"Whose Image Do You See?"  2011

Genesis 1:26-2:3     Matthew 22:15-22

 

Genesis 1:26-2:3

26Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

 

Matthew 22:15-22

15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16So 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. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21They 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.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

 

The religious leaders had to do something about Jesus.

 

               The crowds he stirred-up  had disturbed the peace of Passover

                        with loud hosannas as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

    He'd interfered and disrupted their lucrative Temple-businesses

            when he drove out those selling sacrificial birds and animals,

                        and overturned the tables of the Temple money-changers.

 

     When he spoke to the crowds, teaching through parables,

              his stories accused the religious authorities of hypocrisy…

                        … and so Jesus just had to be stopped and silenced.               

The religious leaders recognized that as he became more popular,

       Jesus would be an ever more dangerous threat to their authority.

 

So while Jesus was teaching the crowds gathered at the Temple,

            they came, trying to trap him with an unfair-trick-question.

vs. 15-17

            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.  So tell us, then, what you think.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?"

 

By asking, "Is it lawful", they were intending 

       to frame the debate as a theological and religious question;

                        “Is it lawful, is it in accord with God’s commandments?”…

            … since it bothers my conscience and my religious sensitivity,

                        do you   think it’s OK to pay this tax to the Romans?”

 

In Matthew, they refer specifically to the much hated census tax;

            which every man and woman over the age of 12

                  in every region and territory conquered & occupied by Rome

                           was forced to pay each year with a particular Roman coin.

 

The census tax had to be paid with a Roman denarius,

            which symbolized their submission to Roman rule and authority.

And what made this especially offensive to the Jews was that

            the Roman denarius had an imprint of Caesar on one side,

               and “Tiberius Son of Divine Augustus” inscribed on the other.

 

That coin in particular, with that idolatrous image & inscription

            was so offensive,

                        that most religious Jews  would not even to touch it,

                                    much less carry it  or use it to conduct business.

 

It was a politically adroit move by the Romans to insist on that coin

            because everywhere that the Roman denarius circulated

                        was thereby marked as being under their influence & power…

                                    … like planting a flag to claim a conquered territory.

 

In fact, when a new emperor came into power,

            the previous emperor’s coins were generally collected,

                        melted down, recast and re-issued

                                    with the new emperor’s image and inscription…

 … as a sign and symbol establishing his authority to rule & govern.

 

The religious authorities saw this unpopular and offensive tax

            as an ideal opportunity to embarrass and entrap Jesus.

If Jesus said, 'just pay the tax';

            then that would offend, and turn the people against him.

 

On the other hand,

            if Jesus said it was not 'lawful', you shouldn't pay the tax,

                        then they could accuse Jesus of inciting insurrection,

                                    which of course the Roman authorities would crush.

 

Either way, either answer could be exploited by his enemies

          to silence him and put an end to his meddlesome ministry.

 

Continuing,  verse 18 - 20

            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."

 

Picture the scene with me ----

            they are standing in the Temple courtyard area,

                        and in a very public way, the religious leaders

                             approach Jesus intending to embarrass and trip him up;

                        by asking if it’s OK from a religious perspective

                            to go along with the tax, paid with an idolatrous coin.

 

Jesus asks the leaders to show him one of the coins in question,

            and one of them reaches into his pocket or coin purse,

                        and without much through, holds it out to Jesus.

 

The hypocrisy could not have been more blatant.

            Obviously, even though the a coin violated the 2^nd commandment,

                        with a graven image and declaration that Caesar is God;

                            that leader clearly didn’t have a problem with the coin,

                                      since he had it with him   even there at the Temple.

 

Right there in the Temple courtyard, of all places,

          there at the most a holy and sacred place in all Judaism,

                    he has brought an idol & was carrying it in his own pocket.

 

Now if it was really a problem of religious sensitivity and ethics

            if it was really a matter of exclusive faithfulness to God,

                                    then what were they doing even possessing such a coin,

                                                much less  bringing it  onto holy Temple grounds?

 

They are the ones carrying around  Caesar's image,  not Jesus.

       They are the ones who've bought into Caesar's system, not Jesus;

                        for they had Caesar's coin in their pocket,   not Jesus;

                               & they have sold out to the greed & economics of Caesar.

 

The issue was not the faith and moral question of Law they posed,

            but as Jesus reveals, its about their hypocrisy and greed,

                        and they just don't want to give it up to Caesar in taxes.

 

And then Jesus springs their own trap back upon them:           vs. 20-21

            Then he (Jesus) said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."

 

Since had Caesar stamped his  image and title stamped on the coin

        like some a kid's underwear marked for going off to summer camp,

                        Jesus tells them,  

                                    “so give back to Caesar that which he claims as his.”

 

Give  back to God the things that are God's… this is the heart of the text; 

            because that raises the critical question:

                        just what exactly are the things that belong to God ?

            What are the things that specifically  bear God's image,

                        and  where has God's name and image been inscribed?

 

That question is answered back in  Genesis 1:27

            So God created humankind in his image,  in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

            So according to image, what belongs to God?     We do!!

 

We bear God's image, so therefore, we belong to God.

                Now image   doesn't mean that God literally looks like us,

                        but,   that in us, the image of God has been placed,

                             which is revealed as we reflect

                                        God's perspective, image, glory and purpose.

 

Caesar represents a particular world-view of domination and power;

            to conquer, control and exploit the weak and powerless,

                        a harsh and selfish system without mercy or compassion

                                    of taking and doing whatever is necessary

                                                to achieve whatever you want and desire …

                    … which is a part of circulating Caesar’s coins.

 

The world around us

           is governed by this Caesar-perspective  of self-interest,

                        and is a fearful and broken place of forceful domination,

                                    greed, corruption, selfishness and injustice;

                                                of looking out for #1, rather than your neighbor,

                                                            and that opposes the grace & purpose of God.

 

We on the other hand, are stamped  with the image of our Creator,

            which marks to whom we belong …

                          … whose rule and reign we are called to proclaim

                                    as we circulated out in the world as a sign

                                                of God’s victory and gracious loving mercy.

The point is, we,    like the Romans coins circulated by Caesar,

          bear the image of our Lord as evidence of God's rule and reign.

 

During WW II,

            there was a shipyard inspector named, James J. Kilroy,

                        who chalk-marked the bulkhead of newly constructed ships,

                                    “Kilroy was here”,  when he had inspected and approved

                                                that the riveting had been done right.

 

To the troops in those new ships, it was a mystery how it got there,

            and all they knew was that Kilroy had gotten there first.

Then as a joke, wherever US forces went,

            especially as they recaptured areas held by the German army,

                        they would mark it with graffiti … “Kilroy was here”, …

                            … claiming that is was already there when they arrived…

 

… and so “Kilroy was here” became a legendary sign

            of a super-GI who always got there first

                        and laid claim as an American victory and possession.

 

God has stamped his image onto each one of us,  laying claim

          that God has right of victory & possession over each one of us.

We belong to God, for God has marked us each one as his own,

            as in Psalm 100:3

                        Know that the LORD is God.  It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 

Therefore, just as Caesar had his coins, so God has us.

            Caesar used his coins that were marked with his image

                        to establish his authority to rule throughout his empire;

     so too, we are God's coins who are marked with God's image;

               for God to use for establishing His kingdom in the world,

                        for God to spend us for His purpose &  mission to the world.

 

We are God's coins;  

            and we are meant to be circulated and spent out in the world,

                        reflecting God's will, justice, mission and purpose,

                              reclaiming as God's kingdom   wherever we circulate…

 

… or as Jesus explains in Matthew 5:14-16

            You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

 

     We are God’s coins sent out into the world

          as agents of transformation to reflect God’s grace and truth.

We are to bring the perspective of faith, grace, and God’s promise

            to all of the world   in all of life’s situations we face ---

                   we are the light of the world shining in the darkness.

 

Caesar's got his coins, and God's got his; which are each one of us,

            àas we give ourselves fully and faithfully back to the Lord.

 

Jesus said, vs. 20,  “… and give to God the things that are God's."

            Don’t give to Caesar the things that rightly belong to God,

                   and don’t buy into this world’s perspective and lies…

                             but see and persevere

                                      through the eyes of God’s truth, grace & faith.

 

The point is, don’t just give God an hour or so on Sunday,

            and then the rest of the week, give our allegiance to Caesar.

We can’t come here, pray and be holy on Sunday,

              then go back out into the world living as if God had no claim,

                        or our faith makes no difference in how we live our lives.

 

Our call is to influence and bring hopeful-change to this world,

          serving and circulating as the coins of God’s Kingdom

                    that proclaim the Lord’s Truth, grace and compassion.

 

In this passage Jesus is reminding us that we already  belong to God,

            & that we are the coins of God's realm, God's beloved treasure.

 

We are not owned by this world Caesars or by our culture,  but by God.

          So, can those around us   see the image of God in our lives,

                    by the way we circulate, serve and interact in the world?

 

Because we are so loved, graced and abundantly blessed by God,

      that truth guides and influences every aspect of Christian life,

              enabling us to shine bright   as God’s light into the darkness.

 

But the message of Christ is not a call to try harder to do better,

            but comes as an invitation to rethink, and view the world from

                    a more godly perspective of grace, hope, peace and faith,

                             that does recognize God present, and at work among us…

         …which is bound to affect our relationships, deeds and values.

 

As Presbyterians, we believe that the way we  perceive the world,

            influences us to live as a theological statement, as a response 

                   to God’s promises, grace & blessings poured into our lives…

 

… calling us to a more hopeful, peaceful and joyful vision;

               and a more grace-guided perspective of our world

                        that is being transformed by God’s power and compassion,

                                as those whom God truly loves and calls forth in faith.

 

Today, just as you would consult a map occasionally on a long trip,

            so too it is useful and appropriate  to consider where we are;

                        as God’s circulating coins and legal tender,

                                    as God’s light reflecting into this world’s darkness.

 

Jesus said, Matthew 5:14-16

            You are the light of the world. … let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

 

Praise and thanks be to our God Jesus Christ.  Amen.