Next, missional Jesus is emplotted by the Pharisees who want to get Jesus to say something that will get him in trouble \u2014 which is still a preferred technique by lots of Christians today. As they refuse to sing the dirge when John Baptist\u2019s voice is heard and as they refuse to dance to the music Jesus plays, so Jesus refuses to play their game. Which is the way, if we have sound discernment, to play the trapper\u2019s game. Here\u2019s the trap: Next, missional Jesus is emplotted by the Pharisees who want to get Jesus to say something that will get him in trouble \u2014 which is still a preferred technique by lots of Christians today. As they refuse to sing the dirge when John Baptist\u2019s voice is heard and as they refuse to dance to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1757],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-missional-jesus"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nTell me Jesus, they say, should Jews being paying taxes to Caesar? \u201cGive me a coin,\u201d Jesus responds. Seemingly flipping it into the air for them to catch \u2014 I\u2019m making this up but it evokes for me Jesus\u2019 attitude \u2014 and before they catch it, Jesus says, \u201cGive to Caesar what is Caesar\u2019s waht is his and give to God what is his.\u201d
\n1. Missional Jesus finds a way between a false dichotomy. The option is not simply either Caesar or God, but both God and Caesar. (Besides the obvious compromise he caught them in for they evidently had the coin with Caesar\u2019s idolatrous image on it in their own possession.) There is a way of paying taxes and a way of serving God in the same life.
\n2. Missional Jesus, one has to think, is simultaneously letting the temple leaders have it. They are compromising the Temple with the presence of Caesarian coins so they should just give them all back \u2014 let the Romans have what the Romans want and you go ahead with them. And the challenge is to give to God what is God\u2019s \u2014 namely, the Temple and the heart of the Jewish people \u2014 which they were probably unwilling to do.
\nThe double-answered question is a double-sworded lance to the heart.
\nMatt. 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, \u201cTeacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?\u201d 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, \u201cWhy are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.\u201d And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, \u201cWhose head is this, and whose title?\u201d 21 They answered, \u201cThe emperor\u2019s.\u201d Then he said to them, \u201cGive therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor\u2019s, and to God the things that are God\u2019s.\u201d 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"