1st Lesson: Exodus 33:12-23
2nd Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22
Grace and Peace to you, from God our Loving Creator, Savior and Spirit, Amen
Moses and the Israelites had been wandering in the desert after escaping from Egypt. Time and time again, the Israelites complain about not having enough, whatever… and then Moses finds a way to fix their troubles. Moses feels like he fixes the troubles so much, that he might start to wonder where God fits into all of this. The Israelites start to wonder where God fits into all of this. For a while now, Moses seemed to be the one in charge. Moses seemed to the people that Moses had this thing figured out. And after a while… Moses felt kinda lonely. Wandering in the wilderness all that time, leading these people that wouldn’t stop complaining… Moses might have felt a little overwhelmed. Moses casually reminds God of God’s promise to shepherd God’s people. So he asks this God a question, and by wayward reply, God said that Moses doesn’t have anything to worry about. God’s got this. Not only does God got this, but God will remember the Israelites because they are God’s people, God has named them, and they are known by that name.
God knows the people by name, and tells Moses that there is nothing to worry about because God will watch over God’s people. In the narrative of Exodus, this happens right before God gives God’s people the ten commandments, where God lays down some important guidelines as to how God’s people should interact in the world. And for anyone who has watched New Wine’s X Project, you know that the ten commandments are all about respect - and showing respect to one another, as God’s people.
Fast forward to Jesus’ time, where in today’s Gospel, Jesus is still in the temple in Jerusalem. In the scope of our time in church, over the last few weeks, Jesus has been telling parables in the temple, after he came bursting in and flipping tables. Parable after parable, the Pharisees might have been tired of all the parables, so they asked Jesus a question. Trying to trap him, they ask if it’s lawful for the Jewish people, the descendants of the Israelites, to pay taxes to the Emperor. What would this teacher, this rabbi say? The first commandment is that people shouldn’t have any other gods before God, much less the Emperor. Why should the Jewish people pay taxes to another power other than God? Another power, by the way, that was also looked at as divine? So as the 5th graders learned last time in their lesson, the Pharisees were the leaders who thought they were the best at keeping all the laws, your run-of-the-mill holier-than-thou types. These folks were asking Jesus, a teacher of the law, a rabbi, if it was right for the Jewish people to pay taxes to another form of power.
Jesus, knowing better - takes the coin, looks at it and asks them right back - who’s head is on the coin? What power does this person have? The emperor? Then give to the emperor what is the emperor’s and give to God what is God’s. Give to the world what is the world’s, and give to God what is God’s.
Beaten at their own game, hoisted on their own petard, they walk away amazed.
Fast forward again to the apostle Paul, as he’s writing his first letter to the Thessalonians. He tells the early Christians there, that they too are God’s people. Paul writes, “For we know, [siblings] beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.” (1 Thess. 1:4-5)
That means that you and I, Christians baptized in the living waters of baptism, where we too were called and named beloved children of God, are God’s people. Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21b)
You are God’s beloved children. We are God’s beloved children. You are God’s things. All of us are God’s beloved things. Give to the world that which is the world’s, and give to God what is God’s.
In a week, we will remember the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. I even hear that Martin Luther himself will be here for the first service to tell us all about it. One of Martin Luther’s achievements, besides the 95 Theses and the “Here I stand, I can do no other”, and the translating of the bible and the printing of the bible in the people’s words and writing a whole bunch of other works… One of his achievements was developing the Small Catechism. Luther wanted people to know their faith, and to be able to teach their faith to each other. So, he developed the Small Catechism for people to teach their children in the home, the basics of the Christian faith. So, he included the ten commandments, the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, explanations of the sacraments and confession, and other blessings and prayers.
Along with the Lord’s Prayer and Apostle’s Creed, Luther included explanations for each of the parts of the Lord’s Prayer and Creed. The words he asked to introduce the explanations, were “What is this?” or “What does this mean?”.
So too, Jesus asks the Pharisees, “What is this?” What does this mean for the emperor to be on a coin, and taxes are paid with these coins? What is this? What is this response that Jesus has, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”? (Matthew 22:21b)
The presence of God is a holy and important piece of our lives as Christians. Putting God in the proper place in our lives is a difficult endeavor, but we have the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate. We are God’s beloved people, and as Martin Luther affirms in the Small Catechism, after explaining the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, “What is this? It is true that God’s name is holy in itself, but we ask in this prayer that it may also become holy in and among us. How does this come about? Whenever the word of God is taught clearly and purely and we, as God’s children, also live holy lives according to it.” (Small Catechism, the Lord’s Prayer)
All of us were created in God’s image, all that we have is from God, and all that we are, is of God. But what does the world demand of us? What is this? The Pharisees ask Jesus about paying taxes, and Jesus says use the emperor’s coins for paying the emperor. Use the rest of our identity, for God’s benefit.
So, we call that stewardship. We pay what we do for what the world demands of us, to pay for the roads, libraries, post offices, services, defense, education, and administration, and a whole bunch of other stuff… we pay the country and state with what the country and state provide for us, and we give to God that which is God’s. In our traditional offertory prayer, we say the words, “we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us - ourselves, our time and our possessions, signs of your gracious love.” Remember those words? We use our time as stewards of God’s good gifts, to serve one another.
For instance, there's a link on the church's website where people have the opportunity to volunteer for spaces of the worship services where we need help. Things like ushering, communion help, and so on. As members of the body of Christ, coming together to worship God, forming community, expressing our faith - we form an identity as members of Living Waters Lutheran Church in Sauk Rapids, MN. We serve God and each other by giving of ourselves, that which is God’s. Ourselves, our time and our possessions. Coming together to worship takes a combined effort of many people, and as a community, we can take ownership of this community by contributing whatever we can, whether it is our time, or our talents, or our monetary offerings.
That’s one of the gifts of the Reformation - placing the power of the congregation in the hands of those who congregate, more than the ones in charge. We have power as a community to serve one another and God, by giving to God that which is God’s.
But people may be hesitant to give of ourselves for the betterment of God and God’s children. We may be much like Moses in the desert, wandering around, being in charge of our own lives but wondering where God fits into all of this. Then God reminds us, and reminds us Christians through the sending of God’s son, Jesus the Christ - that God’s got this. God sent Jesus into the world to live among humanity, to teach, to love, to serve, to die, and to rise again. Through the unwinnable and unshakable Grace of God, we are saved from our sins, and called and named in our baptism to live in the freedom of that Grace. We are called to serve one another by giving to God and God’s children that which God has provided for us - ourselves, our time, and our possessions.
When the world demands so much of us, when we are called away to devote everything else to the world, we lose sight of God and God’s promise that God will always be with us. We become Moses wandering, and wondering where God is in all of this. When our song says peace, and the world says war, when our song says grace, and the world says law, when our song says hope, and the world says shame, or fear, or pain… We have God despite the world. When our song says God, and the world says more, we have God despite the world.
Give to the emperor, that which is the emperor’s. Give to God, that which is God’s.
Amen.
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