Sunday of the 24th Week after Pentecost
“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
It is said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So the Pharisees (who despised Herod, the Herodians, and the Romans) teamed up with their enemy (the Herodians) to trap Jesus. “Tell us what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22:17)
Jesus appeared to be between a rock and a hard place. He can be an enemy of the Pharisees by saying it is lawful or an enemy of the Herodians by saying it is not lawful.
Jesus was not willing to be trapped; that will happen later.
Jesus said, “Show me the coin for the tax.” (Matthew 22:19) Surprisingly, someone in the temple had an unclean coin to present.
Jesus asked, “Whose image and inscription is this?” (Matthew 22:20). Now the tables were turned; instead of asking the questions, they must answer Jesus, so they responded that the coin bore the emperor’s image.
Then Jesus said, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)
Those who sought to trap Jesus were now entangled in His words. Jesus will not be formed into an image made by man. He wouldn’t allow Himself to be shaped like a piece of playdough into a Pharisee or Herodian, no matter how high the pressure got. They should have given up, but so should we. God is not to be formed into our image and likeness so that He has our political positions, our “modern” thinking, or our fleshly desires. Pay your taxes, Pharisees- render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and worship God and serve Him only- render to God the things that are God’s.
Jesus entangles to release. He who is the image of the invisible God took on the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of man to destroy the true enemy, Satan. (Colossians 1:15, Philippians 2:7) He offered Himself up to Caesar’s judgment, where He was found innocent yet sentenced as guilty. He offered Himself up to the Father, where He endured the sentence of the guilty yet was proven innocent, having risen from the dead. And He did it all for the sake of those who were His enemies in their trespasses and sins- Pharisees, Herodians, us. Thanks be to God, we have been released, we are no longer His enemies but His friends, and one day He shall restore His image and likeness to us.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
O Lord, absolve Your people from their offenses that from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our frailty we have brought upon ourselves, we may be delivered by Your bountiful goodness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Trinity 23)
