Surrendering our personal agendas

In Matthew 22: 15-22 we read about a monumental ambush that they tried to make on Jesus. By the time of Matthew chapter 22 it was no longer a secret that the Pharisees planned to kill him. However, all that these doctors of the law needed was a "motive or reason" serious enough to grant him the death penalty. Faced with this need, the Pharisees concocted a question captious. [It is extremely important to recognize that the ringleaders of this trap are the Pharisees]. However, what is interesting about this particular attempt is that the Pharisees send out a retinue made up of their disciples and supporters of Herod's government; "Herodians", (most likely Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee). To understand the effect of this combination of people, one must examine the question that was thrown at the Master:

“Master, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God according to the truth. You are not influenced by anyone because you do not pay attention to appearances. Give us your opinion: Is it allowed to pay taxes to * Caesar or not? " vv.16-17

It would appear that this ready-made question could only be answered with a “yes” or a “no”. The important thing here is to recognize that this question reflects the patterns of Pharisaic thought about their idea of God. Evidently, what the Pharisees wanted to hear from Jesus was a "no" for many reasons, especially one in particular.

There is a theological reason why the Pharisees wanted to hear a "no" from Jesus. This is because in the minds of the doctors of the law, it was impossible for anyone sent by God, (which was clearly attributed to Jesus in a captivating way in verse 16), would support the Roman colonial occupation of Israel. For the Pharisees, the idea of a messiah sent by God was one of a political-imperial character. If Jesus was who he said he was he had to promote the Roman overthrow in the Palestinian region. In other words, for the Pharisees God was a manipulable political puppet; that it fulfilled the personal aspirations of those who called themselves the counterpart of the "Herodians."

It is important to note that Jesus apparently did not have his own coins. Perhaps this is why you ask to be “shown” the tax currency.

Whose image and inscription are they? vv.20

For the Pharisees, Caesar's coin represented their reversed theological aspirations. The doctors of the law were dying of envy to have a coin with the face of a Jewish chieftain that raised the status of the Pharisaic caste to a level similar to that enjoyed by the "Herodians."

It is from this point of view that I invite the reader to interpret the famous phrase: "Give when ceasing what belongs to ceasing and to God what is God's." vv.21

An illustration that helps us understand what happens in this passage in Mateo is that of a baseball fan named Juan: Juan was a baseball lover who came to the stadium where his favorite team played; The Crocodiles. That night his team played against archrivals, Los Intergalacticos. The outcome of this meeting not suitable for "heart" arose in the bottom of the ninth inning. In a tied game, the opposing team's batter hit a base man homerun. Interestingly, it was Juan who caught the ball near the center field of the stadium. But the story tells something interesting. With much disgust, Juan reached out his arm and threw the ball as hard as he could onto the pitch. Unfortunately the crocodiles could not recover and lost the match by two runs.

At the end of the game, a reporter who had observed what Juan had done with the opposing team's ball asked him: “Why didn't you wait for the ball for yourself? After all, there are many people who would love to take home a reminder of this match. " Juan very seriously replied to the reporter: “For me that ball had no value. I threw it back onto the field because I don't see any use for it. Why did I want to keep her? "

Perhaps this illustration helps us understand why Jesus calls out loud to return the coin to the one who thought he had the power to politically, economically and theologically supplant the true envoy of God to humanity. The statement Jesus: "Give him alcésar what belongs to Caesar ...." , in other words it presents Jesus as saying:

“For me that coin has no value. I throw it back onto the field because I don't see any use for it. Why did I want to keep her? My responsibility is to do the will of the Father who sent me! The only true God of Israel! And Father's will, although it will certainly disappoint the ideologies of both the Pharisees and the Herodians, has nothing to do with the powers and ideas of this ephemeral and fallen world. "

Today's call is to evaluate why we do what we do. Do we take our children to church to just "turn out good," or because we understand that our entire family belongs to God? Do we offer in our congregations so that God can give us back what we want, or because we understand that he is the owner of all our possessions? Do we pray for God to bless us or why do we really understand that apart from him we can do nothing? Are we really seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness or are we trying to manipulate Christ, as the Pharisees tried to do, to fulfill the hidden agendas in our selfish hearts?

It is through his incarnation, his public ministry, his crucifixion and his resurrection that Jesus Christ forcefully returns to him when he ceases what belongs to him. On the cross Jesus rejected and defeated all the powers that try to dominate our lives with their false pretenses.

Matthew 22: 15-22 invites us to submit ourselves entirely to God's will; unpretentious and without hidden personal agendas. Therefore "let us give to God what is God's"; our lives and our whole being.

I conclude with the lyrics of the third stanza and the chorus of a hymn well known in Christendom. May this be your prayer today!

"I Surrender to Him"

(lyrics: Judson W. Van de Venter | music: Winfield Scott Weeden)

"All to Christ I surrender,

Yes, with all my heart;

I give him soul and body,

I am looking for your holy anointing today.

CHORUS

I surrender to Him

I surrender to Him

Everything to Christ I give myself,

I want to be faithful to him. "

Forward in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!