Tax Day 2009

Yes...

...even Tax Day can be a gateway to spiritual formation. Consider the following...

PALABRA (The Word)

Matthew 22.15-22
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"

"Caesar's," they replied.

Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

PONDER (The Point)

A Taxing Question

Is it right to pay taxes to a secular government? Can we participate in a society that uses these funds for things contrary to the precepts and principles of Scripture and the teaching of the Church? Where do we draw the lines?

These are all intriguing questions whose answers are very significant to our life of Christ-following. However, they must be addressed in another post. For the impact of this teaching of our Jesus was that "when they heard this, they were amazed." The wow factor is how Jesus, the master teacher, turns this would-be trap into a deeply penitrating look at spiritual formation.

Whose image?

Every governing body that mints coin or prints paper money authorizes that currency with easy to identify symbols. Every currency of the United States, for instance, bears the name "United States of America" and the phrase "THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE."

In Jesus' day the Caesar of the Roman Empire stamped his picture (image) onto the coinage used as legal tender. The printing was in Latin, the official language of the conquerors. So the coin brought to Jesus literally bore the Emperor's image and inscription.

So, Jesus says, give it back to Caesar. Yes we should pay taxes, in part because what we are spending is depending on that government to be judged legal tender or the currency of exchange. It is produced by and endorsed with that government's authority.

But the wow comes from the implication to everyone knowledgable of the Scriptures. This was especially true of Jesus' original listeners -- first century Jews. But it is also true of the Biblically-literate of all times and places.

We are all "stamped" with the imago dei, the image of God who created us originally and individually [Genesis 1.26-28.] A lot of speculation and debate has gone into the idea of the imago dei. Even after the Rebellion in Paradise, we retained a marred and mishapened version of the imago [Genesis 5.3, Genesis 9.6.] At the least we can say from the actual texts using the phrase imago dei, that it includes the human moral capacity [of that tree you must not eat,] human sexuality/procreativity [male and female created He them, be fruitful and multiply...fill the earth] and human stewardship of the rest of creation [subdue it. Rule over...] Essential human-ness bears clear markings of the One who made us--all.

While answering the political question of taxation, Jesus points to a deeper duty every human has. We should give to God what is God's -- our very self marked with His imago dei.

PRACTICE (The Principle)

So on this Tax day 2009, I hope you have filed your paperwork and written that check. Jesus says it is right to share in the cost, as well as the benefits, of a society.

But I really hope and pray that you take a moment and give God His due, too. Not something or some percentage but give your very self. From your DNA to your human spirit, you are marked with His image. All He wants is all you are, surrendered to His power, love and leadership -- for His renown and glory.

Whose image? Whose inscription?