May 17, 2024 

Today’s Reading: Luke 20:19-44

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21; Luke 20:19-44

Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. (Luke 20:25)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A good chess player will see his opponent’s opening move, a queen’s gambit perhaps; but a great chess player will counter the opponent with a challenge or trap of his own. 

In today’s Gospel reading, there’s a chess game going on, and the pharisees’ disciples think they have Jesus in check. But Jesus turns the tables on His opponents; He issues a challenge of His own…not for trophies or titles, but to bring His hearers to repentance and forgiveness.

They ask Jesus, Tell us, then, what you think. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” In politics, this would be called a gotcha question. If Jesus answers, “No, it isn’t lawful,” the political Herodians might have reason to go after Jesus for being a traitor or a religious nutcase. And if Jesus answers, “Yes, it is lawful,” then the Pharisees can peg Jesus as a traitor and blasphemer for supporting the Romans. But here’s the thing: Jesus’ opponents don’t really care about the answer. They only want to trap, discredit, and destroy Jesus. 

When Jesus replies, He makes His checkmate move. “Render, or pay to God the things that are God’s.” The issue is whether or not the Pharisees – and all who hear Jesus words – believe that He is and bears the authority of God, as the Son of God, as the one the Father sent with all authority to teach, preach, heal, forgive, live, die, and rise from the dead. 

And what did Jesus do when he came with the authority of the Father? Jesus came into our flesh to render to God what was God’s, namely our humanity, and to restore the image of God to our flesh. He rendered to God the things that are God’s. He did it “not with gold or silver,” not with the coin of Caesar, but with His holy and precious blood, and with His innocent suffering and death at the hands of the Pharisees and the Herodians and the Roman government, all of whom served as God’s instrument that you would belong to Him, be holy in Him, be saved and declared righteous in him.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lost not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

– Pastor Samuel Schuldheisz is pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

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