Matthew 22:15-22

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him 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.

Have you ever been posed a no-win question? Where it seems like no matter what answer you give or action you take, you’re going to be hurting or offending someone? Like, totally hypothetically, if I were to ask you which of the esteemed ministers at West Epping you loved more, John or I? This is absolutely a rhetorical question, please do not answer it!

It is this situation that Jesus finds himself in this morning’s reading. The Pharisees have put Jesus between a rock and a hard place. It’s not the first time that there has been confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. In previous chapters, they have argued over Sabbath laws, purity laws, performing miracles, and by whose authority Jesus acts. Each time, Jesus is shown to be the clear winner, which evidently makes the Pharisees more frustrated by the minute.

And that’s where the story begins – “Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said”. And they plotted well, because the question they came up with was so devious, so brilliant, that I’d bet they were certain that this time, this time they would have got Jesus. They begin their confrontation by trying to butter Jesus up – “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.” And then comes the question. On the surface, the question seems fairly harmless –“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But underneath this question are some very serious consequences.

To understand these consequences, we need to explore the context of the story a little bit more. In particular we need to remember that at the time of Jesus, Israel was an occupied country, by the Roman Empire. That means that there would have been a lot of Roman soldiers around, that Romans (like Pontius Pilate) were governing, and that of course, taxes were collected for Rome. And as people throughout history would attest, when your land is occupied by a foreign power, when their military is stationed all over the place, you don’t dare speak out, unless you want to go to prison or worse.

Now people don’t like paying taxes at the best of times, but when the taxes that you are paying are not going to build roads or schools or hospitals, but instead are going to the offshore bank account of the emperor from another country, it safe to say that the Israelites were not particularly happy with the situation. This is why tax collectors in the Gospel stories are often used to illustrate the worst of the worst, because in the eyes of the Israelites, they were. Not only were they collecting taxes for Rome, but they were Israelites themselves, colluding with the Romans to do so – a far greater betrayal. So, we can begin to see why the question that the Pharisee’s asked Jesus is so devious. Because whichever answer Jesus gave, he would be in trouble.

If Jesus answered “no, you should pay taxes to the Emperor”, then Jesus would have been instantly handed over to the Romans for treason – speaking against the empire. But if he answered “yes, you should pay taxes to the Emperor”, then Jesus would have shown that he didn’t really care about the Jewish people. It would have shown that Jesus was just another minion of the Roman Empire, and would have lost all the crowd’s respect; the ministry that he had been forming for so long would become nothing. So Jesus finds himself in a no-win situation. Except of course that this is Jesus we’re talking about, and he’s going to find a way out of it. What follows is one of the most remarkable moments of street theatre in the whole Bible, and I want to explore the 3 main parts: first the request for a coin, second, the question about the coin, and finally, Jesus’ answer.

So first, Jesus requests a coin. I said before that this was street theatre at its best, because this isn’t something that is happening in private. It is happening in the midst of the crowds that Jesus has been teaching. He had just finished sharing several parables when this takes place. So Jesus begins by asking for “a coin that is used for the tax”. He begins by including the crowd in the drama; they are no longer on-lookers, but participants. But perhaps more importantly, it is a demonstration of the money that is used for taxing the people – money that Jesus has none of. Jesus didn’t have any taxable money in his pockets. Now, there’s an entire sermon just on this one small bit, but the rest of the story is so great that we won’t have time to explore it in detail. So, I’ll leave it with you to think about the implications of the fact that Jesus, who we are called to follow, carries no Roman money with him.

The second part is where the theatre really starts to pick up, because once Jesus is handed the coin, he asks “Whose head is this, and whose title?” Really. Really? Take a moment to think about what Jesus is asking. Jesus is asking about the identity of the most well-known person in the whole world. Julius Caesar was the Queen Elizabeth of that world. He was the ruler of the most powerful empire on Earth; he was exceedingly rich and powerful, and his face was everywhere. There is no way that Jesus did not know who it was. It’s like us and our coins. Every single one of you could tell me who is on the back. So in the story, Jesus isn’t so much asking a question, but making a point – that the single most important, most influential person in the world, the emperor of Rome, is actually not all that important in the eyes of Jesus. Again, we have another whole sermon with this point, but we don’t have the time to explore it. So I’ll leave it with you to think about how Jesus views power, and what that means for us as his disciples.

So we come to the third part, and even though the first and second are so incredibly important to our understanding of who Jesus is and who we are as followers are Jesus are called to be, the third point is by far the most important. What is Jesus answer to the question “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor?” – Jesus replies with the most amazing answer. Jesus says “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Somehow, Jesus finds a way out of this no-win situation. He gives the perfect answer. But what we have to be very clear about is that his answer is not perfect because it’s the perfect compromise. This isn’t one of those “best of both worlds” kind of answers. Here, Jesus is making an incredibly bold statement disguised as a compromise, so as to not put his ministry in jeopardy.

Let me explain. Take a moment now to think of the things of the world that could be considered to be the Emperor’s – whoever you think our emperor is today. Now, think about the things of the world that can be considered as God’s. See? This is the brilliance of Jesus’ answer, because the reality is that there is literally nothing, nothing in this world that cannot be thought of as God’s. God is the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, Creator of everything in heaven and on the earth; there is nothing in our world that does not belong to God.

Now, before you all leave here phoning your accountant and saying “Well, I don’t need to pay taxes any more, my minister said so… I’ve always liked that Radhika…” it’s important to clarify something. The reality is that, ultimately, this isn’t a story about taxes, it’s a story about allegiance. It’s a story that asks us who we’re going to follow. When the rubber hits the road, are we going to be followers of the emperor and Empire? Or followers of the crucified and risen Christ and his kingdom? Are we going to be faithful to the powers and rulers of this world, or to a God who, in the greatest act of love, came to us to live with us, died for us, and was raised, offering to us the gift of grace that allows us to be with God forever?

It seems like a simple choice, and sometimes it is. But that doesn’t make it an easy task to live out. Let’s think about a few times when the demands of empire and the demands of Christ pull us in two different directions. What might Jesus have to say about our lavish, affluent lifestyles? What might Jesus have to say about the clothes we wear and the coffee we drink? What might Jesus have to say about who we vote into government, and governmental policies? Should we as Christians remain silent in the face of the wars and impending wars around the world? Should taxpayer money be used to support either abortion or family planning projects, here and around the world? Should the use of marijuana, cocaine or heroin be decriminalised? If the actions of our government and the teachings of our faith appear to be in conflict, what do we do?

I can only speak for myself, but do you know why I chose last August to take part in the prayer vigil in Malcolm Turnbull’s office, protesting Australia’s asylum seeker policy, and risking arrest by doing so? In my formation, I was introduced to the Uniting Church’s Statement To The Nation, which was the first media release the church did as an entity back in 1977. I have copies of that statement in the printout of my sermon at the back, but here’s the excerpt that moved me:

“Finally we affirm that the first allegiance of Christians is God, under whose judgment the policies and actions of all nations must pass. We realise that sometimes this allegiance may bring us into conflict with the rulers of our day. But our Uniting Church, as an institution within the nation, must constantly stress the universal values which must find expression in national policies if humanity is to survive.”

The systems, or empires, of greed, violence, and power of this world lure us into their nets, time and time again. It is all too easy for us to get absorbed into our own desires for money, power or control – to get absorbed by our own selfishness – or, worse, to build a wall between our faith life and our political life, as though they bear no influence on one another. Friends, this great story serves us a reminder of who God is, and when we remember who God is, we might be reminded of who we are called to be in response. We are called love God, we are called to be followers of Jesus, and we are called to live and work in the power of the Holy Spirit. And this call is for the entirety of our lives, not just the Sunday bits or the public bits or the non-tax-paying bits. Christ demands all in all. Amen.

Uniting Church In Australia – Statement To The Nation – 1977

People of the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches have united. A new church has been born.

We, who are members of the first Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia address the people of Australia in this historic moment. The path to unity has been long and at times difficult, but we believe this unity is a sign of the reconciliation we seek for the whole human race.

We acknowledge with gratitude that the churches from which we have come have contributed in various ways to the life and development of this nation. A Christian responsibility to society has always been regarded as fundamental to the mission of the Church. In the Uniting Church our response to the Christian gospel will continue to involve us in social and national affairs.

We are conscious of our responsibilities within and beyond this country. We particularly acknowledge our responsibilities as one branch of the Christian church within the region of South-East Asia and the Pacific. In these contexts we make certain affirmations at the time of our inauguration.

We affirm our eagerness to uphold basic Christian values and principles, such as the importance of every human being, the need for integrity in public life, the proclamation of truth and justice, the rights for each citizen to participate in decision-making in the community, religious liberty and personal dignity, and a concern for the welfare of the whole human race.

We pledge ourselves to seek the correction of injustices wherever they occur. We will work for the eradication of poverty and racism within our society and beyond. We affirm the rights of all people to equal educational opportunities, adequate health care, freedom of speech, employment or dignity in unemployment if work is not available. We will oppose all forms of discrimination which infringe basic rights and freedoms.

We will challenge values which emphasise acquisitiveness and greed in disregard of the needs of others and which encourage a higher standard of living for the privileged in the face of the daily widening gap between the rich and poor.

We are concerned with the basic human rights of future generations and will urge the wise use of energy, the protection of the environment and the replenishment of the earth’s resources for their use and enjoyment.

Finally we affirm that the first allegiance of Christians is God, under whose judgment the policies and actions of all nations must pass. We realise that sometimes this allegiance may bring us into conflict with the rulers of our day. But our Uniting Church, as an institution within the nation, must constantly stress the universal values which must find expression in national policies if humanity is to survive.

We pledge ourselves to hope and work for a nation whose goals are not guided by self-interest alone, but by concern for the welfare of all persons everywhere — the family of the One God — the God made known in Jesus of Nazareth the One who gave His life for others.

In the spirit of His self-giving love we seek to go forward.