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The Things
That Are God’s
The Pharisees plotted a way to entangle Jesus in his words. They ask Jesus a question to entrap him. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22:15-22) Notice their question is not to clarify anything. It is not to gain insight. Their question is asked to entrap Jesus.
This question comes after Jesus has taught a series of parables that confront the chief priests, elders, scribes, and Pharisees with their misunderstanding of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus did not meet their expectations of the Messiah. These leaders are trying to destroy Jesus and His followers. They ask a question to trap Jesus into saying something against Caesar. Jesus, because He is truth and teaches the word of God, recognizes their tactics. He answers their question with a question. He takes a coin and askes: “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
Jesus tells the Pharisees to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Jesus' answer is powerful in many ways. You will hear many sermons on Luther’s two kingdoms when preachers preach on this text. Luther talks about being part of the heavenly kingdom while living in a sin broken world. Therefore, we have responsibilities as citizens in the nation. We live as Christian citizens in our world. But the most important question for us to ask is are we rendering to God what is God’s?
“I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” I know you recognize the first article of the Apostles Creed. In Luther’s explanation we see that God “richly and daily provides for all that I need to support this body and life.” What is God’s? Everything is a gift of God. Every breath we take is a gift of God. God provides for us. Jesus says we are to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s because God has provided governments to keep order. But more importantly we are called to live out life glorifying our God who gives us life through His Son.
Jesus’ critics were not rendering to God the things that are God’s. They had co-opted the temple and the temple worship for their own selfish gain. They were using their office to exploit the poor. They were using the Law of God to exclude and marginalize individuals from the worship of God. They used their position to Lord over those who would come to them for comfort and forgiveness. Jesus is condemning them for their self-serving behavior.
God desires our worship and praise. Luther’s explanation of the first article says that God gives us all things. He says “For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him “. Render to God what is God’s means that we thank and praise God by the way we live our life. We serve God by serving our neighbor. We strive to obey his commandments. We bring our first fruits to God as our worship and to acknowledge Him as the giver of all good gifts. We praise God as we go about our daily vocations. We give glory to His name in all we say and do. We obey God as forgiven and loved children seek to honor their loving parent. We are the things of God. We are His redeemed and chosen children who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Render unto God the things that are God’s.
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