This week's sermon

 

RENDER UNTO CAESAR….

        In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees (as always) “went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said.”

        So, the followers of the Pharisees said to Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth….” (Boy, that is buttering him up with faint praise!)

        “Tell us, then, what you think,” they say getting ready to drop the bomb!

        “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

        If Jesus says ‘no’—they’ve got him from treason against the Roman Empire.

        If Jesus says ‘yes’—they can tell the people he sides with the Romans against the Jews.

        They’ve got him either way…at least they think so.

        But Jesus knows what they’re up to and tells them: “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?”

        Jesus can be depended upon to be a step ahead of his critics. I admire that about him.

        So, he asks to be shown what is given to the tax.

        They show him a coin and he asks who’s likeness is on the coin.

        They answer, ‘the emperor’s.”

        So, he tells them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

        Point, game, set, match to Jesus!

        Don’t try to play tennis with this guy….a

        In another translation, Jesus says, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s.”

        It’s my contention that over 2000 years ago, Jesus set the stage for our country’s ‘separation of church and state’ which is a part of our constitutional legacy.

        And now, it is my belief that our constitutional legacy of ‘separation of church and state’ is in danger of being uprooted.

        Let me be clear—it is not the state that is trying to uproot that legacy—it is the ‘church’.

        Evangelicals and Roman Catholics are asking the state to infringe on the church and on individual freedom.

        I could give you several examples, but let me cite one—abortion rights.

        I’ll be clear, I abhor abortion, detest it—but it is the right of the woman to choose, not my ‘right’ to tell her she can’t.

        The Evangelicals and Roman Catholics are urging state governments and the United States’ government to take away rights that should be protected and upheld.

        I’ll talk to you more, if you wish, about this—but let me be clear: the church—at least parts of it—are trying to blur the separation of church and state.

        Render unto Caesar and render unto God may soon be tarnished. I pray it won’t be, but fear it will be. What can we do to prevent that? I’m not sure. I wish I did.

Amen.