Isaiah 45: 1–7 / Psalm 96: 1–13 / I Thessalonians 1: 1–10 / Matthew 22: 15–22
This is the written version of the
homily written to be given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown,
Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 18, 2026 by Fr. Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.
“LOOK BOTH WAYS”
(Homily text: Matthew 22: 15-22)
One of
the critical skills we teach our children and our young people is to “look both
ways” before crossing a road, or before pulling the car out into the cross
street.
Many
of you will know that I do a lot of track work for area tourist railroads. One
of the safety measures we instill in those who come to work with us is to
always “expect rail traffic on the track from either direction, and at any
time”. This is another way of saying “look both ways”.
In
this morning’s Gospel reading, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees and the Herodians
who had come to entrap Him by asking about paying taxes to the occupying Romans,
telling them to look to their obligations not only to the Romans, but also to
God. In other words, Jesus’ inquisitors were told to look both ways to understand
their obligations to both.
Before
we look at the implications of what the Lord said, let’s take a moment to
refresh our memories about the setting of the incident we hear about this
morning.
The
Pharisees and the Herodians approached Jesus in the Temple courts in Jerusalem.
The incident took place during Holy Week, after Jesus triumphal entry into the
city on Palm Sunday, but before His arrest, suffering and death. Throughout
this week, Matthew provides us with the various altercations and interchanges
between the Lord and the chief priests, the Pharisees and the scribes. The
tension between the Lord and these various groups is building as Holy Week
unfolds.
The
Pharisees and the Herodians weren’t natural allies. In fact, the two groups had
differing outlooks and values. The Pharisees were keen to observe and preserve
Jewish identity in a time of difficulty, as the Roman occupation threatened to
undermine or even to erase Jewish identity. The Pharisees therefore emphasized
a rigorous observance of the requirements of the Law of Moses (Torah).
On the
other hand, the Herodians were advocates of the puppet kings that the Romans
had established, beginning with Herod the Great, who ruled from 37 – 4 BC.
The
relationship between the two groups, in the instance of their encounter with
Jesus, was one which we might characterize as an alliance of convenience, born
out of their mutual dislike for Jesus and for His growing influence and
popularity.
Now
then, let’s explore what Jesus said about giving to God the things that are
God’s and giving to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.
When
Jesus is asked about paying Roman taxes, He asks to see the coin that was used
to pay the tax. When it is produced, He asks whose image and whose title is on
the coin. The answer is “Caesar’s”.
So
then, the Lord says, pay taxes to Caesar.
Paying
taxes is one of the tasks and requirements of living in the time and place
where such things are a reality of life.
Another
way of saying this is that we live in the world, and are expected to uphold the
responsibilities that come with living life, day in and day out.
For us
Christians, that also means that we are charged to be a light to the world. For
the world which God created, and which is filled with people whom God also
created and whom God loves, has been entrusted to our care.
So
then, we care about the environment, caring for it just as Adam and Eve were
placed in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it.
We
also care for people, working to meet their needs, and especially so in cases
where people cannot meet their basic needs themselves. So it is, for example,
that Flohr’s Church maintains a Blessing Box, where people can come and get
food at any time they are in need. It is also the reason we undertake various
outreach ministries.
The
plain truth here is that we are not yet in heaven, seeing God face-to-face. We
are still in this life and in this world, a reality which brings with it the
requirement to put our faith into action.
Now,
let’s turn our attention to the matter of paying attention to the things of
God.
Faith,
and growing the faith, is – like everything in life – something that doesn’t
grow itself. To be sure, the assistance and guidance and empowering work of the
Holy Spirit is an essential and indispensable part of coming to faith, and in
growing the faith. Growing into the full stature of Christ means that we will
have work to do to bring the maturity of faith that Holy Scripture lays before
us.
We
study the Bible, we maintain an active prayer life, thanking God for His
blessings, and laying before the throne of grace our own needs and the needs of
others. We are faithful in attending worship, partaking of the Sacraments
regularly, and spending time with God’s people.
If we
think about it, we are placed in the middle, between God and God’s will on the
one hand, and the requirements and the needs of the world and its people, on
the other.
We are
called, therefore, to be God’s emissaries, God’s ambassadors (as St. Paul puts
it), charged to be a light to the world, to be those who, instead or cursing
the darkness, choose to light a candle instead.
Come
then, Holy Spirit, and assist us to be about the work of God in the world.
AMEN.
