Church and State

Good morning, everyone. It's a great joy and privilege to be with you, worship with you,

! and to get to preach God's Word to you this morning. So please open up your Bible to Matthew

! We've, for various reasons, gone back and forth from our series in Matthew 22 for the

last few weeks, and we're back in it now. Matthew 22, verses 15 to 22.

Matthew 22:15–22

Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word. Heavenly Father, I stand before

you with a deep sense of my own inadequacy, for how can we plumb the depth of your wisdom

revealed in your Word? There is so much here, and we ask for your help. Help me to communicate

clearly, accurately. Help us all to understand.

Bring these truths of your Word home to us in our hearts and in our lives by the power of your Holy

Spirit. Make us a church, and make us, as individual Christians, make us all more fully submitted to God,

you submitted to you, and submitted to your Son, Jesus Christ. Teach us, give us wisdom and discernment to know how to

relate to our governing authorities, and to every other authority you have placed in our lives.

Speak to us now, Lord. Your servants are listening. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Please stand, if you are able. Let us honor God as we read from His Word. Matthew 22, verses 15 to 22.

Matthew 22:15–22

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Him in His words. And they sent their disciples to Him

along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully,

and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.

Tell us, then, what you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?

Show me the coin for the tax. And they brought Him a denarius. And Jesus said to them,

Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said, Caesar's. Then He said to them,

Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.

When they heard it, they marveled, and they left Him and went away.

This is God's holy and authoritative word. Please be seated.

Time and time again throughout history, governments have overreached and interfered

in spiritual matters and in the lives, in the matters of the church.

And sometimes the church has also acted in ways more like the state than the church.

In the 11th century, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII engaged in an infamous

power struggle called the investiture controversy.

By that point, the lines between spiritual authority and political authority had already been significantly blurred.

And emperors treated Christian bishops almost like state officials.

Henry IV and emperors before him liked using Christian bishops as their state officials.

Why? Because in those days, the vast majority of Christian ministers were all celibate.

And because they were celibate, they did not have children. They had no heirs.

If they appoint, unlike their kind of secular nobility, the aristocracy,

if they appointed them to rule and to govern,

they would pass down their dukedoms and their counties,

whatever they were given to their children, to their heirs.

And power would reside within the nobility and the aristocracy.

But if he could give it to the clergy and have them govern their provinces,

well then, when they die, it all comes back to the emperor.

And then he can find another person that's loyal to him and then give it to them

and maintain control and power that way.

And so, because vast swaths of their lands and their kingdoms belong to these clergy,

the emperor demanded that it's his right to appoint the bishops.

Pope Gregory VII, however, insisted that bishops hold spiritual offices

and that it was the church's prerogative to appoint bishops.

This led to nearly 50 years of conflict and much bloodshed,

and this was settled by their successors in the compromise of the Concordat of Worms.

The pope got to select the bishops, but the emperor got to preside over their appointments.

And in a separate ceremony, the emperor would give the land to the bishops,

to the bishoprics, to the bishops, the diocese,

and then the bishops in that ceremony would have to pledge fealty, loyalty to the emperor,

swear an oath of allegiance to the emperor.

Christian bishops, an uneasy compromise.

In the European wars of religion in the 16th and 17th centuries,

we noticed a similar tension and problems.

Christians conflated political loyalty with religious conformity,

and so princes, for that reason, imposed Christianity on people by force.

They pressured Jews and Muslims to convert.

Heretics were prosecuted, and religious dissenters were considered guilty of treason.

Millions of people died as a result.

When the Puritans settled in New England, where we live,

one pastor in particular wanted to avoid those mistakes

and to apply the lessons from history,

and his name was Roger Williams.

Some of you guys from Providence and Brown probably have heard of him.

He argued that uniformity of religion throughout a nation should never be enforced,

and he wrote memorably that, quote,

forced worship stinks in God's nostrils.

He further argued that there should be a hedge or wall of separation

between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world,

because whenever that wall is torn down,

the garden of the church itself becomes crowded with weeds and becomes a wilderness.

He enshrined equal freedom of religion and conscience into the Rhode Island Charter in 1663,

which then influenced Thomas Jefferson

and the famous religion clause of the First Amendment of our Constitution,

which says,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

No one, in other words, should be coerced or pressured into religion.

I think we can all agree on that.

But where exactly are the lines in this so-called separation of church and state?

That issue is fiercely contested.

How should we, as Christians, behave in the public square?

Do we need to check our religion at the door when we go into the public spheres?

How should we relate to our governing authorities,

especially when they demand allegiance in a way that violates our consciences

and when they legislate laws that contradict the very words of God?

Jesus teaches us in this passage,

render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's

and to God the things that are God's.

And that's my main point this morning.

Give earthly rulers what you owe them.

Give God what you owe Him.

And we'll unpack what that means in two parts.

First, we'll talk about, this is the main exhortation in the first half,

regard the truth of God, not the opinions of men.

Secondly, repay what you owe to your governing authorities and to God.

To remind you where we are in the series in the Gospel of Matthew,

we're still in the middle of Holy Week,

the final week before Jesus' crucifixion, His death, and then His resurrection.

On Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as the messianic king riding on a donkey.

And then on Monday, He cleansed the temple of the pigeon sellers and the money changers,

turning it back, restoring it to be a house of prayer rather than a den of robbers.

On Tuesday, He cursed the fruitless fig tree, which is a symbol of fruitless Israel.

And then on Wednesday, Jesus entered the temple again and started to teach the crowds.

At which point, the Jewish leaders asked Jesus in chapter 21, verse 23,

by what authority are you doing these things?

And who gave you that authority?

We're in charge of the temple precincts.

And we did not give you permission to teach here and to do what you're doing in the temple.

So what are you doing?

And at that point, Jesus told three parables in rapid succession.

Three parables, all denouncing the Jewish religious leaders.

In the parable of the two sons, Jesus says that the Jewish leaders are like a son

who promises to obey his father and go and work in his vineyard,

but instead turns around and doesn't do any other work, doesn't go into the vineyard at all.

And in the parable of the tenants, Jesus compares the Jewish leaders to the tenants of a vineyard

who refuse to give to the master, the owner of the vineyard,

the fruit that comes out of that vineyard that they were hired to work.

And then in the third parable, the parable of the wedding feast,

Jesus says that the Jewish leaders are like guests who are invited to a king's feast,

wedding feast for his son, but then they refuse to come,

and instead they seize the king's servants and kill them.

Jesus is denouncing the wickedness and the faithlessness of the Jewish religious leaders

during his day, and that's where our passage picks up this morning.

So no wonder he says in verse 15 that the Pharisees went and plotted

how to entangle Jesus in his words.

The Pharisees are furious.

They're plotting to trip Jesus up to get him into trouble,

and we see them lay their snare in verses 16 and 17.

Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully,

and you do not care about anyone's opinion,

for you are not swayed by appearances.

Tell us then what you think.

Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

This seems kind of far removed from us, from the context that we live in,

but this is literally the most controversial hot-button issue you can ask

any religious teacher, any Jew during Jesus' day.

You may have heard the saying,

never discuss religion or politics in polite company, right?

I don't agree with that, because, I mean, if you agree with that,

we can never share the gospel with anybody, right?

I mean, that doesn't make any sense.

But I do think discussing religion and politics requires special care and humility,

because they can be so polarizing, and people are so committed to those things

and feel so passionately about those things.

And the Pharisees' question here concerns both religion and politics.

It's a double whammy.

First, this was a political issue because it was about Caesar's taxes.

It's a reference to the census tax or the poll tax

that the Roman civil magistrates collected.

Roman citizens were exempt from this tax.

It was only imposed on a conquered and subjugated people like the Jews.

It's for this reason that Tertullian,

a later church father Christian theologian from the 2nd century,

called this poll tax, a quote, a badge of slavery.

It was a symbol of the Jews' political subjugation by the Romans.

Secondly, this was a religious issue,

because the question is,

is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Of course, it's lawful according to Roman law.

That's not the question.

These Jews are asking,

is it lawful according to God's law?

It's a religious question.

Is it lawful according to the Torah?

The Jews are supposed to have only God as their king.

Even their theocratic monarchy was a concession.

When the Israelites asked for a king,

like their surrounding nations,

God said to them in 1 Samuel 8, 7,

they have rejected me from being king over them.

So zealous Jews deeply resented the Caesar's rule over them.

God is our king, they said.

We are the chosen people of God.

We are God's special possession.

You are not our king.

God's our king.

In fact, just a couple decades earlier

before this confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees,

there was a man named Judas of Galilee

who rallied the Jewish people around this issue.

He riled up their resentment toward this poll tax,

this very tax,

in order to start a revolution,

a revolt against the Roman rulers.

This is what he said as he incited his fellow Jews.

They were cowards, he says.

If they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans

and would, after God,

submit to mortal men as their lords.

So all that to say,

is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

Is the most controversial hot button issue.

And here's how they've set up their trap.

If Jesus answers that it is lawful

for them to pay the poll tax to Caesar,

then Jesus will immediately lose credibility

with the patriotic, religious Jewish zealots,

many of whom are in Jerusalem.

They were deeply offended by Caesar's rule

and by his poll tax,

and Jesus would lose credibility with them.

But if Jesus says that it is not lawful

to pay the poll tax,

then they will snitch

and inform the Roman rulers.

Do you remember Judas?

I think his name was Judas

from 20 years ago.

Do you remember the revolt

that he led against Rome?

That wasn't fun, was it?

You don't want that to happen again, do you?

See, there's this guy.

His name is Jesus.

And guess what?

He's also from Galilee.

And he's telling people

not to pay the poll tax.

That's exactly what Judas said 20 years ago.

You better squash that

before it gets any larger.

We know this is their intention

because in the parallel passage

in Luke 20, 20,

it tells us explicitly

that they wanted to catch Jesus in something

so that they could deliver him

to the authority and jurisdiction

of the governor.

They have designed

a lose-lose situation for Jesus.

This is why in verse 16,

the Pharisees' disciples come

along with the Herodians.

That's very interesting.

That's unusual bedfellows.

The Pharisees were more sympathetic

to the Jewish zealot ideology

like Judas of Galilee.

In fact, Judas of Galilee's

close associate and partner in crime

was a Pharisee named Zadok.

So they are more aligned with them.

But the Herodians

are in cahoots with the Romans.

They're living large

and ruling

at the behest of the Romans.

So this is,

it's in their interest

to stay on Rome's good side.

So this is a case of

the enemy of my enemy

is my friend.

Pharisees and Herodians

have made common cause

to make Jesus their common enemy,

and they're trying to trap him.

If Jesus answers one way,

the Pharisees can denounce Jesus

to the Jewish zealots.

If he answers another way,

the Herodians can denounce

Jesus to the Romans.

Either way,

they can get Jesus

into sufficient trouble

to get rid of him,

which is what they want to do.

So their question

is not a sincere question.

It's a setup.

But they don't want Jesus

to know that,

which is probably why

the Pharisees send

their disciples to Jesus

instead of coming themselves.

You guys notice that?

It says that they sent

their disciples.

They've already had

their own confrontations

with Jesus.

They've been embarrassed

by Jesus once too often.

And Jesus knows

who they are,

and so they send

their unknown,

anonymous disciples.

Hey, you go sneak

into the crowd.

You ask them this question.

You act like a sincere

seeker.

That's why Luke 20, 20

calls them spies.

But Jesus sees right

through it in verse 18.

Jesus, aware of their malice,

said,

Why put me to the test,

you hypocrites?

Jesus doesn't pull any punches.

Imagine being called that

by Jesus.

My heart would just drop.

While his interrogators

are hiding behind

their disingenuous flattery,

Jesus tells them

to their face

that they are hypocrites.

The Greek word

that means hypocrite

literally means actor.

And it metaphorically

refers to someone

who is pretending

to be something

that they are not,

like here.

In the Sermon on the Mount

in chapter 6,

Jesus gave several illustrations

of what hypocrites

look like.

He said that hypocrites

are those who sound

the trumpet

when they are giving

alms to the needy.

Because they care less

about actually caring

for the poor

and more about being noticed

while they're giving

to the poor.

They're like,

here's a trumpet.

Is there enough people

watching?

Blow the trumpet here.

Everybody's watching

give to the poor.

Hypocrites, he says,

are those who stand

in prominent places

to pray.

Not because they actually

want to talk to God,

but only because

they want to be seen

by men as talking

to God.

Hypocrites are those

who disfigure their faces

intentionally

to make it look like

they've been fasting

and praying for a long time.

Not because they actually

care about fasting,

but because they care

about being noticed.

Not because they care

about humbling themselves

before God in fasting,

but because they care

about exalting themselves

before men

in their superior spirituality.

or their imagined

spiritual superiority.

The disciples of the Pharisees

are hypocrites

because they're pretending

like they sincerely want

Jesus to answer

their question

when in reality

they're just trying

to frame him

and trap him.

Let's look at what they say

in verse 16.

Teacher,

we know that you are true

and teach the way

of God truthfully

and you do not care

about anyone's opinion

for you are not swayed

by appearances.

Notice that everything

that they say here

about Jesus

is actually true.

But their speech

is still false

because they don't mean it.

It's flattery.

unlike genuine praise

which is intended

to encourage

and build up

the other person,

flattery

is intended

to build yourself up

and put yourself

in an advantageous situation.

It's self-serving.

Our Kent Hughes,

another pastor,

memorably said,

gossip is saying

behind a person's back

what you would never

say to their face.

Flattery

is saying

to a person's face

what you would never

say behind their back.

These Pharisaic agents

are just trying

to butter Jesus up

to make him

slip and fall.

Nonetheless,

what they say

about Jesus

is entirely true.

Jesus is true.

He does teach

the way of God

truthfully.

Jesus does not

care about

anyone's opinion.

It says in John 2,

24-25

that Jesus did not

entrust himself

to people

and to their

esteem or opinion

about him.

Jesus is not

swayed by appearances.

That phrase,

not swayed by appearances

in the original Greek

is literally

Jesus,

you do not see

faces.

What does that mean?

You do not see

faces.

This is a Hebrew

idiom

for showing

partiality

towards certain

people or faces.

Deuteronomy 10,

17 says that

God is not

partial

and takes

no bribe.

Literally,

in the Hebrew,

that's God

does not

take faces

and does not

take bribes.

Similarly,

in Acts 10,

34,

he says that

God shows

no partiality.

And there,

the literal expression

in Greek

is God

does not

take up

faces.

So to not

take a face

is to show

no partiality

to anyone

regardless

of their

appearance,

position,

or power.

This is what

God enjoins

Samuel in

1 Samuel 16,

7.

Do not look

on his

appearance

or on the

height of his

stature

because I have

rejected him.

For the Lord

sees not

as man

sees.

Man looks

on the outward

appearance,

but the Lord

looks on

the heart.

The Lord

does not

see faces,

he sees

hearts.

Jesus

is therefore

like his

father because

he's God's

son and

because he's

one with

him,

he sees

no faces.

He's not

swayed by

appearances.

He doesn't

pay more

attention to

beautiful and

handsome people

or rich and

powerful people.

it's an

amazing quality

about our

savior that

we should

seek to

emulate.

Whether

people love

him or

hate him,

whatever

people's

opinion of

him might

be,

Jesus is

always true

and teaches

the way of

God truthfully.

And how

different is

Jesus from

the Pharisees?

When Jesus

asked them

earlier in

chapter 21,

25,

the baptism

of John,

where does it

come from?

From heaven

or from man?

They refused

to answer,

give Jesus

a straight

answer.

They refused

to tell him

honestly what

they think

because they

despised John

the Baptist

and they

definitely did

not think

that his

baptism came

from heaven

but they

did not

dare to

say that

because it

says they

were afraid

of the

crowd for

they all

hold that

John was

a prophet.

And again

in chapter

21,

45,

46,

after hearing

the parables

that Jesus

spoke denouncing

them,

the Jewish

leaders,

it says that

they were

seeking to

arrest Jesus

but they

feared the

crowds because

they held

him to be

a prophet.

The Pharisees

are unwilling

to say what

they really

think and

to do what

they really

think is

right

because they're

afraid of

people's

opinions,

unlike Jesus

who does

not care

about anyone's

opinion.

The Herodians

are concerned

about pleasing

the Romans

and doing

their bidding

because they

see people's

faces,

they only

see powerful

people's

faces,

but Jesus

does not

see people's

faces.

What about

you?

Do you

see people's

faces?

Do you

pay more

attention to

people who

are good

looking and

well dressed?

do you

respect and

value every

person that

you talk

to simply

because they

are created

in the image

of God?

Do you

gravitate

toward the

rich, the

successful and

powerful people,

people who can

do something for

you, give you

a favor?

And then do you

tend to ignore

people who have

nothing to offer?

imagine if

Jesus treated

us that way.

We had

nothing to

offer.

Not many of

you are wise

according to

worldly standards,

not many were

powerful, not

many were of

noble birth, but

God chose what

is foolish in

the world to

shame the

wise.

God chose what

is weak in

the world to

shame the

strong.

what about

you?

Do you care

about people's

opinions?

Do you

regard the

truth of God

or do you

regard the

opinions of

men?

Do you

stand upon

the truth of

God's word no

matter how

inconvenient it

is for you,

no matter how

unpopular it is

among your

friends or in

the culture?

Or do you

champion God's

truth only when

it suits?

you?

Do you

hesitate to

share the

gospel with

your neighbors

and coworkers

because you're

afraid that

they'll judge

you and think

less of you?

Does your

interpretation of

countercultural,

hard-to-accept

passages of

scripture shift

with the

ever-changing

culture?

Are you like a

chameleon?

Do your

beliefs change

and morph

wherever you

are,

whatever peers

you are

surrounded by

and what

they think

and believe?

Why should we

care about

what creatures

think?

What matters is

what the

creator thinks.

why should we

care what

these spectators

in the

courtroom

think?

Only thing

that matters

is what the

judge thinks.

Let us

not go

limping between

two opinions.

Let's let our

yes be yes

and our no

no.

If we're going

to believe in

God's word,

let us believe it

fully and wholly

and stake our

very lives upon

it and stand

and say,

here I stand,

I will not

move.

Regard the

truth of God,

not the

opinions of

men.

Now let's

look at

Jesus'

response to

their question

in verses 19

to 22,

which is

absolutely

brilliant.

He says in

verses 19

to 20,

show me the

coin for the

tax.

The poll

tax amount

was a

denarius and

that was the

silver coin that

people used to

pay the tax.

So understandably,

when Jesus says,

show me the

coin for the

tax, they bring

him the Roman

denarius.

And then Jesus

says, whose likeness

and inscription is

this?

At that time,

because who the

emperor was at

the time, on the

front, a denarius

had the likeness or

image of Tiberius

Caesar.

And on the back,

it had the image of

Tiberius' mother,

Livia, depicted as

the goddess of

peace.

So the Roman

denarius was a

violation of the

second of the

Ten Commandments.

You shall not

make for yourself

a carved image or

any likeness of

anything that is in

heaven above or

that is on the

earth beneath or

that is in the

water under the

earth.

Not only that,

the coin, that

denarius, had an

abbreviated Latin

inscription that

said, Tiberius

Caesar, son of the

divine Augustus.

Augustus.

That's what it

said on the

front.

On the back, it

said, Pontifex

Maximus, meaning

high priest.

Tiberius, the

emperor, was

claiming both to

be the high priest

of God and the

son of God, which

is a direct

violation of the

first of the

Ten Commandments.

You shall have no

other gods before

me.

The very sight of

this coin would

have been repulsive

to faithful Jews.

They wanted no

part in this

emperor cult.

And this is why

in 66 AD, during a

short-lived

independence during

the Jewish revolt,

another Jewish

revolt, one of the

first things that

they do as soon as

they have some

control over their

own lives is mint

their own coins.

To devout Jews, the

very possession of

this idolatrous Roman

denarius would have

been incriminating.

And apparently, Jesus

doesn't have one.

So he asks his

interrogators, show

me.

Show me the coin

for the tax.

And who hands him

this coin?

It's the Pharisees'

disciples and the

Herodians.

The co-conspirators

just happen to have

a denarius in their

pocket.

And that fact alone,

they're losing some

major points with the

Jewish zealots that

they were trying to

discredit Jesus with

in that crowd.

I imagine there are

gasps and murmurs.

They pull out the

coin.

Oh, yeah.

It's like,

and maybe I'm

dramatizing too much.

I'd imagine at least

there were like raised

eyebrows.

Like, huh?

Like, what's going on?

You're carrying that

vile token of idolatry

and symbol of our

subjugation in your

pocket?

You use it?

Right here, you're

inside the temple

precincts during the

holiest feast, the

Passover feast.

You have that in your

pocket?

It's just as

offensive as the

money changers and

the pigeon sellers in

the temple.

And when Jesus asked

them, whose likeness

and inscription is this,

they sheepishly answer,

Caesar's.

And Jesus says to

them, therefore,

render to Caesar the

things that are Caesar's

and to God the things

that are God's.

And when they heard

it, they marveled and

they left him and went

away.

The word render can

literally be translated

as repay.

It's a Greek word that

translates repaying the

debt that you owe to

somebody or paying a

wage to someone who

wages, someone whom

wage is owed to because

of their work or rendering

a reward to someone who

deserves a reward or a

punishment.

It's but giving something

that is owed.

It's a repay someone.

So that's why the new

international version,

NIV, translates verse

21 this way.

So give back to Caesar

what is Caesar's and

give back to God what

is God's.

Well, this is what Jesus

is saying.

If you're already using

this idolatrous Roman

coin and carrying it

around in your possession

and the coin has Caesar's

likeness and inscription on

it, then give it back to

him.

Pay your poll tax.

Jesus doesn't flinch when

he tells him the truth.

Pay your taxes.

This applies to us too.

Pay your taxes.

I've heard a pastor joke

one time that, quoting

Benjamin Franklin, I think

he's the one who said,

right, the only two things

are certain in life, that

one is debt, the other is

taxes.

And it seems like some

people try to avoid taxes

even more than they avoid

death.

Should not be so with us.

And in saying this, Jesus

articulates a very important

principle.

The citizens of a country

are in a real way indebted

to their civil authorities

for their services and

its appropriate and right

to pay taxes to them.

When our country is invaded

by a foreign nation and our

families are threatened,

isn't it the government

that mobilizes and commands

the military to repel the

enemies, the invaders?

Isn't it the government

that catches, prosecutes,

and imprisons criminals so

that our streets are safe?

Isn't it the government that

provides clean water and

various health services?

Isn't it the government that

offers free education whether

you take advantage of it or

not?

Jesus is teaching us that there

is something that we actually

owe to our governing

authorities.

Paul captures this perfectly

in Romans 13, 1 through 7.

I'm going to read it and

project it for you on the

screen.

Let every person be subject to

the governing authorities.

For there is no authority except

from God, and those that exist

have been instituted by God.

Therefore, whoever resists the

authorities resists what God has

appointed, and those who resist

will incur judgment.

For rulers are not a terror to good

conduct but to bad.

Would you have no fear of the one who

is in authority?

Then do what is good, and you will

receive his approval, for he is

God's servant for your good.

But if you do wrong, be afraid, for

he does not bear the sword in vain.

For he is the servant of God, an

avenger who carries out God's wrath

on the wrongdoer.

Therefore, one must be in subjection,

not only to avoid God's wrath, but

also for the sake of conscience.

For because of this, you also pay

taxes, for the authorities are

ministers of God, attending to this

very thing.

Pay to all what is owed to them.

Taxes to whom taxes are owed.

Revenue to whom revenue is owed.

Respect to whom respect is owed.

Honor to whom honor is owed.

There are people to whom respect and

honor are owed by virtue of their

position and authority.

I think this applies to every

authority structure in our society,

starting with the family, with the

parents, in our governors.

There are governing authorities to

whom taxes are owed because of their

protection and provisions.

being subject to human governing

authorities and being subject to God,

Jesus is saying, are not necessarily

mutually exclusive.

As long as the Jews are not themselves

worshiping Caesar Tiberius, paying the

poll tax does not violate, does not

compromise them.

It does not violate their conscience.

It need not.

Sometimes we get hung up about what other

people do with the things that we give

them.

I'm sure you guys have heard this.

I've heard this from people that I love.

Can we really buy stuff from Amazon and

other companies who use the money that

we give them to support various movements

and initiatives that are opposed to God

and his word?

Can we pay taxes to our governing

authorities who will use our money to

fund abortion and wars that we don't

support?

But God seems to care more about what we

do, what we do directly, than about what

we do indirectly.

What other people do through things that

we have to provide for one way or another.

And God seems specifically to care a lot

about how we honor and submit to our

governing authorities.

Authorities in society, authorities in

church, authorities in your home.

In fact, Romans 13 is very clear.

We ought to submit to God by submitting to

our governing authorities.

And those who resist the authorities, he

says, incur God's judgment.

Isn't that wild?

Of course, there is an assumption here that

these rulers are not a terror to good

conduct, but to bad.

That's their God-given job, to punish

bad conduct and enforce good conduct,

encourage good conduct.

However, sometimes human rulers do directly

command us to do things that God expressly

prohibits.

And sometimes these human rulers forbid us

from doing things that God expressly

commands us to do.

And in such situations, numerous biblical

precedents teach us that we must obey God

rather than men.

Think of the Egyptian midwives who disobey

Pharaoh's command to kill the Jewish male

babies as they are born.

Or Obadiah who disobeys Queen Jezebel's

command to kill the Lord's prophets and

instead hides them and feeds them.

Or think of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah

during Nebuchadnezzar's time who refused

to bow down to the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar.

Think of prophet Daniel who disobeys King

Darius' edict that no one in the kingdom

should pray to any God except for to the king.

In Acts 5.29, when strictly charged by the

Jewish leaders, the official Jewish authorities,

to stop teaching in Jesus' name, Peter and the

apostles answer, we must obey God rather than men.

But it's important to note that these are all

extraordinary circumstances of overt persecution.

I was about to say overt circumcision.

No, overt persecution.

Sorry.

Need a little bit more sleep.

Sorry.

And that's not the situation that we find

ourselves in here in the U.S.

Sometimes I think we get carried away

by our Massachusetts independent

and revolutionary spirit.

Whenever we disagree with our governing authorities,

we want to make signs and banners saying,

resist.

No kings.

We go on to protest and show of defiance.

When we don't like the election results,

we go storming the Capitol,

disrupt the certification process and election outcome.

I'm not saying that you guys actually did this.

Just.

But the New Testament never commands or commends

this kind of behavior.

Never.

It's so tempting for us to blur the line

between church and state and to seek to

co-opt the state's power of the sword

to advance our power of the key.

To use the state as a vehicle

to advance our agenda,

the church's agenda.

But Jesus says clearly in John 18, 36,

my kingdom is not of this world.

And as soon as you make one of the kingdoms

of the earth,

your kingdom and God's kingdom,

he sees this to be God's kingdom.

That's not it.

He says,

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,

Jesus says.

Don't succumb to the temptation

to make nationalism or revolution your religion

or a socialist utopia your vision and hope.

It's never going to be.

In fact, 1 Peter 2 teaches us

that we ought to be subject for the Lord's sake

to every human institution,

whether it be to the emperor as supreme

or to governor as sent by him.

He tells us to love the brotherhood,

fear God, honor the emperor.

I could hear all the objections in my ears.

I could imagine the objections in my ears.

But what if that ruler is sliding

toward authoritarianism?

He's going to become a tyrant.

Do you know who the emperor was

when Peter was writing?

He was Nero.

Nero is the guy,

when there was a huge fire in the city of Rome,

burning three-fourths of the city down,

people were blaming him, yeah,

because, I mean, he's the ruler.

And so in order to find a scapegoat,

he blamed the Christians.

Oh, the Christians caused this.

And then he subjected Christians to torture,

gladiatorial games,

and killed them by fire,

saying that it caused fire.

Second century Christian author,

Tertullian,

as well as third century,

Lactantius,

they both note

that Nero was the first emperor

that persecuted Christians

in such official and extensive way.

And it's during Nero's reign

that Peter writes,

honor the emperor.

Be subject to him

for the Lord's sake.

Peter explicitly says

in 1 Peter 2, 18-19,

that we should be subject

not only to the good and gentle masters,

but also to the unjust.

For this is a gracious thing

when mindful of God,

one endures sorrows

while suffering unjustly.

Why should we submit

to unjust authorities?

Because we are mindful of God

who put those authorities in charge.

We are supposed to learn submission

to God's authority

by submitting to the various human authorities

God has placed around us in our lives.

Jesus sets an example for us in this.

The Roman governor, Pilate,

has Jesus flogged

without just cause.

Pilate admits it himself twice.

He says,

I find no guilt in Jesus

in John 19.

And then he eventually condemns

Jesus to death

by execution on the cross.

And when in John 19, 9-11,

he's frustrated by Jesus' refusal

to speak and defend himself,

Pilate says to Jesus,

do you not know

that I have authority

to release you

and authority to crucify you?

And Jesus answers,

you would have no authority

over me at all

unless it had been given you from above.

Here's the man

who's gonna condemn him

to death on the cross.

And Jesus says,

you have authority over me

to do this

because God gave it to you.

My father gave you that authority.

In our society,

which places a premium

on individual liberty,

we're suspicious of authority.

But God has a much higher regard

for authority than we do.

He cares that we submit

to our governing authorities.

Therefore,

he says,

render to Caesar

the things that are Caesar's.

But that's not all.

Jesus also says,

and render to God

the things that are God's.

In one sense,

Jesus tells us

to be submissive

to the human governing authorities.

But in another sense,

what Jesus says here

is very subversive

for a few reasons.

At the very least,

Jesus is asserting

that Caesar,

contrary to his own

presumptuous claims,

is not God

since Jesus distinguishes

what belongs to Caesar

and what belongs to God.

You follow me

what I'm saying?

Render to Caesar

things that are Caesar's,

God things that are God's,

because Caesar is not God.

He's putting Caesar

down a notch.

And Jesus' answer

raises a natural question.

Okay, so honor Caesar

and we owe taxes to him,

so we pay taxes to him

because he provides

these services to us,

but what about to God?

What do we owe him?

What are we supposed

to repay him?

What are the things

that we render to him?

What do you think

is the answer?

What do we owe God?

Our lives.

Everything.

Everything.

Everything.

It's perfect.

Psalm 24,

we read from it

for called to worship.

The earth is the Lord's

and the fullness thereof,

the world and those

who dwell therein.

Matthew 5.45 says

that God makes his sun

to rise on the evil

and on the good

and he sends rain

on the just and the unjust.

The sun that warms us

and gives us light,

the rain that falls

to water the earth

and produce crops

so that we have food to eat

without which there is no life.

All of these things

come from God.

They're his.

Acts 17.28 says,

In God,

we live and move

and have our being.

The very breath

in our lungs,

the very strength

in our fibers,

the very souls

of our being

come from God.

We owe God everything.

I was dealing with

an arm sprain

this past week

and I was humbled

by the realization

that such a small thing

can be so debilitating.

And yet,

how many days

have I lived

without thanking God

for that health

in my arm

that I now miss?

I've taken it

for granted

every single day

of my life.

Yes,

we owe our governing

authorities some things,

but we owe God

everything.

I think another aspect

of this passage

confirms this,

how did Jesus

come to the conclusion

that the denarius text

belongs to Caesar?

What was the logical process,

the reasoning process?

Because

his likeness

and inscription

were on it.

Right?

So that begs

the question,

where do we find

God's likeness

and inscription?

Josh is getting

all the,

yeah,

yeah,

he's pointing at himself.

Yes,

us.

The Greek word

for likeness

is the same word

that is used

in the Greek translation

of Genesis 1, 26

when God says,

let us make man

in our image

after our likeness.

What in all of creation

has God chosen

to put his stamp

of likeness upon?

It's us,

human beings,

God's image bearers.

Aren't God's people

the ones who,

according to Revelation 14,

one,

have the name

of the Lord Jesus Christ

and his father's name

written on their foreheads

in a spiritual sense?

God's likeness

and inscription

are written

on us,

stamped upon us.

And the word

render,

I mentioned to you,

is the same word

that means

to give back

or to repay.

It's the same word

that's used

in the parable

of the vineyard

in the preceding chapter

to talk about

giving back to God

the fruit of the vineyard.

What is the vineyard

in that parable?

It's the people of God.

The fruit you're supposed

to give back to God

are the people

that belong to him.

So what are we supposed

to render to God?

You yourselves.

You,

your body,

your soul,

your words,

everything you have

and everything you are

belong to him

and that is incredibly subversive.

Note well what Jesus

is not saying here.

He's not saying

Caesar and God

are equivalent authorities.

Caesar has his spear.

God has his spear.

Absolutely not.

No.

Caesar's here.

God's here.

Over all of it.

God's claim upon our lives

and on our world

trumps Caesar's

or any ruler's

and Abraham Kuyper

was right.

There is not

a square inch

in the whole domain

of our human existence

over which Christ

who is sovereign over all

does not cry

mine.

And I started out

by mentioning

Roger Williams

and the idea

of separation

of church and state.

Secular liberalism

has run amok

with this idea

of separation

of church and state

and they've taken it

way beyond anything

Roger Williams

ever intended.

the original argument

that there should be

no force or coercion

in religion

has morphed

into secularism.

The exclusion

of religion

from the public sphere

and the relegation

of religion

to the private realm

of values

and personal opinions.

Williams called

for the toleration

of other religions

but held firmly

to the exclusive truth

of Christianity

but that has

in our culture

morphed into

moral relativism

and religious

indifferentism.

The liberal creed

that no religion

is better than another.

Williams wanted

to protect

the church

from the corrupting

influences

of the state

because he deemed

religious matters

too high and holy

and the state

therefore incompetent

to adjudicate

such matters.

But secular liberalism

or our state

current states

our governing authorities

are more concerned

with keeping

religious influence

and especially

Christianity

and its morality

out of the public square.

This is the exact

opposite of what

Roger Williams

envisioned

and that is a heresy

!

An affront

to the sovereign

lordship of God.

Think about it.

If you ever become

a public servant

a teacher

a mayor

a city councilor

a judge

a house representative

a president

can you check

your Christianity

at the door

and then serve

as a secularist?

No, absolutely not.

Whether you are

at home

or work

God's likeness

and inscription

is on you

and you belong

to him.

yes, give your

eight hours a day

to your boss

or to your professor

but remember

that 24 hours

of your day

belongs to God.

Yes, give your

10%

or 37%

if you're really rich

in paying taxes

to your governing authorities

but remember

that 100%

of your income

belongs

to God.

Yes, you are

accountable

for the things

that you say

at your workplace

to your boss

but remember

that you are

accountable

for everything

you do

and say

in or out of work

in private

or in public

to God.

How does that work?

How can we give

a part of our lives

a portion of our

things

to this human authority

and then

give all of it

to God?

How can you do that?

Because God's authority

transcends it all

because even when you work

you're not working

only for your boss

ultimately you're

working unto God.

When you submit

to your governing authorities

you're doing it

not ultimately

for their sakes

but ultimately

for the Lord's sake.

All of it gets assumed

under your submission

and your obedience

to God.

God has no rival

He has no peer

we were singing it earlier

He is holy

there is no one

like Him

there is none

beside Him

and He deserves

and demands

our exclusive

allegiance and worship

total worship.

But we haven't done this

have we?

we have withheld

from God

parts of our lives

that rightly

belong to Him

there are

corners of our lives

and our relationships

we have not surrendered

to Him

we haven't given

God

who

to whom we owe

everything

we have not

given Him

His due

you know what

we haven't even

given our human

governing authorities

their due

I've repented

many times

of how I've

spoken of them

in disrespectful

and dishonorable ways

so what hope

is there for us

and that's why

God sent His

Son Jesus

because we are

rebels

rebels

from the very

core of who we are

we don't like

submitting to authority

we don't like

having kings

why?

because we want

to be king

we want to do

what we want

we want to be

masters of our

own faith

that's ultimately

why we don't

want kings

we've lived like

that

we've lived as

rebels against

God

going against

His ways

and yet

God so loved

us that He

sent His only

Son Jesus

Christ

not to come

and crush

that rebellion

but to come

and offer us

rebels

an olive branch

of peace

in His

blood

sacrifice

on the cross

by dying

for our

rebellion

and because

of that

and because

Jesus died

for us

and redeemed

us with His

blood

you have been

ransomed

not by perishable

things such as

silver or gold

but by the

precious blood

of the Lamb

the blood

of Jesus Christ

because God

has done that

we as Christians

have even more

reasons to

give ourselves

wholly to God

even non-Christians

owe everything

to God

they have to

give Him

what is His

due

but we

have been

redeemed

we've been

ransomed

purchased

1 Corinthians 6

19 20

says

do you not

know that

your body

is a temple

of the Holy

Spirit within

you

whom you

have from

God

you are

not

your own

for you

were bought

with a price

so glorify

God

and that's

our privilege

to render

to Caesar

what is Caesar's

to render

to God

what is

God's

and oh

glorious

everything

belongs

to God

let's pray

Father

help us

we want

to submit

wholly to

you

we want

to give

of

ourselves

completely

every aspect

of our

lives

to you

because

you

deserve

no less

make us

a people

who give

you

the worship

that is

due

the obedience

that is

due

thank you

for redeeming

us

by the blood

of your only

son

Jesus

Christ

in his

name we

pray

amen

so

Thank you.