What do You Think?

 

Jesus uses his parables to engage his audience by relating explicit scenarios that are relevant to its world. They are implicit invitations for them to see something “beneath the literal narrative.” Jesus would sometimes insert a clever device such as a visual element or use a provocative form of speech, which would prompt the imagination to know his meaning beyond any literal interpretation. And so it is in this week’s Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21). Jesus uses the Roman coin to illustrate and memorialize in the mind’s eye of the listener (and for us forever), the answer to his question, “what do you think?”

Over the centuries, this famous passage has framed societal attitudes toward the relationship between religion and government. There are those who believe that Jesus is establishing two separate realms, Caesar's and God's. This interpretation may strike many Americans as obviously correct, given our separation of church and state. Looking at this more closely, Jesus was less concerned with taxation or political authority. These existed in his world but were not of his world.

Let’s face it, we’re told that in the first century Jews paid many taxes:  customs taxes, and taxes on land and of course, tithes to the Temple. Yet, in this parable the question posed to Jesus was not about how many taxes they paid but rather whether it was lawful to pay taxes After all, taxes were paid to Caesar, who as the emperor of Rome and the son of Augustus, was deemed to be the “son of God.” As such, the Jews believed that even possessing the coin with the image of Caesar, was idolatry and in violation of the commandments. 

So back to the question put to Jesus in our Gospel. What do you think?  A “yes or no” answer either way would have gotten Jesus in trouble. "Yes" would have discredited him with those who found the imperial domination system unacceptable. "No" would have made him subject to arrest for sedition.  By avoiding the trap Jesus asks us to recognize that while we may owe the rulers of this world earthly things like taxes, we commit our spiritual beings to God completely. For me, this Gospel and specifically the Roman coin, are the most effective of all Matthew’s devices to illustrate the Kingdom of God. The coin serves to remind us that it, as a single entity, reveals our existence in two dimensions, mortal and spiritual. Not unlike our mind, body and soul, they are separate realms of our human existence that co-eexist in one being  . What do you think? 

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. For they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them...while they are still in the world (John 17.)