“And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” — Matthew 22:20-21
As I see the election cycle starting to ramp up, I am reminded of one of Jesus’ interactions regarding the Roman Emperor, Caesar. We looked at it during our TLC: Political Disunity message.
I’m sure you have heard or read these verses countless times. The religious leaders asked Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar; we can see His response in verse 21 above. Many times, these verses are used to talk about the government’s role, taxes or even tithing. But, I would like to look at another layer of this Scripture — one that that doesn’t always get talked about. I’d like to look at our hearts in the area of politics.
It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t use this question and platform to try to overthrow the earthly government (even though that’s exactly what His disciples were clamoring for Him to do). He didn’t even take the opportunity to speak against Caesar’s rule, or the corruption of the Roman taxes and tax collectors. He was tossed a softball with this question and He chose not to respond in the expected way.
Food for thought: If some of us were asked today about a new political policy, would we show the same restraint as Jesus?
To make this scene more real to us, it’s important to understand who Israel’s ruler was at this time. Herod Antipas, the Roman citizen who Caesar set to rule over the Jews, was the same man who commanded that John the Baptist (Jesus’ cousin) be beheaded. Also, Jesus was born during the rule of Herod Antipas’ dad, King Herod the Great. He had commanded that all Jewish boys under two years old be murdered — so that The Messiah wouldn’t live.
Again, people were greatly anticipating The Messiah to come and save them from this evil, unjust, Roman regime. They were hoping this was Jesus’ moment to do just that. Instead, Jesus took the time to point to our hearts and affections. He operates on a much higher level than we do!
Living Sacrifice
I have a strong conviction that we should absolutely be politically active. We should fulfill our civic duty to vote. We are called be salt and light for Jesus in our nation and politics. But, the words of Jesus in Matthew 22 should be a heart check for us. We need to examine ourselves and see if we are giving that which belongs to God (our heart) to Him. Or, are we giving our heart to Caesar and the Roman Empire?
How often we give this world, our nation, or our political discourse the affection that belongs only to God. How many hours do we spend pouring over the Bible or in prayer compared to the hours we spend reading, debating and obsessing over politics? Do we share the Gospel as often, or as fervently, as we share our political ideologies? I know I can be guilty of this, too.
In America, in 2020, we can easily elevate politics and politicians above the Gospel and above Jesus.
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:1, appeals to the Christians, “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Unfortunately, we can easily misplace our hope in politics (to bring about the change we want to see) rather than giving our lives to God as worship and seeing the Gospel transform our world.
May we, by the grace of God, strive to make our lives a living sacrifice as we give to God what is God’s.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor