Father Gary’s Sermon

Inspired from Matthew 22:15-22

Proclaimed on October 16, 2005

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in his book America’s Real War, tells the following story about one of his teachers. “On a trip to Israel, he found himself seated next to one of the heads of the Israeli socialist labor movement. Soon after the plane took off, one of my teacher’s students, seated several rows behind, came forward and said, ‘Rabbi, let me take your shoes; I have your slippers here. You know how your feet swell on the airplane.’ A few minutes later, the student returned and said, ‘Here are the sandwiches your wife sent. I know that you do not like the airline food.’ This went on in similar fashion for some time, and finally the head of Israel’s socialist labor movement turned to my teacher and said, ‘I don’t get this. I am so impressed with your son. I have four sons. They’re grown now. But in all my life I don’t recall them ever offering to do anything at all for me. Why is your son doing all of this?’ And the rabbi said, ‘He isn’t my son. He’s my student. Had my son been here you would really have seen service. But you must not blame yourself. Your sons are faithful to your teachings, and my sons are faithful to my teachings. It is simple, you see. You made a decision to teach your sons that you are descended from the apes. That means that you are one generation closer to the ape then they. And that means that it is only proper and appropriate that you acknowledge their status and that you serve them. But, you see, I chose to teach my sons that we came from God Himself. And that puts me one generation closer to the Ultimate Truth, which means it is only appropriate that they treat me accordingly.’”

Regardless of what our perspectives may be in the current debate between those who advocate the theory of evolution and those who uphold a faith in creationism, or those arguing a position for both, this modern story is very similar to the story in our Gospel lesson this morning in its application that our beliefs have practical outcomes. In this story we find Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem during the very last week of his life. He is approached by a group of religious authorities, the leaders of the synagogue movement, which take Jesus to task. These Pharisees join up with the Herodians—a group typically their enemies—but now they are united in their efforts to get rid of Jesus. They attempt to trick Jesus into a carefully laid trap. They ask Jesus a question about paying taxes. “Is it right to pay taxes which support the pagan army which occupies our nation?” If Jesus were to answer, “Yes,” then he would violate the ancient Law of Israel that forbids paying this type of tribute. Such an answer would undermine the Lord’s credibility as a spokesman for the ancestral religion. If Jesus were to answer “No,” then the Herodians would immediately arrest him as a rebel charged with treason, for they—along with the Romans—were the foreigners who ruled over the Hebrew people. It seemed that no matter how he answered, Jesus was doomed. However, once again, Jesus was up to the task. He asked for one of the coins that was used by the Romans for purposes of taxation. The Pharisees produced one. Jesus then asked them whose image was on the coin. They answered that it was Caesar’s. He then stated, “Then give it back to Caesar for his image makes the coin rightly his. In the same vain, that which bears the image of God—meaning, of course, humanity—should be given wholly over to God.”

As the rabbi on the plane distinguished clearly that he came from God, and not apes, so Jesus was clearly reminding his critics that we ultimately belong to God, and not to Caesar. By answering in this manner, however, Jesus was not denying the authority of Caesar, but revealing that even Caesar served at God’s discretion.

Today, we tend view our lives very much like those ancient Pharisees who picked an argument with the Pharisees. In debating with Jesus, they failed to win the day because of a false compartmentalization. Rome occupied one of these compartments. Israel or the Kingdom of God occupied another. As a result, they presented their argument as though it had an either/or dilemma.

This is the same type of compartmentalization that we use in our lives. One part of our lives belongs to our employers. Another part belongs to a civic club. Another part belongs to our family. And, yes, we even have a compartment that belongs to God. Seldom do the relationships and functions within each of these compartments cross into one another. Indeed, they often have little relationship with one another at all. This is why it is so easy for us to cheat, lie, or feel very accountable to a single entity. If we are in one compartment we can make decisions that violate the rules in another compartment without experiencing much guilt or fear. The reason for this is that when we build these various sociological compartments, we likewise build similar psychological compartments within ourselves. The boundaries between these internalized compartments are normally fairly porous, allowing us to consciously move with ease from one compartment to another. However, if the boundaries become too rigid it can lead to some psychological problems. For instance, the BTK murderer was able to be a good employee, a loving father, and a leader in his church during the day, while murdering at night, due to fairly rigid psychological compartmentalization. Indeed, this human tendency toward psychological compartmentalization can become so extreme, especially with a person who has been tragically hurt as a child, that the walls between the psychological compartments within a person become impermeable. When this occurs each compartment develops its own ego and assumes its own separate identity with its own name. This is what is classically referred to as a Multiple Personality Disorder.

Obviously Jesus had a different way of being in the world. Therefore, when he debated with the Pharisees he ignored the either/or compartments that they presented him. Rather, he answered with a both/and solution. One can live in Caesar’s world and still be true to the Kingdom of God. His entire ministry was based on this understanding, which confused most everyone he encountered. Indeed, this is heavily revealed in the healing he brought to others. The word used for healing in the Gospels is theropeuo, which is our word for therapy. This word does not mean to cure, but rather to make one whole. Jesus always preached, taught, and promoted a life of wholeness. In this manner one is able to live a life that is simple, truthful, loving, and dignified.

This sense of wholeness was to remain at the heart of the message of the early Church, which continued to teach obedience to the Roman authorities, while acknowledging that this authority came from God. Rome taxed the world to pay for its triumphant armies and its excellent highways by which to transport its powerful military. But these same roads were traveled by the Christian missionaries that eventually conquered all of Rome, proving once again that Rome—though quite unintentionally—served the purposes of God; that purpose being to restore a fallen humanity, a humanity originally made in God’s own image. Because of these Christian emissaries, these roads that ultimately led to nowhere, provided the world with a new destination—a way back to God.

How can this Christian principle be manifested today? Take, for instance, this story about an IRS investigator who allegedly called a certain minister and said, “Mr. Jones claims on this tax return that he has given ten thousand dollars to your church. We are just calling to see if this is so.” The minister said that with the proper legal documentation he would check the church records to be sure. Then he added, “Sir, I promise you that if he didn’t, . . . he will, . . . he surely will.” Alas, in so breaking down the internal compartments that Mr. Jones may have erected between Church and State, the minister was giving to him the gift of wholeness. Indeed, the rabbi on the plane that was referred to at the beginning of this sermon would say that the minister was only trying to save his parishioner from making a monkey out of himself!