(Ir)religiosity

Part I | Part II | Part III

Jesus and taxes.  

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people defend blind trust and obedience in their government by appealing to Jesus’ statement: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (my paraphrase), which seems at the surface to be in support of the empire.  But that misses the larger picture.

Coins with Caesar’s image on them were all over the place in Jesus’ day and were inscribed with the statement: “Long live the Son of God!” According to C&H, “The coins were a visual sign that the entire economy belonged to Caesar and that without him everything would fall apart.” The Jews were taxed heavily by the Roman government both directly through Pilate and Herod and indirectly by the temple authorities.  C&H estimate that over 50% of the common persons income when to Caesar in some form of taxes. 

So here we are with Jesus in a rift with the authorities again.  They ask him if it is right to pay homage to the empire through taxes.  Here, C&H bring up an excellent point, one I hadn’t ever thought about, though it makes perfect sense: “…it was quite radical to speak of God and Caesar as two separate entities.”  By doing so Jesus raises the question to his hearers: Who is God, really? Because of course as mentioned in the previous posts Caesar was God. Period.  End of question.  So, to us on the surface level Jesus is supporting the tax system, but to his hearers he is questioning the very nature of God.

And Jesus’ hears would likely push that question to the next level: if Caesar is not God, then what actually belongs to Caesar?  If Caesar is not God, that is, not the ruler of the universe then what authority and what jurisdiction does he really have?  Caesar authority is illegitimate!  As C&H put it:

“Caesar could brand with his image, coins, crowns, and robes, which moths would eat and rust destroy.  But life and creation have God’s stamp on them.  Caesar could have his coins, but life is God’s.  Caesar had no right to take what is God’s.  We are also reminded that just as Caesar stamped his image of coins, God’s image is stamped on human beings.  Even Caesar had God’s stamp.  God made Caesar, and Caesar was not God. But the hearer was left to ponder the riddle of what was God’s and what was Caesar’s. No wonder Jesus often had to say, “Do you have ears to hear?”…God created Caesar, and God created the heavens and the earth. Caesar cannot do that. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Once we’ve given to God what is God’s, there’s not much left for Caesar. And after Caesar returns to dust, God will continue to live and bring dust to life.”

Now, at this point I have to wonder how this works itself out today.  I live in the American empire. I sent my tax returns off about a month ago.  I got a refund.  To be honest, I’m very grateful for that refund because my wife and I will be moving across the country this summer and we need all the help we can get.  But that doesn’t change the fact that my refund money is imperial money.

I can think of two alternatives.  On the one hand, I can could opt out of the system all together and refuse to pay taxes or mail a return.  People do that.  And I respect them.  But I think the second alternative is more viable and effective.  I think it makes more of a statement.  A comment Matt Scott made on one of my posts about a month ago got me to thinking.   And then I read this book and I got to thinking even more.

What if next year when I have to pay taxes and render unto Uncle Sam what is his, what if I refuse to pay the percentage that funds the war and “national defense?”  What if I attached I cover letter to my return explaining that because my loyalty lies with God I refuse to participate in the killing innocent people.  What if instead I took the percentage that would go to fund war and I gave it all away?  

I can’t help, but wonder what might happen if I took Jesus at his word.  I can’t help but wonder what might happened if I believed him.

Better yet, what would happen if we believed him? What would happen if we were actually converted by the gospel and became cooperators and participators with God in subverting empire?

Am I crazy? Delusional? Too idealistic?

What do you think?