2014 7-6 ‘When Authorities Conflict’ Luke 20 19-26

“WHEN AUTHORITIES CONFLICT”
LUKE 20:19-26

I. Introduction
Let me begin this morning with a hypothetical situation, and then ask you a question. At some time, in the not too distant future, a President of the United States issues an executive order that requires all citizens to report any “subversive activity” or “hate speech” to the newly formed federal police force. Among the many things defined as “subversive” are groups of eight or more people meeting in homes to discuss religion, or politics, or anything else that might be seen as questioning the President’s authority. Among the things defined as “hate” are any comments or statements regarding the morality of any other citizens’ preferences, choices, or lifestyles. The penalties for violating this new order are severe.

This hypothetical situation continues. Congress has long since given up the authority it once exercised in limiting the power of the executive branch of the federal government. And the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, are filled with liberal and leftist justices who will do nothing to thwart the power of the President. Therefore, effectively at least, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States of America are no longer worth the paper on which they are written. The end result is that the government we once knew no longer exists. But having said all of that, there still is a government in power.

I go on with my hypothesis. This new executive order stipulates that any citizen who knows of, or even has reason to suspect, that such subversive activity or hate speech is taking place must – under the threat of massive fines, forfeiture of personal property, and mandatory pri-son sentences – must report any such activities or speech to the proper authorities.

Now you know of some people who are meeting in a home across town where many of the things the government now defines as subversive and hateful are being regularly discussed under the guise of a “monthly game night.” You are a Bible-believing Christian. So here is my question. What will you do? Will you obey the law, speak up, and protect yourself and your family? Or will you disobey the law, shut up, and act as if you know nothing at all about the group meeting across town, thereby putting yourself and your family at great risk.

What will you do? You’ll consult your Bible, won’t you? What does God say you should do? What does He say about how we are to respond to the laws of those who rule over us?
*1 Peter 2:13-17
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
What can you take from Peter’s instructions to the church? It’s the will of God that we obey the governments under which we live. But does that apply to us if they are “bad” govern-ments? Let’s hear from Paul.
*Romans 13:1-7
1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it (gov’t) is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it (gov’t) is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.
5 Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devot-ing themselves to this very thing.
7 render to all what is due them: Tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom cus-tom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

What can you take from Paul’s instructions to the church? It’s the will of God that we obey the governments under which we live. But again, what if they are “bad” governments? The fact is that neither Peter nor Paul makes any distinction between “good” and “bad” govern-ments. We are to obey the governing authorities. That’s all there is to it. Or is it?

In this morning’s text in Luke’s gospel we will hear Jesus make a distinction. The distinc-tion that our Lord will give us is simple, short, and as clear as crystal, yet it will be one that we, as Bible-believing Christians, will find to be among the most difficult to get our heads around, and to rightly apply to ourselves, as anything we will be called to do in this life.
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II. Review
How have we come to this point in Luke? Jesus has been preaching the gospel and teaching in the temple on the Tuesday before the crucifixion. All the religious leaders (Pharisees, Sad-ducees, scribes, priests, and elders) have confronted Him demanding to know by what right or authority Jesus does these things. In His Parable of the Wicked Tenants, He identifies Him-self as the Son of God and condemns them for the Son’s murder, now only three days away.

As has so often been the case with these religious leaders, the truth about Jesus (and the truth about themselves), only serves to ratchet up their hatred for Him, and intensify their efforts to destroy Him. It has become obvious that they will stop at nothing.
They will engage in deceit, outright lies, and bribery; whatever it takes, they will do. This is where things stand as we go to the text.
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III. Text
As we go to the text it will be easy for us to relate to the question Jesus is asked about taxes. No one likes paying taxes. We’ve built a huge network of tax professionals, whom we pay to advise us as to how we can legally reduce our tax liability. We just don’t like taxes.

This country was founded in large part because of a rebellion against what our founding fathers believed to be unjust and unfair taxation. They argued that since they were no longer British citizens, having no representation in the British government, they were not bound by British law. Of course, there was more to it than that, but the end results were the Declara-tion of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, the Revolutionary War, and the establishment of the United States of America as a sovereign nation.

The fact is that we are subservient to those to whom we pay taxes. Therefore, the Jews liked paying taxes to Rome even less than the early American liked paying taxes to Great Britain. At least the Americans and British worshipped the same God. But the Romans were pagans, and Roman coins, the medium through which Roman taxes had to be paid, carried the image of the Roman emperor, whom the Romans worshipped as deity, a son of their pagan gods.

Now Jesus, in His Parable of the Wicked Tenants, has identified Himself as the Son of the God, and accused the religious leaders of murder. It’s too much; they must get rid of Him!
*Luke 20:19-26 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
19 And the scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.
20 And they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in or-der that they might catch Him in some statement, so as to deliver Him up to the rule and the authority of the governor.
21 And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.
22 “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
23 But He detected their trickery and said to them,
24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” And they said, “Caesar’s.”
25 And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and marveling at His answer, they became silent.
It’s important for us to understand that all of this is about much more than whether a God-fearing Jew should pay taxes to a godless and pagan government. It’s even about more than paying taxes in general. It’s about the relationship between God and government. It’s about what happens when lawful authorities come into conflict with one another. In America we might say it’s about the relationship between church and state. To say this is a volatile issue is gross understatement. (back to the text)

So, Jesus has told His parable and the religious leaders know it’s about them.
*Luke 20:19
19 And the scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

At this moment in time the only thing that prevents them from taking Him is their fear of the crowds. Many of the people still believe that Jesus is a prophet of God. It was only two days earlier that they were singing His praises. (Hosanna! Hosanna!) So it was incumbent upon the religious leaders to be very careful. Don’t forget how much these self-centered and self-righteous men coveted the people’s praise and admiration. So maybe they could work “behind the scenes” to accomplish their purposes.
*Luke 20:20-21
20 And they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in or-der that they might catch Him in some statement, so as to deliver Him up to the rule and the authority of the governor.
21 And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

Now, instead of the thinly veiled accusation in Luke 20:2 – “…who is the one who gave You this authority?” – Jesus’ enemies will try flattery. So they send a committee to question Him. This committee consists of Pharisees and, according to Matthew and Mark, Herodians. The Herodians were prominent Jews who backed King Herod. Although they had little use for each other, the Pharisees and Herodians were united in their hatred of Rome, and they were more than willing to work together to destroy Jesus.

This committee, pretending to be honorable, asks what, on the surface at least, appears to be an honest question, but what they really want to do is trap Jesus in what you might call “a no-win situation.” So it was a dishonorable question asked by dishonorable men.

They rightly address Jesus as “Teacher” (“Rabbi”), and they say they know He teaches truth and speaks what is right. In this, they lie. But they must think their flattery will cause Jesus to believe they are sincere. Now that they assume they have Him off guard and “softened up,” they will spring their trap.
*Luke 20:22
22 “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

Knowing that these Jews hated Rome, hated paying Roman taxes, and hated Jesus, you can see why they would question Him about it publicly. They were convinced that He would stand condemned regardless of how He answered their question. If He answered in favor of the Romans, the crowds would turn on Him. If He answered in favor of the Jews, He would be charged with rebellion against Rome. Either way, these Pharisees and Herodians hoped that whatever He said would condemn Him, and they would finally be rid of this Jesus.

One of the things that Jesus has consistently condemned about the Jewish religious leaders is their utter hypocrisy. Yet the question in v. 22 fairly drips with hypocrisy. Consider…
• They pretend to respect Jesus. “We know You teach correctly…”
• They pretend to want to know the truth. “…You teach the way of God in truth.”
• They pretend to want to be obedient. “Is it permissible? Will the law allow it?”
• They pretend to place themselves in subjection to God. However, their lie will be exposed on the day Jesus is crucified, when they say, “We have no king but Caesar (John 19:15).”

Before we go on I want to say this. The question, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar (or any other godless ruler)?” is not an illegitimate one. It’s just as legitimate as the one Jesus was asked back in Luke 20:2 – “…who is the one who gave You this authority?” When some-one tells you what you must to do with your money, you have the legitimate right to ask, “From where did you get the authority to tell me this?” The problem doesn’t lie in the questions. It lies in the hearts of the ones asking the questions. And these hearts are evil. And Jesus knows it.
*Luke 20:23-25
23 But He detected their trickery and said to them,
24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” And they said, “Caesar’s.”
25 And He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus says, “Show Me a denarius.” He uses a Roman denarius because, as we are told in Matthew’s gospel, it’s the coin Rome required for paying their taxes (Matthew 22:19). But the Jews had to pay the temple taxes with Greek drachmas. So they had to use both Roman and Greek coins. This was one of the main reasons for the moneychangers in the temple. Those who were unscrupulous could rob the people blind. And having to use coins bearing the image of Caesar, a pagan god, only made it worse because the Jews believed carrying and using such coins amounted to idolatry. Not surprisingly, the Jews hated the whole process.

So Jesus holds up a denarius and asks, “Whose likeness and inscription does it have?”
On the obverse it says, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus – Son of the Divine Augustus.” On the reverse it says, “Highest Priest.” (Papal title of “Pontifex Maximus”) Jesus’ point in displaying this denarius was at least twofold. First, it showed from where the coin came. Second, it showed to whom it belonged. It came from and belonged to Caesar.

Think about this for a moment. The first part of Jesus’ answer – “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s… is perfectly logical and reasonable. Rome had provided a degree of peace and tranquility that Israel had seldom known. The Jews lived in an orderly society. They were protected from foreign invasion. They had things like “police protection,” good roads, criminal and civil courts, and relative calm on a day-to-day basis.

All of that was a blessing, albeit a temporal one. And with that blessing came a responsibil-ity – pay your taxes! Or, in context, “…render to Caesar.” The application for you and for me should need no long or laborious explanation, should it? And by the way, Jesus’ answer eliminates the possibility of Him being charged with rebellion or sedition against Rome.

But now take notice of the second part of Jesus’ answer – “…and (render) to God the things that are God’s.” This part of His answer eliminates the possibility of Him being charged with blasphemy by the Jews. We are to give to God the things that belong to Him. Among those things are gratitude, glory, honor, praise, and a life filled with Christian service. Once again, the application for us needs no extended explanation, does it?
*Luke 20:26
26 And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and marveling at His answer, they became silent.

Jesus has confounded His enemies yet again. You’re tempted to laugh at them, aren’t you? They think they’re so smart, so wise, and so cunning. But for three years they’ve tried to trap Him, to trip Him up, to frustrate and nullify His ministry. They just can’t pull it off. So again, in the presence of God and man, these men who hate Jesus are stopped in their tracks.
But before the week is out they’ll have their day, and they will think they’ve finally won.

What do we learn from this morning’s passage in Luke? First, the government should not receive more than it is due, but it must receive what it is due. Pay your taxes. Pay as little as is legally possible, but pay your taxes. Second, all governments, whether “good” or “bad,” are set in place by divine decree, but no human government is ever divine. I believe that this, right here, is one of the greatest threats to the future of America as we know it. It seems that every day we see those who govern us taking our liberties and usurping powers that neither God nor the Constitution ever gave them.

That’s why it’s becoming more and more difficult for you and me to know when and how to obey the government, and when and how to make the decision not to obey the government.

Listen, we are to give to the government the things that belong to the government.
And we are to give God the things that belong to God. All governments, “good” or “bad,” have legitimate claims on this physical world, and God expects us to acknowledge them.
But God has claims over both this physical and temporal world and the spiritual and eternal world as well. And so we are left with this rule directly from Jesus Himself: “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” How does that play out in our daily lives? What happens when the authority of man conflicts with the authority of God?

When that happens we are required to obey man’s law up to the point that it clashes with or attempts to overrule God’s law. Could there be a simpler rule for us to understand? Could there be a more difficult rule for us to follow?
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IV. Conclusion
I suspect we would all like it if God had given us a long list with two columns, one marked “When this happens, Obey the Government,” and the other marked, “When this Happens, Disobey the Government.” Then we’d all know what to do. But God has not done that.

Even so, there will be times when the decision to disobey men’s laws will be an easy one to make. Let me give you just two examples. If you’re told to stop preaching the gospel and teaching Word of God, then you disobey. And if there are consequences for that disobedi-ence, you accept them. If, as has been the case in Communist China, you are ordered to abort your baby girl, you disobey, and accept the consequences for that disobedience.

Then there are times when the decision to disobey men’s laws will not be so easy to make.
What if the law of the land forbids you to preach the gospel or teach the Word of God in a public space? Do you obey that law? What if the law of the land requires you to pay for your neighbor’s abortion because she can’t afford it, but the IRS knows you can afford it. You’re not required to abort your baby; you’re just required to pay for the abortion of the baby next door. Do you obey that law?

Some Christians will “go to war” over almost anything. Then there are others who won’t stand up and fight for anything. As is usually the case with extremes, neither position is right. There are times when you should join the fight, and there are times when you should walk away.

Listen, godly wisdom and biblical discernment calls for you to choose your battles carefully. But before you can know what to do…
• You’ll need to pray for wisdom and discernment.
• You’ll need to seek godly counsel.
• You’ll need to be sure that the issue either requires you to stand your ground and fight, or allows you to retreat in order that you might be available to fight another day.
And if you choose to join the fight, then…
• You’ll need to be willing to accept whatever penalties may come upon you for your opposition and disobedience to the laws your government.

So how does all of that apply to the hypothetical situation I laid out at the beginning? Do you comply with the law and report the game night that’s really a secret Bible study?

The fact is, that today, all over this world, Bible-believing Christians are faced with such decisions. What are they to do? They know the principle – “…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” but how do they apply it? They need God’s wisdom and they need biblical discernment. And so do we!

Unless this nation undergoes a transformation back to the God of the Bible and His princi-ples, such scenarios as the one I laid out at the beginning will prevail and become the norm here in America as they already are throughout much of this world today. What will we do? Will we apply Peter’s words to the church? Do you remember what he said?
*1 Peter 2:13-14a
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14a or to governors as sent by him…

Will we apply Paul’s words to the church? Do you remember what he said?
*Romans 13:1-2
1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

Or will we apply Peter’s and John’s words in Acts 4 and 5 when they were brought before the Sanhedrin, not once, but twice.
*Acts 4:18-20
18 And when they (the ruling council of the Sanhedrin) had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;
20 for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.”

Then the apostles went out, in outright disobedience to the lawful governing authorities, and obeyed God.
*Acts 5:27-29
27 And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them,
28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in the name (the name of Jesus), and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men…”

Each and every situation will be different, and each and every situation will call for prayer and counsel, for wisdom and discernment, but as a general statement, this might help. On January 30, 1750 (twenty-six years before the Declaration of Independence), an American colonial pastor, Jonathan Mayhew, preached a sermon at Harvard. He concluded it with these words:
“We may safely assert (this), in general, without undermining civil government: That no civil rulers are to be obeyed when they (demand) things inconsistent with the words and commands of God. All disobedience in such case is lawful and glorious… All commands running counter to the revealed will of God are null and void; and disobe-dience to them is not a crime, but a duty.”

I want us to close with a word of encouragement and comfort from Jesus. Turn to Matthew 10. Knowing that this world is not our home, and knowing that the day would come when some of God’s choicest servants, some of His very best men, women, and children, would face this world’s wrath for His sake, He said this…
*Matthew 10 16-20
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.
17 “But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues;
18 and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 “But when they deliver you up, do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak.
20 “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

But in the meantime, we are called to pray.
1 Timothy 2:1-2
1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties, and prayers, petitions and thanksgiv-ings, be made on behalf of all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

~ Pray ~