Give to Caesar what is his and to God what is His
of the coin pictured Pax, the Roman goddess of peace, labeled “Pontifex Maximus” or “High Priest.” Unlike copper coins issued by the Roman Senate, the denarius was the EmM peror’s own coin, coming from in his own mint in what is present-day Lyons in southern France. The impeM rial currency was so, well, august in the Empire, and Tiberius made it a crime punishable by death to carry denarii into bathrooms and brothels.
Hence, by requesting to see the coin and asking about its image and inscription, Jesus highlighted the cult of emperor worship, which was, of course, utterly idolatrous for the JewM ish faith of Jesus and the Pharisees questioning him. And for early ChrisM tians reading the account, knowing the engraving on the money, there was no little irony in Christ the Son of God eyeing the visage of a ruler called “son of the god Augustus.”
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Repay God what’s God’s
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Which brings us to Jesus’ renowned remark after the coin’s image and inscription were identified as Caesar’s: “Repay to Caesar what belongs to CaeM sar and to God what belongs to God.”
That silenced his interrogators, disappointed that what Jesus said violated neither imperial authority nor the Jewish Torah or Law, which banned the worship of any deity but
God. Jesus, they thought, was not counseling against paying the RoM man poll tax, since payment would, in effect, return to the Emperor the denarius that was his, as shown by his profile stamped on it.
So, is that it? Jesus glibly parried the Pharisees’ malicious, hypoM critical and crafty questioning by a well-turned phrase? Not so fast.
Let’s have a few more questions. First, for devout Jews (and Christians, for that matter), what exactly belongs to God and must be rendered to Him?
Well, everything, since He made it all — including all the denarii minted for each and every Caesar, including Tiberius.
Therefore, properly understood by a true believer, Jesus told the Pharisees that everything should be given to God, and nothing to Caesar.
So, why didn’t the Pharisees jump on Jesus’ words as an afM front to the Emperor?
Because they were not true believers. That’s why they missed the subversion in Jesus’ reply. Their minds and hearts were focused on money and power.
What about ours? Do we read Jesus’ words with the eyes of true believers or the minds and hearts of malicious, crafty hypocrites enamored of wealth and power?
May we repent, reform and repay to God what is God’s. Amen.