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Gospel of Mark #46 ~ (12:13-17)

Started by Al Moak, August 13, 2004, 09:45:37 AM

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Al Moak

Mark 12:13-17
Rendering To Caesar And To God


How should you relate to your government, to politics in general, and to the news in your daily newspaper? There are Christians who think it's wrong to be involved in any way with any of these things. I hope you're not one of them. I hope it's your intention, at least, to be christianly involved, to aim at having at least your own small impact on all of them - for your Lord's sake.

The passage before us tells us a little about it. As we consider it we need to ask ourselves how we can serve our Lord – and glorify Him - in these things just as in everything else.

The men sent to Jesus in this incident were on a mission: they were sent to "catch" Jesus in His words. Their job was to somehow get Him to say something that would get Him in trouble with the Roman authorities.

So they questioned Him about the Roman poll tax, a tax hated by the Pharisees but accepted by the "Herodians," a sect that supported Herod's rule as preferable to rule by a Roman procurator. They were perfectly at one in wanting to be rid of Jesus.

The first thing they did when they came to Jesus was to flatter Him - with the hope that this would throw Him off His guard. And of course everything they could say by way of flattery was really true of Jesus. They said He was truthful, and He is truthful. They said He doesn't say things simply for the sake of pleasing men or making people happy. He does "teach the way of God on the basis of truth." They made it sound as if they thought He was the ultimate arbitrator, the One Who could settle their dispute about the Roman tax "on the basis of truth."

So they flattered Jesus because they hoped He'd try to live up to what they said of Him. They hoped He'd show no fear even of the imperial Caesar in Rome. They hoped they could convince Him that they esteemed Him highly, and they hoped that He'd speak without reserve to such admirers of His.

Well! Jesus did indeed live up to their estimate of Him! He dealt with them "on the basis of truth." He saw right through their hypocrisy. In answering them, His first words were, "Why are you tempting Me?" Then He directly answered their question.

He asked to see a coin called the denarius, a small, silver coin that had the approximate value of a day's wages. Only Caesar had the right to mint this particular coin, and it had the head (the "image") of Caesar stamped on it. One of the Pharisees produced one out of his purse.

Pointing to it, Jesus asked, "Whose is this image?" It seemed like an innocent question, so they weren't afraid to answer it. But they fell into the very pit they had dug for Jesus. They answered their own question when they said, "It's Caesar's image." Jesus had made them confess that it was the emperor's coinage that they were using and carrying about with them.

Since they all carried them and used them, it was clear that it was the universally accepted money that they all used every day. It was one of the advantages they enjoyed as members of the empire. The coin, taken from one of their own pockets, was confession enough that they were the emperor's subjects. So they had to pay the emperor's tax, since they enjoyed the government he provided.

But Jesus spoke of rendering "the things of Caesar to Caesar." What "things" did He mean? Just as for any government, the "things" they owed to Caesar's government were tribute (taxes), respect, and honor, and they were to be given to Caesar because God had established Caesar's government. There's no clash between obligation to Caesar and obligation to God. They owed God repentance, faith, love, worship, obedience, and submission to His will. It could all be paid while still  rendering to Caesar what's his. In fact, "rendering to Caesar" should be a part of what's owed to God, because relationship to Him involves everything in life, including relationship to the government He has provided.

Doesn't this tell us something about our own relationship to government? I believe so. First of all, to respect and honor the government established in God's providence is to obey its laws in all cases where such obedience doesn't clash with obeying God according to His Word. The same is true of taxes. We need to be conscientious to pay all that we owe - no matter how we feel about how it's used. Whether it's used wisely is the responsibility of those who govern.

Besides, there are some things we can do about it. The first involves prayer. Paul made it quite clear in 1 Tim. 2:1-3. He said, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." Paul even uses four very descriptive words for prayer. The first word, "supplications," has the meaning in the Greek of a recognition of need, a recognition of entire dependence upon God. The second word, the word "prayers," is an expression of reverence, an expression of Who and What God is. The third word, the word "intercessions," is an expression of childlike trust and freedom in prayer, of knowing that God loves to hear us. Finally, the last word, the word "thanksgiving," expresses the goodness and provision of God.

We can use all these expressions when we pray for governing authorities. To do so, we need to know what our government is dealing with - what legislation they have before them, what particular problems are facing them. For this we need to pay attention to the news, write our congressional representatives, etc. Have you ever used the daily newspaper as a prayer sheet? That's what it should be. Have you ever written your congressman to find out what legislation he's going to be dealing with - so that you can pray for him? I'll bet most congressmen would welcome such a letter!

But there's an even less-remembered aspect of our relationship to government here in the United States. Here, government is established by the governed. "We the people" establish it. So the responsibility to govern wisely and righteously is a responsibility we all share. Whether our tax money is used wisely is up to us. U.S. citizens seem to have a habit of blaming the President, the Congress, etc., etc. for foolish stewardship. But the blame is upon us, not "them." Here, unlike the situation at the time the Gospel was written, all of us are ultimately to blame for bad government. Here, we must not only be careful to pay our taxes, but we must also be careful to see that they are spent well. We are answerable to God. Politics is the duty of every Christian.

When was the last time you took a few minutes to express your wishes to your congressman or senator? Have you kept up with what the Congress has done to spend your money? Have you prayed specifically concerning particular bills, or for specific congressmen? Christians have for too long abdicated their responsibility with regard to politics and government. Let's be prayerfully and actively involved at every level, federal, state, or county.

And we shouldn't be deterred by the feeling that what we say won't make a difference. Our involvement shouldn't be focussed on getting what we want, but upon serving our Lord. In the incident before us our Lord tells us that politics and religion do mix and that our God expects us to mix them.

The coins of Jesus' day had the image of Caesar on them. In all ages, we have the image of God on us. The image has been corrupted, but Jesus Christ restores it, and His people therefore owe Him all of life. Of course, those who govern are under that obligation, too: they too are required to render all they do to God. The doctrine of the separation of church and state doesn't imply the separation of God and state.

Let's start serving Him this week in all of life, instead of only in parts of our lives. Let's begin to pray for our representatives, write to them, and become active at all levels of government. It's not a matter of what we'll gain or lose by our activity - it's a matter of serving a Lord Who loved us and gave Himself for us.


Jenny

#1

Exactly Pastor!

I have a file of letters from the Government, Members of Parliament and officials sent to me in reply to my own comments on various matters.

We are taught as Christians in this land to pray for Government and it is such a blessing to be free to express our own opinions even when they are (invariably) opposed.Something I do praise God for.

Jesus certainly laid down some good instructions for us here.

God bless.
Enjoyed this one. ;)

Jenny.

Al Moak

Oh dear Sister!  Continue on!  Continue on!  Make that file larger!  Let the London Times become part of your prayer book!  Our Lord will be pleased in you!