Sermon - Trinity XXIII 2023 - Matthew 22:15-22

The Tribute Money, Alexandre Bida, 1874

Render to God the things that are God’s

1. We care too much about Caesar, who cares very little for us

2. Jesus however, unlike every earthly king, is our King who cares for us

3. Because He cares for us, we’re made in the image of God and imprinted with His name. Therefore, we give God our body and soul.

This past Tuesday was an election day. A minor one, since there were just a handful of mostly uncontested local positions, but it was an election day nonetheless. Although a lot of energy is going into next year’s election day, particularly the presidential election. This is understandable since the federal government and their decisions have an impact on us all, ranging from what’s taught in government run schools, inflation,  gas prices, and whether our young men will have to fight and die in foreign wars. So we care an awful lot about our rulers.

Part of the reason for this passion about our president also has to do with our sense of patriotism. We love America, we think it’s the best land, and we want to see America succeed. Patriotism is a fine and healthy thing. A patria is a fatherland, a pater is a father, so patriotism is a love and respect for our fathers and our people. The 4th commandment teaches us to honor our father and mother, so that’s what patriotism is in a broad sense.

So we teach a great deal of patriotism in our country. We celebrate Independence Day and various other national holidays. We revere our nation by memorizing the pledge of allegiance and national anthem, men remove their hats, we all place our hands on our hearts, and gaze respectfully at the flag. At parades we honor our nation and veterans by standing and doing those things when the flag goes by. When we visit the capital we dress up according to the capital’s dress code. If the presidential motorcade drives by, we stop what we’re doing and respectfully stand at attention. 

We pay a lot of attention to our country and rulers.  Jesus however, refocuses us today to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Caesar’s name and image is imprinted on what? Some small metal disks and pieces of paper. But God’s name and image is imprinted on you. Yet, even though we ourselves are imprinted with God’s image and name, we too often think very little of Him, and far too much about Caesar.

Too often we are those whom “their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” We give such reverence to our earthly nation, often religiously so. How many Christians enthusiastically place their hand on their heart for the flag, but mock those making the sign of the cross? How many Christians will treat the American flag very reverently, following all the flag rules, but treat the body and blood of God in holy communion like it’s just a morning snack? We expect soldiers to conduct themselves with utmost reverence and ritual formality when standing by the body of a fallen soldier, but we expect pastors to be casual and comedic when standing by the living body of God at the altar.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying patriotism is bad, by no means! I’m simply pointing out to you that we know how to be reverential and we expect it in earthly civil affairs, which is good. But we should have more reverence when it comes to God! It’s shameful that we Christians have more reverential practices towards our country than we do towards God.

Put this into perspective. You care more about your rulers than they care about you. That’s just a simple fact because they’re humans. They don’t even know that you exist, let alone your name or any details about your life. Jesus, however, unlike every earthly king, is our King who knows us and cares about us.

Like God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed  you in the womb, I knew you.” Like God said to the ancient Israelites: “I have called you by name, you are mine.” God knitted us together in our mother’s wombs. In His book are written every one of the days that are formed for us, before there was even such a thing as day and night. The Lord is your keeper who gives you life and He will not slumber.

God knows you so intimately and cares for you so immensely that He took on flesh, became man in the person of Jesus, and sacrificed His own life for you. Earthly kings expect you to take a bullet for them, but King Jesus took the shame and agony of the cross for you. When you sin earthly kings punish you, and if they’re merciful give you a lesser punishment. But King Jesus took all your sins and was punished in your place. Earthly kings give you a birth certificate and then demand that you pay them taxes if you live in their country. But King Jesus baptized you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and made you an heir of His Kingdom all by grace. On earth, we have no lasting possessions or an eternal land, but King Jesus has made you an heir of His eternal kingdom, an everlasting home.

Thus, “our citizenship is in heaven.” “You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.” This heavenly citizenship in God’s eternal kingdom is the citizenship which matters. I’m glad to live and be a citizen of the US, but America isn’t God’s kingdom. This congregation is not an American church, this is God’s church, this is part of God’s eternal kingdom. If you want to use political language, this church is like a foreign embassy stationed here in America. We Christians are like strangers and aliens on a pilgrimage here in America with an eternal Gospel of salvation through Jesus.

As such, because we are citizens of God’s kingdom, because God cares for us, because He imprints us with His name and image, we therefore render to God the things that are God’s. The Pharisees thought they could trap Jesus by asking Him about taxes. But Jesus more or less ignored their question about taxes, because what really matters is that we render to God the things that are God’s. Jesus looked to the heart of the issue, and the problem we have is that we care too much about Caesar and not enough about God. Still today, we care too much about America and earthly politics, and not enough about God’s kingdom. Frankly, we can only care about this worldly kingdom if we first care about God’s eternal kingdom. Only when we give to God what is God’s can we rightly give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.

So what do we give to God? What belongs to Him? Since our body and soul belongs to the Lord, we give God our whole selves, body and soul. Take note of this! “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price:” the blood of Jesus. Therefore we glorify God in body and soul. 

How do we glorify God in body and soul? This is easiest to learn by example. Like St. Paul told us: “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” Like we heard last week at the feast of All Saints, the saints are our heroes of the faith and we want to be like them because of their faithfulness to Jesus. So what do we see in those saints worthy of imitation which teaches us to glorify God in body and soul?

Well, after St. Paul told the Philippians to imitate him and other saints, he said to them: “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” What we see in the saints is a resolution to stand firm in the Lord, to honor God above all other things, in whatever circumstance of life. God is not one part of life among equal other parts, but He is first and foremost, and He will not share the throne of our heart with any other.

Thus the saints of old refused to burn the pinch of incense to Caesar or step on the icon of Jesus. But what’s required of us today? Perhaps it means getting benched for skipping practices and games for the sake of attending church. Perhaps it means refusing to declare your pronouns and getting passed over for a promotion. Perhaps it means treating God’s holy things more reverently than worldly things, and keeping worldly things, like national symbols, out of the sanctuary. Perhaps it means disobeying the government when they tell us to stay home from church, like they did in 2020.

There are any number of occasions when our world demands that we burn the proverbial pinch of incense of Caesar. But ultimately what matters is that we render to God the things that are God’s, that we don’t lose sight of the goal in Christ Jesus, that we keep the first things first in our hearts and our lives. Thus I would imitate the example of St. Paul, and make his words my own for your sake: “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”