Caesar’s or God’s Romans 13:1-7
Sermon by Pastor Dennis R. Gleason -- September 11, 2005
1Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. 2So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. 3For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well. 4The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. 5So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.
6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do. 7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.
Did you know that there are some silly laws on the books around the country?
Young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it’s in a church.
In Blackwater, Kentucky, tickling a woman under her chin with a feather duster while she’s in church service carries a penalty of $10.00 and one day in jail.
No one can eat unshelled, roasted peanuts while attending church in Idanha, Oregon.
In Honey Creek, Iowa, no one is permitted to carry a slingshot to church except police.
No citizen in Lee Creek, Arkansas, is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment.
Swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited in Studley, Virginia.
Turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at any time in Slaughter, Louisiana.
[Odd Laws Still on the Books, Citation: Robert W. Pelton in The Door. Christian Reader, Vol. 33, no. 5.]
The thirteenth chapter of Romans introduces us to a discussion of the relationship between the church and individual believers and the government over them.
Paul tells us that we are to obey the government because God has placed it over us and has given government its power and authority.
He makes it clear that when we disobey the government, we are disobeying God. Why is it that way? It is that way because that is how God has made it. For his own reasons, this is they way he has set things up in the world of men.
In Matthew 22 Jesus is teaching with parables and has some pointed things to say about the Pharisees and other religious leaders in Israel. In their hatred of Jesus, the leaders of Israel try to get rid of Jesus. They strategize and come up with a plan to trap him in his own words.
This is what takes place in Matthew 22:15ff:
15Then the Pharisees met together to think of a way to trap Jesus into saying something for which they could accuse him. 16They decided to send some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to ask him this question: “Teacher, we know how honest you are. You teach about the way of God regardless of the consequences. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”
18But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Whom are you trying to fool with your trick questions? 19Here, show me the Roman coin used for the tax.” When they handed him the coin, 20he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God.” 22His reply amazed them, and they went away.
They thought that if Jesus told them that they should pay the tribute to the Romans…it would make him a collaborator with the Romans and be a denial of his Messianic claims. For no Messiah would ever pay tribute to an occupying power like Rome.
If he told them not to pay the tax, they could then turn him into to Romans for such a refusal to recognize their authority over Israel.
He asked for a coin and they gave him a denarius. It was a coin that represented the average day’s wage for ordinary working people. He asked whose image was on the coin and they of course said it was Caesar’s. His answer…Give Caesar what is due him and God what is his.
In doing so, Jesus establishes two very important points when he said, “Pay the tax.”
- Human Government is legitimate. Rome was the governing power over Israel and as such had a right to expect that the people would obey the Roman laws and meet their obligations to honor the governmental authority over them.
- God’s Government is the ultimate authority. God’s authority over all the earth is supreme. He made the universe and the world we live in. He has established the laws that are necessary to keep it running. He is the origin of the power to rule or govern in the earth.
We hear a lot today about the separation of church and state in this country. While we grouse about some of the negative things that it brings into our lives, we need to recognize that there needs to be separation of the church and the state. If the state is oppressive to the church by domineering it, that is wrong and always ends up in oppression and a loss of religious freedoms.
At the same time, what happens when the church domineers over the state? You get the inquisition. And people lose their religious freedom. Do you suppose that it would really be any different if Jerry Falwell or Pat Roberston were running things? In the right place Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson are great spiritual leaders. However, they would make a terrible ruler over the affairs of the United States Government.
Last week I made the suggestion that we believe in freedom of religion. A person can have his own way and go to hell believing anything he wants. He can also go to Heaven God’s way, believing in Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for his sin.
Even God made it clear in the lives of His people Israel that there should never be the joining of religious and secular power in one individual. The Priests and the King were from different tribes. It will not be until the coming of Jesus Christ that there will be a joining of Priest and King to rule over God’s people. (Zechariah 6:13).
What we have is the union of God and State. God is supreme over human government. All power comes from God. The powers that govern do so because they have been given the power to do so by God. Even the power of a cat to kill a mouse is given by God.
God is working out his great plan in the lives of human beings on this planet. And He has determined that people…in their sinfulness…need people to govern them…to rule over them.
He establishes whomever he wishes to rule over other men.
There are rulers who honor God by how they govern. And there are those who misuse the power given them and are evil, oppressive rulers. All are responsible to God for how they govern and the decisions they make. The gift of authority is a God given gift. And it is so precious that God will judge men severely if they misuse it.
So, all power comes from God. There is no power or authority apart from God. All that earthly rulers do is by God’s permission and for reasons that are impossible for us to understand or imagine. One day it will be clear what God’s plan is.
But now, we live in a world that is filled with rebellion and all that it has produced.
The Believer is responsible to the Lord God Almighty. Government has been established to preserve law and order. While the believer is a citizen of Heaven, he is still here on the earth in a society of human beings with all the responsibilities that go with it.
The believer is responsible to be obedient or subject to the ruling government when it maintains law and order. Romans 13:1 tells us what our responsibility is toward the government when it functions properly within the framework of law. No Christian is a law unto himself. If you have any questions about that look at what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11-15.
What is the believer to do if the government tells him that he cannot meet to worship God with other believers? He meets with them any way, regardless of the consequences. The Believer cannot be forced to do an unchristian act by the government.
What does the believer do if the government tells him that he cannot preach the gospel? He preaches it any way. Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-32, 42 are the operative passages here that give us our answer to this question. The Apostles were commanded to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. They refused. They were arrested and told to stop. They refused. They were arrested, thrown in prison and then beaten before they were released. They kept preaching.
Remember their response: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. They went right back to preaching the Word of God.”
Let me finish with this:
Imagine for a moment this brief exchange with the Apostle Paul:
What do you do with an Apostle Paul? Now there was one committed guy. “Paul, if you don’t quit preaching, we are gonna stone you!” “Well, that’s been done before!” Look, Paul, if you don’t quit preaching we are gonna throw you in jail!” “Hey, guys, could you send me back to Rome. They let me out of jail last time right before I could get the jailer saved! If you could just send me back there…” “Paul if you don’t quit preaching, we’re gonna kill you.!” “Could you please? I’ve been in this dilemma for a long time: To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord! If you could just bump me off!”
What do you do with an Apostle Paul? You can’t kill him! He’s already dead!
We are to give God what belongs to Him and to those who govern over us what is due them. So, Jesus says “pay the tax!” And we should too!
--Dennis Gleason
