The Almighty and the Dollar

“All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity


“My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here.”

-John 18:36 (HCSB)

The “chi ro” (first two letters of the Greek word “Cristos” meaning Christ) was likely already an ancient Christian symbol when Constantine “adopted” it early in the 4th century.  But it was at the Battle of Milvian Bridge where the symbol gained its fame and will forever be linked to the Emperor. According to historical documents, Constantine saw this symbol in a vision prior to his battle with Maximus for the control of the entire Roman Empire (east and west).  He saw it as a sign from God and indeed he defeated his rival.  And just like that….under Constantine’s rule….Christianity in the Roman Empire….was now legal.  But it didn’t stop there.  Constantine, who may or may not have been a Christian himself, made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.  For the first time, the Church was institutionalized.  For the first time, the Church became intertwined with the State.  For the first time, it became financially rewarding to be part of the Church.  It can be argued and debated that Constantine was responsible for putting Christianity “on the map”.  But one thing’s for sure.  The next 1,300 years would be one long continuous saga and struggle regarding state “ownership” of the Church.  Perhaps no one, including Constantine himself, could have foreseen the implications of his actions.  Obviously, during Constantine’s time,  few stopped to consider Jesus’ words in passages such as Mark 12:13 – 17 and John 18:36.  If Christian leaders, at that time, would have taken these passages to heart….perhaps they would not have walked down Constantine’s red carpet so briskly.  Today, evangelical Christians often bemoan the separation of church and state.  But as the saying goes…”be careful what you ask for….”.  History shows us that a healthy arm’s length distance between the Church and the State is actually a good thing.  And is consistent with Jesus’ teachings.

[Read Mark 12:13 – 17 below]

Before we dive into the scripture for today, a little background is necessary.  Without it, we can’t fully appreciate the gravity of what is happening in these four verses. At the time of Jesus’ ministry, Palestine was part of a province of the Roman Empire.  Typically, when the Empire conquered an area, it tolerated its culture and, sensitive to that, would support a ruler who had “roots” in that region.  In Palestine and surrounding areas, that was Herod the Great....until his death in about 4 BC. Herod committed numerous atrocities during his reign, but he was tolerated by the Jewish community due mainly to his lavish construction projects (including expansion of the Temple).  Prior to his death, Herod divided his kingdom among his three sons….and that’s when the wheels started to fall off for Palestine.  Archelaus, the son rewarded with Palestine, was such a disastrous ruler that Rome had to forcibly remove him from power and govern Palestine directly from the "mother ship".   The military was used and a Roman governor assumed command of the region….making Palestine, for the most part, a police state.  The first thing the governor did was impose a series of taxes (ground, poll, income) to help pay for all the additional support/oversight from Rome.  Without a doubt, these new taxes enraged the Jews who felt the Roman Empire tightening its grip around their way of life. From their perspective, a complete overreach of “federal” power.  Many, in our own country, feel the same way today.

So it is within this setting, that we find ourselves in Mark 12.

At the beginning of our scripture, we are introduced to Pharisees and Herodians (supporters of Herod).  Based on what you now know, you can bet these two groups were bitter enemies.  And yet they had joined forces and set their sights on a common enemy – Jesus of Nazareth.  Scripture tells us that they were sent (v. 13) so we know that their confrontation was a planned one.  Part of their plan of attack was to be subtle…and seductive….and we see this in their compliments of Jesus (v. 14). They join in asking what they believe is the ultimate “trap question” (v. 14 – 15).  Answer one way, and Jesus risks the alienation of his own people and followers.  Answer another way, and the authorities could have had him arrested for being a revolutionary.  However….Jesus saw right through them…and he let them know it (v. 15b).  Jesus asks for a coin….a denarius to be exact.  And it is notable that Jesus himself did not have a coin in his possession.

Before we look closer at Jesus’ remarkable response….a little background about ancient coinage and what it symbolized in the Roman Empire.  Coins were a sign of power and wherever a coin was circulated it was assumed that the area was under the control of the person emblazoned on the coin. The particular coin that Jesus held would have had an image of Tiberius Caesar on it.  It may even have had the words “pontifex maximus”  which basically meant “high priest of the Roman nation”. In effect, the coin itself would have declared the Emperor’s divinity.  Can you imagine the outrage of one of our coins showing the image of a sitting president and declaring his/her divinity over the United States?  Now you understand the rage of the Jews a little better can’t you?

Jesus’ response to the trap question is nothing short of brilliant.  But not just because he eludes the Pharisees (once again) but because it lays down a principal that we Christians can live by.  By asking “who’s image and inscription is this?” (v. 16) Jesus recognized that the coin had Caesar’s name on it…so in a sense…it already belonged to him.  When Jesus said “give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar” (v. 17a) he was simply saying…”pay the monetary taxes without anger because you are just giving back what the Emperor already owns.  Money is the State’s domain.  And after all…it’s only money”.

But then Jesus says to “give to God what is God’s”.  (v.  17b) What did Jesus mean?  Ever wonder what “things” Jesus was talking about?  Some believe this passage is about tithing…giving to the church.  But I think the meaning is much deeper….and perhaps Jesus’ question in v. 16 gives us an important clue.  I think Jesus was talking about us….you and me.  We belong to God.  Just as those ancient Roman coins bore an image of Caesar….we bear the image of God.  We’ve known that to be true….all the way back to Genesis 1:27 (So God created man in His own image…..).  And according to Jesus, we’re to give ourselves over to God.  We’re already His….and much more precious to Him than money.

Why is this such an important lesson today?  Because this scripture reminds us that we can have peace in a world in which we feel like we’re losing our grip on control.  A quick run through CNN, Fox News and Drudge Report will be convincing enough that the world…our nation…. is in chaos. Runaway deficit spending.  Healthcare mandates.  IRS scandals.  Byzantine regulations.  Corruption at the highest levels.  Government overreach.  Bureaucracy.   Gridlock.   It seems like every day brings a new crisis.  Now that you understand history a little better….the environment during Jesus’ ministry…..you can at least rest assured that none of what we’re experiencing today is anything new.
It’s easy to feel helpless.  Hopeless.  Out of control.  But that’s not the attitude Jesus wants us to have. The State is going to do….what the State is going to do.  But we belong to God.  The State will have its domain….and Jesus recognizes this to be so…..but, try as it might…it will never own us….because we are made in the image of God and we are to give back to God the things that belong to God.

Mark 12:13-17
13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Him to trap Him by what He said.[a] 14 When they came, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality[b] but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?”
But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16 So they brought one. “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they said.
17 Then Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

Friends in Low Places

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy….like art….it has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
                                                                                                 C.S. Lewis

 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

                                                                                                 Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)

 

A couple of weeks ago, I flew to Tampa, Florida where I met up with a group of close friends for our annual "guys weekend"....a yearly event that has become tradition....and maybe even legendary.  Now...to be sure...when seven guys get together -  who've known each other since high school and college -  things can get pretty crazy and spontaneous.  And spontaneity creates memories.  So we spend a ridiculous amount of time laughing about what happened on the last trip...and somewhere in all the madness....new "material" gets generated for the next trip.  And the cycle just repeats itself.  But underneath all the laughs and hysteria, there's a current of something more serious.   Without really looking or even paying attention....time has put its unique seal on our friendships.  After all....only time can serve up the hard stuff.    High school.  College.  Marriage.  Kids.  Divorce.  And loss.  Loss of jobs....wives....parents...health.  Even substance abuse and life-threatening illnesses have made their unwelcome introductions.  And now, as we slip (unwillingly at times) into middle-age, the thought has crept into our minds that there will come a day when one of us will be gone.  Before its said and done, this group of friends will have gone through it all....together. 

I couldn't help but ponder this institution called "friendship".    And naturally, as a pastor, I turned to scripture for answers to my questions.  What is the biblical model of friendship?  Does the Bible really address friendship at all?  Are there threads of truth about friendship that we find in scripture?  From my research, I picked two stories from the Old Testament as well as material on friendship from the Apostle Paul and Jesus himself. 

Story of Naomi and Ruth.  Naomi's family moves from Canaan to Moab due to famine in the Promised Land.  The family settles into life in their new territory and her sons married Moabite women….something that was frowned upon in Jewish culture. Tragically, Naomi loses her husband and her two sons.  She was barren, childless and in a foreign land.  Almost completely alone.  Almost.  She encourages her two daughters-in-law (Ruth and Orpah) to return to their homeland and their gods.  To understand the gravity of what Naomi was demanding, one must place themselves in that time.  All alone, Naomi's prospects would have been dim.  In order to keep from literally starving to death, she would have had to rely on the benevolence of strangers and outsiders...for the rest of her life.  There was no safety net in a modern-day sense.  Orpah complies with Naomi's request but Ruth refuses...and in Ruth 1:16 - 17 we read the famous passage where Ruth professes her loyalty.  She decides to stay by Naomi's side to Bethlehem.  She must have had much courage considering Ruth knew she would be an outcast there. 

Story of Job and his  friends.  The Book of Job is an amazing piece of literature.  Ancient as it is (over 2,500 years old) its complexity reads like poetry...or perhaps a Shakespearian play.  Throughout its 42 chapters, the author was trying to answer two big questions:  “Why does God permit evil and suffering?” and “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  In the story, Job was considered blameless and upright.  God “challenges” or dares Satan to "mess with Job" because God believes that Job will remain true to Him no matter what.  Next, a series of messengers tell Job that he has lost his family, livestock and crops.  Still Job does not curse God.  Then Satan inflicts a series of physical ailments that torture Job.  With boils, rashes and infections ravaging his body, Job cuts himself with shards of clay to distract his mind from the pain.  But despite his horrific condition, he still does not curse God.  Three of his friends come to see him and sit with him in silence for seven days while he mourns.  In ancient Jewish tradition, friends and family would sit, in silence, with mourners until the mourner himself broke the silence.  Job finally speaks and and then a dialogue/debate ensues as to the root cause of Job’s predicament.  His friends were loyal to a fault, but instead of sharing God’s grace with Job, his friends try to lecture and rationalize why something bad might happen to Job.  Even though his friends hurt him deeply, they are still his friends and at the end of the story we find them reconciled. 

 Apostle Paul and his friends.  Without his friends, Paul’s ministry may have been radically different.  I think we often get this image of Paul as a loner....traversing the Mediterranean, making tents and preaching the gospel like a street preacher.  But historical evidence paints a very different picture.  The Apostle was probably supported by a traveling road crew of sorts...as well as a growing network of friends in each city he visited.  Without people there is no ministry.  And Paul obviously relied heavily on other people as he mentions nearly 40 different friends throughout his letters.....with many of those ancient "shout outs" in Romans 16:3 - 16.  Certainly, his relationships with Timothy and Priscilla and Aquila are great examples of his close friendships.  Paul loved people, was interested in them...prayed for and supported them.  From his writings, Paul appeared to be the kind of friend we would like to have. 

Jesus and friendship.  Christians get insight into what Jesus thought about friendship through his sayings, parables and love for sharing a meal.  Just like we enjoy sharing  meal with our friends, so did Jesus.  But he went a step further.  He shared meals with everyone….whether they were his closest disciples or outcasts of society.  His love for meals especially shines through  in Luke.  One commentator wrote: “In Luke, Jesus was either going to a meal, leaving a meal or at a meal.  No wonder the Pharisees accused him of being a drunk and glutton”.  In a parable Jesus presents in Luke 11:5 – 8, Jesus tells the story of a friend who goes to someone’s house at midnight and asks for bread.  Although the main point of the parable is about the need for persistent prayer, it should not be lost or overlooked that the friend pounding on the door at midnight is not asking for bread for himself but for a friend that has traveled long and is hungry.  The obvious lesson is that our prayers should be persistent and about others….not ourselves. No surprise.  With Jesus, it was never about himself.  Above all, Jesus tells us outright that friendship is to be cherished.  Consider John 15:13:

 ¹³ No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.

So....what is the message...the threads of truth we find running throughout these examples? 

Sacrifice.  Obviously, Jesus is the ultimate model of sacrifice.  His disciples were his friends and he died for them….as he did for all of humanity.  Jesus even says, with no shortage of clarity, that the greatest love is to lay down one’s life for his friends.  Although we may never be called to lay down our lives for friends, the message from Jesus is clear:  We are to put our friends ahead of ourselves. 

Prayer.  Jesus’ parable about the man knocking on the door at midnight is about the persistence of prayer.  Not prayer for ourselves….but prayer for others….as shown by the actions of the man in the parable.

Loyalty.  Perhaps the greatest lesson about friendship in the Bible.  When Job had lost everything, his friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar were there by his side...in seven days of silence.  When Naomi was left alone without a husband or children, it was Ruth that refused to leave her.  When Paul was weary from this travels and discouragement, it was Timothy, Priscilla and Aquila that lifted his spirits.  When Jesus’ heart was heavy, struggling with the unavoidable crucifixion….his disciples were there to share a final meal with him.

True friends are the ones that are with you in the low places.                              

One of the best modern-day stories about friendship is the collegiate friendship that developed between C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkien (author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings).  Without that friendship, C.S. Lewis could have very well remained an atheist.  Because of Tolkien however, Lewis would come to know God and accept Jesus Christ as his Savior.  Lewis, of course, would then go on to become one of the greatest theologians of our time…producing classics such as Mere Christianity and Chronicles of Narnia.   Friends can and do make a difference.

Our true friends are the ones who will make sacrifices for us….who will pray for us….who will be right by our sides during the darkest of times.  Our prayer should not be that we will have such friends….but rather that we will be that kind of friend to someone else.