“Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” The Pharisees’ question is a trap for two reasons. If Jesus says yes to paying taxes to the emperor, he’s not only unpatriotic but also religiously unfaithful in that he’s supporting the Roman regime. If he says no, he can be reported to the Roman authorities as a political rebel, risking his life in jail.
Despite the Pharisees’ attempt to put Jesus in religious and legal trouble, they are amazed by his response and leave him alone after all. Yet, Jesus’ response, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” escapes the Pharisees’ trap. He does sound like “yes to paying taxes to the emperor” as well as “no to paying taxes to the emperor” on what’s God’s. He sounds like separating God from the political realm. For this reason, some interpret this particular saying of Jesus as the main source for the separation of church and state. Yet, how differently and creatively the saying of Jesus is interpreted among scholars or priests is not our concern. We would like to focus on what Jesus is doing here. Despite knowing the Pharisees’ question is deceivingly packaged in respect and honor with the hostile intention of troubling him religio-politically, he does what he is called to do. That is, to remind them of the gospel of the indwelling kingdom of God. He brings God’s presence into the presence of the emperor. God’s presence is dismissed in the question of the Pharisees. The kingdom of God is unimaginable because they look for it outside their hearts. So they strive for a political revolution, probably envisioning a theocratic nation. Jesus confronts it. So he says, “Render unto God the things that are God’s.” This asks us to ponder on what belongs to God. To be more specific, it’s about who belongs to God. Do we belong to God? Or Does God belong to us? The latter question doesn’t make sense because that version of God would just be a god we create in our image. The former question of whether we belong to God or not depends on whether we live in the presence of God or the kingdom of God. If we’re in God’s kingdom, we’re in God. Jesus’ teaching of rendering unto God then returns to his core mission of the gospel that God is to be sought, found, and experienced in our minds. This inner experience, this internal encounter with God is the greatest grace that is available to all human beings. There’s nothing more precious or valuable than one’s experience of God’s inner presence. It trivializes everything there is, especially that of the emperor. Today’s lesson can simply be summarized with the well-known phrase, “in, but not of.” Christians are in the world but not of the world. I would add one more phrase to this, reflecting Jesus’ consistent focus on God’s kingdom: “in, but not of, to dwell into.” (Yes, “dwell into,” not “dwell in.”) We are in this world, but not of it, only when we dwell into the presence of God. St. Paul would say, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) To actualize the “in, but not of, to dwell into” we are to renew our minds in contemplation, in silent prayer, in meditation, in alertness, ardency, and mindfulness. The fruit of it all is that we cannot help but practice the virtues of generosity and compassion. Not because we would like to do it but because we just cannot do otherwise. Our lives are not of ours but of God. We render ourselves unto God because we’re God’s. This rendering, of course, is nothing new. Don’t we all know what happens at the act of christening in the liturgy of Holy Baptism? (BCP, p. 308) Then the Bishop or Priest places a hand on the person's head, marking on the forehead the sign of the cross [using Chrism if desired] and saying to each one N., you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. Amen. |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
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