The series of
mutually challenging conversations with religious leaders continues as a group
of them try to put Jesus in a difficult position with respect to what he says
on the matter of paying taxes. The record of this encounter describes how they
make an approach to Jesus in which they flatter him. Perhaps this was for the
sake of the crowd. We have already been told that they are concerned about a likely
adverse reaction from the people in the event that they make any attempt to
prevent Jesus from continuing his ministry and teaching.
Now the tactic
appears to be that they should commend him, appearing to recognise the good
things he is doing and saying, but then undermine him by asking a question
which will provoke him to say something that loses the sympathy of the crowd.
They will then be able to move against him without the same fear of
retribution.
Jesus, however,
beats them at their own game with his careful and appropriate answer. He first prepares
the ground by requesting a coin, a denarius. He asks whose image is on the coin
and so is able to draw the conclusion that the coin belongs to the emperor
whose image it bears. Of course, God has priority, but that does not mean that we
have no other obligations and Jesus carefully and powerfully makes that point. Give
to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are
God’s.
I wonder how
easily we judge our obligations to the state and to civic authorities. I wonder
what bases we use to determine our attitude to the difficult issues of our day.
(Jesus’ contemporaries were unhappy about having to pay taxes to the occupying
Romans, which gives this incident added significance.)
In this encounter
Jesus’ opponents try to force him to make a political comment, hoping that will
be damaging to him. They succeed in the former aim, but not the latter. As
Denis McBride (The Gospel of Mark: A Reflective Commentary) notes – “in his reply Jesus gives his own teaching, in line with
traditional Judaism: it is for people to evaluate whether in demanding the poll
tax, Caesar is reflecting the things of God. That evaluation, which is always a
complex one, continues in every age.” I wonder how we decide what are the
things on which we need to speak up or even, in some cases, engage in some form
of practical action.
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