SUNDAY SERMON: Render unto Caesar

By Rev. Stephen Baldwin 

OT: Isaiah 45.1-7

NT: Matthew 22.15-22

Did you ever have a teacher that was so good they made you nervous? I had several over the years. One was Dr. Amy Jill Levine, the New Testament Professor at Vanderbilt. She was a renowned author, scholar, and frequent TV pundit. 

When I was thinking about going to school there, I saw her on TV and thought, “Wow, she’s brilliant! How cool would it be to be in her class?”

When I started my first semester, I saw her on TV again and thought, “Wow, I’m not going to be able to keep up with her. I sure hope she doesn’t ask me any questions!” 

Sure enough, my first encounter with her came as her student when she asked me what passage of scripture I would write my first big paper on, and why? 

I said, “I really love religion and politics, so I’m going to write my first paper on Matthew 22.15-22, where Jesus says render unto Caeser…” 

I hadn’t even finished that thought when she interjected and said, “Common misconception. That passage isn’t about politics. Maybe you should pick something else.” 

My first big moment with the famous professor, and I blew it. How could I have been so wrong? Most people think this passage is about the separation of church and state. Most people also think that sandwiches taste better with mayonnaise. Maybe most people are wrong.  

So I decided to stick with it, and learn what the passage was really about. 

I learned that separation of church and state is a modern idea.  Back in Jesus’ day, church and state were one.  They worked together in concert with one another.  In fact, it’s been that way throughout most of history— church and state working side by side, even though that has worked out about as well as Cracker Barrel’s new logo. Remember that? I didn’t know anybody liked the old logo, but they sure didn’t care for the new one. 

Now, how do we know this passage isn’t really about religion and politics? Our first clue is the first word out of the Pharisees’ mouths.  They call Jesus “teacher,” as if they were his loyal students.  Please.  Anytime your enemies flatter you, beware.  They have something else in mind.  The Pharisees want to defeat Jesus. They’re softening him up. 

After the ceremonial flattery, they got down to business.  “Tell us, Jesus.  Is it lawful to pay taxes or not?” 

Like a Presbyterian in a room full of Episcopalians, just about anything he said would have been wrong.  Herodians and Pharisees were both friends of the Roman government.  They paid their taxes in exchange for good standing with the government.  They also knew the Scriptures, and according to Moses it was lawful to pay taxes even to an occupying nation.  If Jesus advised against paying taxes, as they expected him to do, they would have had him arrested.  If he advised that taxes should be paid, he would align himself with the Roman state, which occupied Israel, killed Jews, and was despised by the people.  As the disciples sat waiting on Jesus to reply, there was no good answer.  

So Jesus asks them for a coin.  To me, that’s the most interesting detail in the story.  Why?  Because it means he didn’t have one of his own.  Why not?  Was Jesus so poor that he had no money?  Did he let Judas carry the money for him and his disciples?  Or was it an act of political protest, refusing to use Roman currency?  We don’t know why he didn’t have money.  We only know that he didn’t.  The Pharisees did–surprise, surprise–so they hand him a coin.  

Like our coins, it had a picture of a man’s head on the front, Tiberious Caesar.   Jesus pointed to it and said, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 

Everybody knew it was the emperor, Caesar.  

So give it to him, Jesus said.  Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.  In other words, Caesar made it, so it belongs to him anyway.  You’re just using it at the moment.  The Pharisees and Herodians could live with that idea, even though it wasn’t what they hoped he’d say so that they could have him arrested.  But for Jesus, that was just his introduction.  The next thing he said was the real kicker.  “And render to God what is God’s.”  

Let’s think about it together.  “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.”  You do that right?  You pay your sales tax when you buy mayonnaise for your soggy sandwiches.  You pay your income tax to the state and the federal government each year.  Why do you do that?  Because you have no choice.  If you don’t, you’ll go to prison.  Jesus is no fool.  It was the same then as it is now.  He told people to give Caesar what belongs to him, because there was no use in resisting.  It wasn’t worth going to prison or the crucifix for giving Caesar a measly 10%.     

Now, onto the heart of Jesus’ message.  He said, “Render unto God what is God’s.”  Give God what belongs to God.  What does that mean–an hour in church, a $20 in the offering plate, a prayer before bed? 

I was beginning to understand what Dr. Levine was talking about. Our modern ears think this is about church and state and taxes. But Jesus brushes those things aside. He’s got bigger fish to fry. “Render unto God what is God’s.” 

You may think this is about to be a stewardship sermon. Give all you can to the church! Like a religious version of an NPR fund drive. 

But I have something bigger in mind as well.  

Think about this for a minute.  Jesus said that one should render to Caesar what is Caesar’s.  What belongs to Caesar when our entire lives belong to God?  

The rule of thumb in our culture is to give 10% of your income to the church, which actually seems like a pittance when Jesus reminds us that everything we have belongs to God.  But still, why do we have that 10% rule of thumb?  Because when we pool our resources, we can do more good.  

         Perhaps that’s why Jesus didn’t have any money in his pockets.  He didn’t need any.  They took care of each other in the early church.  They were a close-knit community that pooled their gifts from God and made sure there was plenty for everyone.  

That’s what the church is still called to do today.  We pool our resources, our gifts, our time, and our talents in order to do more good together in the name of God than we can do on our own.  God doesn’t just want 10%; even Caesar gets that much.  God wants all of us–our very lives to be used for good, for God!  

Let me give you one last thing to think about.  Roman taxes could only be paid with Roman currency.  And that’s still true for us.  You wouldn’t pay the IRS in pesos or euros, would you?  You pay taxes with the appropriate currency.  Romans made Roman currency, and they expected it back in taxes.  The US makes dollars, and the IRS expects it back in taxes.  

What currency do we use to pay God? 

God made us, and God expects us to render accordingly.  Since we belong to God, we are to give ourselves back to God.  No separation between one part of our lives and another. Render unto God that which is God’s, and we belong to God in full. Amen.