What is Caesar's and what is God (1)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
After drawing the answer from them that the image and script was Caesar’s, Jesus told them straightforwardly, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.” The people who asked Jesus didn’t expect such answer. They wanted to hear a deceive answer from Jesus whether they should follow the law of Caesar that represented Gentile’s rule. They might be conspired to accuse Jesus accordingly. However, the answer they were heard was quite different from what they expected. It was quite embarrassing thing for them.
What does this aphorism signify? When we read ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's’ it seems to signify there is Caesar’s and God’s in this world. General tax might be Caesar’s and a religious tax and offering might signify God’s. Did Jesus practically say it with such idea? Let’s discuss this matter later on and now examine the response of the hearers.
In my point of view, they might not properly understand the exact meaning of Jesus’ word. They might be so surprised at Jesus not because of their deep understanding of Jesus’ word but of hearing totally unexpected answer from Jesus. It also might be their embarrassment due to the failure of their conspiracy to find out fault from Jesus’ teaching.
Conspiracy finally falls into its own pit. Momentarily it put others into a hole but finally he who digs a pit for others falls in himself. The reason is very clear. For it is not the truth. In the world leaded by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, a trick that destroys the truth can endure for a while but it doesn’t go long.
What is Caesar's and what is God (2)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
Jesus’ aphorism is often misused as dividing politics and religion in dual. This tendency strongly has been happening in Korean Christianity history. In 1970 and 1980, Korean Christianity didn’t give any response against a military dictatorship based on such dualism. Of course few of them fervently involved in anti-dictatorship but most of churches kept silence. The silence in this situation was nothing different from acting in concert with a dictatorship.
I do not explain in detail the reason of such Korean church’s silence before a military dictatorship but do it by condensing into two points.
First is internal reason, the matter of theology. A personal salvation is a major part of Korean Christianity. For this, a social changes fall into a dependant variable.
The other is a partition situation. The Christians from North who escaped from North Korean communist party gave a huge influence to the rapid external growth of Korea. They identified Christian faith with anti-communalism for they were suffered a lot under the power of North Korea communist government losing all the properties and others. For them a dictatorship government in South Korea, though it also had a problem, was a sort of necessary evil in order to protect them from the North Korea Communist government. It is the idea to bear a small evil to stop the greater evil.
It was a great regretting point of Korean Church that it didn’t give any spiritual dynamic power to Korean social reformation by accepting such dualistic theology, separating politics and religion. The dualism became a core of belief due to the combination of emphasizing a personal salvation, an internal fact and a partitioned situation, as an external fact. I feel such phenomena are spreading now even more.
What is Caesar's and what is God (3)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
I told you yesterday the misuse of Jesus’ aphorism, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's’ as a proposition of the separation of politics and religion. I would like to explain the opposite case today. In this case, people pursue the identification of politics and religion up to extreme level. Those who are standing at this position regard the foundation of religion as political activities.
There is a liberation theology in modern theology. A liberation theology is a Roman Catholic theology which was based on the political situation of Latin countries in 1960, the time extreme gap between the rich and the poor and a military dictatorship were prevailed. It was fitting to a political theology in Europe. They approached social problem as the viewpoint that God showed favoritism (Parteilichkeit) to a poor. They insisted even to bear a military fighting in order to obey such God’s will according to circumstance. Some Catholic priests were participated in antigovernment military struggle.
As a third person, it is hard to decisively confirm whether it is right for the pastors and priests who should declare God’s word to participate in a military struggle. For we cannot neglect the situation that the public’s life unlikely is recovered. Figuratively speaking, we have to fight against an armed robber with a bat when he breaks into house.
However, we cannot push everything into politics and economics only for we cannot get a true satisfaction though we solve those political and economical problems. I don’t mean to say useless of such part but it is not enough with this only. If we make an insufficient thing into absolute one it also may cause another distortion. Diving politics and religion as dual is problem and mixing it together too.
What is Caesar's and what is God (4)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
Paul mentioned the relationship between Christians and a secular government in Roman 13:1-7. He advised that the public should obey the authority and those who have power should clearly distinguish good and evil.
Based on these verses, in past military dictator’s time there were quite number of preachers who preached to obey the government though it was governed by a military dictatorship. Such insistence was a misunderstanding about Paul. Paul didn’t want to say about whether the evil government was legal or not. There were two reasons. First, Paul emphasized the fact through his word that even a secular authority also belonged to God’s authority. God is the creator and leads history by his Divine Providence.
Second, the authority that Paul said to obey was the power to maintain a regional security not the ideological Roman authority. Maintenance of public order was an essential fact for Christian mission. If the regional government didn’t maintain the social order by law there was no place to stand for Christians. According to Acts, the regional officer of the Roman Empire protected Paul from a risk.
In this, there is a political philosophy at a more fundamental level that an evil order can protect the public more than chaos. We can find out this fact from the war between Iraq and America. Husain of Iraq was an evil leader. America thought that the life of the public of Iraq could be improved if he was gotten rid of. However, the practical situation was totally different. Iraq without Husain became a lawless world and many were murdered more. It is related to the North Korea governing by a dictator government too. In real world anarchy destroy the helpless public’s life.
What is Caesar's and what is God (5)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
Related to our topic, the matter of Caesar, there is a famous theological proposition of Martin Luther. It is two kingdom theory (Zweireichlehre). It is related to the content of Roman chapter 13, Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, the theme of yesterday’s meditation and points out ‘The City of God’ of Augustine, if we trace back.
In ‘Two Kingdom theory’ Luther told the order of church and secular, and the order of sprit and flesh. If you understand the order of secular and flesh rashly conflicting with the order of God, then it would be embarrassing. Everything is under God’s rule. The only different point between church and secular world is the way of its ruling. It is the same way as the religious world and scientific world moves in different way. Politics cannot be operated by a spiritual order. In the religious world a murderer should be accepted if he repents but in politics he should be punished accordingly.
In the past Luther’s two kingdom theory has been criticized as a reactionary theology. The criticism was rooted in his objection to the German Peasants' War by confronting his former follower Thomas Müntzer. Though he could be called as a political conservative at the point of receiving an Elector Fredric’s help and his continues relationship with the feudal lords, theology however cannot be measured with such political yardstick. Luther couldn’t support the German Peasants’ War knowing an obvious defeat of the peasants.
Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." We cannot but accept a certain political mechanism in this real world unless and until beginning of Gods’ direct rule. The secular power can be called Caesar’s as a necessary evil in order to stop the greater evil.
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
After drawing the answer from them that the image and script was Caesar’s, Jesus told them straightforwardly, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.” The people who asked Jesus didn’t expect such answer. They wanted to hear a deceive answer from Jesus whether they should follow the law of Caesar that represented Gentile’s rule. They might be conspired to accuse Jesus accordingly. However, the answer they were heard was quite different from what they expected. It was quite embarrassing thing for them.
What does this aphorism signify? When we read ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's’ it seems to signify there is Caesar’s and God’s in this world. General tax might be Caesar’s and a religious tax and offering might signify God’s. Did Jesus practically say it with such idea? Let’s discuss this matter later on and now examine the response of the hearers.
In my point of view, they might not properly understand the exact meaning of Jesus’ word. They might be so surprised at Jesus not because of their deep understanding of Jesus’ word but of hearing totally unexpected answer from Jesus. It also might be their embarrassment due to the failure of their conspiracy to find out fault from Jesus’ teaching.
Conspiracy finally falls into its own pit. Momentarily it put others into a hole but finally he who digs a pit for others falls in himself. The reason is very clear. For it is not the truth. In the world leaded by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, a trick that destroys the truth can endure for a while but it doesn’t go long.
What is Caesar's and what is God (2)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
Jesus’ aphorism is often misused as dividing politics and religion in dual. This tendency strongly has been happening in Korean Christianity history. In 1970 and 1980, Korean Christianity didn’t give any response against a military dictatorship based on such dualism. Of course few of them fervently involved in anti-dictatorship but most of churches kept silence. The silence in this situation was nothing different from acting in concert with a dictatorship.
I do not explain in detail the reason of such Korean church’s silence before a military dictatorship but do it by condensing into two points.
First is internal reason, the matter of theology. A personal salvation is a major part of Korean Christianity. For this, a social changes fall into a dependant variable.
The other is a partition situation. The Christians from North who escaped from North Korean communist party gave a huge influence to the rapid external growth of Korea. They identified Christian faith with anti-communalism for they were suffered a lot under the power of North Korea communist government losing all the properties and others. For them a dictatorship government in South Korea, though it also had a problem, was a sort of necessary evil in order to protect them from the North Korea Communist government. It is the idea to bear a small evil to stop the greater evil.
It was a great regretting point of Korean Church that it didn’t give any spiritual dynamic power to Korean social reformation by accepting such dualistic theology, separating politics and religion. The dualism became a core of belief due to the combination of emphasizing a personal salvation, an internal fact and a partitioned situation, as an external fact. I feel such phenomena are spreading now even more.
What is Caesar's and what is God (3)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
I told you yesterday the misuse of Jesus’ aphorism, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's’ as a proposition of the separation of politics and religion. I would like to explain the opposite case today. In this case, people pursue the identification of politics and religion up to extreme level. Those who are standing at this position regard the foundation of religion as political activities.
There is a liberation theology in modern theology. A liberation theology is a Roman Catholic theology which was based on the political situation of Latin countries in 1960, the time extreme gap between the rich and the poor and a military dictatorship were prevailed. It was fitting to a political theology in Europe. They approached social problem as the viewpoint that God showed favoritism (Parteilichkeit) to a poor. They insisted even to bear a military fighting in order to obey such God’s will according to circumstance. Some Catholic priests were participated in antigovernment military struggle.
As a third person, it is hard to decisively confirm whether it is right for the pastors and priests who should declare God’s word to participate in a military struggle. For we cannot neglect the situation that the public’s life unlikely is recovered. Figuratively speaking, we have to fight against an armed robber with a bat when he breaks into house.
However, we cannot push everything into politics and economics only for we cannot get a true satisfaction though we solve those political and economical problems. I don’t mean to say useless of such part but it is not enough with this only. If we make an insufficient thing into absolute one it also may cause another distortion. Diving politics and religion as dual is problem and mixing it together too.
What is Caesar's and what is God (4)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
Paul mentioned the relationship between Christians and a secular government in Roman 13:1-7. He advised that the public should obey the authority and those who have power should clearly distinguish good and evil.
Based on these verses, in past military dictator’s time there were quite number of preachers who preached to obey the government though it was governed by a military dictatorship. Such insistence was a misunderstanding about Paul. Paul didn’t want to say about whether the evil government was legal or not. There were two reasons. First, Paul emphasized the fact through his word that even a secular authority also belonged to God’s authority. God is the creator and leads history by his Divine Providence.
Second, the authority that Paul said to obey was the power to maintain a regional security not the ideological Roman authority. Maintenance of public order was an essential fact for Christian mission. If the regional government didn’t maintain the social order by law there was no place to stand for Christians. According to Acts, the regional officer of the Roman Empire protected Paul from a risk.
In this, there is a political philosophy at a more fundamental level that an evil order can protect the public more than chaos. We can find out this fact from the war between Iraq and America. Husain of Iraq was an evil leader. America thought that the life of the public of Iraq could be improved if he was gotten rid of. However, the practical situation was totally different. Iraq without Husain became a lawless world and many were murdered more. It is related to the North Korea governing by a dictator government too. In real world anarchy destroy the helpless public’s life.
What is Caesar's and what is God (5)
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (12:17)
Related to our topic, the matter of Caesar, there is a famous theological proposition of Martin Luther. It is two kingdom theory (Zweireichlehre). It is related to the content of Roman chapter 13, Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, the theme of yesterday’s meditation and points out ‘The City of God’ of Augustine, if we trace back.
In ‘Two Kingdom theory’ Luther told the order of church and secular, and the order of sprit and flesh. If you understand the order of secular and flesh rashly conflicting with the order of God, then it would be embarrassing. Everything is under God’s rule. The only different point between church and secular world is the way of its ruling. It is the same way as the religious world and scientific world moves in different way. Politics cannot be operated by a spiritual order. In the religious world a murderer should be accepted if he repents but in politics he should be punished accordingly.
In the past Luther’s two kingdom theory has been criticized as a reactionary theology. The criticism was rooted in his objection to the German Peasants' War by confronting his former follower Thomas Müntzer. Though he could be called as a political conservative at the point of receiving an Elector Fredric’s help and his continues relationship with the feudal lords, theology however cannot be measured with such political yardstick. Luther couldn’t support the German Peasants’ War knowing an obvious defeat of the peasants.
Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." We cannot but accept a certain political mechanism in this real world unless and until beginning of Gods’ direct rule. The secular power can be called Caesar’s as a necessary evil in order to stop the greater evil.
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