What does not belong to God?
Matthew 22:15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ 21 They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
The combination of groups seeking to “entrap” Jesus is strange. The Pharisees believed Herod was a usurper king who was not even Jewish. But here they are working with the Herodians, who could not understand the religious commitments of the Pharisees and frequently belittled the Pharisees. But on the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend – the Pharisees and the Herodians get together to try to destroy their common enemy, Jesus.
Much is at stake in their question. If Jesus says, “Pay the taxes to Ceasar, the Roman emperor” he will lose support from the crowd. The crowd may even try to destroy him as being a traitor to Israel. If Jesus says, “Don’t pay Ceasar,” he is telling people to disobey the emperor and that is sedition, and the Romans would have none of that. A great deal is at stake in this question.
Jesus “amazes” the questioners with his answer. Asking whose face is on a coin, and being told it is the emperor’s face and the emperor’s title, Jesus said, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and give to God the things that are God’s.” On the surface this appears to say it belongs to the emperor – so the emperor gets the money/taxes. But Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience who from their earliest days were taught that everything in all creation, including human beings, belonged to God. So if everything belongs to God, then there is nothing for the emperor except for the things God allows the emperor to believe belong to the emperor. That is, the emperor’s life rests in God’s hands, God can have the emperor overthrown, removed from office, etc.
In the end, every human power, every human system of government, every human being who is “in charge”, every human institution exists at God’s behest and will be held accountable by God. Part of that accountability will be “what did you do with the things entrusted to you?” As Jesus says in another place, “To those whom much is given, of them much will be required.” We need to pray that God will show mercy to the leaders of nations, the leaders of corporations, the leaders of institutions, etc., when they are called to account for what they did with what God entrusted to them.
PRAYER:
O Lord, you hold everything in your hands, all things come from you, and to you all things return. Have mercy on leaders who think they are in charge, not recognizing that you will hold them accountable. Have mercy on us when we act as though we own the things you have entrusted to us. Teach us the joy and freedom of being stewards, and not owners. In Jesus’ name. Amen.