Sunday. Ordinary 29A, Proper 24A. Gospel

The question about paying taxes. 22:15-21

Introduction
Matthew now records a series of three trick questions put to Jesus by the religious authorities, 22:15-40. They are questions which seek to show Jesus up, even entrap him. Jesus answers the questions and asks one of his own, a question which the religious authorities cannot answer, 22:41-46. These events take place during the week before his arrest.

The passage
v15-16a. Matthew says the Pharisees were behind the plan to snare Jesus with the question over the poll tax. In 6AD Judas the Galilean led a revolt against Rome over a tax census. True Israelites hated the tax because it admitted slavery to Rome and therefore, dishonored God. The Pharisees obviously thought that they would have Jesus trapped with their question. If he supported the tax, he would alienate the common people. If he rejected the tax, he would be committing treason against Rome. The Pharisees opposed the tax, while the Herodians, supporters of Herod and thus Roman sympathizers, supported the tax. Thus, they teamed up to trap Jesus.
16b-17. This extended piece of flattery served to put Jesus in a position where he had to answer their question. As a man of "integrity" and not easily "swayed by men", he would have to answer their trick question. The question was, on the surface at least, a theological one. "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar", in the sense of, is it a godly thing to do? Caesar here means Tiberius. "Caesar" was now the common title for the Roman emperor.
v18-20. Jesus knew well their deceit and so instead of a theological treatise he decided to employ their own tactics. The tax would normally be paid in Roman coinage. With the inscription "Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus" on one side, and "high priest" (pontifex maximus) on the other, religious Jews tried to use the coinage for tax purposes only. Jesus obviously didn't carry this coinage around with him, but a Herodian would happily carry it.
v21-22. In his answer, Jesus bypasses all the known and expected answers. Give God what is due God, and give Caesar what is due Caesar. Jesus' reply left his questioners dumbfounded.

Balancing heaven and earth
The Jews understood that they owed some allegiance to their pagan overlords, since in the end, all authority is derived from God, cf. Prov.8:15, Dan.2:21, 37-38. Yet, paying tribute was more in keeping with God's people in exile than residents of the Davidic city of Jerusalem. The Jews were the people of God, not the people of Rome. Even more so, if Jesus were the messiah, political independence from Rome was an obvious consequence of messianic deliverance.
Jesus' answer moved into a totally new quarter. The kingdom Jesus comes to inaugurate, his new community, must render both to Caesar and to God. This is an amazingly new idea, one the apostles came to understand and apply, Rom.13:1-7, 1Pet.2:13-17. Of course, there may be times when the secular power will claim rights which belong only to God. In this situation the disciple must honour God before the State, Act.4:19, 5:29. None-the-less, in one short sentence Jesus lays down a simple principle to cover the schizophrenia of living in the world, while not being of the world, Jn.17:14-16. Jesus tells us how to survive with one foot in heaven and one foot on earth.

Western culture, and thus the church, is powerfully influenced by Platonic thought - the dichotomy between spirit and matter, good and evil, light and dark, truth and falsehood. Only in recent times have we started to think laterally. We are beginning to understand that truth is in tension. For example, we are beginning to understand that God is sovereign and humanity is free; that we are socially responsible (socialism, social justice) and at the same time free individuals (capitalism, free enterprise). These seemingly opposed ideas are better seen as truths in tension.
The sacred and secular dichotomy is a perfect example of this problem. It is not helpful to see the spiritual life as good and true, and the secular life as evil and false. The rule of the church is not somehow sacred and good, while the rule of the State somehow secular and evil (or at least less than good). Both church and state serve the one God, even when they don't realize it.
We are children of this age and of the age to come. This age, although corrupted by sin, is still "good" - a beautiful creation by a loving God. It is good to share in the wonder of God's creation and it is good to share in its responsibilities. It is good to "fill the earth and subdue it", rule over it, ie., it is good to order the world for the benefit of all creation. It is similarly good to know and serve the living God, to rejoice in his joy, to share his blessings and submit to his rule. Both paths are necessary and thus it is good to "give to Caesar what is Caesar's", and it is good to give "to God what is God's."

Discussion
1. Why were the Pharisees trying to trap Jesus?
2. What was the trap?
3. Why did the Jews resist paying tribute to Caesar?
4. Discuss the principle laid down by Jesus in his reply. Present some life examples.

Textual notes Abbreviations, Bibliography

Jesus' lateral approach to what was traditionally a sensitive tax issue, not only stunned the people of his day, but has caused many to marvel at his astute answer ever since. Although a simple reading prompts us to give weight to both the "secular" and "sacred" responsibilities of life, many commentators have sought to underline the divine responsibility, over the secular, by arguing that Jesus is reinforcing the notion of separateness, the sacred / secular divide - "never the twain shall meet." We could even argue that Jesus' "give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" is little more than political correctness, a sop to the governing authorities who are well able to end his ministry then and there, leaving the real thrust of his words with "and the things of God to God."
It is certainly clear that we are dealing with two entities of unequal authority. Divine authority will always supersede the authority of the State when they are in conflict. The problem is that they are always in conflict. It is obvious that the Jews of the first century would be better off without the hard hand of Rome oppressing them. Is there really any worth in funding the activities of a brutal dictatorship? Yet, when we look at Jesus' life we see that he was quite willing to live within the status quo, working, ministering, "eating and drinking", apart from political activism, or social concern ("you always have the poor with you"), while at the same time proclaiming the good news of a kingdom that "is not of this world."
In the end, we are not dealing with two entities in conflict, such that we must choose one over the other, but rather, two entities in tension, such that of necessity we must choose both. Of course, this notion is not new. The Preacher (Qohelet), many years before, reminded us that there is nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in our toil, but also "without God who can eat with enjoyment?" cf. Ecclesiastes.

v15
tote adv. "then" - Used to make the point that the religious leaders' attempt to "trap" Jesus is a response to the parable of the Wedding Feast.
poreuqenteV (poreuomai) aor. part. "went out" - having gone. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "take" (took counsel with = "laid plans"). "Snuck off."
sumboulion elabon (lambanw) aor. "laid plans" - plans / counsel together they took. "Met together and made plans."
oJpwV + subj. "to" - so that, in order that / how, in what manner. Usually expressing purpose. Possibly "how they might", "how they could entrap him in argument", Phillips.
pagideuswsin (pagideuw) aor. sub. "trap [him]" - they might set a trap, ensnare, entangle. They wanted to trip him up on his teachings; "planned how they could trick Jesus into saying something wrong", CEV.

v16
apostellousin (apostellw) pres. "they sent" - they are sending. Dramatic present to increase the impact of the moment.
Hrw/dianwn "Herodians" - The only reference to this party is found in the New Testament. Obviously they were supporters of Herod and therefore supporters of the Roman occupation.
didaskale (oV) voc. "teacher" - rabbi. A title of respect so, "master", JB, etc.
alhqhV adj. "a man of integrity" - true, honest, genuine. The intended substantive from of this adjective is unclear: "you are an honest man", JB; "you speak the truth", Barclay; "you are a sincere man", REB......
en alhqeia/ "in accordance with the truth" - in truth, faithfulness. It is doubtful that they actually believe that Jesus teaches divine truth, but they may believe he is sincere about what he teaches, "you teach in all sincerity the way of life that God requires", REB. It does seem, on the surface at least, that it is but faint praise.
ou blepeiV eiV proswpon anqrwpwn "you aren't swayed by men" - you do not look into face of men. Probably best seen as another condescending comment, or at least faint praise. Jesus is not impartial, he is "no respecter of persons", Morris.

v17
ti soi dokei (dokew) "what is your opinion" - what to you seems / do you believe / choose as proper, right, true, superior, permitted. Possibly "lawful" AV, in the sense of according to God's law, cf. TEV, but "proper", in the general sense of what is appropriate in the circumstances, even to the very general, "what do you think?", CEV. What is clear is that the question serves to put Jesus in the pro, or anti, Roman camp and so open him to the hostility of either his fellow Jews or the Roman authorities.
khnson (oV) "taxes" - The tax here is not the regular duties levied on goods etc. but the poll tax, a direct administrative tax levied by the Roman government on the Jewish populous. It was hated by the Jews.
Kaisari dat. "to Caesar" - "Emperor", CEV; "the Roman government."

v18
thn ponhrian (a) "evil intent" - wickedness, evil. "Jesus was aware of their malicious intention", REB.
uJpokritai (hV ou) "hypocrites" - Their flattery shows that they are not genuine seekers after the truth.
peirazete "trap" - snare. The word can mean "test" in the sense of putting someone to a test with the intention of faulting them. This leads to the meaning "tempt" as in AV. "You are not out for information, you are out to make trouble in your two-faced maliciousness", Barclay.

v19
dhnarion (on) "a denarius" - A silver Roman coin valued at a day's wage. It carried the emperor's visage, and since it often carried a religious inscription (eg. Tiberious, "God and High Priest") it was highly offensive to a pious Jews. It was not something you would carry into the Temple, but the poll tax had to be paid with this coinage.

v20
hJ eikwn (h) "portrait" - image. "Whose head is this?", NRSV; "likeness", Weymouth.
hJ epigrafh (h) "inscription" - superscription. "Whose picture and name are on it", CEV.

v21
tote adv. "then" - then, therefore. "Well then ...."
apodote (apodidwmi) aor. imp. "give" - render, pay back, give back, return. The word carries the sense of returning something that rightly belongs to another. No matter how the Jews may despise the Romans, they are obliged to contribute to the cost of government, given that they share in its benefits. Similarly, as citizens of heaven, there are other obligations that cannot be neglected. "Pay what is owing", Morris.

Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons

Matthew

Notes