Texts Matthew 22:15-22, (Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)

We have before us a Gospel text that has often been used to exhort people to pay their taxes to the government—and to the Church. However, the real import of this passage goes much deeper than just a question about taxation. Finding the depths requires a bit of digging. So, let’s get out our shovels, and start…

I generally prefer newer translations of the Bible, and in particular I have great respect for the New Revised Standard Version, which we use in our liturgy. Scripture in the vernacular usually helps us get closer to the original, helping to open us up to the working of the Holy Spirit. However, no translation can ever be perfect, and today’s Gospel is one instance where the NRSV translators have been less than completely helpful.

Many of us will recall the way this passage reads in the King James Version. "Render unto Caesar…" has become "Give to the emperor…" which actually is farther from the sense of the original. The Greek verb apodídomi means "to give up, give back, or return." My thesaurus gives "return" as a synonym of "render." So, just "give" is an inadequate interpretation.

The story is simple. Jesus is posed a question, which to our taxpayers’ ears sounds innocent enough: "Is it legal to pay taxes to the emperor?" It may sound simple, but it’s a trap. The two groups involved were each other’s foes in almost every way, but they were united in their hostility to Jesus. They set the question up so that one party or the other will get him! If Jesus answers "Yes," the Pharisees can accuse him of co-operating with the Romans—the enemies of God. If he says "No," the Herodians (collaborators with Rome) can accuse him of treason.

Jesus sees through the question, "aware of their malice." He does not respond with a direct answer, but redefines the issue, deepening it beyond all recognition. What was a political trick question becomes a question of holiness.

The coin they gave him was first minted to commemorate the deification of the emperor Augustus. In Jewish terms, the coin is blasphemous, because of the emperor’s image and the words celebrating his godlike status.

The coin bears the image of Caesar. So Jesus says, "Give (back) to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and (give back) to God what is God’s." This of course begs the question—what is God’s? What bears the image of God? Everything comes from God, and every human being bears His image. Render unto God… "ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice…"

We are called to give ourselves daily to God—to be holy people. But how do we do that? How do we keep holy in a world full of unholiness? Some of the Thessalonians had made a good start, by imitating Christ through Paul, but they were in danger of lapsing into quietude. They believed that Jesus was coming very soon, so the best response was just to sit and wait, keeping oneself separate and unstained by worldly matters.

That is an extreme response. At the other extreme is the response of accommodation. In this view, we say, "The world is good, rulers are appointed by God, so let’s get on with living a peaceable life."

We can’t live this holy life on our own. We need companions on our wilderness journey. And we need to know that God is with us, giving us, like Moses, the occasional glimpse of His glory to sustain us in our journey to the Promised Land. God has promised to be with us, as He promised to go with the children of Israel, as Jesus promised to his followers. "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of you." To ensure that we need never be alone in the journey, God has given us the church, a "happy band of pilgrims" who come together to worship, to support each other, to work for God’s kingdom in this world, and to call others to join us on the journey.

Our God has given us life and all that we have in this life, and all that sustains us in this life and the next. God calls us to sanctify this life, by giving back to God what is God’s.

The question the Pharisees and Herodians put to Jesus concerned money, and whether a particular tax is legal for Jews. It’s really a very narrow question, but Jesus broadened it to embrace all of life. Nonetheless, this sweeping precept has very specific consequences—including how we use our worldly treasure. Like it or not, the question does come back to money. Money is one of the chief symbols and tools of our lives. Money gives us power, carrying with it the choice of doing good or doing evil. How we use our money and all our gifts is a reflection of our relationship with the God who gave them.

We may turn our time for our purposes—or for God’s.

We may use our talents for our purposes—or for God’s.

We may our treasure for our purposes—or for God’s.

If God is unimportant in our lives, God’s purposes will get our unimportant money—what’s left over after we buy beer and lottery tickets. If, on the other hand, God is central to our lives, then we will give back to God from what is central to us.

You have in your bulletins today material pertaining to two appeals. The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund is inviting donations for relief of the South Asia earthquake. The annual Anglican Appeal is seeking your support for the mission work of the church overseas and at home—the latter including our own Diocese of Brandon. Besides these two appeals, most of you will have received what some are calling the "green letter," outlining the financial needs of our own congregation. A second handout distributed today gives more information than could be contained in the first letter.

Three different appeals, with three different focuses, coming together on one Sunday, may seem like overdoing it. We could perhaps be forgiven for throwing up our hands, and saying, "I can’t do any of this!"

Or it may just be a very concrete reminder that the work of the church is never done—here, or in the north, or in overseas missions, or among the victims of an earthquake. At the same time, it is a reminder that, although there never seems to be quite enough money to do the job, the church faithfully continues to do it.

So let us remember that Jesus said: "(Give back) to God the things that are God’s." And let us remember that all things come of God. And then, let us with thanksgiving, return to God all that we are, dedicating ourselves, our time, our talent, and our treasure, to the building up of God’s people, the furtherance of God’s kingdom, and all to the glory of His holy name.