Electric Circuit Rider

It’s one of the most famous answers in history: “Render on to Caesar what is Caesar’s and on to God what is God’s.” 

For centuries it has provided a rationale for a kind of “doublethink” among Christians. God says, “Thou shalt not kill” but Caesar demands that I kill in war or in criminal matters. I will only kill when Caesar tells me to. Otherwise I’ll obey God.

God says, “Thou shalt not steal” but Caesar demands that I go along with taking over 55% of Mexico (now known as Arizona, Nevada, Utah,  New Mexico and California), or taking over the Philippines and Puerto Rico or Iraq; so I will refrain from stealing my neighbor’s Porsche, but I’ll do what Caesar says.

The reasoning goes like this. Caesar sometimes needs to do things that God would consider immoral and I would consider immoral in my personal life, but Caesar gets to break God’s laws. And sometimes Ceasar comes first.

That’s not what the gospel lesson for next Sunday is really about.

Note that it begins with a question about paying taxes. Paying taxes was a hot topic in the Judea of Jesus’ day – even hotter than in
America today. Paying taxes was a way to empower the oppressor. Paying taxes to Rome’s Emperor meant that the Jews were only strengthening the hand of the dictator that held them in his power.

But not to pay taxes – to advocate the non-payment of taxes – was a sure path to the cross. The Herodians, who were widely viewed as collaborators with the Romans, were trying to set Jesus up. But Jesus wasn’t going to take the bait.

“Show me a coin”, he said. Then he asked, “Whose image is on the coin?”

“Caesar’s” was the answer.

“Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”, Jesus said.

If the image of Caesar is on a coin, where is the image of God?

Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind^* in our image, according to our likeness” – Genesis 1:26

You are the likeness of God. Caesar doesn’t have a claim on you; maybe on your money, but not on you. You don’t have to steal or kill or lie or do anything for Caesar except to pay your taxes.

Caesar doesn’t get to break God’s laws without having to pay the consequences and Caesar can’t make you break them either – even if he threatens to kill you, because you believe in resurrection. Besides, money doesn’t mean that much to you because you believe in resurrection. Don’t you?