Luke 20:20-26 | I Samuel 8:4-22a
You gotta give it to the religious leaders for their perfection of passive aggression...though not nearly as much credit as Jesus gets for not only sniffing it out, but turning it upside down.
Jesus continues to present an alternative to the ways of the world. What the tricky questioners meant for his trip and fall, he took and turned into a profound theologically ethical conclusion: God is God. Don’t confuse things. Follow suit.
Luke 20:20-26
The legal experts and chief priests were watching Jesus closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They wanted to trap him in his words so they could hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are correct in what you say and teach. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is. Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
Since Jesus recognized their deception, he said to them, “Show me a coin. Whose image and inscription does it have on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
He said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They couldn’t trap him in his words in front of the people. Astonished by his answer, they were speechless.
I Samuel 8:4-22a
So all the Israelite elders got together and went to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “Listen. You are old now, and your sons don’t follow in your footsteps. So appoint us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” It seemed very bad to Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” so he prayed to the Lord.
The Lord answered Samuel, “Comply with the people’s request—everything they ask of you—because they haven’t rejected you. No, they’ve rejected me as king over them. They are doing to you only what they’ve been doing to me from the day I brought them out of Egypt to this very minute, abandoning me and worshipping other gods. So comply with their request, but give them a clear warning, telling them how the king will rule over them.”
Then Samuel explained everything the Lord had said to the people who were asking for a king. “This is how the king will rule over you,” Samuel said:
“He will take your sons, and will use them for his chariots and his cavalry and as runners for his chariot. He will use them as his commanders of troops of one thousand and troops of fifty, or to do his plowing and his harvesting, or to make his weapons or parts for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, or bakers. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his servants. He will give one-tenth of your grain and your vineyards to his officials and servants. He will take your male and female servants, along with the best of your cattle and donkeys, and make them do his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and then you yourselves will become his slaves! When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you chose for yourselves, but on that day the Lord won’t answer you.”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel and said, “No! There must be a king over us so we can be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles.”
Samuel listened to everything the people said and repeated it directly to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Comply with their request. Give them a king.”
Prayer
God,
Jesus makes it sound so simple and easy. But honestly, the same coin used to pay taxes also purchases food, clothing, and shelter. I would love to go back to a bartering system, but it doesn’t seem an immediate possibility.
Here we are, paying taxes and using money all day, every day.
So help me, God:
Keep me from unhealthy financial attachments. Help me maintain my trust in you, in others, and in myself in order to live fully into the life you have intended. Let my attachments be holy and my purchases be compassionate.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
Lord, give us wisdom so that our attachments will not be disordered and your rule over us will be true. Amen.