October 16th, 2011: “When Men Try To Trap God”

We’ve been describing rebellion against and rejection of God (the things of the sinful flesh) quite a bit as of late. There is no question that at times it is quite overt as we learned from the Gospel last Sunday (including outright attack against those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord). It can be more than this though. Sometimes rebellion against the Lord drips with the honey of flattery. The disciples of the Pharisees said to Jesus: “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances (St. Matthew 22:16).” Wow! Impressive words! These words, however, were strategic for trapping Christ. On the one side, the Herodians were ready to find Christ guilty of sedition against Caesar if He had said to withhold taxes from Caesar’s pagan government; on the other side the Pharisees were ready to find Christ guilty of religious compromise if He said to pay taxes to Caesar who claimed to be the “son of the divine August” and the “Pontifex Maximus” (High Priest). Either way, Jesus was in deep water. His enemies must have been amused by the inevitable trap laid down. Much to their surprise, however, they discovered that those who try to trap God will find themselves trapped by God. Jesus came back with one of His most popular responses recorded in Scripture: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s (St. Matthew 22:21).” Did the Lord set up for all time Jefferson’s high wall between church and state? No, He didn’t. Luther’s “two kingdoms” notwithstanding, the Lord would have us know that He really does have all power and authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28). God was powerful enough to take the pagan Persian emperor Cyrus (Isaiah 45) and make Cyrus God’s “anointed.” Go ahead and do what is right. Pay your taxes to the government and it will still be under God’s power (Romans 13). Jesus once told Pilate that he would have no authority unless it had been given to him from above (St. John 19:11). We who in sin try to trap God are trapped by God. There is no getting away from His power and authority! The point of it all is that we are convicted by our awful tendency to try to trap and trick God: “O God even though I do not worship You, even though I do not thirst for the Sacrament, even though I do not pray, even though I do not cling to your Word; even though I completely ignore what you say; I still love You, you are still a great God, I still believe in you! Do you buy it God?” Answer: no, not for a second! We are called to render to God the things that are God’s! What are those? Answer: everything. “Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (St. Matthew 22:37).” Render that o sinner! We stand convicted with the Herodians and Pharisees! We need Jesus Christ who rendered unto the Father perfect obedience and the ransom for the sins of the world, namely His precious blood! Cling to Jesus and through faith you shall be counted as having properly rendered to God. In Christ, you’ve paid in full! In Christ, it is finished! Dr. Espinosa

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