This divisive, messy election is nearly over. Almost. Sort of.
And it seems that all we have done lately is fight about our political alliances. How can we go on from here? Where can we get perspective? The same place we always do. From Jesus.
People constantly asked Jesus questions. Questions about faith, about religion, and, yes, about politics. And for good reason. He could take the waffling faith of the doubter and give it an anchor. He could take the manipulative words of the religious pundit and show its duplicity. And he could take the complicated world of politics and give it clarity.
And that’s what He did on the day He was asked a political question and provided the most famous political answer He ever gave. An answer which, it turns out, had very little to do with politics at all.
The Bible teaches that Jesus constantly got under the skin of the Pharisees, a popular group of Jewish teachers who were tasked to uphold the Jewish law and teach it to the people. He tended to point out their legalism and the disparity between what they said and what God said.
So, the Bible says, the Pharisees would look for ways to try to discredit Him in front of the crowds which were growing increasingly fond of Jesus. And one day, in an effort to trap Jesus “by what He said,” the Pharisees “sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians” (Matt. 22:15-16).
That scenario would raise eyebrows in the first century. The Pharisees were religious purists and believed that the Jews should not align themselves politically with any non-Jewish government, such as Rome. The Herodians believed the opposite. They were happy to scratch Roman backs if it meant that they could have an occasional itch satisfied, too.
So the two groups were on opposite sides of the political divide. They despised one another. But they had something in common. Even more than they hated each other, they hated Jesus.
So they collaborated, and one afternoon, in the temple complex, they came to Jesus. They opened with flattery. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You don’t care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality” (Matt. 22:16).
No one disagreed. Jesus was famously impartial and consistently truthful. That is, He was not a politician.
So then they posed the question they thought would trap Him. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (Matt. 22:18)
Here we need to pause. We usually grab that question and then apply as an ethical dilemma. Should Christians pay taxes? But the taxes in question are not our kind of taxes. Not income tax or property tax or sales tax. The question is about one specific, unyielding, ugly tax imposed on the Jews by the Romans. It’s about the poll tax.
See, the Romans invented a tax just for the Jews. It was designed as a constant reminder that the Jews lived under the thumb of Roman rule, and when they came to the temple they were taxed for no other reason than they were Jews. Living in their own land. Practicing their own religion. Just being Jews.
And to squeeze more insult out of their injury, the Romans made sure that the tax was paid with a coin that included the Emperor’s image along with an inscription. The Emperor was Tiberius. The inscription? “God and High Priest.” Ouch.
So paying the tax not only implied subjugation, it forced the Jews to violate their religious convictions by using a coin bearing the Emperor’s image and his explicitly blasphemous title. It served as an insulting reminder that even though the Romans let them practice their religion, their land was still occupied by Rome.
And now, in front of a curious crowd, they ask, “So what do you think, Jesus?” Pay the tax, or not? If Jesus says yes, the mob that hates Rome might turn on Him. If He says no, Rome would arrest Him for treason. And whichever answer He gave was aligned with either the Pharisees or the Herodians. They had Him. They were giddy with excitement.
But Jesus didn’t take a side. At least, not yet. And He didn’t argue politics. Instead, He said, “Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they did, and He asked, likely holding it up for all to see, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
“Caesar’s,” they said, maybe shrugging. C’mon. It’s obvious.
And then Jesus said, “Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Our problem is that most of us are like the Herodians and the Pharisees. We tend to focus on the “tax” in this story. But that’s not what Jesus is doing. What matters most isn’t the tax at all. It’s the image. Jesus was not teaching politics or economics. He was teaching ownership.
Caesar’s image impressed on the coin wasn’t decoration. It was a declaration of ownership. The coin ultimately belonged to Caesar.
So, if the coin belongs to Caesar, and we are to give to him what belongs to him, then what are we supposed to give to God that belongs to God? The answer, staring us in the face, gives us much needed perspective. Not just now, but always, and anytime we are tempted to let politics wedge its way into our priorities, our relationships, and our practices.
See, Jesus did, after all, take a side that day. He took God’s side.
The word translated “image” has its root in the same word used when God created humanity in His “own image” (Gen. 1:26-27). Jesus was reminding the crowd, and the political parties, that long before they ever took sides and created ideologies and joined earthly alliances, they belonged to God. Each one. A person. All people. Created in God’s image. Without division or politics.
Jesus always teaches the truth. Jesus shows no partiality. Jesus is not political. So, Jesus says, remember this above all else. You were made in the image of God, not government. When politicians try to divide you, remember, you don’t belong to them. You belong to Him. So, sure, pay your taxes. But remember that God’s intention for you is a lot bigger than your political party, or your politics, or your tax plans.
Before you are part of a political party, you are a person and a follower of Christ. So no matter who is in office, you have one obligation, and it is always the same obligation. Give to God what is God’s.
So what’s that? It’s you.
And if you are a follower of Christ, that always comes before anything else. Even your political party.
How’s that for post-election perspective?