Trap: Episode One

Mark 12:13-17

      Paying taxes, and the negative feelings associated with the process is not a new thing. Taxes have often been a point of tension for people of all stripes and political persuasions. Even progressives want taxes to go up, only as long as it doesn’t go up for them. Let someone else pay for all the good ideas their good idea fairy has brought.

      Taxes to an oppressive government can rub with even greater fury. When your taxes go for things that you don’t agree with, it can be hard to willingly and joyfully pay the taxes due.

      And Rome’s rule was oppressive. They purposely taxed that area of their empire to keep the population in check. When people are struggling to make ends meet, they don’t have energy for rebellion. But refusal to pay taxes was a crime under Roman law. It was seen as rebellion. It could lead to seizure of your property (think cattle out West), forced labor to pay for the back taxes (think wage garnishment), and it could even lead to charges that could lead to death.

      That is why two enemies come together for this trap. The Pharisees and the Herodians are not friends and allies. The Pharisees wanted to establish a Jewish state, without Roman rule or influence. They saw the outside government as an intrusion into what should be a religiously run and God centered institution.

      This sounds much like what Islam wants to do today. For them, all of life must be under the rule of Islam. That is why they kill anyone who doesn’t yield to Islam’s rule. There are three choices: convert to Islam, become a second class citizen by paying a large tax and agreeing to live in the lower status, or be killed. The first two options acknowledge Islam’s rightful place of rule. The killings in Iraq are not a fluke. They are part and parcel of Islam’s core beliefs. That is the reality whether we like it or not.

      The Pharisees wanted no secular government over them. They despised Rome’s intrusion on what they considered their territory. That is why it is so strange for them to be joining the Herodians at this particular trap.

      The Herodians were closely connected to Rome and its rule. They had sold out in order to have peace a part of the power. They traded their soul and made a bed with the enemy, at least that is what the Pharisees would say. The compromised their core religious beliefs in order to be happy. They would display the “Coexist” bumper sticker with pride.

      So to have these two come together to try and trap Jesus around money is hilarious. And they try to use an image of Caesar on the money as the trap’s trigger. You see, Rome had accommodated the Jewish influence in that area by minting coins without the image of Caesar for use in local commerce.

      Jesus is brilliant in His answer. He pits these two groups against each other. Divide and conquer.

No Idea

Mark 10:38-40

      There are times in life when we step into the unknown. We have no idea what is on the other side of the door, but we open it anyway. Law Enforcement personnel live with this reality every day. They get a call and they must respond without knowing everything they would like to know about the situation. They must open doors knowing that death might await them on the other side. And yet they open the door.

      Two of the disciples have made a request of Jesus, and Jesus is giving them an answer. It is probably an answer that they didn’t expect. And I am sure in the future they will wish He had given them a different answer! Sometimes we don’t get the answers we want. Sometimes we get more than we bargained for.

      Jesus begins His answer by telling them they are clueless about their request. Their perspective is so limited that they could probably be convinced that the moon was made of cheese. They have no idea what drinking Jesus’ cup entails. They have yet to watch His final hours. They have yet to see His suffering. They have yet to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They are still on the foggy side of the mirror.

      There is an identification with Jesus that requires us to follow Him in death. For some this means actual physical death at the hands of an enemy of Christ. The Christians living in predominantly Muslim territories, both in the Middle East, the Far East and Africa have been facing this for years. They know what it means to have their churches burned, their lives threatened, their pastors killed, their homes burned, their children stolen, their women raped, their men killed, all in the name of Islam.

      The disciples lived in a world that would soon be hostile toward Christians because it posed a threat to both Rome and to the Jewish status quo. Because Christ claimed supremacy, and the disciples came to understand that supremacy, the early Christians were killed for refusing to put anyone or anything above their loyalty to Christ.

      Both the cup and the baptism Jesus speaks about this type of identification. Jesus affirms that these two disciples will die as martyrs. They will make this kind of commitment. But they won’t necessarily get their request. Those seats, those places of honor, have already been assigned. And Jesus doesn’t tell us who will occupy those places.

      Never answer a question until you understand the question and its implications. The disciples didn’t have a clue what they were asking. They also didn’t know what Jesus asked them in return, and yet they answered in the affirmative. Wisdom dictates that we answer slowly and with deliberation. The only request to which we should jump is the request from Jesus that says, “Come.” Let’s come!

Backward Justice = Injustice

Proverbs 17:26

       There are times in human history when justice gets turned on its head. Both punishing the innocent and freeing the guilty are unacceptable, but both happen when justice gets placed in the hands of dishonest people. Both make people live in fear. Both make life filled with uncertainties. They definitely drive out foreign investment!

      Our proverb today focuses on one side of that unjust equation. When the innocent get punished, it is not good. When this happens it sends a powerful message from the person in power, the one able to render decisions. The message is fairly simple: do what I say, or you will be next in line! So the person in charge makes an example of one honest person and in the process turns all the other officials into corrupt officials. A few will resist and stay honest, but they will be punished, usually more severely than the first one. In the words of the Borg in Star Trek, “Resistance is futile.”

      We see this pattern in many oppressive regimes today. In those dominated by Islamic ideologies this is the norm. Either conform to our beliefs or die. I read a couple of days ago about the massive bombing in Iraq centered around a Shiite festival, one side of the Islamic faith killing the other side. This is nothing new. This kind of killing is standard practice in Islam and has been for over a thousand years. They battle for the upper hand by killing their opponents. It started with their supreme example, Mohamed. He credited with personally killing hundreds of opponents, and serves as their model for behavior.

      We in the West are usually more humane with our opponents. We just lie through our teeth about their intentions and motives, and the media parrots those words until they are believed by enough voters to get us in office and keep us there. Of course we have not always been so kind with our international enemies. War often brings out the worst, even if our intentions are honorable.

      We can’t be responsible for the actions of others. We can only control our actions. We must be people of integrity, upholding and honoring those who act justly. We can intervene and stop injustice to the extent that our influence extends. We can’t correct if we have too little influence, or no influence.

Koran Burning

Proverbs 15:7

      As I write this, I have just finished reading a report about the Pope’s response to a question about whether non-Christians can get to heaven. He answered correctly! If a non-believer were to follow his conscience 100% of the time, he would get to heaven. But as we read in Romans chapters 1-3, no one does that. Everyone violates their conscience and therefore sins. And anyone who has unforgiven sins won’t go to heaven. And the only way to have sins forgiven is to accept Christ’s forgiveness. And I think that was the point the Pope was making.

      Now I don’t know what conversations the Pope’s answers will raise, but I appreciate his candor. The full council of God will always spread knowledge. Maybe some will try to take the Pope’s words to heart and live better lives. Then as some point they will violate their conscience and need forgiveness. This opens the way for the Gospel, that forgiveness is available.

      Some would have answered a resounding “No!” But Scripture does allow a perfect person to enter heaven. So if someone were perfectly obedient to their own conscience, they could go to heaven without Christ’s sacrifice.

      The way we present Truth makes a big difference. The pastor in Florida who is burning Korans, or at least trying to, is right in believing that about a quarter of Muslims worldwide, including those here in the United States, believe suicide bombings are an acceptable representation of their faith. And some would say they have the correct understanding of the Koran. But the way the man is making his statement silences the truth he is trying to convey.

      Now I can’t judge this man’s heart. I know that Christ loves Muslims just as much as He loves me. He died for their sins and is anxiously waiting for them to have faith in Him. I want to be a vessel that can look past the hatred of me, and still bring the love of Jesus to them.

      I want to be someone who spreads knowledge in a way that opens doors to conversation. I want to be transparent. The way I present Truth makes a difference. And it makes a difference for you as well.