A Most Taxing Day

It strikes me as ironic that April 15—Tax Day—falls during Holy Week.  It was on the Tuesday of the first Holy Week that Jesus was asked to address the issue of paying taxes.

Apparently, paying taxes was as hot an issue in Jesus’ day as it is in ours, and popular speakers like Jesus were expected to have a word on the matter.  The Pharisees and Herodians, political enemies, had teamed up to trap Jesus, using the issue of paying taxes as bait.  

First, they butter Jesus up with a compliment: “Teacher, we know you have integrity, are indifferent to public opinion, don’t pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately.  We have a question: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

It was a trap with two steel jaws.  If Jesus says “Yes,” the Pharisees will expose Him as a disloyal Jew.  He’ll be charged with blasphemy—a crime punishable by death.  That’s the first steel jaw.  If Jesus says “No,” the Herodians will report Him to the Roman government as guilty of sedition—also a crime punishable by death.  That’s the second steel jaw.  It’s a strong trap.

Jesus doesn’t say Yes or No.  He says, “Why are you trying to trap me?  Bring me a denarius, and let me look at it.”  Someone produces the coin.  Jesus looks at it, and then asks, “Whose image is this?  And whose inscription?”

They reply, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s!”

Caesar’s image was stamped on the coin.  The image and inscription were an indication of ownership, and it could not be argued that a coin created by Caesar, stamped with his image, and inscribed with his name could belong to anyone else.

Since they are able to produce the coin, they’ve already legitimized his rule.  If you have no qualms about doing business with Caesar’s money, you had better pay Caesar’s taxes. 

But that’s not all Jesus says.  He says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”

Four hundred years later, Augustine would expand on these words by reminding us that we are citizens of two cities: the earthly and the heavenly.  Every Christian has a double citizenship and a double duty.  Our duty to government is not to be denied.  Our duty to God is not to be neglected.

Caesar’s image was on the coin.  Where is God’s image?

The answer is found in Genesis 1:27: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”  

Just as Caesar’s image and inscription were on that coin, God’s image and inscription are on us. We are made in His image and inscribed with His truth.  

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.

That won’t just make for a Holy Week.  

That will make for a Holy You.