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Sermon Text: Matthew 22:15-22
When Kingdoms Collide on a Coin…
Recognize the trap
Practice holy citizenship
Cling in awe to your holy Savior
In God we trust. So says this dollar bill. But it wasn’t always that way. The use of that phrase on American currency began during our nation’s most divisive conflict – the Civil War, appearing first in 1864 on what was then a two-cent coin. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that paper currency also included the phrase – the result of a resolution passed by Congress and signed by then President Dwight Eisenhower. And so it is today that every piece of American currency contains the words, In God we trust. Regardless of what people believe about God – who he is, if he is, if he is a he or a she – you won’t get a gumball without holding those words in your hand.
It’s a microcosm, really, of what is a very unique dynamic in this nation born 250 years ago – that a piece of copper-nickel like this, less than in inch in diameter, contains not only a quarter-dollar in value, but symbolizes two very real kingdoms in which we live. Yes, regardless of the country they claim, Christians hold citizenship in two kingdoms – an earthly kingdom defined by borders and governed by laws, and a spiritual kingdom defined by grace and governed by God’s holy Word. Both kingdoms are established by God and fall under his providential control – one to serve the other, as God carries out his saving purpose in history. And here they are, represented by a president and a proclamation of faith – one that may seem to contradict so much of what is practiced and declared in this nation home to such varied beliefs, cultures, and worldviews. History is filled with real examples of this conflict, from unjust wars to wasted tax dollars. So what do we do when these two kingdoms collide – not in the halls of Congress, but in the passageways of a Christian’s heart and conscience? Well, with just a few short words, Jesus has much to say, showing us that when kingdoms collide on a coin, we must recognize the trap, strive to practice holy citizenship, and cling in awe to our holy Savior.
First, let’s understand the historical context of this interaction between Jesus and his opponents. A little less than 200 years earlier, the Jews rebelled against what’s known as the Seleucid Empire, thus gaining a degree of independence from foreign rule. This is known as the Maccabean revolt. A similar time reference would be the founding of our church body, which was a little less than 200 years ago. Then, a little less than 100 years earlier, that freedom was lost when the Roman Empire took control and imposed its will on Israel. Think in terms of World War 2 – a few of you may be old enough to have been alive at the time, and many others of you have parents, grandparents who were. In a similar sense, many of the Jews of Jesus’ day had firsthand accounts of when the Romans took away Israel’s autonomy and self-rule.
That’s the historical context. The immediate context is Tuesday of Holy Week. The Jewish religious leaders considered Jesus as a clear and present danger to their smothering control and influence of the people. They are actively plotting to kill him by some means. “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.” It’s been said that politics makes strange bedfellows. The Pharisees tended to be a bit nationalistic – they wanted to throw off Roman rule. The Herodians – supporters of Herod and therefore also supportive of Rome – were of a different political mindset, but united in their opposition to Jesus. So, after buttering Jesus up, they set the trap: “Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” The imperial tax applied only to non-Roman citizens, so it was especially detested by the Jews. If Jesus answered yes, the Pharisees could claim he was unpatriotic and aloof to the Jewish plight. If he said no, the Herodians could turn him over to the Roman authorities. Thus, the trap is set.
You know, if you want to trap someone, ask them about politics. It was true then, and it’s true today. Pastors find themselves in this trap at times – Hey pastor, what do you think about…? (insert some issue to stir the political pot). It’s hard to know what to say, without alienating the inquirer or being pigeonholed into a political corner. I’m sure you can relate to those awkward questions and conversations where you sense someone is baiting you into verbal combat over some divisive cultural or political issue. Now let me be clear – there is nothing wrong with expressing one’s political viewpoint. In fact, open dialogue is vital for society, when it can be carried out in an atmosphere of respect and self-control. But for those who approached Jesus, their flattery was cover for sinister motives. It was a trap, and Jesus knew it.
Satan uses similar traps still today. They come in various forms. He tries to trap us into thinking that to be a citizen in God’s kingdom, you must wear a certain label or worldview in the earthly kingdom God has established. He tries to trap us into believing that God’s saving work is dependent on a certain form of earthly kingdom. History proves otherwise – showing that Christianity can flourish under any form of government. In fact, even now, Christianity is flourishing in parts of the world where forces of government and culture oppose it. While it is good and right to give thanks this Independence Day weekend for the freedoms we enjoy as American citizens, let’s not think that God needed a group of men to put their John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago for us to be doing what we are doing here today. (There’s a pun there if you know your history.)
Friends, recognize the traps Satan sets, including the trap of thinking our citizenship in God’s kingdom makes us exempt from honoring and respecting the authorities God establishes among us. How masterfully Jesus eludes this trap. “Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius.” A denarius was worth about a day’s wages. Interestingly, you can buy a denarius still today. Depending on its condition and a person’s income, they are still worth about a day’s wages.
So with this coin in hand, Jesus “asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’” The question naturally comes to mind – What do we owe Caesar as citizens of an earthly kingdom; and what do we owe God as citizens of his kingdom of grace? Well, when it comes to earthly authorities, Paul addressed that in our second reading. We owe our obedience and submission, because earthly authority is established by God. We owe taxes as required by law; we owe respect and honor. And we owe these things based not on the performance of those in government, but “as a matter of conscience,” Paul says – that is, a conscience cleansed by God and guided by his holy Word. And as far as what we owe God…well, the real question is what do we not owe him? Everything belongs to him already, including any and every earthly power and authority, since he has established it. So, when we “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” we are also “giving to God what is God’s.”
Like our currency today, the denarius Jesus used for this lesson had images and inscriptions. Along with the emperor’s image, it had an inscription that said in Latin, Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus. And on the other side was commonly an inscription that read Pontifex Maximus, meaning supreme pontiff – essentially a claim of divine power and authority. It reflected how the Roman Emperor expected his subjects to view him essentially as a god. So here is Jesus using a coin that represents pagan, even idolatrous claims, to practice and teach holy citizenship. And here we are in the checkout line, next to a Muslim, a Sikh, a wiccan, a Buddhist, an atheist, all making a purchase with currency that states, In God we trust, representing an earthly kingdom comprised of very flawed leaders and citizens alike. The point, friends, is that like Jesus, we can practice God-pleasing citizenship without getting sucked into the cultural and political divisiveness that makes the United States seem so not united at times. Jesus shows us how – honor God and respect the earthly authorities he has established.
Finally, our text concludes with these words: “When they heard this (Jesus’ answer), they were amazed. So, they left him and went away.” Let us similarly be amazed but do the opposite as they did. Instead of leaving Jesus, let us, in awe, cling to him who alone perfectly subjugated himself to the earthly kingdom in which he lived. Through faith, his perfect citizenship becomes ours. His perfect answers to the devil’s traps are credited to us. In awe, cling to your holy Savior – the King of all kings and Lord of all lords – who allowed this pagan, occupying government to nail him to a cross where the greatest injustice of history took place – where God’s holy Son paid for your sins and mine – including every time we have not “given to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And as our currency – and more importantly, Scripture – suggests, let us trust in God, who was and remains in control of every governing authority for his saving purpose and our eternal welfare.
Amen.