isn t simply that his wit or quick thinking has made him the superior debater, but

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1 Luke 20:19-26 Whose Image? A couple of times already in these passages Jesus has got the better of the priests and scribes and elders, and this in just the day or two since he entered the city. It isn t simply that his wit or quick thinking has made him the superior debater, but that he recognizes his opponent s weaknesses and insecurities: one of them is stated in verse 19, they are afraid of the people, afraid of losing influence, afraid the crowds will follow one of the many charismatic preachers or rebels, Messiahs, who pop up now and again, in Galilee or out in the wild by the Jordan River or beside the Dead Sea, and who invariably show themselves in Jerusalem. And Jesus is willing to use their weaknesses to his advantage. I think he realizes as well they don t understand that he doesn t have a similar weakness, which means every time he starts out in the stronger position. And so this time, they send in spiesright there an implicit admission of their inferior position- to infiltrate the crowd. And they try to flatter him- maybe ego is a chink in his armor, most of these Messiahs really like to hear themselves talk. Teacher, they call him, as though they hang on every word, we can tell you are fair and wise, and you are truly showing us the path to God. Well, I ll tell you, that kind of talk will hook most any preacher.

2 But Jesus they don t hook; they don t understand him. There may actually be subjects he hasn t an answer for, but he is never afraid to speak truth; will not be cornered or goaded into shallow interpretations of great questions; he can t be cowed by threats or fooled by smooth words, rather, here he perceived their craftiness ; he doesn t answer evasively, doesn t try to save face with the crowd listening in. His response here is profound, and certainly beyond easy explanation; this is no simplistic slogan, he s not running a campaign with sound bites, this is no bumper-sticker answer. He answers the way only the true Messiah can answer, one who knows the realities of the world. And to the trickery of the religious leaders- that s one of the unfortunate realities of the world- he speaks straightforward, rational, and yet deeply spiritual, truth. Is it lawful to give tribute (or, to pay taxes) to Caesar? They ve got to feel good about their chances now; they have him trapped. If you are really the one who can teach us the ways of God, so goes their subtle flattery; the ways of God, and the continuation of that argument should mean there is no room for earthly government, only God s government; and Jesus will talk, they think, bold and blustery to show that he is the only Messiah among all the others to lead the people against the Empire. And they will report him to Pilate as a rebel, and he s

3 finished. But if he s afraid of Roman power, as are they, and accommodates the hated taxes, then the crowd will desert him, and he s finished. What could he possibly answer to keep him in the game? Show me a coin. In this one small shiny object is an emblem of government, proof of the unavoidable reality of government, and its power. It has someone s face on it, and patriotic mottoes. Think how important money is, how we spend our waking lives working to make money, and how some people will do anything for money: and government controls money. You may consider this kind of worldly power an evil thing, and want to diminish that power, but it is a reality of our life. No matter what, we will live under some form of government. We may debate the kinds of governments, the size and purpose, but it is a reality, for good or ill, and not easily got rid of or even modified. To balance the picture, there is another reality confronting Jesus. This very moment, Jesus stands in the midst of this reality: the great Temple, and noise of the sacrificial animals, the robes of the priests, the thousands of worshippers who have come for Passover, all physical emblems of the reality of religion. And in these confrontations with the religious leaders, Jesus sees the possibility of the corruption of religion: in which it strives to build up itself and exert its own

4 power, even if it must kill and destroy. The corruption of religion we can see throughout history, in torture and terrorism and inquisitions, the tests of orthodoxy, wars of faith, and in many other subtle ways- divisions and disagreements, intentional lies and propaganda. Jesus will not answer his critics question in a way that satisfies them because he knows how easily even the noblest ideals- like religion- become corrupted. No, we may not overthrow government even to put religion in its place, theocracy, because it is an earthly corruptible reality, as well. We can look at many current governments to prove the case. God and country, religion and government, are necessary parts of the equation of our lives, and so Jesus answers their question, realizing these two realities are always with us, and knowing that we confront them- and yield to them or battle against them- as matters of conscience. I am not saying these are two equal forces in our lives, and the scripture should not be read that way. Jesus asks, Whose image, or likeness, is on the coin? So the coin, itself a symbol of the government or state, in a very real sense is the property of the state: the government mints the coin, determines its value, and issues it as legal tender ( Legal - that s a government word.). Thus, we might say giving to Caesar is merely giving what already belongs to him. But

5 then, what must we give that belongs already to God? As religious people, our answer can only come out of a humble recognition of God s boundless love and mercy. And so, there is one more question we should acknowledge; there is another image, unspoken but inherent, in this passage: if the coin has the emperor s image, and we should render to him his things, what bears the image of God that we should render to God those things that belong to God? Think about it; it s easy. What bears God s image? We are created in God s image. And so, we give ourselves to God, a commitment and obligation far more significant and comprehensive than our duty to country. And it means this, as well: that if we owe to God the image of God- that is, ourselves and ourselves in service to others created in God s image- then the reach of government is limited to its service of people: government is not of and for itself. And even the Emperor on the coin must give to God what is made in God s image. Again, there is room for much debate, but in this passage Jesus affirms the validity of government. But his affirmation does not give the state authority to subjugate or harm its citizens, who are created in the image of God.

6 I think we can say that we have a duty to both country and faith; it is confirmed here by Jesus (and in several other New Testament writings). But it is not completely defined and delineated by him, and so, can be understood only by humble self-reflection, that sees the reality of our need for community; for security and emotional comfort and encouragement, we need one another; and by moral living and the actions of conscience, that understand others need us. And part of that need is met when we gather as a community to worship. Let us humbly reflect, and rejoice together, as we come to the Lord s Table. The call to discipleship this day, I think, should be simply this: that we owe service to God and service to country, and while they are not the same or equal, they both require personal and voluntary sacrifice. And just as we must symbolically yield to the images on our money in our service to the nation, so must we yield to the image of God in our service to humanity. If God created in his image, then we owe selfless service to every other human in thankful obedience to God. None of this is about me, it cannot be about our self; it is not individualistic. Government and religion, as philosophies, are about community and service, about life together, for the betterment of all of us. As earthly realities, they are

7 corruptible, yes, but we are obliged to render unto them, and to watch carefully that in their proper working order the God of our Lord Jesus is glorified, and the image of God, God s creatures, are served and ennobled and made whole.

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