Mark 12.13-17
Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’ And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him.
Reflection
Even those who generally believe in obedience to the state, may baulk at paying their taxes. We can probably think of things on which that money is spent of which we disapprove – I might suggest subsidies to the arms trade and fossil fuel companies; others would have a different list. At one time there was a ‘peace tax’ campaign where people withheld the portion of their taxes which would be spent on the military, and some were penalised for non-payment. While sympathising with their stance, it does worry me that it might set a trend – sadly, there are many who would happily withhold the portion of their taxes spent on supporting refugees or on protecting the environment.
Jesus faces an even more fundamental question. In his time, many in Israel questioned the legitimacy of the Roman state, which had conquered their land and, they believed, suppressed their freedom. How could they pay taxes to it? Jesus answers their question with an assertion – that the emperor’s coins belong rightly to the emperor, but all that is God’s belongs to God.
Some theologians, such as Luther, have built on this a ‘Two Kingdoms Doctrine’, in which the state authorities have untrammelled power in their sphere, so long as the church may have its own sphere. This doctrine impeded resistance to oppressive governments in Germany from the Peasants’ Revolt in Luther’s time until the 1930s. There may be a whiff of it in the URC Basis of Union quoted yesterday.
But this is to misunderstand Jesus. The question he asks us to ponder is, “What belongs to God?” Psalm 24 is clear – “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” Our obedience to the state can only be in the context of everything belonging to the Lord. Ultimately, there is but one Kingdom.
Prayer
Sovereign Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth,
when I need to deal with the state –
whether those interactions be pleasurable or irksome –
may I engage always from the perspective
that everything in heaven and earth belongs to You.
And when faced with the power of the state,
may Your Church never forget where its true allegiance lies,
King of Kings and Lord of all.
Amen.