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15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero'di-ans, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin. 20 And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21 They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:15-22 Revised Standard Version)
The Bible teaches that "the love of money is the root of all evil." (1Timothy 6:10). A good question to ask is how you came to know about money and what of that lesson stayed with you all these years? I'm old enough to remember the power of a penny, yes, one cent, and that it could buy things during the early part of my life. A nickel was five times more powerful, a dime ten times more powerful, and a quarter was usually enough for a fun day at the movie theatre. The Texas Theater in Kingsville in those days charged ten cents for a child's admission to a movie, and in those days one could stay in the theater all day, watching and re-watching the movie over and over. Yes, Kids, even leave after coming in at a certain point, watching the ovie end, start over and when it got to the part you first saw, you got the phrase, "This is where I came in." The fifteen cents left over from the admission charge could be used to buy a soft drink for a nickel, a bag of popcorn for ten cents. Or, if you were hungry, a hot dog for fifteen cents. And a full size candy bar was a nickel. And I have to admit, there were days I'd rather spend the morning at the creek. Money was okay, but I rather enjoyed the outdoors and the freedom to roam almost all over Kingsville until dark.
In today's lesson, which is the Gospel reading for this coming Sunday, the Pharisees tried to use money to trap Jesus to arrest Him and get Him out of the way once and for all. Money in those days had power and more so because of the occupation of Roman soldiers in their midst. Not to mention the presence of tax collectors who served to remind the Jews this land was no longer their land and their freedom was limited. And so their scheme involved money and the order they pay taxes to Rome. It was the most talked about topic of the day, hotly debated, and possibly the most hated.
The Pharisees begin with a smooth way, telling Jesus that He was true, and that He taught the way of God in a truthful manner, and had no concern about what others said about Him, and then the question; "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" The reality was that it was the law, so it was lawful, but according to Jewish sentiment, it was not "lawful" in their opinion or even in the interpretation of their law, paying money to a foreign government was not lawful. They figured there was no right way to answer and they had Him. But this is Jesus and He knew their hearts and the malice in them. So, Jesus asks for the money with which they paid the tax. And they bring to Him the coin used to pay the tax. Jesus looks at the coin and asks, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" The obvious reply, "Caesar's." Then the most awesome comeback, that I will use in the post office this week, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." What could the Pharisees possibly say? The Bible says, "They marveled" at His response. They walked away and began to plot their next moves against Jesus.
In this response, Jesus addressed the concept of dual citizenship. We live in a world with earthly responsibilities and authorities, symbolized by the coin's image of Caesar. However, we also bear a divine likeness, created in the image of God. Just as we give to Caesar what is Caesar's, we must also give to God what is God's.
So, what is it that we owe to God? We owe God our hearts, our worship, our love, and our devotion. We bear God's image, and our ultimate allegiance is to Him. And I believe we are called to reflect His likeness in our lives, to show His love, grace, and compassion to others.
Friends, In our earthly responsibilities, we should remember that God is the one who established authorities, and we should obey just laws and pay our dues. But in all things, we must prioritize our relationship with God and honor Him with our lives.
PRAYER: Loving God, We thank you for the wisdom and teachings of Jesus. Help us to discern the earthly matters that require our attention and the heavenly matters that require our devotion. May we recognize the image of God in ourselves and others and honor it by loving one another; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen. Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Bear an image of God that is loving, compassionate, and open to all people.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
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