Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 45:1-7
Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:15-22
And ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit; so that ye became an ensample to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.
One of the advantages to living in a foreign country is the opportunity to purchase things that we would not find in the United States. We bought china right from the outlet at the manufacturer at an incredible discount. The Base Exchange often brought the creators of our favorite collectables to sign pieces. I have a number of autographed David Winter Cottages and Wedgewood items. Many of our fellow service families used their time in England to purchase antiques. We couldn’t afford much furniture, but I did begin a coin collection while I was there. English sixpence were a dime a dozen (almost.) I wasn’t able to afford any really expensive coins, but I did manage a nice collection which I’ve continued since coming home.
One of my best pieces is a Roman denarius. It is from the second century A.D., when Hadrian was emperor, so could not have been in use in the days of Jesus. It was found in England, so it was likely minted there; the English mint did not produce as quality a coin. It was a nice addition to my collection because I’ve been able to show it during Bible studies. Coins are coins, but it is fun to have something so closely identified with the text we are studying.
My denarius has a picture of Hadrian, since he was the emperor at the time of minting. Along with coins and bills from many nations, we have piles of English coins, a few of older monarchs, but mostly those of the current Queen Elizabeth. I even kept a couple British pound coins in my wallet for years. What is interesting about the Queen Elizabeth coins is that she’s been the monarch for so long that they’ve had to change her picture on the coins as she has aged, so there are four different effigies. The old coins are not removed from circulation until they are worn, but are replaced eventually as time goes on.
Numismatics, the study or collection of coins, paper money and medals, is an interesting hobby. The items tell the story of history and of art. The coins help us to better understand the people who used them. Some coins are terribly worn or even cut. The value was in the gold or silver used, not in the coin, so they often chipped off pieces of the coins of proper value to pay for things that cost less.
The hobby might be fun, but we all know that money has a practical purpose in our world today. We can’t live without it. Oh, many of us get away without having cash on hand. We use credit cards or checks. Some have even developed a new kind of currency, the bitcoin, which is digital money. Even banks are focusing on mostly electronic currency, encouraging clients to do as much as possible online. Yet, it is still hard to live without some cash. As a matter of fact, financial experts will often recommend that you do as much as you can with cash. That was our plan during our vacation last week; we paid cash for our meals and most of our souvenirs. I think, sometimes, people are surprised to see cash!
Unlike places like England, the United States currency honors historic figures. The coins also include statements about foundational beliefs about the nation and symbols of things important to its people. In America it would be impossible for Jesus to say “Give to George Washington what is George Washington’s” because George Washington is no longer alive. That is why we do not put pictures of living men and women on the currency and coins; the money does not belong to our leaders; it belongs to the people.
We choose those pictures because those are men and women who were important to our history; they mean something, they are identifying marks. We don’t take the literal understanding of the commandment that says “no graven images” as seriously as they did in Jesus’ day. It is impossible for us to live in a world without money. It is part of our society, a part of our existence. We no longer barter for the things we need. We need money to survive. But for those Pharisees and their counselors, the coinage would have been offensive because it had a graven image. It had an image of the Caesar. It is natural to have a few coins in our pocket, but the Jews should not have had a Roman coin.
They thought that they had found the perfect way to destroy Jesus; there was no good answer to the question. If He said they should pay taxes, then the people would not listen to Him any longer. If He said that they should not pay taxes, then the Romans would destroy Him for fighting the state. Jesus knew what they were doing, so He gave them the best answer: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” In other words, they were to give the idol back to the idolized and give God everything that is good and right and true, for everything belongs to God.
We have been reminded recently in our lectionary that even the government is given to us by God. We might not always agree. We might find life under those governments difficult. We might find it necessary to work against it for justice and peace. However, there is a purpose for that government to be in power, and that purpose is God’s. Perhaps the purpose is to break God’s people out of their stupor. Whatever we think of our government, we can trust that God is doing a work in and through them. Everything belongs to God, even those things that don’t seem very godly.
We see that in the passage from Isaiah. Cyrus did not believe in the God of the Jews, but he was a very pluralistic ruler, willing to tolerate all types of faith even though he claimed no religion of his own. He adopted the local gods of each nation, at as much as was necessary to get the support of those people for his rule. What’s the cost of building a new temple for some god against the benefit of happy citizens? This sounds like the type of ruler that God would rather eliminate because he has no foundation on which to stand, and yet we discover that this is exactly the man God used for His purpose. Cyrus was chosen to be God’s hands in a world that was thrown upside down, to be a savior for the people God loves but who had to be taught a lesson. They turned from Him, followed false gods; they did their own thing. They rejected Him. So, God gave the Babylonians the strength to destroy Jerusalem and take the people into captivity. When the time was right, God gave the strength to Cyrus to destroy the Babylonians and restore His people to their homeland.
We might think that these nations have the strength to do this on their own; after all, the kings were powerful men with mighty armies. They had their own gods, they had their own resources, and they had everything they needed to win the victories that are recorded throughout history. It seems to us that conquest and captivity, destruction and exile are unnecessary in a world where God is in control. Yet, in today’s scripture, Isaiah writes, “I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.” These are the words of God to Cyrus, words that tell Cyrus of his power and control over everything in the world.
Cyrus was reminded from the beginning that God was in charge. God is God, and there is none like Him. God is able to give Cyrus the power, and God is able to take it away. In doing so, God proves His power and sovereignty over the whole earth.
Jesus says to give Caesar what is Caesar’s but we know that even the money that bears the image of the Roman emperor has been given for God’s purpose. Things might not be as we want today, but we can trust that God is doing a good work in the midst of it. Somehow, in the end, we’ll see God’s hand in it all. Today we might be suffering at the hands of a ruler that does not have the best interests of God’s people in mind, but tomorrow God can use even the most unbelieving leader to bring God’s people home.
We are called as Christians to live in trust and hope. Whatever happens, we can trust that God is in control. We live in hope, not in individuals or even the government, but in God’s promises. Good or bad, our life of faith will keep us focused on what is good and that is God. We may be nervous, frustrated, anxious and possibly angry, and we won’t agree with our neighbors what is good and bad in our world. But we can sing to the Lord that new song, the song of thanksgiving that He is with us through it all.
The story is told of a time when King Alfonso XII of Spain taught the attendants of the courts a valuable lesson in gratitude. He had learned that they were not praying to God in thanksgiving for their food before meals. He held a large banquet and arranged for a beggarly man to crash the party. The guests all came in and none gave thanks to God for the magnificent meal. When the beggar arrived, they sat with bated breath expecting the king to have him thrown out. The man ate his fill, got up and left without a word to the king or the guests. The king overheard someone near him comment about the ungratefulness of the beggar. He rose and told them that they are no different than that man, ungrateful servants who never thank the Lord for their gifts. They are even more disgraceful because they ignore their Creator and Master.
Are we any better? Oh, I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir, and that we all live in thanksgiving to God. But how many of us find reasons to complain about the world in which we live. How many of us see danger around every corner and oppression in every boardroom? We sue our neighbors over petty arguments and break relationships for ridiculous reasons. Do we even say “Thank you” when someone has done something for us?
The art of gratefulness has been lost in this day. Thank you notes are a forgotten nicety and many people do not bother to show that they are thankful to their neighbor for the nice things they do. Even worse, however, is that we do not show the Lord God Almighty the praise and glory He is due for all He has done. It is hard to see the joy and live joyfully in a world that is filled with hatred, violence, greed and lust. Yet the whole creation sings of God’s majesty, even the lives of non-believers show His mercy and grace. But those of us who are Christians, who know the depth of God’s love and the peace that comes from knowing Him, are blessed to be living sacrifices for our Lord. Out of our lives flow the living waters that bring salvation to the world. It is in joy to be able to sing to the Lord that new song, the song of praise and thanksgiving for all He has done, even when it doesn’t seem like He is doing anything good. In the end, we’ll discover that He has been doing something extraordinary.
The psalmist writes, “For all the gods of the peoples are idols; But Jehovah made the heavens.” We make so many people in our world idols—sports stars, singers, models—but the definition of the word ‘idol’ is not flattering. Merriam-Webster says an ‘idol’ is “a representation or symbol of an object of worship, a false god, a likeness of something, a form or appearance visible but without substance, an object of extreme devotion, a false conception.” We make our idols; not only are the gods of the nations less than our God Jehovah, they are nothing because they are nothing more than a human creation. They will always disappoint us.
God will never disappoint. Oh, we may find ourselves disappointed with our expectation of God. We put God into our own little boxes; we make Him to be what we want Him to be. We are disappointed when He does not fit our mold, but that doesn’t mean that He has been a disappointment. It just means that we are not seeing Him as He is. It means we aren’t living in thanksgiving and trust.
Paul knew what a danger it was for the early Christians to live in this world. They were surrounded by those who had made idols out of all the wrong things. There were preachers speaking a false Gospel. There were leaders who did not fully understand the new faith. There were those who wanted to see it destroyed. They had to be careful; every generation has had to face people who claimed to be from God, but who twist God’s Word to their benefit.
Paul had taken the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Thessalonica and they received that message. They gathered together as a community of believers and were growing in grace and hope and faith. Paul could not stay with all the communities he began, but he kept in touch with them through letters and through helpers who visited the congregations and sent word to Paul wherever he was staying. The Thessalonians were doing well. Timothy had sent a good report to Paul and Paul was pleased to hear the good news. There wasn’t good news in every community. Some people preaching another Gospel were speaking against Paul. The Thessalonians faced a similar threat.
They were holding strong, but Paul did not know how long they could last. Would they remember the lessons he taught them? Would they keep the Gospel of grace or turn to another gospel message? Would they believe the lies being told about him by those opposed to his message? People are people; we fall short. The Israelites did, and that’s why they were nearly destroyed by the Babylonians. But God was with them; He sent Cyrus to take them home. We can always trust that God will be with His people, even when we are not completely faithful. We might have to suffer for a moment, but God will always bring us home. He has given us the Savior, and He will remain true to the promises that were won by Jesus Christ.
Paul did not know what might happen next, so he wrote a message of thanksgiving and encouragement to the congregation. He put a seal on the people so that they would not fall from grace and turn to a faith built on works and self-righteousness. So, too, we are encouraged by these words as Paul lifts all those who have heard the Gospel and received God’s grace to a place where we will stand firm in what is right no matter the circumstances we face. Our hope is in Jesus Christ and we are called to live the life of faith that rests in His promise and His forgiveness. Paul calls the people of Thessalonica ‘imitators’ of the apostle and of the Lord. This has continued for nearly two thousand years; we are the next generation sharing the Gospel with our children and our neighbors, imitating what Paul first lived so that the world might see God’s grace. We, too, are sealed so that all we do and say are firmly founded in Jesus Christ.
He calls us to share His glory with all people so that they will know and will turn to Him. We’ve left those idols behind: may they stay there forever. So, will you sing the song of thanksgiving for all God has done, or will you live like Cyrus, welcoming and tolerant of all faiths, no matter what god they worship, silent to the reality of their false gods? God can and will use anyone or anything to bring His people home. We might be facing circumstances that are confusing and painful, but we can trust that God is in control. Perhaps He will send Babylonians our way to set us apart for a season. But we can trust that He will then send someone like Cyrus who will help to restore us to Him or like Paul who will remind us whose we are. The lessons we learn along the way will turn us back to the God to whom we belong and who has never left our side. He is faithfully working in His way to do what is good.
A WORD FOR TODAY
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