Teachings of Jesus (Part 38) Taxes and Money by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1953

Teachings of Jesus (Part 38) Taxes and 

Money

Most of us like receiving more money in our paycheck, but I don’t know anyone who likes to see more taxes out of what they receive. We are coming to the end of the tax season with the deadline only 2 weeks away. Many look for tax loop holes so they don’t have to pay more taxes. Others like to be paid cash and don’t pay taxes at all on money earn. And I find it interesting that the Jews who did not like what Jesus was doing bring up the subject of paying taxes trying to find another way to get Him in trouble.
In Luke 20:20 – 26 it says, “20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.”

They probably wanted to know if Jesus believed that the Mosaic Law required the Jews to “pay taxes” to the occupying Romans. Maybe they thought that if Jesus said “yes,” He would alienate the common people, especially the Zealots, who objected strongly to paying the Romans anything. If Jesus said “no,” He would incur the wrath of Rome, and the Sanhedrin could tell Pilate that He taught the people not to pay their taxes.

Jesus perceived the malicious intentions of His questioners, and rather than getting caught up by their flattering comments, He proceeded to lead them into a trap of His own. He used an object lesson to reinforce and clarify what He was about to say. So He asked to see a Roman coin.

The Roman “denarius” bore the image of “Caesar,” probably that of Tiberius who reigned during this period (A.D. 14-37). His image on the coin suggested that the money ultimately belonged to him and the government that he headed and represented. He had issued the coin but in another sense it belonged to the person who currently possessed it.

The fact that the Jews used Roman money shows that Rome ruled over them. On the positive side Roman rule included providing services for them, which made it necessary to tax them for those services. So in one sense the demand for taxes was legitimate.

Then Jesus added that they should likewise give God what is due to Him, namely: their worship and service, because like the coin that bore the image of Caesar, we bear the image of our God.
1 Peter 2:13-17 says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

In this text Jesus was showing that paying earthly rulers what’s due to them is only a logical extension of paying the heavenly Ruler what is due to Him.

This text is the closest to a political statement Jesus makes. . . . In many ways Jesus’ handling of this question shows that he is not interested in the political agenda of changing Rome. He is not a zealot. Rather He is more interested in people honoring God.

This teaching would have been helpful to Luke’s original readers who, as well as all Christians showing that we have a responsibly to pagan political authorities as well as to God.
Romans 13:1-7 says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

Even though Jesus may have very little to say about politics, He has much to say about money and how we look at it compared to other things.
Of the 38 parables Jesus related, 16 deal with how we handle money. One out of 10 verses in the gospels deals with money and possessions! We also find that in the four Gospels, Jesus talked more about money than He did about heaven and hell combined! He even talks more about money that love.

We see extremes in the Gospel accounts. In Luke 18 we talked about the rich man who asked Jesus what he must do to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him to obeys the commandments of God, and the man said he had. But then Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” And if you remember how the story ended the man walked away very sad and Jesus told those standing nearby, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

In Mathew 6:19-20, Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The problem with the rich man and why he walked away so sad was because He treasured the wrong thing; his priorities were off. But on the opposite side of the spectrum we have another story recorded in Luke 21, where Jesus praises the action of someone else. Starting in verse 1 it says, “As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

I don’t believe Jesus necessarily cares how much is given as much as where the person heart and priorities lay. There is no doubt in my mind that this woman loved God with all her heart.

What I have discovered is that there is definitely a reason why the Bible is full of scriptures about money – people desperately need wisdom when it comes to their personal finances. If I had to pick one word to describe Jesus it would still be “love,” but I think Jesus realized more of us would struggle with our spending habits than with loving those around us. There are many people who have no problem with loving others but are barely scraping by living paycheck to paycheck or are in debt up to their eyeballs.

People in power within our government seem to have spending problems as well. The fact is, people from all walks of life have the same problems, including not knowing how to handle money.

There are certainly some people who do a much better job handling money than others. However, I see that even the guy driving the BMW may be in over his head and bouncing checks.

Money is important and but has a tendency reveals who we are and really what’s important to us. The scripture I quoted earlier actually ends with Jesus saying, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”

Many I know that have had some financial success are smart with their money but also generous. They don’t just put it all away waiting for disaster to strike, they also give. In other words, balance seems to be the key. Don’t spend it all, but don’t hoard it all away in a world system that can fail you.

As someone once said, ‘The only sure things in this world is death and taxes.’ Yes, you will be taxed, and yes one day we will all die. And where your priorities lie while alive will determine what will happen to you and where you go after you die. Jesus once said, “What good is it if you gain the whole world but then lose your soul.”

Where do your priorities lie? Governments need money to run, to maintain the infrastructure, to protect us from evil in the world, to keep some level of order in our society, to pay our teachers and do so much more. They may not do the best job at it but we need to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

But also we need to give to God what belongs to God; not every last nickel you have. He never asked that of us. But rather He wants your love, your devotion, your worship, your praise and adoration, and a commitment to Him. Give what money you can because you want to not because you have to. Give to help others. And give to glorify our wonderful God so others may come to know Him.

In the letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul wrote that if we are generous, God will bless us with even more to share with others. It seems to be a matter of stewardship. Like in the parable of the talents, and Minas those who use what they have well were give more to use and glorify their master.

But really, all we have here is just wood, hay and stubble; here today and gone tomorrow. So I say live for those things that are eternal and you will be so much happier in the long run.

Be wise with your money; save some, spend some, a give some away and God will bless you for being wise.