Render Therefore To Caesar

Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero′di-ans, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax.” And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.

Matthew 22:15-22

What do we render to Caesar? What should we render to Caesar?

For many—and certainly for myself—that is a loaded question. As a rule I am very reluctant to render anything to Caesar.

I am far more at ease declaring what is not Caesar’s: my conscience, my integrity, my sense of right and wrong. As the risk of sounding self-righteous, when it comes to choosing a path of right, I look to God’s Law. I choose to follow God. That does not leave any wiggle room in which to bend the knee to any man.

There is simply no argument to be had that, next to God’s Law, Caesar’s laws—man’s laws—are insignificant. A moment’s thought is all that is needed to see that, when we follow God’s Law, we render man’s laws superfluous.

We do not refrain from violence because the laws of men tell us we must. We refrain from violence because it is God’s Law that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

We do not refrain from stealing or fraud because the laws of men tell us we must. We refrain from such things because God’s Law commands us not to steal, and not to bear false witness against our neighbor.

Yet, even if only by accident, when we adhere to God’s Law, we automatically comply with all of the laws of man which are in accord with God’s Law. When we make good on the commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we also keep our conduct within the laws of men which tell us not to assault our neighbor, or threaten him with harm. When we refrain from stealing or bearing false witness, we are automatically in compliance with the laws of men that also tell us not to steal and not to defraud our neighbor.

Where God’s Law and Man’s laws are in agreement, both will be honored.

Likewise, if we reject God’s Law, Man’s laws are irrelevant. We have only to look at the levels of crime in our communities to see that if we reject God’s commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, very little will stand the way of our assaulting or abusing our neighbor. Certainly, Man’s laws will be but a small obstacle.

Where God’s Law and Man’s laws are in agreement, if the one is rejected the other is soon also rejected.

The case of God’s Law and Man’s laws being in disagreement scarcely warrants consideration. Moral right and wrong are defined by God’s Law, not Man’s laws, and if Man’s laws contradict God’s Law then Man’s laws are wrong, and not to be followed. That truly is the beginning, middle, and end of that discussion.

Yet what should we do when God’s Law and Man’s laws simply do not interesect?

How should we act when following one of Man’s laws neither agrees nor disagrees with God’s Law?

As Jesus noted with the coin handed him by the followers of the Pharisees, there is no commandment that says “thou shalt not pay taxes”. Neither is there a commandment that says “thou shalt pay taxes.” God’s Law is simply silent on how we are to engage with government, at least in regards to taxes.

There is no commandment that says “thou shalt vote in every election.” Neither is there a commandment that says “thou shalt not vote in any election.” God’s Law is silent on how we are to engage with the political system by which our communities are organized.

Or is it?

As Jesus taught the Pharisees, the two greatest commandments are that we are to love God with all of our heart, and all of our soul, and all of our mind, and, co-equal with this, that we are to love our neighbor even as we love ourselves. All righteousness ultimately proceeds from these two guiding principles. This Jesus taught, and this I certainly believe.

As we are called to love God, we are called to be God’s light to the world. We are therefore called to engage with the world, and not retreat from it.

As we are called to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we are called to approach every person with caring and compassion. We are called to engage with our communities, that we might lift up our neighbor and be lifted up by him.

God’s Law does not micromanage in the way Man’s laws do, but there is no doubt but that the expectation within God’s Law that we are to be in the world, and engaged with the world, and working always to be a benevolent force on the world.

Where the community has a concern, we are therefore called to be a positive force in achieving a resolution. We are called to take a stand, whether it be to the left or to the right. In taking a stand, we are called to stand up and bear witness for God and for God’s Law. In taking a stand, we are called to stand up and advocate always for doing the right thing.

Thus when the appointed time comes for our communities to choose those whom will represent us, and whom will lead our governments, we are called to be engaged. We are called to learn the concerns and issues of others, to construct informed opinions about those issues, and ultimately to cast a vote. We are called to have a voice, and we are called to use that voice.

Thus do we render to Caesar. We render to Caesar by being engaged in the world, and in particular by being engaged in our communities. We render to Caesar not merely by paying taxes, but by leading public debate and discourse over what the taxes should be, or even if they should be at all. We render to Caesar by striving always to build up our communities, always looking to make them safe, healther, and more prosperous.

With this latest election cycle drawing to a close, it seems fitting to pray that people will answer the call to thus render to Caesar—to engage, and discuss, and debate, and most of all, vote. It seems fitting to pray that, by thus rendering to Caesar, people will find it within themselves to lift up their communities and their neighbors, doing whatever they see to do to make the world just a little bit better for everyone.