The simple acronym ascribed to the TEA party is “taxed enough already”. It is a very simply idea, whose premise is easy to understand. We, the people, don’t like taxes. We do like roads, and our service men and women in our armed forces. We do like infrastructure and anyone who has an entitlement is likely to die before ever voting to lose it. In short, we the people, love our services, but hate having to be taxed to pay for them. Don’t get me wrong, we understand that “some” taxes will be required. But the rate we pay (no matter what it is) is always something that just feels too high. This feeling is only aggravated when we see spending by the government on “stuff” we would never buy ourselves. It does not matter what the “stuff” is, only that it conflicts with our preferences, and common sense. When I think that my tax dollar paid for “that”, it makes me nuts. Therefore, I am taxed enough already, our government will simply have to learn how to pay for the stuff I like, with the money they already have (preferably by stopping the spending on the stuff I do not like).
As it turns out, a simple idea becomes complex in execution, because the stuff I like, does not agree with the stuff my neighbor likes, and so … resolution becomes illusive. But we have things in common. We are both Americans, paying taxes into an American system. We are not a conquered country paying taxes into a foreign government system. Imagine that. In the time of Christ, the average Jewish citizen was paying taxes on multiple fronts. Chief of all, they paid taxes to Rome. They hated Rome. You can keep your Roman roads, and Roman aqueducts. I would rather keep my money. But even absent Rome, taxes must be paid to Herod (the king), who “governed” the province to the extent that Rome allowed it to be governed. So more money gone. Then finally, tithes and offerings, must be paid to the Temple, to secure the favor of God (I mean the priests who say it is the same thing). Talk about taxed enough already. We do not have the copyright on that idea, the Jewish people in the time of Christ must surely have invented it.
And the TEA party in the time of Christ had a plan. They got their plan from their scriptures. The Messiah above all other duties, was supposed to free them from Roman bondage. In effect, the Messiah, was to be the first Republican, who could solve the problem of ending taxes, while at the same time, provide the nation with anything it needed (or rather wanted, again the same thing). Every law abiding Jewish citizen shared this belief, even His disciples. There were no accusations of racism in this early TEA party philosophy, as freedom from Roman taxation would be universal to men and women, of any color, as long as they resided in Israel, and subscribed to a belief in the Messiah. Jesus had done a ton of wonderful things. He had proven He could feed the nation out of near nothing. He could resurrect fallen soldiers in His army and put them right back in the fight even though they may be killed a few times. His power was certain, but His intentions were not. He kept talking about dying. He kept talking about loving. It was aggravating, and frankly it eliminated Him from being the Messiah from a priestly perspective (or Godly perspective as the priests reasoned, again, same thing).
So if a trap was to be set, to trip up this new Messiah, it must surely be anchored in the one task He is refusing to do. Question Him on taxation, reveal He has no plans to end it, and the people will lynch Him faster than anything. It was a good plan. It was well thought out. They had Him. He refused to end taxation, so this was sure to be the topic to trip Him up, and get the people to dump Him. After all, the entire nation of Israel was a solid member of the TEA party in His day. This was the context for the story Peter recalls to John Mark, in his gospel in chapter 12.
Mark picks up in verse 13 saying … “And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.” Notice here, the ruling counsel the Sanhedrin was bent on killing Christ, but needed the people to dump Him first. So in this instance not only do they send Pharisees to set up the trap, they are sending Herodians as well to witness what He says. This is one of the first unions of church and state. Every time church (even the right one), unifies with state (no matter which one), persecution and death of truth is to follow. Today will be no exception thus far.
Mark continues in verse 14 saying … “And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” OK folks, when you see the flattery open the conversation you should pretty much infer, a trap has been set. In effect what the Pharisees were just about shoving in Christ’s face was the idea that He was supposed to tell the truth, even though the Herodians were present to witness what He says. Other men might complain about taxes in private, but to do it in front of the guys who collect it, and for the local king, was a really bad idea (for long life that is). In addition, they are taunting Christ, that He must tell the truth now, when it is not convenient for Him, or the people will dump Him as a hypocrite or liar. The Caesar question of taxation was more than red meat for the TEA party folks, it was nearly a question of national loyalty. Anyone who expressed favor for Caesar was not likely to have Jewish friends long.
Mark then records the remainder of the exchange picking up in verse 15 saying … “Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. [verse 16] And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. [verse 17] And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.” So there are quite a few things we need to focus on in this passage. First, notice that Christ knew it was the religious leaders who were the hypocrites in this situation. It was they who hated Roman taxation above all else, as it ate into their Temple offering profit lines. Yet none of them would ever admit it publicly or risk the wrath of the Roman empire.
Second, notice that Christ does not own even a penny of His own. He needs them to bring Him one. He is too poor to have one Himself, as He gives EVERYTHING He owns to the poor. Instead of accumulating wealth through a job to provide for Himself, and His merry band, He relies on God for everything, because He does not even have a penny to His name. It is a Roman penny they bring. Then without advocating taxation, He reveals what priorities should matter in the believing heart. Give away what the world considers wealth, it does not matter. And embrace what God is offering, a new life, a new way to think and love, give Him your will, your desires, your submission … and watch what happens to you. Watch what real wealth looks like.
Finally, the Pharisees are simply awestruck. They have no words. They have no response. They just stand there marveling, not only that He escaped their trap, but that He so concisely summed up the law and the prophets in a simple declaration of priorities. The Pharisees are not ignorant men. They are well studied. They know scripture better than most. And the beauty of what Christ teaches is based in the purity of His truth. They do not lack understanding; they lack will to believe. They know He is the Messiah. They know He speaks only truth. It is simple. It is life altering. But they would rather have control, than to submit to His authority and be humbled before the people. As if the people cared. The Pharisees have the curse of arrogance, holding themselves up to be better than the people they are supposed to be serving. In this curse they think the people actually care about every detail of the Pharisee’s life.
It is the modern equivalent of Pharisees posting pictures on Twitter, and Instagram, and Facebook every time they do anything at all. And then expecting the entire world reads these posts with bated breath, sitting in eager anticipation of the next one. Sound familiar? The reality is, no one cares. No one reads the posts of Pharisees until and unless it is convenient for them to do so, and then after they read them, they forget them almost immediately. It is only in the self-involved, self-obsessed head of the Pharisees where the entire world cares about them, and what they do. Had they humbled themselves before Christ the people would not have cared. Instead it might actually have raised the opinions of the people for the Pharisees that they could finally “get it”. But alas the Pharisees had no room for humility in their hearts, only a ton of self-obsession.
There would be no victory for the TEA party this day. But in our day, perhaps the lesson of Christ is just as poignant. We focus on our taxes, and resent our government for what they ask of us, always believing it is just too high. But our God, the one whose name we proudly call ourselves after, asks us not to worry about taxes at all. In fact by His logic, we could give ALL our money to the government. Note that the Roman empire did not worship the right God, or believe the right doctrines, or value life. They were wicked through and through, yet Christ makes no distinction about this hindering giving them all the money we have. The God who was so poor, He had to ask to borrow a penny for illustration, asks us to look beyond our money, and to what is real wealth. He asks us to give our hearts (the most valuable thing we own), to His Father to be transformed. Once this occurs, we will not value money anymore any way. That we cling to our pennies, is only a sign we still cling to our hearts as well.
Jesus could care less about His finances. He relied on God to meet His needs as He had them. Jesus cared deeply about our priorities, our lives, and our ability to love others as He loves them. Giving our desires to God can fix this for us. What will our TEA party say in response, what will we value? In whom will we trust?
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