God and Caesar

This is Caesar's coin. This is Caesar's tax. You pay your tax to Caesar. But you have even a higher responsibility than even Caesar has. you render to God The things That are good.

Gods. Today on Renewing Your Mind, God and Caesar. Jesus said that we have obligations to both. But is it right to pay taxes to an unrighteous government? It was a question the Jews argued over in Jesus' day, and they used it to try and trap him.

We're starting a series today in the Gospel of Mark. And over the next few Sundays, RC Sproll will consider some of the questions that were posed to Jesus, some questions to try and trap him. If you'd like to study more of Mark with Dr. Sproll, You can also request his hardcover commentary when you donate before midnight tonight at renewingyourmind.org.

Well, here's our sea sprawl in Mark chapter 12 to show us the futility of their attempt to trap Jesus and the great and high a calling you and I have as Christians. Yeah. The Gospel according to Saint Mark Chapter 12. Verses 13 through Seventeen. Then they sent to him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians.

to catch him in his words. And when they had come, they said to him, Teacher, We know that you are true. and care about no one. For you do not regard the person of men but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?

Or not. Shall we pay? Or shall we not pay? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why do you test me? Bring me Adenarius, that I may see it.

And so they brought it. And he said to them, Whose image and inscription is this? And they said to him, Caesars. And Jesus answered and said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. And to God The things that are God's.

And they marvelled at him. At this point in chapter 12, we have the beginning of three narratives. that involve attempts by three distinct groups among the Jews. to trap Jesus. to put him on the horns of a dilemma that would bring him either into conflict with the people or in conflict to the government.

We read at the beginning of the text And they sent to him. The they obviously refers to the ruling body of the Jews, the Sanhedrin.

Now the Sanhedrin was composed of people drawn from three major groups. Of the Jews, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the scribes.

So we know that this group was sent by the ruling body of the Jews, and the word that is translated by the English word sent here is the same word that is used for the term apostle in the New Testament. And an apostle is not simply a messenger, but it is a messenger empowered with the authority to speak. For the one who sent him. That's why the apostles carry with their authority the authority of Jesus. In this case, the Sanhedrin is delegating this group that comes to Jesus to interrogate him with their own authority.

And so they sent to him some of the Pharisees and Herodians. That should raise some eyebrows, because in addition to the three groups I've already delineated, there was that party among the Jews called the Herodians. and the Herodian party Was that party of Jews Who supported the ruling authority of the Hasmone dynasty of the Herods? And if you know your biblical history, you know that the Herods were not pure Jews and that they were puppet kings under the authority of the Romans. And so, in many corners among the Jews, they were completely despised.

And there was no group that despised the Herodians more. than the Pharisees. This is a strange alliance. that would exist between the Pharisees and the Herodians, and the only thing that would provoke them to come together in a common cause was their mutual hatred of Jesus. And so now we see this unholy alliance between the Pharisees and the Herodians who were sent.

And the purpose of that mission, quote, Is to catch him in his words.

Now that word catch. is really feeble. and insipid by way of interpretation of the Greek. The Greek word that is used in the text here is what is known as a hopox legomena. And we all know what a hopox legomena is, don't we?

A hawpox legomina is a word that appears in the New Testament only once.

So it is a rare occurrence, makes it difficult to grasp the full measure of its meaning if it's found so rarely in the context of Scripture. But The force of the verb that is used here and only here in the New Testament. is to be involved in an attempt to catch by way of violent Pursuit. It would be something like this if you were on a hunt. for a man-eating tiger.

And you dug a huge pit. and the countryside. And at the bottom of that pit, you put sharply carved spikes on strong stakes so that if you could drive the tiger into the pit, it would be impaled on these spikes. That's the force of this word here. They're not just trying to play tag with Jesus and catch him.

They're trying to destroy him. With violence. And so let's keep that in mind as the force of the text.

Now when they had come They said to him, Teacher, We know That you are true. And care. About no one. That's an awkward translation also. For you do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.

I recently had to write an article for Table Talk Magazine where the theme of that upcoming issue. is on integrity. And my article was on the meaning of the concept of integrity. And so I looked in various sources, including Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and I mentioned that the primary meaning of the term integrity is to be uncompromising. With respect.

Two principles and ethics. Not uncompromising in personal negotiations for property and sales and that sort of thing, but with respect. Two. What is right? The person of integrity does not ever compromise principle For the sake of Of popularity.

And so when they say that Jesus Is a man who doesn't care for anybody. It doesn't mean that Jesus is hard in his heart and has no affection for people in this world. It means that Jesus will not be swayed from the truth. Because of his consideration of people with whom he may be unpopular. that public opinion Will never cause Jesus to compromise.

This is a tremendous tribute. that the Pharisees and the Herodians Are heaping upon Jesus before they sneak in their trick question? Of course, as the text shows, their acclaim of Jesus is uttered with total and complete hypocrisy. But in spite of themselves, They are speaking the truth. about the character of Jesus.

Teacher, we know that you are true. Oh, that they would have known that. If they would have known that he was true, They wouldn't have been bringing these trap questions to him. You do not regard the person of men, but you teach the way of God. In truth.

So They set the stage for the big question. We know that you're not going to answer according to public opinion here, Jesus. You're not going to give us an exercise in political correctness. You're going to speak the unveiled word of God.

So then. Answer our question. Is it lawful? To pay taxes To Caesar. or not.

By the way, this is one of the most controversial issues. Among the Jewish people of that day. Remember? how any nation hates to be placed in subjection to a foreign conqueror. And then to have to pay taxes and tribute to the occupying.

Country. is all the more loathsome. to the local population. Almost every Jew in Israel hated the thought of paying any tax whatsoever. to Caesar.

And so they didn't want to pay him. and many of them, in fact, didn't pay him. In fact, many from the Pharisees believed that there was a moral objection to paying taxes to Caesar. and that if Jesus were really a godly man, He would not pay taxes to an ungodly, conquering government. And so they put the question before him.

You see why? If he says it's okay to pay taxes to Caesar, then the people are going to rise up against Jesus. If he says publicly, you shouldn't pay taxes. To Caesar, where's the first place they're going to go? They're going to go to the Roman government and say, this man is out there propagating sedition.

Rebellion and advising people not to pay their taxes.

So you see now the horns of the dilemma. Shall we pay? Or shall we not pay? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them. Why do you test me?

Bring me a denarius. that I may see it.

Now the denarius was probably the most common Coin among the Jews. It was a small silver coin. whose value was approximately The worth of an average person's day's pay in Israel. Wouldn't you love to have taxation under your government to be paid on the basis of one day's work? That would be fantastic.

But In this case, Obviously, Jesus doesn't even have a denarius in his own pocket, and so he asks his interrogators to produce a denarius. And they do that. And when they did, he said to them, Whose image And inscription. is this. And they said to him, Caesars.

Well, what Caesar? At this time in Jewish history, the Caesar whose image appears on the denarius is Tiberius Caesar. Who reigned after Augustus Caesar from the year 14 until the year 15? And his image is pressed upon the surface of the coin, as well as an inscription. That gives his name.

Let me read for you for a moment the inscription that appeared on the Roman denarius of this period. Tiberius Caesar Dewey Augusti Filius Augustus. Which being translated reads Tiberius Caesar Augustus. Sun of the divine Augustus. Remember that the emperor worship cult had already been initiated in Rome.

and the Romans believed in the deification of their emperors. And in addition to these words extolling The fact that Tiberius Caesar is the son of the divine Caesar Augustus, It's added to the inscription on the coin, the title. Pontifex Maximus. That is Hi. priest.

You see what had happened in the Roman Empire by now? that the emperor the Caesar was not only the supreme political ruler of the empire. But he was also the supreme religious leader. of the empire. himself being deity, he would of course be the Pontifex Maximus, the highest of the high priest.

One other word in this inscription that you should be alert to is the title that we commonly hear with respect to the Caesars beginning with Octavian. That is the title Augustus. The August one is the one of transcendent majesty. It was a term that the Jews would only use for God. And to call any creature August.

would be an act of idolatry. In the lips. Of the Jewish people.

So here The image on this coin. Displays. The unspeakable arrogance. of The Roman Caesars. And so Jesus says, whose image and description is this?

And they said to him, Caesar's.

Well, since Caesar's image is on it and his name is on it, that indicates in Roman law. His possession. He is the one who owns the coin. And so Jesus answers the trick question this way. Render to Caesar The things that are Caesars.

And to God. The things that are God's.

So what is he saying? This is Caesar's coin. This is Caesar's tax. You pay your tax to Caesar. But you have even a higher responsibility that even Caesar has.

You render to God. The things that are God's.

Now this point of the paying of taxes to Caesar. is a point that is expanded in the New Testament, particularly in the epistles. Look, for example, at the thirteenth chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans, where the word of the Lord to the people of God is this, Pay Taxes to whom? Taxes are Do. In the middle of the second century, the great apologist Justin Martyr.

argued in his open letter to the emperor Antoninus Pius That The Christians were scrupulous in their civil obedience. and that they always paid their taxes. Paul also spells out in Romans 13 that the civil magistrate. is a minister of God. And that God creates two institutions in this world: the church.

and the state. They have separate responsibilities. They have separate missions to fulfill. It is not the responsibility of the church to wage war. The power of the sword is never given to the church.

but it is given to the civil magistrate, as Paul teaches us in Romans 13. It is not the state's responsibility to administer the sacraments. It's the church's responsibility to administer the sacraments.

So we have different functions to perform. But notice this. that both church and state are under God. and that God is sovereign in his rule. Over Both.

The Bible knows something of a separation of church and state insofar as there are two different missions assigned to these institutions. But the Bible knows nothing of the separation of state. From God. And what happens in our day and age is that the phrase separation of church and state, which you know was never in the Constitution. is parroted almost every day.

to indicate the independence of the state. From God. Several years ago, I was in St. Louis. I was riding in a taxicab with Francis Schaefer.

We were having a discussion about issues that the church faced at this time in American history. And I said to him, What is your greatest concern? for the future of America. He didn't hesitate. He said, my greatest concern is state-ism.

That ism on the end of the word. is a suffix that indicates a worldview. where the state becomes supreme. It owns everything. It rules everything.

and is never answerable in any way. to the church. That's what statism is. That was his greatest fear. I believe that that fear has been almost completely realized.

in the last couple of decades. In such a degree that the people in America are almost completely blind to it? They don't realize how much the church has surrendered. to the State where the church is called to be the conscience of a nation. We have been prohibitive.

From speaking in the public square. Also, I want you to notice that the concept of separation of state and church in America in our day is a one-way street. The state feels no hesitancy. to intrude. into the matters of the church.

If you want to argue for the free exercise of religion, do that the next time you go to a county meeting that determines whether your church can have a cross on it. Because it violates the height of signs, and the cross is now considered a sign. And so in many places, the church is not allowed to display the central symbol of Christianity because the state won't permit it. That's the kind of thing you have to watch out for, people. Because it's not getting any better.

It's getting worse. and worse by the day.

Now what I'd like to do. is to raise an ethical question that I have never heard in my life. Preached. from any Christian pulpit. When you go into the voting booth.

And you cast a ballot. Think of the ethical implications you have. When you cast your ballot. Let me make it simple. If I go to your house and go into your garage and steal your lawnmower.

And the police catch me. I can be charged for committing a crime. On the other hand, if I hire somebody else to go into your garage and steal your lawnmower. I can still be charged with a crime. Because I've hired somebody.

to violate your personal property rights.

However, If I use my vote. to get the government to go into your garage. and take your lawnmower and give it to me. I've just exercised my right as a free American. And this happens every day with the politicization of our economic system.

Any time. Beloved. that you can vote a tax on your neighbor. That is not a tax on you. You're still From your neighbor.

And so I must never ask the government. to force my neighbor. to give me something That belongs to him. Is that clear? I mean, is that simple?

So, when Jesus answered these people in this way, He said, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God.

Now, let me ask you this in final conclusion. Whose image? Do you bear? Every person in this room. It's been stamped with an image.

By the Supreme Authority. in heaven and earth. God Himself has placed His image. On you, on me, and on every person. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, but unto God.

The things that are God's.

Caesar can own that Daenerys. But he doesn't own me. God owns me. And God owns you. And in that ownership comes God's Supreme Right To claim your life?

and everything in it. for his own.

So that in all things, beloved, We should render to God. The things that are his. which include our life, Our liberty our possessions and our affection. It's the duty of every Christian. There's no greater calling, is there?

Jesus answered the question simply, by asking whose image was on the coin? And for you and me. God's image is stamped on us. Arcee Sproul had such an ability to draw important implications from the text of Scripture. I hope you will help today on Renewing Your Mind as we begin a short sermon series in the Gospel of Mark.

All of doctor Sproll's sermons in Mark were brought together to form his pastoral commentary on the book. And we'd love to send you a copy of this hardcover volume to thank you for your donation in support of Renewing Your Mind. You can give your gift at Renewing Your Mind. org or by using the link in the podcast show notes, and then you'll have a resource to allow you to walk through Mark's Gospel line by line with doctor Sproul as your guide. And if you live outside of the US and Canada, the e-book edition is waiting for you at renewingyourmind.org/slash global.

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Well, next week, the Jews continue their attempts to trap Jesus with difficult legal and religious questions. Of course, they don't succeed, but we have some important lessons to learn along the way.

So I hope you'll join us next Sunday, here on Renewing Your Mind.