Currency
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?19 Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, "Whose head is this and whose title?" 21 They answered, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are the Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they heard this, they were amazed, and they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:17-22)
The Pharisees and Herodians were not friends or even allies but, with Jesus as their common enemy, they teamed up to attempt to get Jesus to say something against the Roman government. Much like today, taxes were a hot topic. Roman citizens were exempt from the most burdensome taxes - poll and land taxes - while non-citizens, specifically the Jewish population, were subject to both the tax just to live in the Roman empire (poll tax) and the tax on everything produced on land owned by non-citizens (land tax). For this reason, Jesus' adversaries believed that Jesus would say that Caesar's taxes were not lawful. But Jesus understood the power of the position he was in and the potentially negative implications that his words could have. Instructing people to stop paying the taxes would only hurt those already vulnerable, and would do nothing to change the unjust
system under which they lived.
Instead, Jesus said to give Caesar what belonged to Caesar but also give God what belongs to God. So, what belongs to God? Our very lives - who we are and the way we live. Our money may bear the images of worldly rulers, but we bear the image of our Creator. The currency of the world elevates some and oppresses others, based on who has more and who has less, but the currency of God's kingdom is love which God gives to all equally. When we trade in the currency of Love, we give and receive with gratitude and grace. We see the image of the Creator stamped on the hearts of our brothers and sisters, and we are bound to give them the grace we've been given, we are bound to treat them the way we want to be treated, we are bound by the currency of Love. In God's economy there are no haves and have-nots, we are all beloved. The world's systems of injustice can be toppled when we refuse to give them our allegiance. We can meet our required responsibilities without bowing at the altars of greed, selfishness, and pride. Loving the Hell out of one another is the way we change the world.
God's kingdom come, God's will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16--19)
Enjoy this original song by yours truly.
And this beautiful modern hymn.
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