Luke 20:25 (ESV) He said to them,
“Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that
are God’s.”
Bashing
the government and its leaders is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Of
course, we are not alone in this. People all over the world and throughout
history have done the same. Political leaders, sometimes well-meaning but often
self-interested, make decisions that affect everyone in the nation. It is
nearly impossible to make a decision that benefits everyone. It is truly
impossible to do it all of the time. So, our leaders get the brunt of our
frustration. Sometimes that frustration will move to the level of public verbal
opposition, then to outright disobedience. Many of those who oppose the government
feel justified for their disrespect and violation of law.
If
we think we have grounds for such insolence in America today, it is nothing
compared to the first century Jews. They were a nation occupied and forced to
pay taxes to the Roman government. That government was invited in by cruel King
Herod the Great who pretended to be “one of them” but was not in any respect.
The taxes were heavy and the people received virtually no benefit from them (or
so they thought). Though there many reasons for the Jewish people to oppose the
Roman occupation, the taxes garnered the most emotion.
The
Jewish leaders saw this issue as an opportunity to either: 1) win the people’s
support away from Jesus or 2) get legal grounds for Jesus’ execution by having
him oppose the payment of taxes. So, to try to tap Jesus, they asked him, “Is
it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (vs 22) If Jesus said, “Yes,”
the people would hate him because he endorsed the Roman taxation. If he said, “No,”
the Jewish leaders would have hundreds of witnesses of Jesus telling people to
violate Roman law. His response was brilliant: “Whose image is on the coin?” As
the Jewish leaders had to confess it was Caesar’s, Jesus gave the response
above: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” The trap was defeated. They got more
benefit from that government than they realized. Jesus did not endorse the
Roman government or its policies, but showed that people had to pay taxes to
Caesar because it was his coins they used for legal tender.
The
obvious application for us is to pay our taxes no matter how we feel about our
government. Yet, it goes beyond that. Of course, there are many aspects of all
of our leaders and their decisions that have been less than ideal for us. They
are easy targets for criticism. However, we have received much from our
government that we take for granted: security, highways, parks, economic
protection and facilitation, support for millions of worthy causes, and the
list goes on. Elsewhere in the New Testament we are commanded to obey and pray
for our leaders (Romans 13:1-7, I Tim 2:1-4, I Peter 2:2-13-17). We can and
should exercise our voice in shaping our government’s policies and futures, but
ultimately, let’s be sure we honor our leaders… and, yes, pay our taxes, too.
1 comment:
Hey Dr. Ehler! Nice blog post. Pardon my brevity; I'm on my phone. I have a comment and a question for you.
First, the question. I get the part about what is rendered to Cesar being taxes, etc, but conversely what is Jesus implying to be rendered unto God? I honestly have always thought, "Well, it must be the rest."
Secondly, I agree with the sentiment of your blog about honoring leaders and government officials. I would also go as far as to say that perhaps there is extra grumbling from the religious corner of society in the US. However, I think back to different social justice events (e.g. Civil Rights Movement) in American history where we now celebrate and honor the people who sacrificed their lives and safety in protest of unjust laws and unjust men. I know you are also aware that much of the Prophets books concern social justice for neglected to oppressed people groups. Other figures in the Old Testament are celebrated reformers. Not all of my examples need to be Old Testament, but I think you probably are getting where I am going with this. Is there a place for civil disobedience or peaceful opposition as a Christian person for truly unjust laws or injustice in government? Of course, grumbling doesn't really qualify; but I am intrigued by reformers like Gandhi being celebrated by so many groups as a social reformer and a figure of peace, yet he was in direct, obstructive defiance with the British government ruling over India and Pakistan. I certainly would not fault Gandhi on his disobedience in lieu of the liberty gained and equality given to the indigenous people of India and Pakistan through it. Dietrich Bonhoffer was certainly a pacifist but was opposed to inaction in the face of evil. What are your thoughts? I have heard it argued that Paul calls Christians of his time to pray for leaders while Nero was Emporer of Rome and killing Christians, so we should be satisfied with praying for our oppressors. I believe Martin Luther King Jr. probably prayed for his oppressors, but he also preached change. Is it possible to honor leaders and officials while being defiant to injustice?
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