Paying Taxes and Giving to God
/by Rev. Eric Folkerth
“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Maybe it’s something in the water, but this scripture has crossed my desk twice this week. First was when I got a call from a reporter in Austin, doing a story on the President’s taxes, and I shared the passage with her as one of the times Jesus talked about taxes and government in the Bible.
The second time was when I opened my Bible to look at the passage for this coming Sunday…. and low and behold, it’s this exact same story from the Gospel of Matthew.
There must be something in the water.
The verse I cite above is Jesus’ answer to a trick question, asked him by the Pharisees. (Matthew makes it clear it’s a trick question…) The question was:
“Is it lawful (under religious law) to pay taxes to the Emperor?”
It’s not just the Pharisees standing there at the time. There are also so-called “Herodians,” who supported the Roman Empire. It’s a kind of “gotcha question” designed to cause at least one portion of the Jewish leaders to turn against him.
If he says “Yes, it’s lawful to pay taxes,” the more religiously pure Pharisees will feel he’s violated Jewish religious practice.
If he says “No, it’s unlawful to pay taxes,” the Roman-Supporting Herodian Jews will jump on him for being anti-government.
It’s a no-win situation.
So, Jesus gives an answer that —at one and the same time— is complete, subtle, and brilliant.
Jesus says:
“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Ever since the time of Jesus, Christians have debated whether or not to engage the government and civil authority. Some Christians believe it’s important for us to be *totally separate* from them. Others believe it’s important to *engage* with our faith in the public sphere.
Jesus’ answer —give the Emperor the Emperor’s, and give God’s to God— is a trick answer. Because Jesus fully understands that ALL THINGS come from God. All things in life and death are part of the good creation that begins and ends with God. Therefore, in a strict theological sense…all things belong to God.
However, the coin in his hand has the image of Caesar on it. And Jesus says “Give to the Emperor what is the Emperor’s.” But! Do so, knowing full well that ALL THINGS, ultimately, are God’s.
This answer makes it plain that Christians are invited to participate in the political realm, while always understanding that, ultimately, all things are God’s. We are not called to *control* the political process, nor overtake it. But we are not called to ignore it either. Somewhere in between…that’s where our calling lies.
As your pastor, I certainly hope you will be voting in the election this year. Our Social Justice Task Force stands ready to assist you, should you need a ride to the polls. They are willing to take members and friends of KPUMC to vote…or to drop off a mail-in ballot. They have a plan to do this safely, maintaining appropriate COVID protocols to keep everyone safe.
All this to say: If you need help getting to/from voting….don’t hesitate to call us at the Church, and we’ll assist you.
Early voting runs through October 30th, and Election Day is November 3rd. Kessler Park is a polling place on Election Day. Please pray for poll workers everywhere during the season of this especially tense election.
Many people just want to leave politics and social issues behind, and not talk about such “earthly” things at Church. But Jesus makes it clear in this passage, that our faith will always have connection to the political processes of the world.
Please engage your faith in Jesus, and your understanding of your faith, as you cast your ballot this year.
Also notice: I am not telling you HOW to do that, or WHOM to vote for….only that participating is deeply important.
And God bless us all, and our nation, in this season of voting.
Grace and Peace,
Eric Folkerth
PS: If you want to read the story from Austin, click HERE.
And! Our own Brett Shipp has a powerful new story up about Texas’ political divisions. I was honored that he interviewed me as a part of it. He did a beautiful job, and you can watch that HERE.