Difference between revisions of "Sermon for November 17th, 2019"

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When I was in high school, my favorite type of exam was the kind with True or False questions.  Even if you didn't study, you still had a 50% chance of getting those questions right.  So in that spirit, I've decided to give you a "pop quiz" this morning...true or false style.  If you think the answer to a question is "True" I want you to give me the thumbs up sign.  If you think the anwer is "False," give me the thumbs down sign.  Oh, and the subject of the exam is...you.  So it should be easy, right? Actually, the questions get progressively harder as we go.  Let's begin.
 
When I was in high school, my favorite type of exam was the kind with True or False questions.  Even if you didn't study, you still had a 50% chance of getting those questions right.  So in that spirit, I've decided to give you a "pop quiz" this morning...true or false style.  If you think the answer to a question is "True" I want you to give me the thumbs up sign.  If you think the anwer is "False," give me the thumbs down sign.  Oh, and the subject of the exam is...you.  So it should be easy, right? Actually, the questions get progressively harder as we go.  Let's begin.
  
True or False: Breakfast is your favorite meal of the day.
+
#True or False: Breakfast is your favorite meal of the day.
True or False: You are an easy person to get along with.
+
#True or False: You are an easy person to get along with.
True or False: You would rather freeze to death than burn to death.
+
#True or False: You would rather freeze to death than burn to death.
True or False: Your answer to this question will be false.
+
#True or False: Your answer to this question will be false.
True or False: You regret your decision to cheat on your income taxes.
+
#True or False: You regret your decision to cheat on your income taxes.
True or False: You are no longer in the habit of locking innocent strangers in your basement for torture.
+
#True or False: You are no longer in the habit of locking innocent strangers in your basement for torture.
  
 
As you can see, the problem with True/False questions is that sometimes neither answer is acceptable, or even true. When faced with an impossible question like that, most of you chose simply not to answer.  But sometimes, that's not a possibility, either.  Sometimes you have to add a third option, one that wasn't included in the question.  
 
As you can see, the problem with True/False questions is that sometimes neither answer is acceptable, or even true. When faced with an impossible question like that, most of you chose simply not to answer.  But sometimes, that's not a possibility, either.  Sometimes you have to add a third option, one that wasn't included in the question.  

Revision as of 20:44, 16 November 2019

Mark 12:13–17 (NT p.49)

13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.


Coins: Render Unto Caesar

When I was in high school, my favorite type of exam was the kind with True or False questions. Even if you didn't study, you still had a 50% chance of getting those questions right. So in that spirit, I've decided to give you a "pop quiz" this morning...true or false style. If you think the answer to a question is "True" I want you to give me the thumbs up sign. If you think the anwer is "False," give me the thumbs down sign. Oh, and the subject of the exam is...you. So it should be easy, right? Actually, the questions get progressively harder as we go. Let's begin.

  1. True or False: Breakfast is your favorite meal of the day.
  2. True or False: You are an easy person to get along with.
  3. True or False: You would rather freeze to death than burn to death.
  4. True or False: Your answer to this question will be false.
  5. True or False: You regret your decision to cheat on your income taxes.
  6. True or False: You are no longer in the habit of locking innocent strangers in your basement for torture.

As you can see, the problem with True/False questions is that sometimes neither answer is acceptable, or even true. When faced with an impossible question like that, most of you chose simply not to answer. But sometimes, that's not a possibility, either. Sometimes you have to add a third option, one that wasn't included in the question.

In today's scripture passage, Jesus is faced with a similar impossible question, and he uses a coin to demonstrate his "third option."

First, though, to help us really understand the impossible question and Jesus' answer, let's set the stage. Israel during the time of Jesus is an occupied country, a nation defeated and conquered by the Roman Empire. In the wake of this defeat, two factions had emerged. The Pharisees were a nationalistic resistance movement. They opposed the Roman Empire, although not overtly. The Herodians (named after Herod, the puppet King installed by the Romans) were Roman sympathizers who advocated acceptance of Israel's status as a conquered nation, but also a member of the Roman Empire, with all the benefits that came with that.

In Mark 12:13, we read that "they" sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians. We are not told (in this passage, at least) who the "they" represents, but clearly it's a group that is hostile to Jesus. It's interesting to me that these two groups--Pharisees and Herodians--seem able to come together despite their differences in order to challenge Jesus. I guess it would be like Republicans and Democrats uniting in order to target someone they both perceived to be a threat. This would have raised eyebrows among Jesus' followers, to be sure.

The Pharisees and Herodians begin by flattering Jesus, establishing him as a neutral party: "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth." We know you're a registered independent, and you make decisions based on facts and data, not party affiliation.

So...should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Incidentally, this story isn't really about taxes. Jewish people had been paying taxes to their own government for centuries before this and didn't have a problem with taxes. The real question at stake is "Who do you side with, Jesus?" With your own people, or with the Romans?

If Jesus says "yes, it's right to pay taxes" then he couldn't possibly be the Messiah, the one whom the Jews believed would come to defeat the Romans and liberate them. And if Jesus says, "No, you shouldn't pay taxes" then the Herodians will report him to the Romans, and he'll be arrested for inciting treason.

It's a trick question. So Jesus does a coin trick.

Show me a coin, he says. But not just any coin-- he asks for a Denarius. This is a fascinating coin, with a great history. Incidentally, the Spanish word for money (Dinero) is descended from Denarius. But originally it was minted by the Roman Empire not so much as currency, but as a ceremonial coin, a commemorative coin celebrating Roman victories, and paying tribute to Roman heroes. It was a coin designed to celebrate, praise...or worship...someone. In this case, Caesar. Inscribed on every Denarius (along with an image of Caesar) were the words "Tiberivs Caesar Divi Avgvsti Filivs, Pontifex Maxiumus" -- Tiberius Caesar, High Priest and Son of God (lit. "divine Augustus").

Which side are you on, Jesus? Who do you worship, Jesus? Everyone wants to know.

And Jesus says, famously and cryptically, Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's. Or in older English transaltions, Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's; and unto God what is God's. We've all heard this so many times we think we know exactly what it means. But not so fast.

If you were a Roman, or a Herodian, chances are you believed the Imperial propaganda that Caesar was, in fact a divine being, or the son of a divine being. Was Jesus agreeing with you--Give to Caesar what belongs to him (then repeating himself) give to God (i.e. Caesar) what is his. Or was he deliberately disagreeing with you, saying "here's Caesar, here's God, and they're not the same thing?

If you're a Pharisee, a Jewish religious leader, you believed passionately in the very first one of the ten commandments--you shall have no God's before me, and then later, you shall not make for yourself any engraved images. Was Jesus, by showing you an engraved image with another God on it, agreeing with you and demonstrating his knownledge of the scriptures? Or was he disagreeing with you, and saying that you should pay taxes, like a good Roman or Herodian?

It's not clear. But notice what *doesn't* happen next--none of them, Herodians, Pharisees, ask Jesus to clarify what he means. You'd think someone would say, "Hey Jesus, what exactly is it that belongs to Caesar? Roman money, but not Jewish money? Our property and our bodies, because they conquered it all? And what exactly is it that belongs to God? Our money? Our property and our bodies, because, you know, God created everything?

But they don't ask. Instead, they walk away. In a hurry. Verse 17 says that they were "utterly amazed" at him. But that word amazed, in Greek, is ἐξεθαύμαζον (exethaumatzon). It can also mean "very afraid." What were they afraid of? I think they were afraid that he was about to answer those questions that they were too afraid to ask.

We're pretty afraid of those questions, too. We like to think that we have it all figured out--what belongs to God, what belongs to the government, and what belongs to us. Only in the reverse order. First, all that I have belongs to me...and then I give some of that to the government, because I have to and if I don't they'll come after me...and then maybe, if there's anything left--you know, a few dollar bills or coins--that can belong to God. Because God probably won't send agents to audit me if I'm a little short at the end of the year. That actually did happen, once in the New Testament, but that's another sermon for another day.




  • WHO ARE YOU INDEBTED TO? ἀπόδοτε
  • Who are you in this story? A Pharisee (religious fundamentalist)? A Herodian (Roman sympathizers)? The "they" who sent the leaders? Jesus? The Emperor?
  • Relevance to my life
  • Render...does it mean "give" or "give BACK"?
  • Indebtedness. You are already in debt to Caesar (clearly you have his coin). Are you also in debt to God?
  • What's the most important thing to you? Give to that. Or....look at where you spend your money, and that's the most important thing to you.