Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the 20th Sunday after Trinity. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes' and 11 am at St Thomas'.
If you are unable to be with us in person, you can find today's Gospel reading, a reflection and prayers below.
Our first hymn this morning is "As We are Gathered, Jesus is Here"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 22:15-22 Paying Taxes to Caesar
The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
Reflection
Some of you will I am sure have a reasonable idea of who the Pharisees were; to recap briefly, they were members of a Jewish religious sect that were often considered to be hypocrites because they professed the highest standards of piety and adherence to religious law but put themselves above everyone else.
But who were the Herodians? The Herodians were a political party of Hellenistic, [Greek], Jews who wanted to restore a Herod to the throne in Judea. They were supportive of the Romans who were an occupying force in Judea and surrounding regions, and as such were despised by the common people. They were also strongly opposed to the Pharisees because they wanted a descendant of David on the throne rather than a descendant of Herod.
However, in today’s reading we see a dubious alliance between the two opposing groups. The common denominator being that neither group particularly liked Jesus and what He stood for. So between them the Herodians and Pharisees attempt to lay a trap for Jesus with what might be described as a lose - lose situation.
They started by trying to lull Jesus into a false sense of security by flattering Him, perhaps trying to seduce him into believing that they were beginning to be won over by His teachings. Then they pose a trick question that they hope will trip Jesus up.
Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” If Jesus, answers ‘No’, then the Herodians will report back the Roman authorities and no doubt have Him arrested. Whereas if Jesus says ‘Yes’, He would risk enraging His followers who have been persecuted by the occupying Romans and heavily taxed, especially the poor who had to suffer more disproportionate levels of tax.
But as we know, Jesus is not normally one to respond with a simple Yes or No. He is unwilling to play their game, so he ‘ups the ante’. By asking the question, “Whose head is this, and whose title?”.
Jesus is highlighting that the coin, as well as being a means of payment, is also a sign of idolatry. It is stamped with the image of Caesar. It is made by human hand for the use of humans and for paying the emperor.
We are told that, ” When they heard this, they were amazed”. On the face of it, it might seem like Jesus has simply deflected the question with a cleverly worded response. He had found a way of sitting on the fence and not upsetting anyone. But that is not what makes this so amazing. If we look a little deeper we can hopefully see a greater significance.
When we consider the ministry of Jesus, we do not see a person who is openly hostile towards the government of the day, despite the extensive corruption and maltreatment of the poor. Similarly, he is certainly not supportive of the authorities, neither the emperor nor the religious leaders of the time.
It is fair to say that there were many who had hoped that the Messiah would be someone of great power and strength like King David. Someone who would lead armies and rebellions to overthrow the Romans.
But that is not Jesus’ way. Jesus shows us that, despite how good or bad the system is, and the circumstances we find ourselves in, we need to work within it. Yes, we have a duty to challenge through reasonable means, using the system itself, but we are not called to rebellion every time we object to the government, be that a democratic or autocratic regime.
So, Jesus does not jump in with both feet and take the opportunity to openly condemn Caesar and the government, no matter how much the people may resent them. Instead He reacts with wisdom and restraint.
In His response He shows us that there is a way to respond to the needs of others whilst remaining within the restrictions and even inequities that are imposed on our daily lives.
He is reminding us that we have a far higher duty that goes beyond paying what is demanded here on earth.
The coin that was handed to Jesus was made by the Romans and stamped with the image of the Roman emperor. Jesus is reminding us that we are all created by the God, the Father, we are all stamped with God’s image [Genesis 1:26], made in His likeness.
Jesus is clear that we are to, ‘give to God the things that are God’s’. I believe that means….
We are to give ourselves to God. To worship and praise Him for His grace and mercy. We are also called to give back to God by loving one another and looking after each other. Our gifts can be evaluated by our actions, how we support communities and those who are needy in the world. When we bless others, we are giving to God what is God’s. Paul
