Proper 24 A + Image of God + 10.18.20

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M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Exodus 33:12–23; Ps. 99; 1 Thess. 1:1–10; St Matthew 22:15–22)

In today’s gospel reading, we see the Pharisees try to lay a trap for Jesus. These are religious leaders who are trying their best to follow the rules and they are threatened by Jesus, who seems to be bending all these rules or re-interpreting them. And so they ask him what seems an impossible question. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

On the surface, this question is easily answered. Well, of course! But remember that in Jesus’ context there were two “laws” at play. One was the law of Roman society which imposed intense taxes on the populace. Occupied Palestine was required to pay six million denarii of tax.[1]  How on earth? I doubt there were that many people in the region to each pay a day’s wage to the emperor. Now some of this came from businesses and so forth but it was still a very heavy tax. And some of this was for public works, but much of it was going to the emperor’s coffers and to keep the people in far off Rome fat and happy. While many in Jesus’ area didn’t have enough to eat. But if they didn’t pay the tax, there was trouble with the Roman authorities. People might die.

Another law was the Jewish law, and it was strictly against idolatry. And the Roman coin bore the head of Caesar and said he was the “divine son of Augustus, high priest.” For many Jews the word divine related to a human were flat out blasphemy. And so even to carry the denarius was to risk offending God’s law.

So how to thread the needle of this tricky question? Jesus aptly turns the question back to his interlocutors. After they present the denarius to them, he asks who is represented on it and whose title is on the coin, to which of course they respond, Caesar. And then he says – give to God that which is of God and to the emperor that which is of the emperor.

But in doing so, he begs the question. What or who bears the image of God? What bears the image of the emperor? In the United States today our coins and dollar bills largely hold the images of presidents past and soon the notable addition of Harriet Tubman. And they also include features such as the phrase “in God we trust.” But largely our currency still reflects our government, and it is a perhaps not so subtle reminder that we must pay our taxes. But money is still a helpful tool for many other things, as long as we hold a right relationship with it.

And to have a right relationship with money, we must remember the other side of the coin. Who bears the image of God? Well, we do. All of us human beings are valuable not because of what we do or produce, but because we are children of God. We are created in God’s image. And our baptism affirms that we are marked as Christ’s own forever. No coin could ever hold a candle to the value each of us has in God’s eyes.

I just read a book by Louise Penny called The Brutal Telling and in it we hear of a man who chooses to live as a hermit in the woods and he brings with him priceless treasures. He has incredibly valuable antiques- cut glass and inlaid tables and a violin worth a million dollars-and yet he begins to realize that his need for company is more than his need for treasure. He begins to use the paper money he has for insulation and even toilet paper, and gives some of his priceless antiques away in exchange for bags of groceries and company.[2] While the hermit ultimately faces a grim fate, I found this story so telling. How many of us might aim for the most precious things in our society, only to realize once we have them that they are not near as precious as the company of a friend?

Money is a tool alongside the other gifts that God gives us. How to be in right relationship with it?
First, always acknowledge whatever gift you receive as a gift from God. We work hard, and our culture tells us we earn our money. And we forget that everything we receive is from God. Give God God’s due by striving to give a percentage of your income of whatever sort it comes back to God. The traditional percentage we aim for is ten percent, what is called a tithe. If you are not used to tithing it is a challenge at first and one can strive to tithe by beginning with a smaller percentage and working up. While it helps the church very much if you can give a whole ten percent to the church, many folks prefer to share their giving around between the church and other organizations. The point is to give until it hurts a bit. If you are not giving at all and you have any income, seriously consider giving just a bit. Not enough to prevent you from paying your rent, but just enough that you feel it. This is our sacrifice to God. In our case Alene and I have pledged 9000 to the church this year. We give a bit more to other organizations, but this is our commitment and we give the tithe first. However we have learned that when we give, God blesses us, and in that way it is almost impossible to give until it hurts.

Secondly, never put money ahead of an important relationship in your life. Even at church we don’t treat anyone differently if they can give less. Yes, money is an important tool but all the money in the world will not assuage your guilt if you harm another person in your life through grasping at what is not entirely yours. Find ways to be generous. But do not give so that it hurts to others. Others are not God and they might just keep taking. Be wise to protect your own interests.

Lastly, and this is counter-intuitive. To be in right relation to money, we must take Sabbath time. If you can, take 24 hours wherein you are not productive every week. If you can’t do a full day, do your best to take shorter times to rest. Resting in God is the best way to remember that your worth is not based on your paycheck or wardrobe or even the accolades of others, but it is to be found simply in knowing that you are a beloved child of God!

Amen.


[1] María y José Ignacio López Vigil, “A Certain Jesus/ Un Tal Jesús” Script book, p. 438, https://radialistas.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/a-certain-jesus-maria-y-jose-ignacio-lopez-vigil.pdf.

[2] Louise Penny, The Brutal Telling, 2016/2009 St Martin’s Press, Blackstone Audio Inc.

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