St. Matthew 22:15–22
In the name of the Father and of the + Son
and of the Holy Spirit –
What are the two topics we’re told never to
bring up in polite conversation? Politics and religion. People have strong
opinions on these, and there is often tension between the two. And really, that
tension is quite understandable. Yes, there should be a distinction between the
church and the state, but the concerns of the church and the concerns of the
state often overlap. Because religion is not just nice thoughts about a God far
away. Religion is not just about what happens when you die, but it’s also about how we should live
today.
There are two kingdoms, two
realms in this universe. There is the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of
heaven. And we Christians hold dual citizenship. We are citizens of both
kingdoms. By physical birth we have citizenship in this world, and in this
earthly realm we also find various nations and kingdoms that govern this world.
But Christians, being baptized into Jesus Christ, are adopted into the family
of God and so we also hold citizenship in heaven. There are these two kingdoms,
and they are both good. For both kingdoms are established and governed by God. But
they operate in different ways.
This is the most simple meaning
of Jesus’ teaching: “Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” We could even
make reference here to the Fourth and First Commandments. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. That’s the Fourth
Commandment: Honor your father and your
mother. Obey the authorities placed over you by God. Submit to them, honor
them. Pay taxes and uphold the laws of the land. Then also, render to God the things that are God’s. That’s
the First Commandment: You shall have no
other gods. Fear, love and trust in
God above all things. Worship the Holy Trinity alone. And do not listen to
the teaching from any other gods.
Both of these kingdoms, the kingdom
of heaven and the kingdom of earthly authority, both are ruled by the one true
God. But He rules them in different ways. In the kingdom of the world, we say
He rules by His left hand, that is by His power and might. We call it His left
hand because it is not His proper or primary work. He rules with His Law and
with punishment for those who break His Law. He rules through the men and women
of earthly governments. God has ordained the state to protect men from harm, to
administer his wrath and justice against wrongdoers, and to generally provide
for the temporal well being of humanity. The civil government is God’s
instrument which he holds in His left hand to care for you and me. Thank God
for civil government! Pray for our rulers! Because whether you like them or
not, whether you voted for them or not, they are God’s agents, established in
their offices, not for selfish gain, but to serve you in His name. Like all men
however, our rulers are flawed instruments, and we cannot blame God for their
sins. Even so, our rulers are God’s men and women, doing His work, even if they
fail to recognize this themselves. And that is why St. Paul could urge the
church in Rome to obey Caesar, horrible tyrant though he was, to pray for him,
and to submit to earthly authorities as they would submit to God.
Now on the other hand, we have
the kingdom of heaven. In His heavenly kingdom God rules only by His grace and
mercy, and so we say that He rules this kingdom by His right hand, for grace
and mercy is His proper work. He rules this kingdom with His Gospel and with
forgiveness for all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this kingdom, the
citizens are those who have been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus
and call Him Lord. In the kingdom of heaven God rules through His Church – with
the preaching of His Word and the administration of His Sacraments. These are
the only tools or weapons the Church has. The Church doesn’t make and
administer laws, nor does she raise armies or levy taxes. But by speaking her
Lord’s Word and by giving out His forgiveness the Church’s mission is to
conquer men’s hearts with words of hope and acts of compassion.
So again, where do you belong in
all this? Are you feeling split in two?
Well, not quite split in two, but you are a
citizen of both kingdoms, and both kingdoms demand your honor. The trouble
really comes when the servants of the earthly kingdom call you to give the
things of God to Caesar. When the civil government requires you to do something
that God has forbidden. Then we must obey
God rather than men.
If you’re a citizen of the
United States, you’re not being killed for the Christian faith – not yet
anyway. Although that day could come. No earthly government is immune to the
hatred of God’s Word and the persecution of His Christians. So we keep this in
our Confirmation vows for just such an occasion: Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and
to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it? Answer: I do, by the grace of God.
But besides that ultimate
sacrifice, there are others. For example, are we catechizing our children,
teaching them the faith, knowing that it is absolutely the most important thing
they could ever learn? Make no mistake, if you’re not catechizing your
children, the government and schools will gladly do it for you. But they won’t
be teaching the Christian faith. And then when you’re child believes something
that is contrary to God’s Word, then what do you do? Or how can we support the
organizations and causes that directly violate God’s Law? There’s no command
from Christ on what political party to belong to or what candidate to vote for,
but we cannot give money to Planned Parenthood and finance abortions, or “like”
posts on Facebook that redefine the institution of marriage. These are things
that ultimately belong to God, and we must obey God rather than men.
Frankly, really think about this
teaching of Jesus, “Give to God the things that are God’s.” Don’t all things
belong to God? Aren’t you then supposed to give Him all things? Love Him with
all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Yes. So repent. The Pharisees said to
Jesus, “You do not care about anyone’s opinion, for You are not swayed by
appearances.” You’re not superficial Jesus – you don’t just take things at face
value. And they’re right. Jesus was aware of their malice – He could see how
they desired to entangle Him in His words. And we can’t hide or explain away our
sinful desires any better. Jesus sees the evil that is deeper than skin-deep.
He sees that we do not give all to God. He knows our excuses and they won’t
work. He is a King far greater, and far more terrible than Caesar or the
President of the United States. He
sees not only our actions, but He sees our hearts – He sees that our true
sinful allegiances don’t lie with Him.
And yet, at the same time, this
King is far more merciful than any earthly king. And He entered this earthly
realm, subjected Himself to suffering and death so that He could give His all
for us – in our place. He became the substitute for all sinners and the hammer
of God’s justice came crashing down on Him, so that we might go free. He shed
His blood that we might be forgiven, be made citizens of heaven and welcomed
into His eternal kingdom.
When Jesus got the coin, He
asked them, “Whose likeness and
inscription is this?” And they answered, “Caesar’s.” Caesar’s face was
stamped on the coin. Caesar’s name was inscribed in that precious metal. He
minted it – it was legal currency by His authority – it was His. So give to
Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. But on you, O Christian, O citizen of
heaven, O Child of God. There is something far more glorious stamped on you. You
bear the image of your crucified and risen Lord. His cross has been stamped on
you and His blood marks you. The holy name of Your God and King is inscribed on
your forehead. You are His. As our Small Catechism says, Jesus Christ is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned
person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of
the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with
His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve
Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is
risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly
true.
Come quickly + Lord Jesus –
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Charlotte, IA
November 8, 2015
A couple paragraphs
were borrowed from Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer in a sermon for Trinity 23 (2007) at
Redeemer, Fort Wayne.
