Episode Transcript
[00:00:24] Speaker A: Hi.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: My name is Josh.
[00:00:25] Speaker A: And my name is Gabriel.
[00:00:27] Speaker B: And today we are studying the event paying taxes to Caesar. This is found in the book of Matthew, chapter 22, verses 15 through 22. In the book of Mark, chapter twelve, verses 13 through 17. And the book of Luke, chapter 20, verses 20 through 26. Today we will be reading in the book of Matthew. Beginning in chapter 22 and verse 15. Follow along with us.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Jesus 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?
[00:01:36] Speaker B: 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.
So we have this interaction again. Where the Pharisees are trying to corner Jesus. This time they're not going. They're sending their disciples. But they're sending this other group, these Herodians.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: Who are the Herodians is a political party. Supporting the descendants, the house of Herod. Which have been ruling different areas of Palestine for a while.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: And they come to Jesus, and they start by flattering him. And flattery can get us in a lot of trouble.
I know when my kids want to ask for something, they'll come and make sure.
[00:02:46] Speaker A: Elegant introduction.
[00:02:47] Speaker B: Yeah, make sure. I'm good. How are you doing? Do you need anything? Yeah. Okay. You're good? All right. Now can I have this? And so they come with this long, elegant introduction, as you said. And come ready to trap Jesus. And they ask them on this question of taxes.
Are taxes really an issue?
[00:03:08] Speaker A: At least those times they were. Because paying taxes was like paying a tribute. To a controlling political power. Another nation. And by paying taxes practically, they admitted they recognized that power.
[00:03:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And there are sects at this time. Who feel that if you're giving taxes, if you're paying to the Romans, you are blaspheming. You're going against God. You're not doing what God has asked you to do. You're not standing up to protect the nation. Of Israel. And so here we have this discrepancy. They're trying to cast Jesus out. Do we face, maybe not in the same way do we face these calls today, people not wanting to pay taxes, not wanting to give to the government?
[00:04:06] Speaker A: Yes.
And that can be in different shapes and forms, because there is this popular mindset which was brought into the mainstream by we are here in America. President Reagan in the eighties, he said, government is evil. So when you pay taxes to the government, you support whatever is evil in this world. And, you know, taxes go to different purposes, and some of those purposes are decided by the Congress or legislated. And sometimes money go to a purpose that I do not agree. Other times they go to another purpose that my friends might not agree. So the idea is, do we return our taxes even if that money are used in a way that we consider inappropriate?
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Yeah. And back then, you know, that was certainly the case. They were. Capital punishment was very prevalent. And not only it was public display. They would line up the victims up and down in front of cities to show people, this is what happens when you don't follow.
So paying taxes and rendering it had a bigger effect than it might today. Yet Jesus told those who were listening to pay taxes to give to Caesar what is Caesar's. But I think we want to spend time on the second part of that statement, because that's where the power comes in. And the second part of that statement is, and to God the things that are God's in the lives that we live today, we're to follow the laws of the land, correct? Including paying taxes, as long as those.
[00:06:04] Speaker A: Laws do not contradict directly the law of God.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, exactly. So as long as it doesn't go against the law of God, I were to follow the laws of the land.
And for the most part, I think we're pretty good at that.
But are we good at following God's laws?
And what are God's laws? Is it just the ten commandments, or are there more?
[00:06:31] Speaker A: And this context is, give to God what belongs to him. What is God?
And when we read carefully the whole story of the Bible and we step back to have the big picture in front of our eyes, we realize that what we have and who we are is very much determined by creation as well as by redemption. Later, we are who we are by the grace of God.
Everything we have belongs to God. Our time, our health, our skills and means to produce money.
Everything belongs to God. Of course, there are some specific requirements. For instance, that tithe, the 10% of the net income in the Old Testament, a couple of places, the Bible says the tithe is the Lord's, is directly belonging to him.
In the same way, a part of time belongs to God.
And the fourth commandment says the Lord's Sabbath. Right. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord.
So even if we earn 10th and we receive the gift of time in the form of seven days per week, we have to return something to God. And if we go in the New Testament, this concept is being expanded to all the talents and the gifts that we receive from God.
And there are some universal talents like time and influence. And there are some specific talents which are given only to some, like the gift of administration, gift of wisdom, the gift of explaining the prophecy, and so on.
We are accountable both to the general gifts as well as to the specific gifts, because in the day of judgment, we have to give an account to everything that we have received from God.
[00:08:53] Speaker B: Yeah, and, you know, adding on to that, I mean, just getting down to the very basic, our bodies are not our own.
We're bought with a price. So everything, as you said, who we are, what we have, our surroundings, everything belongs to God.
And as we act, as we honor God, it should affect all parts of our lives. Yes, our leisure time, our work time, our playtime, our friend time, our alone time, whatever we're doing, we should do all for the glory of God.
[00:09:32] Speaker A: And the question is, what is our relationship to what belongs to God? We are stewards. Maybe the best way to describe our relationship with God's property.
[00:09:43] Speaker B: So what is a steward?
[00:09:44] Speaker A: It is, I'm a manager of someone else's property.
The body is not mine. As I said, it was bought with a price, the price of the death of the blood of Jesus Christ. So I have to maintain it in the same way children are a gift from God, says the Bible, so we have to administer that gift. That means to invest not only in food and, you know, shelter and toys, but in the love that will shape their character, that will prepare them to fulfill their ultimate purpose, that is, to become children of God, because for that purpose, we are called as parents.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: I think when I think of stewards, I think of my house. So if you get your own house built, you've just built a brand new house. You can do whatever you want with it. But my house was built in 1859, two years before the Civil War, and it's had a ton of history. It was the first house built in the town. The mayor lived there for a while, and I'm a caretaker.
Eventually, if Jesus doesn't come back, someone else will own this house at another point in time. And so everything I do, I do to maintain and keep the house in, well, working order for the next person who's going to care for this.
[00:11:17] Speaker A: And by extension, we have to treat the environment around us and the whole earth. We are stewards of what belongs to our children and grandchildren if the Lord doesn't come. And we have to have this mindset of stewardship. This is very important, because stewardship was dominion entrusted to Adam and Eve from the beginning. And God likes to share dominion. And God likes to trust us in the beginning with a little and more and more, until we regain that initial dominion that was lost through the fall into sin.
[00:12:05] Speaker B: Yeah. And so we as stewards, have a responsibility both to God and to Caesar. We're a steward of this country. You know, we're to care for the things that are around us. And we're to care for those nearby us. And Jesus is bringing this out that you can do both.
And as far as they don't conflict with one another, we should do both. Even if we don't like it, even if we don't agree with it. We should follow the laws of the land as long as they coincide and work well with the word of God.
[00:12:48] Speaker A: For these Pharisees and their disciples and Herodians, serving God and rendering taxes to Caesar were mutually exclusive. Jesus approach that made them marvel was you can have both of them. And at the same time, please to God, and at the same time take care of your country by supporting the government. And not all initiatives of the government might be clean or kosher, but we are here to support the government.
[00:13:30] Speaker B: Yeah. In that support, it doesn't mean that we need to go out and support the government in areas where we feel it is not living up to our morals.
We don't need to go and volunteer our time to support in something we don't agree with, but do our part.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: Yes. And our part might be, even beyond returning taxes, might be our prayer, might be our voice. We still live in a free world. And we have the first amendment here in America that allow us to express our opinion. And we should always do it. And in addition to that, we can help the poor and the destitute and the immigrants and everyone who is in need. We can have a direct impact, or we can associate ourselves like our churches or charities can help people. And that will supplement the responsibility of the government or whatever they didn't do perfectly.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Let's pray.
Father God, I ask that you will help us to be good citizens.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: Amen.
[00:14:45] Speaker B: That we can care for those around us. That we can care for the land that we've been given. That we can lift up and pray for our public officials and support where we are able to.
But, Father, I pray that we also do not lose sight of our responsibilities when it comes to you.
I ask that we will render to you what is yours. That we will surrender our lives, our bodies, our. Our time, our thought, our possessions.
That we allow you to be first. And that we're caretakers of what we have, even if Jesus is coming very soon. That we guard it and protect it like it would last.
I pray, Father, that we look to help wherever we can. In Jesus name. Amen.
[00:15:40] Speaker A: Amen.
