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Put your hope in the One who reigns over Caesar

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Sermon for Trinity 23

Philippians 3:17-21  +  Matthew 22:15-22

The last time the 23rd Sunday after Trinity showed up in our liturgical calendar was six years ago, on the Sunday before the midterm elections in our country. And here we are today, on the Sunday before the general election, hearing again the Scripture readings for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity which turn our attention to our citizenship under “Caesar,” and to our greater citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Even if you’re as tired as I am of thinking about the political realm, don’t tune out from the Word of God before us today, because your Lord Jesus Christ has something to say to us about it, and we dare not ignore Him.

First, let’s walk through the Gospel. It was Tuesday of Holy Week and the Pharisees and leaders of the Jews were preparing their case against Jesus to put Him to death. So they conspired together to trap Him in His words. Now, remember the political situation in Israel at that time. Rome had conquered Judea some 60 years before Jesus was born, at the time of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was such a popular figure that all future emperors of Rome after him were given the title “Caesar.” At the time of Jesus it was Tiberius Caesar who was in charge, and you see on your service insert a picture of the coin that bore his image. King Herod himself served under Caesar’s authority, so the fact that some Herodians were present when our Gospel takes place is relevant to what happened next.

The Pharisees had carefully crafted their question to Jesus, using flattery first and then presenting a yes or no trap question that could have derailed His ministry right then and there. Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you teach the way of God in truth. You do not care what people think, for you do not pay attention to who they are. So tell us, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? If He answers no, then they have Him for inciting rebellion against Caesar, and Herod’s officials are there to witness it. If He answers yes, then He has to spend His last few precious moments of teaching explaining it to His followers, who were angry at living under Roman rule and saw the Roman tax as an unjust burden that the people of God shouldn’t have to pay. Either way, He would end up being sidetracked away from His main message.

Jesus sees right through their trap and gives them the perfect response. “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for paying the tax.” So they brought him a denarius. And he said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “So give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” It wasn’t exactly a yes or a no. But who could argue with what He said? His answer made it possible for Him to stay “on message” and move on, without getting sidetracked on this final day of teaching before His crucifixion on Friday of that week.

You see, God does have something to say to the Christian about the Christian’s responsibility toward secular government. It’s important, but it’s certainly not the heart of the Gospel message, not nearly as urgent as Jesus’ warnings to repent of all sin and to put your trust in Him for eternal life, not nearly as important as the judgment Jesus was foretelling for those who rejected their God and Savior, not nearly as important as the sacrificial death Jesus was about to suffer for sinful mankind at the end of the week.

And so, instead of fleshing out, at that moment, God’s will regarding the believing Christian’s duty as a citizen of Caesar’s kingdom, Jesus saw to it that His apostles fleshed it out sufficiently in the rest of the New Testament writings, so that we, who have already been born again and made citizens of the kingdom of heaven through faith in the Gospel, might have His teaching on this topic without losing focus on the heart of the Gospel, which is repentance and faith in Christ Jesus to deliver us from sin, death, and the devil.

You heard the apostle Paul say something about this in today’s Epistle. He says, Our citizenship (that is, the Christian’s true citizenship) is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies, that they may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the power with which he is able to subject all things to himself. Our true King and Emperor is Jesus Himself, seated at the right hand of God, reigning supreme over every king, over every Caesar, over every earthly kingdom. Heaven is the true home of the Christian. We’re just passing through this life, in the world but not of the world, and whatever earthly citizenship we may have here is temporary and far inferior to that other citizenship, in which Paul writes that Christians have been made fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

But that doesn’t mean that our citizenship here on earth is unimportant or meaningless. Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, working through the acts and decisions of men, has appointed “Caesars” all over the earth and has commanded us to “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” What does that mean?

First, who is Caesar? The Roman Caesars no longer exist. But “Caesar” is a reference to whatever secular authority God has placed a person under. The overarching authority that a single emperor used to have over everyone in a vast territory has now largely been diminished and spread out among various government officials and branches of government, each having its own scope of authority, with each nation having its own authorities and forms of government. So, for us, that means city government, county government, state government, and the federal government of the United States.

Now the question: What things belong to the various forms of “Caesar” where we live? Jesus said, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Well, what things are those?

To Caesar belong honor and respect. Peter writes, Fear God. Honor the King. God would have His children honor the secular authorities. Honor begins in the heart and extends to our behavior. Now, “to honor” doesn’t mean to love or to like, necessarily. To honor certainly doesn’t mean to worship. And it doesn’t depend on how honorable Caesar may or may not be. Because it’s not about honoring the person. It’s about honoring the position of authority that God has established, and it’s about trusting in God’s good purposes in governing the events of this world, even through ungodly and wicked authorities, as has been the case throughout most of history.

To Caesar also belongs our conditional obedience. St. Paul writes in Romans 13, Whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves…And St. Peter writes, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. God would have His children submit to or obey the authorities who are over us, but conditionally, only when they issue lawful orders, within their scope of authority, and only where their commands don’t conflict with God’s own commandments. So we pay our taxes, even if we don’t think they’re fair or just. We obey the laws of the land, even if we disagree with them. But we don’t obey blindly or unconditionally. When Caesar ordered the early Christians to worship Caesar or to offer incense to the gods of Rome, the faithful Christians rightly disobeyed Caesar, even though it meant they were tortured and put to death. We obey whenever we can obey in good conscience, because, as Peter writes, this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.

“Bondservants of God.” That’s what Jesus would have us remember when He says, Give to God what is God’s. What things belong to God? Everything you have belongs to God. Your very life belongs to God. Your heart does not belong to Caesar, but it does belong to God, along with loving God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Not only honor but worship belongs to God—not to the government. Faith and trust belong to God, not to the government. As the Psalm says, Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. But, on the other hand, Trust in the LORD with all your heart. And unconditional obedience belongs to God, even if you don’t understand why He commands what He does.

So, since God has placed us under the laws of the kingdom where we live, that means that He also allows Christians to use secular laws and public ordinances, to make contracts, to do business in this world, and even to serve in secular offices, as long as these things are done lawfully, without disobeying any of God’s commandments, and with love for our neighbor at all times.

He has even given His Christians a role (in this country, at least) in choosing our various Caesars—thinking not only of ourselves, but also of our neighbor’s good. He has given us the responsibility to evaluate the available candidates for office according to His Word and to vote, not for the Caesar who will be perfect, but for the Caesar who, of the available choices, will best conform to God’s will, as an authority under God’s authority, to vote for the Caesar who (as far as we can tell) will do the most good and the least amount of harm for our neighbor, according to God’s Word. And since intentionally killing our innocent neighbor is one of the greatest harms that can be done, abortion is one of the most clear-cut issues for the Christian, making it our duty, as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, to do everything in our power, as citizens of an earthly kingdom, to keep the more-pro-abortion candidates as far away from power as possible, and you know very well who they are in this year’s election.

Who will Caesar be for us after Tuesday’s election? I suspect that, in some cases, it won’t be altogether clear for a while, and that it’s going to get messy, and that you’ll have very angry people on both sides claiming that an election was stolen and possibly causing chaos like we’ve never seen before. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together, as the citizens of the kingdom of heaven, with God’s almighty help. Make it your purpose to avoid violence, to avoid hatred, to avoid vitriol, and to avoid despair. Do your best to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. But above all, pray to the one who is above Caesar, and put all your hope in Christ, who reigns supreme over every Caesar, for the good of His beloved Church. Leave all things to God’s direction. And, as Paul writes, set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Amen.

Source: Sermons

Caesar has his God-given place

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Sermon for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity

Philippians 3:17-21  +  Matthew 22:15-22

It’s not often that we have the opportunity to consider together the texts appointed for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity. This Sunday is usually displaced by our celebration of the Reformation. But this year, it just so happens, by God’s providence, that Trinity 23 falls the week before the Reformation, and that’s cause for thanksgiving, because, I don’t know if you’ve noticed at all, but there are some elections coming up, and things are looking rather bleak for the future of our nation, and, really, for all the nations of earth—no matter who is elected in November.

St. Paul reminded us in today’s Epistle: Our citizenship is in heaven. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to hold onto this truth during these chaotic political times. Our citizenship is in heaven, safe from the risings and fallings of earthly nations, secure from the hands of corrupt earthly rulers, and from the hands of godless citizens (and voters). The assembly of the baptized, the Church of Jesus Christ, does not tie its hopes to any nation on earth, nor does it put its trust in any political candidate or secular ruler. None of them—no human being, for that matter—can be trusted. Instead, the Christian’s trust is placed solely and completely in Christ Jesus, our only Savior, and our hope and expectation is set fully, not on the establishment of an earthly kingdom, not on the prosperity or the “greatness” of our nation, but on Christ’s coming at the end of this age and on the resurrection of the dead. As we approach our national and local elections over the next few weeks, you will do well to remember this verse from Philippians 3. Our citizenship is in heaven.

So what about our citizenship here below, in this nation in which God, according to His eternal purposes, has caused us to be born? Are we to deny it? Are we to embrace it? Are we to despise Caesar or worship Caesar? Or are we to view him in some other way? All of these things are addressed very concisely by Jesus in today’s Gospel.

Not that the Pharisees were looking for instruction from Jesus on this important topic. For their part, they were just looking for another way to get Him killed. They devised the perfect trap question for Him. Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

Understand the political landscape at that time. Israel still existed as a nation, but it had fallen under the umbrella control of the Roman empire, whose emperors were still using the title of “Caesar” at that time, after Julius Caesar, whose military and political exploits greatly expanded the power of Rome. Rome had divided the land of the Jews into four territories and placed four tetrarchs or governors over them who were to serve Rome by keeping the Jews in their territories under control. As a result, the Jews were living under the general belief that to be pro-Caesar was to be anti-God and anti-Israel, and to be pro-God and pro-Israel was to be anti-Caesar.

So the Pharisees put this yes/no question to Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar, and they made sure the Herodians were there as witnesses (Herod was one of those four tetrarchs who served Rome). If Jesus answered, No, it isn’t lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, then Herod’s men would have cut Him down for inciting rebellion against Rome. If He said, Yes, it’s lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, then the fanatical Jews, who hated Rome and were constantly trying to start another revolt, would have cut Him down themselves. Either way, the Pharisees would have won.

But Christ is wiser than all His enemies. He doesn’t give them a yes or no answer to their question. Instead, He defeats their trap by reframing the argument. Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

The fact that Caesar had conquered God’s people, the nation of Israel, did not mean that God’s people should rebel against Caesar. It wasn’t “God vs. Caesar.” Caesar—who represents all secular rulers—has his place in the world, and his place is not inherently opposed to God or God’s people, nor is his place above God or side by side with God, but under God, as a servant of God, with a specific scope of authority given to Him by God, even though Caesar and his entire government were not believers in the true God or citizens of the kingdom of heaven. And the Christian, as a permanent citizen of heaven, who has also been made a temporary citizen under Caesar, is to be neither anti-God nor anti-Caesar. But we are taught to recognize the place of each, and to fulfill our responsibilities toward them both.

What is the place God has given to Caesar—to the secular rulers and civil authorities? The apostle Paul summarizes it well in Romans 13: Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

God has appointed all the governing authorities, including the pagan emperors of Rome. They had no love for the true God or for His people Israel. But what did God accomplish through Caesar Augustus, His minister? He’s the one who issued that decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. That got Mary and Joseph down to Bethlehem, just in time for a very special birthday. What did God accomplish through His minister, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate? He was not a just ruler; He gave an innocent Man over to be crucified. But the crucifixion of that Man means forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation for all who believe. What did God accomplish through His ministers, the Roman rulers, both before and after the time of Christ? The Pax Romana, the Roman peace, allowed the Gospel to spread far and wide from Judea to all the ends of the earth. And, what did God accomplish through His ministers, the wicked Roman rulers who persecuted His Christians and put them to death? The persecution of the Church did not put an end to the Church, but caused it to flourish. As a Church father once wrote, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

The fact is, God always accomplishes His good purposes through secular rulers, whether they intend to serve Him or not—His good purposes, either to protect the life and property of His people for a time and to maintain law and order in society, so that the Gospel can be preached freely; or to punish the wicked nation with injustice, with bad laws, with chaos and destruction. Because even when nations are disintegrating, even during times of chaos and persecution of the Church, even when Christians are martyred, even then the gates of Hades will not prevail against Christ’s Church. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

What things are Caesar’s, so that we should render it unto him? Taxes and revenues are due to him—even if they seem excessive. Obedience to his laws—even if they are unjust. Willing submission to his authority—even if he is abusing his authority. Even honor—whether or not he is honorable.

What things are God’s, so that we should render it unto Him? All things are God’s: our bodies and souls, our hearts and our devotion, our time and our possessions, honor and worship, glory and dominion. Obedience to His commands, including His command to render unto Caesar the things that He has given to Caesar.

And God has surely given many things to Caesar. But not His Word. Not our souls. Not our conscience. Over those things, Caesar has no authority. So if Caesar commands us to disobey God’s commandments, then we must obey God rather than men. If Caesar commands us to stop preaching the Word of God or any part of it, or to stop gathering around Word and Sacrament, then we must disobey Caesar—and suffer the earthly consequences for it, without grumbling and certainly without rebelling. Because, while Caesar has power over our bodies and our possessions, he has no power whatsoever over our souls, over our faith, or over our eternal inheritance that is reserved for us in heaven. And through our suffering here on earth, God’s name will still be honored among us, and we can trust God Himself to deal severely with unjust rulers in His own time.

All of this has been said about the rulers who have been placed over us, or who will be placed over us. What does it mean when it comes to electing or choosing our own rulers in a democratic society? I’ve already written something about that recently. Submitting to godless tyrants is one thing. Choosing men or women who give every indication that they will be godless tyrants who won’t protect the innocent or punish the evildoer but will do just the opposite—that’s another thing entirely. Have nothing to do with such choices, with such elections. Leave it in God’s hands, and don’t be afraid. Instead, as the Psalm says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

So render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. But above all, for the remainder of this passing election cycle, for the remainder of our country’s existence, for the remainder of your short life here on earth, remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead and now sits at God’s right hand, reigning over every nation of the earth for the good of those who love Him. And also remember St. Paul’s words to the Philippians: Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Amen.

 

 

 

Source: Sermons