them directly. For those of us who prefer clarity – Jesus would drive us nuts. Don’t get me wrong, he answered questions but not the way we might want. He told stories, he asked more questions and quoted verses. But there are only a handful of times he answered directly.
On this occasion Jesus asked a question in response. He asked if they had a denarius (a Roman coin), which they did. The coin they furnished bore the image of Caesar, and at that time it would have been the image of Tiberius. Around the edges of the coin were the words, “Son of god.” Many saw these coins as idols and images of god, and refused to carry them at all.
This is what makes Jesus’ question so damning when he asked, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” (Matthew 22.20). It was obvious it was Caesar’s image and inscription. But that’s not what he was getting at. He was pointing out the obvious – they were in possession of an idol that pointed to another god - an idol that bore his image and his likeness.
Images in the Roman world were everything. The Empire used images to depict the glory of Rome, and the world was saturated with these images. They worked to capture the minds and hearts of the people. Their message was clear: Rome was the glory of the earth, and Caesar, son of god, is the king over all the earth.
When Jesus pointed out the image and inscription of Caesar it was not a casual observation. He made a statement about who and what they supported. They were caught having to admit it was Caesars image and inscription. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mathew 22.21). In other words, “If it has Caesar’s image on it, give it to him. As for whatever has God’s image on it, give that to Him.”
Of course, there is only one thing that bears the image of the divine: you and me and every person who has ever lived. Jesus’ statement is a call to give back to God what was his in the first place.
The message is simple: God’s desire is for us to see who we are as bearers of the divine image, and live in light of that identity. An identity that speaks to the glory of being human. An identity that points to the tremendous significance every single person bears. An identity that teaches us about the massive weight of our souls.
This is something Empires cannot and will not lend to anyone. Empires, both then and now, demand we pledge total and complete allegiance to them. Empires demand we give all to them, and are interested in returning very little.
This story is ultimately a question about where we find our identity. Because wherever it is that we look for identity is the very place we will give our allegiance. And don’t forget, allegiance by it’s very nature is exclusive.
So while Jesus did not seem interested in either / or thinking when it came to questions; he often seemed comfortable with it when it came to his Kingdom versus the Empires of this world. And this is one question we cannot afford to ignore.