I was still celebrating Easter Sunday and the climax of the season of Lent on the Christian calendar when I realized “tax day” was coming soon. April 15 is not usually a day of celebration for U.S citizens, but I thought how it could be. Maybe we could use that day to celebrate our liberation from the Religion Tax.
Oh, you weren’t aware of that tax? I predict that you have been affected by it a great deal. It cost more than money and required a revolution to revoke it. Many still live under its oppressive rule not knowing they could be free.
Matthew’s Gospel describes the journey of Jesus toward Jerusalem. Of course he was going there to die . . . and be resurrected. He had told as much to his disciples who couldn’t hear him since they were expecting a more flattering kingdom than an inglorious death would portray. When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax (half-shekel tax) came up to Peter and asked if his master paid that tax. Peter said, “Yes.” When Peter came inside Jesus asked him about the taxing laws of that kingdom. “Who pays the tax, the sons or others?” (In that economy, the foreigners paid the tax and the citizens did not.) When Peter answered correctly Jesus made the point that “sons” are free from the tax. But to avoid an offense at this stage of the trip, he told Peter to go catch a fish and in its mouth he would find exactly the right amount for both Jesus and Peter to pay the tax.
The temple was the most important feature of the Jewish system. It represented God’s presence with his people. There had been a time when God actually dwelled in the temple, but that was history. The glorious presence had left the temple in Ezekiel’s day as the whole city including the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. Though the city and the temple had been rebuilt there was no real evidence that God’s glorious presence was there. It was a symbol of the decadent and perverted religion the Jewish leaders had developed over the years. It represented a religion — not a relationship with God. Jesus condemned its practices and predicted its doom when he came into it and cast out those doing business as usual there. It had lost its purpose. He was the glorious presence that had been missing for so long, but they couldn’t recognize him. For Jesus the temple was obsolete. He was the temple of the living God. He represented a kingdom that did not need a physical temple. Thus, he and the sons of that kingdom owed no allegiance to the religion the temple represented.
There is liberating truth in this text. Jesus is declaring the death of religion and the presence of his living kingdom. He, by miraculous means, pays the religious obligations for the sons as well as himself. He goes on to Jerusalem to actually pay that price and grant to his followers the resurrection from the dead. This would mean they would live by the same power that raised him. They would never again have obligations to man-made religion. They could live freely relating to God . . . if they could qualify. Remember, Jesus raises the dead!
What is the nature of dead religion? It is the ritual that results from mankind’s attempt to meet the internal but transcendent need to relate to God. Regardless of the protests from some, all men are bent toward religion. Denying it will not erase the print of God’s image on all mankind. We are created in his image. Gnawing inside us is the reality that we are accountable to him. Even the protests of the self-acclaimed atheists point to the need to either acknowledge him or deny him. He must be dealt with in some way.
Mankind has concluded that God likes goodness. So much of religion focuses on how we can become better people according to what we call good. This means that we all need to have a religious resume. We are constantly checking our progress charts and measuring our goodness by how well we are meeting our religious goals. If we are more good than bad we tend to believe that gives us some leverage with God. He might be more attentive to our prayers and more willing to grant us favor. We are even told by popular ministers that God sees our good deeds and will reward us for them. We are encouraged to work hard to be better because good people get blessed.
Jesus addressed this mindset in the story of the tax collector and the Pharisee. It is just a snapshot of two men at the temple. The Pharisee had his progress report list. He was thankful. He was diligent in his disciplines. He was conscious of treating people fairly. He was an upstanding man in all the ways we measure it. But he wasn’t dead. Dead men have no lists. They know they have no leverage. Their only hope is resurrection and they know they can’t make that happen. Then there is the other guy. He is a character out of organized crime. He pinches his own people for profit while working for the occupying government. He probably is very rich and living large. Yet in the temple he knows he is dead. He has nothing good to offer. He qualifies. Jesus raises the dead but not the dying. Dying people will bargain. They will plead. They will try to use every point of leverage. (Have you ever been stopped for a traffic violation and heard yourself telling the officer what a good citizen you are normally?) Dead people have no leverage, only hope of resurrection.
Mankind has also concluded that life is about winning. The winners are the blessed. We can tell those who have God’s favor by looking at the score. Those with the most resources are better than those without. Money, influence, authority . . . these are the measurements of success and a good religion makes you a success. Jesus confronted that mindset too. It is the story about the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man with no name has all the earmarks of winning. He has money. He has fine clothes and servants. He controls his life and surroundings. On the other hand is Lazarus who is poor and sick. He eats the crumbs from the rich man’s table. His only form of health care is the licking the dogs can provide. Both die. Now the real measuring stick is revealed. Lazarus is securely in Abraham’s bosom. This means he was a man of faith, for only the faithful relate to Abraham or his God. He is enjoying the inheritance promised to Abraham which we know to be Jesus and his new covenant. But the rich man is in Hades and in torment. He is not winning now. However he still has the same mindset as before. He thinks that he is still in charge. He wants Lazarus who is still obviously inferior to him to come serve him. He is suggesting that Lazarus leave his place of bliss to come relieve him of his thirst. When told by Abraham that his request is impossible because of a fixed chasm, he suggests that someone go and tell his brothers. When told that wouldn’t work, he argued with Abraham that if someone were raised from the dead and told them, they would believe. Maybe the hell of his existence is trying to control things he can’t control for an eternity. Think of it! Trying to control life from hell and never seeing that only the dead qualify for resurrection.
Jesus features those who need death and resurrection. Good people and winners don’t need what he offers. They are content with a religion that exalts their values and makes them look good in a world that denies neediness and doubts resurrection.
He has paid the tax. No more living under the performance pressure to be good or to win in every negotiation. The sons are free. It cost more than we can measure. He took the blunt of false religion’s curse. The Jews manipulated the Roman government to eliminate this burr in their saddle. He was disrespectful of the temple and refused to be defined by their traditions. They crucified him. But the irony of history is that in dying he paid the tax. Those who follow him don’t owe anything to religion’s demands to appease God. Religion threatens to dispatch curses on those who refuse to comply. If you don’t “tithe” or “submit” as the leaders teach, you are placed under the ban. Thousands are kept in the fold by fear of being cursed. (After all religion’s success is related to how many it can count in its persuasion and how many resources it can accumulate to promote itself.) Somehow they know there is something better, but are afraid to step into freedom. It is risky. It wasn’t safe for Jesus to challenge religion’s hold on people. It is not safe now. But it is liberating.
How free are the sons? The correct answer is: as free as the Son. That is what he paid for. He wants us to enjoy the Father as much as he does. He wants us to be liberated from guilt and shame so that we can stand as uncondemned as he. What will that look like? The more we know him the more we reflect his character. We find ourselves being more loving and merciful. We start planning our financial portfolio by determining that we shall be givers first. We start addressing the injustices of society because our Father cares and now so do we. Reflecting his nature, we long for fellowship with other believers. After all Jesus never wanted to isolate himself from the Godhead. It is natural for his sons to relate to one another.
So, will we be better people? Yes, but that won’t give us any leverage with God. He has granted all that to Jesus the Son. Only as we trust him for everything do we stand accepted. Liberated sons relate first, honor their Father second, and work with him third.
If you or anyone you know is still paying the religion tax—you know, still doing things out of fear of being cursed or doing things to gain leverage with God, still trying to improve so God will bless your agenda—tell them the tax has been paid. Jesus paid it for himself and for them. When you have nothing but death to offer, you qualify for resurrection.
SYNERGY - Better Together: October 01, 2010 click for more > Five Pillars of New Testament Discipleship: : October 15, 2010 click for more > Family Reunion Retreat: December 03, 2010 click for more >
