Lesson: Matthew 22:15-22

One of the most iconic moments of the original “Star Wars” movies came to mind when I read this passage. In “Return of the Jedi,” as the rebels realize they’re surrounded by Imperial ships, Admiral Ackbar shouts, “It’s a trap!” That’s what I want to shout to Jesus. We’re told from the outset that the Pharisees, fed up with Jesus, are plotting to entrap him. To do this they join forces with an unlikely ally, the Herodians. This is one of those, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” situations. The Pharisees were highly observant Jews who despised Rome and Roman rule of their homeland. The Herodians supported the Romans. They both want to get rid of Jesus.

The census tax required by Rome was not only an economic burden; it was also a painful reminder that Judea was occupied by foreign powers who worshiped false gods. The tax could only be paid with Roman coins, which were not just legal tender but also pieces of propaganda. Most of the coins had an image of the emperor with inscriptions proclaiming him to be divine or the son of a god, a graven image that was both blasphemous and politically humiliating. So when they ask Jesus whether they should pay taxes to the emperor, they aren’t seeking tax advice. A “Yes” will discredit Jesus with the Jews and show him to be disloyal to God. A “No” will show him to be disloyal to the empire, and he could be arrested for treason.

Jesus asks to see a coin. Someone produces one. This, all by itself, incriminates the questioners. Apparently, they’re happy to do business with Caesar’s coins. “Whose image is on this?” Jesus asks. The coin, of course, bears Caesar’s image. It belongs to Caesar. I picture Jesus saying with a shrug, “So give it back to him.” We don’t disobey or offend God by paying our taxes.

Then the zinger. “And give to God the things that are God’s.”

What belongs to God? The coin bore Caesar’s image and belonged to Caesar. What is it, exactly, that bears God’s image?

We don’t have to hunt in our pockets or purses. Just look at the people you see on the street, at work, at home, at school and you will see the image of God again and again. Human beings may pay taxes to the emperor, but we do not belong to the emperor. We bear the image of God. We belong to God.

What are we to give God? That which is stamped with God’s image. Our very selves. Our very lives. Not just a part of ourselves. Not just a part of our lives. Go ahead, give Caesar the tribute, pay the taxes, but give God what belongs to God: your heart, soul, mind and strength; loving God and your neighbor as yourself.

What does this look like? There’s a theological word for our responsibility for God’s world and its resources, including our very selves, and that word is stewardship. Stewardship is so much more than raising money for the ministries of a church. Stewardship certainly encompasses our spending, the way we use our money, but that’s just a drop in the stewardship bucket. We are to be good stewards of everything, including our time, our talent, and our treasure; including this planet and all its resources. We belong to God. The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it; the world, and those who live in it (Psalm 24:1).

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette took this passage and put it to the tune of “God Whose Giving Knows No Ending,” a hymn in the Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God. Gillette’s version includes these verses:

“Find a tax coin in your treasure; see the image that it bears.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. (Give to rulers what is theirs.)”
Yet he pressed on with his message; “Give to God what is God’s own.”
We who bear our Maker’s image worship God and God alone.

Lord of all, in every nation, may your word be understood —
That we have an obligation to support the common good.
May our taxes, all together, fund our working hand in hand
So that life will be made better for all people in this land.

Still, we also hear your teaching: “Give to God what God is due.”
May no ruler — overreaching — try to take the place of you.
May we listen to your message, may we honor what is yours;
May we, living in your image, seek your kingdom that endures.

© Joanne Whitt 2023 all rights reserved.