One of our favourite programs at home is ‘Time Team’ were archaeologists search for items that relate to ancient times revealing the way people lived and every day things like: coins, pottery and jewellery.
Traces of Roman occupation are found in many places in England. Below we have a sand pit with some artefacts in it.
““Render (give) therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22: 15-22.
We give acknowledgment to what the Romans have handed down to us: some of the road routes; locally Wattling Street that runs through Tottington, Radcliffe to Manchester. In the city of York and Chester some of their buildings and walls are still standing and we have the Roman baths in Bath with the traces of the Roman buildings that once stood there.
All the materials that the Romans used came from sources found in the things that God has created. We acknowledge that the stone they crafted for buildings and metals smelted out of the rocks that they made into tools. The wood they used in the construction of buildings and boats that came from the trees that God brought into being. The Romans used the knowledge and skills that God had given them.
Jesus was making the distinction between Caesar and God.
The Pharisees and Herodians decided to send some of their followers to ask Jesus about Rome taxation. They hoped his answer would undermine his popularity with the people.
“They said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
Jesus discerned that their question had been contrived; his response silenced them. “Show me the money for the tax. And they brought him a coin a denari. Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said, “Caesar’s.” Jesus then said, “Render (give) therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22: 15-22.
What lay behind the Pharisees and Herodians Question?
The Roman General Pompey conquered Israel in 63 BC, under their occupation the residents of Israel had to pay taxes to Rome; Income and Poll tax.
Income Tax paid on wages, food, property, roads and bridges.
Poll Tax paid by every adult starting at the age of 12 for a girl and a boy from 14 years.
When taxes were first imposed the people rebelled against it, mainly because the coin had an inscription on it that they despised, ‘ Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus’ Augustus elevated himself as God.
On the Hebrew coins they had emblems of ears of corn, palms, vine leaf, lilies and temple ornaments and furnishings. Some had Kings Heads on them.
The Israelites paid a temple tax of half a shekel or two Drachmas. Numbers 31: 36. Matthew 17: 27
The disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to catch him out with their question. If Jesus had said, do not pay your taxes to Rome, the Pharisees would have told the Romans and a result they would have arrested him. If Jesus had found favour towards paying taxes to Rome, the people would have accused him of upholding Augustus’ position as God over them.
Jesus’ answer, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus’ answer I thought reflected God’s justice.
God’s justice
Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him at his home. They were sat probably on cushions, reclining, at the table, when a woman entered the room carrying an alabaster box. Whilst they continued eating their meal, she stood behind Jesus at his feet, weeping, her tears wet his feet. She proceeded to wipe them with her hair and kissed them, also administering the ointment from her box to his feet. Simon watching was alarmed by Jesus allowing her to do this.
Jesus proceeded to tell him a parable about a creditor who had two debtors; one owed him 500 denari and the other 50. When they could not pay, he forgave them both. Jesus then asked Simon which one would the creditor love more. Simon answered the one who owed him the most. Jesus said that he had judged rightly.
We would perhaps have used the words released from their debt and the one who owed the most showed his gratitude. But Jesus used the words, ‘forgiveness’ and ‘love.’
He went on to relate the parable with the woman and her sins against God, in showing her love for God by her tears and actions of repentance, she had secured the forgiveness of her sins, and was now no longer in debt to God.
Jesus equated the woman’s sin with debt.
It is the wider picture of morality or principals that have a legal aspect under God’s justice and the Hebrew Jewish law.
In the Lord’s Prayer- “Jesus said, Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Matthew 6: 11, 12.
When I was a girl I remember people were not encouraged to get into debt, in fact it was frowned upon. Some people now again would ask to owe the local shopkeeper until they received their wages. That was known as ‘putting it on the slate.’ Generally people honoured their debts, as people do today.
I now realise through doing this study that it was a Christian principle not to get into debt.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6; 14.
‘The Messiah’s Secret’ Trespass page 72
“Invading or disregarding the property rights of another person, restitution was made through a trespass or a guilt offering at the temple.”
Yesterday I received a letter from Oxfam, as I looked through the information a heading caught my attention, ‘Stop land grabs.’ Poor farmers in Uganda, South Sudan, Cambodia and Indonesia are being evicted from their land and go hungry because of secretive land deals by foreign investors.
Oxfam is seeking justice for the poor farmers through bringing it to the attention of the world.
It may not be our fault that we get into debt: there are all sorts of reasons for instance: loss of jobs. Today we are caught up in our nation’s debt, this in my view stems from our nation gradually turning away from keeping the commandments and principals of God.
The Old Testament testifies to when Israel turned away from keeping God’s commandments and laws they got into a mess, Nebucahadnezzar destroyed the Jerusalem temple and exiled the Israelites into Babylon. God brought back the exiles through Cyrus who gave them financial aid to return to Israel. (Cyrus Cylinder kept in the British Museum.)
In Jesus’ day under Jewish law a person if they could not pay their debt became a hired servant, not a slave.
“And if your brother becomes poor beside you, and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve you until the year of the jubilee; then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own family and return to the possession of his fathers.” Leviticus 25: 39, 40.
When the year of the Jubilee came round, if the hired servant had not paid back his debt, he was released from it.
A week – seven days, the seventh being the Sabbath. Each year the crops were rotated and every 7th year left fallow, this equated with the Sabbath Day. God provided extra yield on the 6th year’s harvests. The Jubilee was celebrated every 50 years 7 x 7 49years, 7 Sabbaths the following year was also a Sabbath, another day of rest, seen as a new beginning, fresh start, and debts wrote off.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Hebrews Chapter 4 that God rested on the 7th day having finished his work of creation. God intended with the coming of Jesus the Messiah they should have entered into the permanent rest of the Sabbath Day, the Messiah establishing the New Covenant. “I shall remember their sins no more,”
It was the year of the Jubilee for the woman with the alabaster box.
God’s Justice – The cross is where Jesus paid off our debt of sin.
The cross, Jesus took upon himself, sin and the causes of sin, to make us right with God. It is through faith in this, that we turn to Jesus just like the woman in repentance and love, as a result we are completely set free from sin, God has wiped our credit card clean, our debt has been paid in full.
We belong to God, “For those who believe in his name, who receive him, he gave power to become children of God.” John 1: 12
50 days after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came into the world bringing new life into every heart that repented and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery, to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship. When we cry Abba Father it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs, joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8: 14-17
When we fall on difficult times we can call upon the Lord our God’s help simply because we belong to him.
A fortnight ago I was visiting the home of John and Anne, during my visit Anne told me this true story of a Christian friend of hers who at the time attended All Saints Church, Preston.
This particular day this lady was about to embark on a journey by train to Scotland in connection with ‘Faith Mission’. However, she had not enough money to take her to her destination, Edinburgh, she only had enough to take her to Carlisle. As the train was about to enter the station at Carlisle, she literally opened her Bible and money fell out of its pages, just enough to take her to her destination in Scotland.
How special it makes us feel when our Lord Jesus makes his presence known to us. It is by faith we can please God and enter into his grace.