The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-29

d0 Then went the Pharisees. and
took counsel how they might ensnare
Him in His talk.
Qs) And they send to Him their dis
ciples. with the Herodians, saying, Mas
ter, We know that Thou are true, and
teachest the way OF God In truth. and
carest not for any one; for Thou re-
gardest not the person OF men.
% Tell US therefore, what thinkest
Thou? Is 1t lawful to give tribute unto
Caesar, or not?
u9 But Jesus perceived their wicked
ness, and said, Why tempt ye Me, ye
hypocrites?
Q9 Show Me the tribute money. And
they brought unto Him penny.
(20 And He saith unto them. Whose
is this image and superscription?
CID They say unto Him, Caesars.
Then saith He unto them, Render there
fore unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars: and unto God the things that
are Gods.
C20 And when they heard IT. they mar
yelled. and left Him, and went their
way.
The Narrative.
The title Of our lesson is suggestive of
more than the lesson includes. and IL
will certainly be profitable to glance at
all that Is thus suggested. Following
upon our Lords condemnation and de-
nunciation of the rulers in the parabolic
teaching, the Pharisees took counsel how
they might ensnare Him by HIS talk.
We have first the account of three Ques-
tons which were put to Him. The first
was political, and was asked by a coalI-
ton OF opposing parties. The second was
doctrinal. and was asked by the repre-
sentatives OF the rationalistic party
among the Hebrew people. The third
was ethical, and was asked by a Phari-
see who was q lawyer.
The question of the Sadducees had to
do with resurrection in which they did
not believe, and in answer He had az
hrmed the Immortality of man as he
declared that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
were not dead. Thus He ignored the
question concerning resurrection by deal
ing with the profounder note Of their err
ror. which was that OF the denial OF the
spiritual nature Of man. As our next
lesson has to do withs the question OF the
lawyer, and with the final question OF the
Lord, we may omit all reference to them
here.
Our present attention, then. is confined
to the question OF the coalition, and our
Lords answer thereto. Those who came
to Him were not the leading Pharisees
but their disciples, together with the
Herodians. The Herodians constituted a
political party that were constantly seek
ing to escape from the Roman yoke by
securing to Herod full powers OF govern
ment The Pharisees on the other hand.
being entirely opposed to the Hellenic
ing and corrupt influence OF Herod. were
willing and politically DESTROYS of sub
hitting to Rome. The question as to the
payment OF tribute therefore was related
to their difference OF opinion. Quite apart
from Jesus these men would have given
two entirely different answers. The
HerodiaHs would have spoken against
the paying Of tribute: the disciples Of the
Pharisees in favor thereof
The subtlety. then. OF their question
from their standpoint Is at once seen. II
He had declared It Illegal to pay tribute
to Caesar. they would at once have been
able to formulate a charge Of sedition
against Him. II on the other hand He
should declare 1t proper to pay Tribute to
Caesar. then He would seem to deny His
own Messianic claim, according to their
understanding of the Messianic program.
The unutterable folly of their question
from His standpoint IL seen by the way
in which He lifted the inquiry out OF the
realm Of party conflict, and set II In the
light OF eternal and abiding principles.
The method Of the coalition was that OF
hattery and treachery. Approaching Him
they addressed Him as Master, declared
that they knew Him to be true. and that
He was teaching the way OF God In
truth: that He did not care for any one
because He regarded not the person OF
men. Behind this hattery lay their in
tention to ensnare Him.
The method OF the Lord was that Of
denunciation and exposure. His first
word was full of direct severity, In which
He proved the truth Of things they had
said in .hattery. why tempt ye Ne. We
He then asked them to
produce a penny. In the production of
the penny they involuntarily revealed the
relation which at this very time they
bore to Caesar. It bore his image and
his superscription. That Is to say. at the
very moment when they were asking the
question, they were making use Of GER
tain of the privileges Of the Roman rule.
Jesus at once made the penny which they
had produced. preach to them. The
image and the superscription Of Caesar
upon the penny which they were using
called them to the Just and honorable
attitude of discharging their obligations.
Having thus shut them up In their own
position, He declared q principle OF abid-
ing application In the memorable words.
Render therefore unto Caesar the things
that are Caesars: and unto God the
things that are Gods"
The Teaching.
In this story we have a revelation
which is Of the utmost Importance for
all time, Of the true relation Of Jesus and
His people to all political questions. It
first reveals the fact OF His recognition
Of the authority of human government
It further shows that It IL His will that
those Of His followers who are enjoying
the liberties or privileges which such gov
eminent brings to them, should bear their
share in responsibility, and submit them
selves to its requirements under one
clearly defined condition. This condition
Ii that Of the fundamental recognition of
the finality Of the win Of God. II obedi-
erce to the state involves disobedience
to the claims Of God. then Il must not be
given. In 20 far a. the laws Of the state
are truly Just and true, and In harmony
with the law OF God, Il 10 the duty of
Christian people to obey them.
The whole attitude and answer of
Christ to these men further reveals Him
az refusing to be captured by either Of
the opposing partieG Alliance with eth
err would have been completely with some
OF evil. He therefore stood out
aide both, and snunclatsd the principles
Of life In such terms ~ 70 correct their
errors, and to direct them toward truth
and justice.
Here the Church Of God should sser
stand, IN company with her Lord, When
the children Of God ally themselves to
any party they are In danger OF COM