Your face determines how you function

October 18, 2020 / Metropolitan United Methodist Church, Indian Head, MD

Matthew 22:15-22

New International Version

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

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Background

Up to this point we have seen Jesus, as it were, on the attack. He had spoken three parables in which he had plainly indicted the orthodox Jewish leaders. In the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28–32), the Jewish leaders appear under the guise of the unsatisfactory son who did not do his father’s will. In the parable of the wicked tenants (21:33–46), they are the wicked tenants. In the parable of the king’s feast (22:1–14), they are the condemned guests.

Now we see the Jewish leaders launching their counterattack; and they do so by directing at Jesus carefully formulated questions. They ask these questions in public, while the crowd look on and listen, and their aim is to make Jesus discredit himself by his own words in the presence of the people. Here, then, we have the question of the Pharisees, and it was subtly framed. Palestine was an occupied country, and the Jews were subject to the Roman Empire; and the question was: ‘Is it, or is it not, lawful to pay tribute to Rome?’[1]

Point 1

Notes from Point 1

Point 2

Notes from Point 2

Point 3

Notes from Point 3

Summary

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