"What’s in Your Wallet?"
Matthew 22: 15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ 21They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
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You’ve seen the commercial in which the Vikings ask, “What’s in your wallet?” Let’s see what’s in my wallet (review items in wallet). So what’s in your wallet?
The Pharisees and the Herodians came to Jesus with a question to trap him. “‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ “(22:17)
To get the full thrust of this encounter, you need to know at least three things;
· Who were the Pharisees and the Herodians?
· What was the big deal about paying taxes?
· And why ask for a coin?
The Pharisees were the legal representatives of the Jewish law. The Herodians, whom we know very little about, were devoted to Herod Antipas, who was the Roman puppet king placed over Israel, which was under Roman rule. So, these two groups were at odds. The Herodians supported Rome. The Pharisees supported Israel.
As to the tax, the Jews paid many taxes. They paid their tithe to the temple, custom taxes, taxes on land, and a host of other taxes. This particular tax in question was a flat-rate personal tax on all men ages 14 to 65 and women ages 12 to 65. It was one denarius (approximately a day’s wage) per person, per year and it was to be paid to Rome in Roman coinage.
So why did Jesus ask for the coin? Engraved on a denarius was the image of the current Caesar, in this case Tiberius. Also are the words, “Tiberius Caesar, August son of the divine Augustus.” On the back were written the words, “Pontifex Maximus” which means “high priest.”
For the Pharisees, this wasn’t likely about the amount of the tax (only a day’s wage per year), as it was the use of the coin. Jews were forbidden to have any graven image. The first two commandments state; “You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3) Nor shall you make for yourself any idol, or graven image.” (Exodus 20:4a)
Emperor worship was out of the question for both Jews and Christians. It would be like us having to pay our taxes to the federal government with a picture of our president along with the words, “Barak Hussein Obama II, the great High Priest.” Regardless of your politics, that’s offensive to those of us who worship another god. That’s where the Jews were with this tax and coinage. It’s not just about the money.
But the question is a trap. If Jesus says “Yes” to paying the emperor’s tax, he will be seen by the Pharisees as a traitor to the Jews. He’d be on the side of Rome. If he says “no” to the tax, he will be seen by the Herodians, and by all of Rome, as a traitor. It appears to be a lose-lose situation.
Jesus then requests the coin and asks,
‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ (22:20)
They answer, “the emperor’s” and then he provides a stroke of Genius;
“’Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” (22:21)
He leaves it in the hands of his listeners to decide what belongs to whom.
He doesn’t forbid the paying of taxes, which was one of the false charges brought against him at his crucifixion. He clearly says, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s…” If that’s the emperor’s coin then give it back to the emperor. It has his image on it, so it belongs to him.
It’s clear that we do have to give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor. None of us like excessive taxes but we do like many of the benefits we receive from our taxes. If you have ever traveled to a third world country you come home appreciating water, sewage, paved streets, garbage collection, military protection and all the other things we get for our taxes. “’Give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor. ‘”
I checked the US Debt Cock on-line this past Thursday. As a nation we were in debt to the tune of fourteen trillion, eight hundred three billion, five hundred twenty-two million, nine hundred ninety-five thousand, five hundred seventy dollars and zero cents. If you calculate that out to every citizen, by the time I stopped looking at it I was in debt to the tune $47,725.69. (I won’t ever look at that clock again!) Somebody better “give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s!” The emperor needs a lot!
But that’s actually the easy part of Jesus’ response. We know what belongs to the emperor. His image is stamped on a coin that belongs to him. It’s more difficult to discern the second half of Jesus’ response, “’…and give to God the things that are God’s.’” (22:21b) How do you know what belongs to God?
Would it be the things stamped with God’s image? That would be us! We are stamped with God’s image. We belong to God. Jesus shifts the question from “Who gets what?” to “What belongs to whom?” It’s not a matter of amount but of allegiance.
The Psalmist writes,
The earth is the Lord’ s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; (Psalm 24:1)
There isn’t anything that doesn’t belong to God, which trumps their trick question with another trick question. It all belongs to God – even Caesar himself belongs to God.
Our stewardship or our giving is not a matter of an amount pledged on a card, a “tax” paid to the church for the return of membership, but rather our stewardship is our entire lives lived in allegiance to God above all else. It’s everything, it’s putting God first above all else – and then the rest falls into line.
You belong to God; all of who you are: your health, your work, your family, your money, your time, your heart, your passions, your ethics, your morals, your positions on the issues, your politics – all of you belongs to God. It’s not a matter of what’s in your wallet. It’s a matter of what’s in your heart. To whom do you pay allegiance – above all else?
And some people get stuck with this. Things as simple as whether to give into soccer games on Sunday mornings or take the family to worship. Where’s our allegiance? People get stuck trying to “balance” their lives when it may not be a matter of balance but of priority.
Father Patrick Brenan made the comment, “We live in a culture of Caesars.” (30goodminutes.org, program #3711) There are many things that pull us for their allegiance and it’s not always a matter of balancing. Sometimes it’s a matter of putting a stake in the ground and saying, “This is a priority. This is above all else. This takes precedence. “
And it’s certainly not that God needs anything from us. It’s that we are in need of having our lives centered in God. We were born for that purpose and anything else we pay allegiance to is a lesser god. Your life can be busy, preoccupied, even successful, but you may not necessarily be fulfilled. Jesus wasn’t raising money for a church budget. He was pointing us to the key to life. “’…give to God the things that belong to God’” (22:21b) That would be you. You belong, all of you, to God.
Then the story ends, with the Pharisees and the Herodians putting their money back in the pockets and it says;
…they (went away) amazed; (22:22)
It is amazing when you consider all your life lived in response to God’s grace. That is amazing.
“’Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” (22:21)
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
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