Words have a way of digging down into our hearts. For some, the words of poets and lyricists take root. Who hasn’t met someone who can quote Auden or Dylan from memory and to great effect? For others, people are profoundly affected by the great orators: Churchill and Lincoln come to mind for their ability to capture our imaginations through their adept use of rhetoric. Or perhaps the words of Holy Scripture dwell deep in someone’s marrow, after years of reading and hearing. For me, perhaps unsurprisingly, the words of our own liturgy have a tendency to echo in my mind quite a bit. This week, while I reflected on Jesus’ famous quote from our Gospel lesson today, I kept coming back to our baptismal liturgy, especially when we hear: “signed and sealed as Christ’s own forever.” We’ll return to that but keep that phrase on your mind as we continue this morning.
“Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and what is God’s to God.” Maybe this sounds so familiar to us that we forget how incredibly awesome he was being when the Pharisees were trying to mess with him. Did you catch that by the way? I love the way the Revised Standard Version of the Bible renders this, by using the word “entangle”. The Pharisees, where absolutely trying to get Jesus jammed up in his discourse. Actually, their plan of rhetorical attack was pretty ingenious. You see, when they corner Jesus with the question of whether it is lawful to pay caesar’s taxes, they’ve got him in a real bind: is he going to side with the unpopular local roman governors? Is he going to be complicit in a system that is breaking Torah by allowing graven images on its currency? Or is he going to reject Roman rule outright and thus make himself the target of the local occupying government?
Well which one is it Jesus? Ignore the bible or poke the Herodian bear? It’s pretty good stuff, really, as far as verbal entrapment goes.
But then, Jesus knows the score and sees right through them, sensing their malice. When he asks for the coin, he has already won the argument. The Pharisees and their allies actually offer one up, proving their own hypocrisy by having a coin with the image of Caesar on it…
As an aside, doesn’t it seem like there is at least some echo of last week’s Old Testament lesson about the idolatry of the Golden calf from Exodus? The irony is delicious. I love this stuff.
Anyway, he sees the coin and let’s it rip, laying the verbal smack down for the ages. They apparently marveled at his response, and I like to think that marveled is the same as saying they stood there, mouths open, dumbfounded at how Jesus answers their question.
Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. Taxes are going to get paid.
Render unto God what is God’s. Which is everything we have. In fact It’s everything we are. Christian ethicists can debate the implications for this text and the church’s interaction with the state, but I submit that in saying this to his opponents, Jesus is making a statement about the Kingdom: God wants his stuff back. He wants us back.
Now do you see the connection with the seal at baptism, marked as Christ’s own forever? Our lives, as citizens of the kingdom, are not our own. They are God’s. He has staked a claim on you, on me, and in Christ, everyone you know. And everybody else. It’s pretty amazing. But even with all those folks, God still wants to use your gifts for his Kingdom. He wants you with all the baggage, and believe me he can even use your mess for his purposes. What do we render unto God? That which is rightfully His: every single part of who we are.
For me, this realization came in reflecting on this very text. It took a while to figure out how God would use me. The funny thing is, God tended not to use the things that were easy: I don’t play in a punk band for Jesus much anymore. Rather, He ended up using more of the stuff that was more or less messed up before He was in my life in any meaningful way. How does the self-absorbed and distracted hipster kid wind up caring for homeless kids? Render unto God what is God’s and see it happen over and over.
For me, giving God what is rightfully his put me in front of you tonight/today. Your mileage may vary of course. But during this season of celebration of ministry and stewardship, when we get together over the next few weeks please don’t think of this as Redeemer’s telethon. Far from it in fact because the ministry to which God has called every single person in this place requires you to prayerfully consider how to render unto God what is rightfully His. In the parlance of Redeemer, that means “Taking your Place.” God has provided for us this amazing place to bless us and has provided incredible resources for ministry so that we can be a blessing. There are few places in all of Christendom that provide the gathered people of Christ as many opportunities for personal investment in the Kingdom of God. Whether that’s continuing to support our vibrant and energetic ministry to families and young people, working with the voiceless and needy through our many outreach ministries, or maintaining the beauty and integrity of our world-class worship (and of course everything in between) I know that God is making a way for all of us to render to God what is God’s at 222 S. Palm Ave.
So in conclusion what words will dig deep for you today? How will they spur you on towards holiness, renewal, and participation in God’s mighty reign? Maybe consider the ones that have stuck with me: that you are marked to be Christ’s and here at Redeemer we’d love for you to be a part of our work in the Kingdom.
As you prayerfully discern how you can begin or continue your ministry in this parish, please keep each other in your prayers.
Sermon preached by the Rev. David S. Bumsted
The Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota Florida
19th Sunday after Pentecost
19 October 2014