The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 
for God has founded it on the seas, & established it on the rivers. Psalm 24:1-2

Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.

And we live in between.

There is so much that is good about the Christian Life… So much.

A way of life that seeks the integration of all that is Spiritual and all that is Human and Earthly.

A collection of troublesome stories that continue to expand the horizon of human Spirituality, life and living.

And the creation of human relationships that have the capacity to endure change and difference: in opinion, life experience, theology, and encounter.

There is so much that is good about the Christian Life.

A way of cultivating a life that walks what it believes.

That practices the heavy duty of love and forgiveness.

And creates spaces and communities in which it can practice.

There is so much that is good about the Christian Life.

A faith that invites understanding:

A faith that is not embraces the newest understanding of science technology and history:

and A faith that says for example: now that we know the earth is not flat… Who is God now?

Now that we know that the universe is endless… who is God now?

And a faith that meets us where we are:

and is steeped in gentleness: kindness, peace, love, joy, patience, self control.

There is so much that is good about the Christian Life.

There is so much that is good about this little community.

Take a moment: and think about some of that goodness here.

(And, if you’re new, just look around the room and see what remnants are here and what they might signal to you)

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 
for God has founded it on the seas, & established it on the rivers. Psalm 24:1-2

Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.

What are the things of God?

And what are the things of God for you?

At this point in the year… we’re in the countdown now: the final quarter of the year: it’s 5 weeks until Advent… how have you rendered to God that things that are of God?

Have you spent enough time in the things that are of God, for you?

Have you spent enough time in the the things that are of God for one another?

Have you loved God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind?

Have you practiced that with your neighbour?

There is so much that is Good about the Christian Life… 

And, of course, our expression of Christian Life involves community.  How you experience and understand God, and the work of the Spirit in you, is there to shape me.  Leadership in this Uniting Church expression of Christianity sees leadership, not through ordination or title: but through the gifts and graces we have to share: so that all of us are nourished: and that we become a church for others; a church for the community: a church community that makes a place where people can attend to that Still Small Voice in each one of us… and grow and respond.

• So why is it, that we are silent in our relationships outside of this hour we spend together?
• Do we speak of our faith at home even, with the people who matter most, maybe?
• Do we speak of encounter, feelings, experiences, insights, readings?

‘Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’ is such a great statement: but as some theologians have commented: “Many scribes near and far have pondered the implications of this conclusion to Jesus’ query. I’m not sure if there is content here, as much as form. The structure of the whole encounter has been between two options – compromise one’s faith in acquiescence to the emperor or resist the emperor in the name of fidelity to God.”

When we are silent, rather than speaking the things of faith from the heart, are worried we will get into the trap like Jesus was in?  In this story the followers of King Herod and the Pharisees are very strange bed fellows. These two grouping are diametrically opposite form one another: yet here in this story BOTH of them are out to trap Jesus.  

In our current time, in this election cycle, we are seeing very strange bed fellows emerging across the political divides.  Do we maybe we feel that speak the Peace and Justice; the Truth and Kindness; the Love and Kindness that flow directly from our heart of Jesus, will see us being misunderstood as one of those very strange groups.  And none of us want to be associated in faith nor our own humanity, with expressions of the faith that fail the ‘Gospel Pub Test’ of the Love of God, shown to us in Jesus Christ, crucified: risen.  Full of love, forgiveness and an invitation to life in all its fullness.

This encounter, then, in this story, might offer us some encouragement, not so much in content , but rather, in FORM.

Do you want some Bible nerd things? (Go on, say yes!!  We all love to learn or be reminded again… 3 things…)

OK, so the Lawfulness of the matter here (Is it lawful to give the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”) the lawfulness here does not refer strictly to religious laws.  There is ambiguity in the word “lawful” here; the Hebrew law may suggest one thing; Imperial law may suggest another.  The Greek word here for the Tax refers to a “census tax”: a tax paid directly to the emperor, not an ordinary tax. (There is a more general Greek word for “tax”, phoros). A census tax might have been more controversial to students of Torah because it’s paid to the emperor using coins with his image on it. Ordinary taxes are covered in the Torah as a common part of life.

Another Bible Nerd thing that might help us read the story is the COIN;  

Jesus asked for a coin: “Show me the coin of the imperial tax.” And they brought to him a denarius.

Scholars think that this conversation is taking place in the temple. The coin provided to Jesus would be un-welcomed in the temple, because it bears the image of a living thing.   Temple coinage – which one would obtain via a money-changer – was imprinted with numbers, letters, or even depictions of harvested wheat, but not a living person, in deference to a commandment in Exodus 20:4. (…and a little joke here that I didn’t make up: but Mark Davis’ comments: and it’s too good not to say aloud: “Roman coinage was all about asking, “Who’s your Daddy?” while Jewish coinage fastidiously avoided images of living beings.)

The fact in the story that they were able to produce Roman coinage in the temple shows that they were in violation of their own laws against graven images in the temple. Ahhh, so, is this the hypocrisy Jesus accuses them of? 

Final Bible Nerd moment; the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible – the one re generally lean into translates v. 20, “Whose head is this, and whose title?”  The Greek word is better translated as IMAGE.  Translator have their complex reasons, but by thinking into the idea of the Image on the COIN, reminds us of in whose image we are made.

We recall that Roman Emperors were referred to as LORD: they were referred to as Gods: they believed in their own deity.  This coin bears Caesar’s image, but you and I: we are made in the image of God. You, an image of the Divine.

So now what does it mean to render unto the Emperor or God? 

The Emperor may get a few of these coins. 

The invitation in faith, is to something much deeper, broader, life enriching.  And that enrichment is not only for your personal benefit: but for the good of the world.

Which leads me back to where I began.

There is so much that is Good about the Christian Life:

The steadfast Love of God is New Every Morning…

Our Christian practices invite us into deeper relationships with Jesus: living in the Spirit: being SALT and LIGHT and YEAST in the world.

Imagine for just one moment… the SALT you bring in your home, work place and community.

Imagine for Just one moment… the LIGHT you bring just by being there.

Imagine for a moment.. The AIR you bring… unlocking the compressed opinions, lies, and all that confounds…

And this little place, where we make the stories come to life: where we dive into the story.

So, what are the things of God for you?

At this point in the year… how have you rendered to God that things that are of God?

Have you spent enough of your life in the things that are of God, for you?

Have you spent enough life in the the things that are of God for one another?

Have we loved God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind?

Have we practiced that love of heart, souls and mind with our neighbour?

And this little place, where we make the stories come to life:

we have such an opportunity to be the place, 

where the Still Small Voice might find the space to be heard.

For all.  Amen.