Sermon
Matthew
22:15-22
You
and I, fellow sinners, do not do as we ought. Any time the law is
brought to bear and focus on us, it shows every little fault and
failing. So too with Jesus' words today. “Render unto Caesar what
is Caesar's, and to God what is God's”.
We
might think in terms of the Catechism. The Fourth Commandment, “You
shall honor your father and mother” also entails the command to
obey all rightful earthly authorities. But also to honor, serve,
love and cherish them. The law here is that sinners like you and me,
we don't really like authority much. We generally despise being told
what to do.
From
the day we learn the word, NO, and shout it at our loving parents, to
the grumbling about this silly law or that, or having to pay this tax
or that,
or
my boss is a jerk
and
the pastor is boring
and
my husband doesn't deserve my respect
and
the teacher at school is so clueless...
Find
an earthly authority in your life and you will not have far to look,
to see your Old Adam hating that authority, chaffing at it, shaking
his fist in rebellion.
And
all these authorities God places in our lives, are ways that he rules
his creation for our good. So when you despise God-given authority,
you despise the ultimate authority of God. And God works through
these authorities, even tainted and corrupted by sin that they are –
just as he worked through Cyrus his “chosen instrument” to
accomplish his purposes. But we despise the good gifts of God, the
authorities he gives us.
Render
unto Caesar, Jesus says. Easier said than done, when you're a sinner.
Or
render to God what is God's. Not there's something. For what isn't
God's? Our whole life, our everything, for starters. And yet we
want it for ourselves. This is a basic First Commandment issue.
When we put anything in the place of God, we trample on Jesus' words
here, “Render to God what is God's”.
Here
I suppose some would criticize Christians for not giving enough money
to church. But perhaps some give money even to let themselves off
the hook a little for not giving something else they should. Well,
we should give unto God from the bounty he gives us, but even that's
not what is at the bottom of all this.
But
what especially would God have of us? Repentance. He would have us
come in humble confession of our sins. He would have a broken and
contrite heart. He doesn't want your good works, as if you even have
any to offer. He does want a change of your heart, a turning from
sin, a genuine sorrow that you have grieved God by your actions and
inactions, your thoughts and words, too.
And
just as they couldn't fool Jesus with tricky questions about taxes,
you can't fool the Lord God when it comes to your own sins. Though
you try to rationalize or excuse why you haven't rendered properly to
God or Caesar, he won't simply let you off the hook, without the cost
which must be paid.
But
what about Jesus? Did he practice what he preached? Does he “render
unto Caesar?” And what if anything, did he “render unto God?”
With
Jesus, there's always a twist.
He
rendered unto Caesar, through Pontius Pilate, what didn't belong to
Caesar. Just listen to this conversation with Pilate when Jesus was
“on trial” (from John's Gospel):
33 So
Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to
him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus
answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others
say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate
answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have
delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus
answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom
were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I
might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from
the world.” 37 Then
Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You
say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this
purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my
voice.”
Jesus,
it seemed to Pilate, was “rendered unto Caesar” by his own
people. But Jesus knew better, that only he could give up his
freedom, his life, his kingdom. Pilate and the Jews weren't forcing
anything here. Jesus, the King far above and beyond this world,
meant it to be this way. It was his plan, his purpose. To render
himself to Caesar, and more importantly, to God, as a sacrifice for
the sins of the world. Anyone who was listening to Jesus would know
this truth. Jesus came to bring us freedom, his life, his kingdom –
by rendering up himself, on the cross.
By
rendering his own life to God, he paid a price he didn't owe. But
far more than covering your tab at the restaurant, or you tax bill
with the government, Jesus pays, offers, renders the price for sin.
He pays what we couldn't, even if we tried. He gives what we don't
have to give – the holy and precious blood of the spotless Lamb of
God.
Oh
and there's another way to look at this phrase, “Render unto God
what is God's”. Look again to how Luther treats the First
Commandment, that we “should fear, love and trust in God above all
things”. Now there's some law there, no doubt, but did you hear
the Gospel side of it? The good news not that not only should we,
but we can “trust” God? That we can trust him “above all
things”? If he were only an angry judge, why would we trust him?
But if he is the God who has, in Jesus Christ, wiped the slate clean
– then who better to trust? Certainly not ourselves. Certainly
not fellow sinners, even the princes of this world. They have no
ultimate answer to our problems. Only God, through Jesus Christ,
deserves our trust. And what a blessing that he calls us to do just
that. That's faith. And that's what God wants us to render to him
more than anything.
So,
repentance and faith, all for the sake of Christ. Render unto him
what is his. For he rendered his all for you.
When
Jesus passed the test with his answer about taxes, the Pharisee and
Herodian inquisitors marveled. But we can marvel all the more at all
that Christ has done for us. Marvel in faith, that he renders
himself, that our confession is met with forgiveness, and that by His
Spirit we render true faith in God. Marvel at it all, for the sake
of Christ, Amen.
