Editorial: What shall we render to ‘Caesar’?

The Gospel of Mark tells us religious authorities sent "some of the Pharisees and Herodians" to ask Jesus a question. Before they even spoke, everyone sensed a trap. Pharisees didn't naturally pal around with Herodians. Not with the Pharisees intent on maintaining Jewish theocratic law and the Herodians in league with the Roman puppet potentate of Palestine, Herod. But they both benefitted from the status quo and declared Jesus a destabilizing influence. So, they formed a tag team to whip him.

One day, the Pharisees and Herodians asked Jesus if Jews should pay a tax to Caesar, the Roman emperor. This question should have worked. If Jesus agreed with the tax, the Pharisees could nail him for capitulating to the hated Romans and, worse, placing Caesar over God. But if he opposed the tax, the Herodians could scourge him as a traitor.

In reply, Jesus told them to show him a coin—the money both groups traded—and asked whose name and picture appeared on it. They all agreed the money bore the likeness of Caesar, and that's when Jesus sprung the trap on his trappers. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's," he told them. Jesus affirmed the legitimate claims of both groups and shrugged off the bonds of blasphemer and traitor.

For 2,000 years, Christians have pondered this story as they considered how to relate to government. Today, "Caesar" readily substitutes as a metaphor for "Washington" and/or "Austin." It provides the theme for the cover package of stories in this edition of the paper. And, since the specific object lesson happened to be a coin, the discussion often revolves around money—taxes and tithes.

But Jesus chose a generic plural word to describe what individuals owe to Caesar and to God. "Things." He might have called it "stuff." It's vague, present and plural. Have you ever considered the "things" Christians owe to Caesar? I take him not only to represent government, but unofficially to epitomize the secular realm of our world. What do we owe to the world beyond God? The question almost sounds counter-cultural, particularly to Christians who happen to be (a) Baptists and (b) Texans, two tribes that raise independence to a fine art. We don't ask for handouts, and we also don't expect to give them. But just as Jesus embodied ultimate generosity, we are at our most Christlike when we appropriately "render" to others. Several ideas:

• Money. That's where the Pharisees, Herodians and Jesus started, and so can we. Jesus specifically affirmed we should pay our share of taxes. And, of course, we support acts of benevolence and care through our tithes. But that's only the beginning. Christians should be role models of generosity in everything from tipping to philanthropy. We are stewards, and the gifts God gives us should be shared freely.

• Talent. Isn't it ironic the word for money in one of Jesus' parables is "talents"? Christians possess an invaluable abundance of gifts the world needs—everything from teaching skills, to musical ability, to healing service, to encouragement.

• Time. This often is a more precious commodity than money. And investing time is the only way we can infuse our talents into society. We make our world stronger when we volunteer, when we invest our lives in the lives of others and in institutions. Again, look to Jesus, who spent so much time with "sinners" others mistook him for one of them.

• Goodwill and friendship. We live in adversarial, caustic, mean-spirited times. Christians often compound the problem by setting ourselves off as other than society around us. But we should befriend the world. We don't need to agree on all points to be friends. And through our friendship, the world needs us to share the loving goodwill of Jesus.

A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life shows the percentage of Americans who have no religious affiliation has reached a record high. Many factors account for that sad development, but Christians' failure to render the compassion of Jesus into the lives of people—to enable them to feel loved and cared for—stands out among them.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard.