Hello everyone. Welcome back to daily gospel exegesis, which is a production from logical Bible study. And here in this podcast, we look at the reading from Mass, The Gospel reading and we try to pull it apart of it to see what it meant in its original context. So we're giving you tools to help you understand the Of God. And in particular, in this podcast, the gospels, what does it mean in its original context? We looking at a very famous
passage today. It's one that people know quite well and perhaps people think they know the interpretation of quite well. But as you'll see, there's a lot of really interesting stuff going on underneath the text that you may not have considered. So let's have a look at the passage. It is Mark chapter 12 verses 13 to 17. The chief priests and the scribes, and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some herodians to catch him out in
what he said. These came to him and said, Master, we know, you are an honest man that you are not afraid of anyone. Because a man's rank means nothing to you and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay yes or no? Seeing through their hypocrisy. He said to them. Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a Denarius. And let me see it. They handed him one and he said whose head is this? Whose name?
Caesars. They told him, Jesus said to them, give back to Caesar, what belongs to Caesar and to God, what belongs to God. This reply took them completely by surprise. So let's start by thinking about the context, so Mark chapter 12 by now, Jesus has entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He's cursed the Fig Tree and he's cleansed the temple. And at this point, it's the last week of Jesus life, and he's teaching in the temple.
And his authority is being questioned by the Jewish leaders that has happened at the start of chapter 12. And now that leads right into today's passage. Now, it is, as I said before a really famous teaching of Jesus, but there's more going on here than what a lot of people
realize. In fact, when I started researching for this episode, I thought I knew what the interpretation was but there's more going on here and in particular, the features of the coin itself, there's some interesting things about the coin that you may not have considered. So, verse 13, the chief priests the scribes, and the elders. So these are the Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem. The chief priests the scribes, and the elders, basically.
The chief priests are in charge of the temple. The scribes are in charge of guarding the law and the elders would be sort of respected Community leaders in Jerusalem. So we have here a group of high-ranking Jews, but in this case, they don't come to Jesus. By now, they've already rejected Jesus and they're trying to trap him. So what they do this time is they send to Jesus some Pharisees and some herodians. So the high-ranking Jews, send a party of lower-ranking Jews to Jesus.
This is the next strategy. So who were the Pharisees, the Pharisees of the leaders of the common Jewish people they were in charge of it appears in teaching the law to people, they had teaching Authority on the popular level. If the Pharisees said something in your community, you had to listen to them. The herodians. We don't hear a whole lot about the herodians in the gospel, but they are there a couple of times.
These are Jews, probably quite wealthy Jews who were supporters of the Jewish King Herod. So, there's a vassal King in this part of the world called Herod and they want to keep the current political Roman situation because it benefits them. Now they don't necessarily support the Romans, but they believe having a Jewish vessel
King was better than nothing. And oh, they probably feel that Jesus. And his followers were threatening the current political situation, they're worried that he might start an uprising and they don't want that. They want it to stay, so that there is a Jewish King on the throne, at least. The Pharisees and the herodians actually don't like each other. They're at opposite ends of the political Spectrum. Usually however they join forces here against Jesus.
They both have a common goal which is to take Jesus out of the picture. They also did that in chapter 3 as well Chapter 3 of Mark. So what we see here, begins a series of three questions posed to Jesus by representatives of Israel's leadership in chapter 12. So here first, we have the Pharisees and the herodians, giving him a question. Next in chapter 12 will say the Sadducees, ask him a question and then the scribes will ask him a question later in verse 28.
So lots of different Jewish groups asking him questions here. So they send the high-ranking juice and the Pharisees and the herodians to Jesus, to catch him out in what he said. So, notice that, that's the goal. They're not really interested in what Jesus has to say. They deliberately trying to trap him so that they can make him look foolish in front of the crowds. So, That he'll be discredited and the Jesus movement will stop and they can go back to having
the peace that they had before. It's interesting in that kind of approach him like a political candidate almost, they seek to back him into a corner. Where any answer he gives is going to offend one group or another, they think they've crossed crafted a very tricky plan here, that's going to trip Jesus up, verse 14, they came to him, so probably in the temple that's apparently where Jesus still is and they say to him master or teacher. So it's kind of like a false
respect. They're giving him here because they don't really see him as their master. Master, we know you are an honest, man, that you are not afraid of anyone. Because a man's rank means nothing to you and you teach the way of God in all honesty. Now, they're flattering Jesus here. They don't actually believe this because we know that, I believe it, because they don't follow his teachings, so they're trying to flatter him to catch him off. Guard what they say here.
With these words, basically means something like this. Jesus, we know you tell it like it is regardless of who the audience is because you are a good and holy Ali teacher. So give us a straight answer. That's sort of the feel of what they give to him here. So when they focus on ranks here, when they say, a man's rank means nothing to you, they're probably thinking of themselves and the other Jewish
leaders. They know that Jesus is not going to hesitate to tell them what he believes to be God's will, even if it contradicts, what they them self that as the ranking Jewish leaders, teach. They know that he's going to tell it like it is, so it's sort of like a backhanded compliment almost, isn't it? So here is the famous question. They asked him, is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Now that's not the best translation, the word here that our lectionary has is
permissible is in fact, lawful. And so, this is a question about God's law the Torah, especially the first commandment. So in Exodus chapter 20 verses 2 to 6, remember the first commandment is, you shall love the Lord, your God And have no other gods before you now, as will see, that seems to be the main focus of this issue about paying taxes.
So lots of Jews at the time of Jesus, particularly the group called The zealots, they felt the pain taxes to Caesar was treason against God since they believe the Romans, actually had no right to the land. Anyway, it was God's land and probably, they felt that to pay taxes to Caesar would imply some sort of loyalty to having Caesar as king, rather than having God is King. And to them, that was just not tolerable or only God is their King.
And as we'll see, there's also more to it as well. There's some interesting things about the coin. The coin has a Graven image of Caesar on it, and there's an interesting Blasphemous title that is written on the coin. So, let's talk a bit about these taxes. What's going on with the Jews? Having to pay taxes at this time. So, in the first century, the Romans were in charge of Israel. They let the Jews practice their religion, and the Jews were allowed to go about their
business, largely unrestricted. But Rome had complete political control. So Rome, therefore required all people in Judea, which is the southern state to pay taxes to Caesar because they had Direct Roman control of that part of the world where, as in Northern Galilee, where Jesus is from, there's not that same degree of Roman control, but because they had complete political, and in geographical control, they required all the Jews in Judea to pay the tax.
And we'll talk a bit more about about what those taxes actually are and the basic reason they have to pay the taxes. So the Jews can maintain the infrastructure. The Jews are looking after the roads in the buildings. So it makes sense that they would, as most governments do today, they're requiring their citizens to pay taxes so that they can keep doing those things.
Keep in mind, Jesus does not have to pay this particular tax because he's not a resident of Judea, he's From Galilee a lot of people miss that. So what type of taxes? Do the Jews have to pay? There's a few different ones. So firstly, there's a census tax and that was imposed in a D6 when the Roman governor was installed first. They had to pay a whole lot of taxes and they kept having to
pay those taxes. Every year the census tax, there was also taxes on agricultural, practices, fishing practices, and all sorts of other things. If you've seen the TV series, The Chosen, you'll see there's a big focus on the fishing tax that the Apostles have to pay but overall the Jews. Sorry, the Romans tax. The Jews quite heavily. The theory is that Jews had to pay around 30% of their income every year in taxes to the Romans.
So it's a fair bit and actually not that dissimilar to what many people in Western Society have to pay today. Obviously many Jews in society saw that as too much. It's too onerous. In fact, we've laid a loan from Acts chapter 5, verse 37, that there had been some rebellions when these taxes were introduced.
None of the rebellions worked, every time, the Jews, tried to up rise against the Romans, it didn't work, but eventually this movement of rebelling against the Romans gave birth to the Zealot movement and that resulted in the final war between the Jews and the Romans between AD 66 and AD 70, And so all of this tension between the Jews and the Romans eventually does explode. So this is the question that they have asked him. Should we pay them?
Yes or no. So they want a straight answer and they see it as a trap question. They reason that no matter what answer Jesus gives He's going to land himself in trouble because if he says yes, then many of the Jewish people in the crowd are going to turn away from him. And in fact, that's probably what they want. Because if they can get people to stop following him, then it means that they can have more attention on themselves.
Again, as the Jewish leaders, remember, the crowd around him, largely don't like the Romans. So, if Jesus says, yes, they have, you have to pay taxes to the Romans. He might lose some followers on the other hand. If Jesus says, no, he can be accused of being a political ethical Zealot and he might have to answer to the Romans for starting an uprising. Presumably the Pharisees and the herodians actually had different opinions about this themselves.
Some Scholars would say the Pharisees probably didn't think the tax should be paid, whereas the herodians did thinks the tax should be paid, so they themselves probably had different perspectives and that's why they throw the question to him to see if they can trap him. Verse 15 seeing through their hypocrisy now in this context. So hypocrisy means to wear a mask. And here it means that Jesus perceives that they're trying to
lay a trap for him. He can see that they're being a bit sneaky and he perceives the Trap and he says that to them. He says, why do you set this trap for me or more literally, why do you put me to the test? And of course, that brings to mind from the Old Testament. You shall not put the Lord, your God to the test, which is what Jesus says to Satan in. Desert. So he tells them upfront that he knows that they're trying to trap him.
So Jesus now goes on as all good profits due to to use a visual aid in order to help make his point. So he says this to the Pharisees and herodians hand, me a Denarius and let me see it. So a Denarius was a common Roman coin that was in use at the time and it was worth about a day's wage. It was a silver coin and we found These coins in architecture, we have got copies of these coins now so we know what they look like.
It had seizures image on it on the coin and at that time the Caesar was Tiberius. And this is what the coin said, Tiberius Caesar or gustus son of the Divine or gustus. Now, on the back side of the coin, It Was Written, high priest, or pontifex pontifex Maximus. And in that culture, that with the Roman Caesar was Claiming that the emperor was the Supreme mediated between human beings
and the gods. So this is the big blasphemy issue that they the Jews have a problem with the emperor, Caesar basically wanted to be worshipped. He believed that he was the channel between the Divine beings and human beings. So these coins, as all currency was, Roman currency was at that time, was a way of promoting. Roman Emperor worship interesting, isn't it?
It's an interesting. Strategy by the Romans because basically it means that every time the Jews pay using Roman money, they are in a way saying that they agree with this Emperor worship. So a sneaky little strategy there from the Romans and obviously, the Jews were not very happy about that. So this is what Jesus asks them. He holds up the coin and he says, whose head is this? Whose name now more? Literally, what Jesus says, he is whose likeness and inscription is this?
This. Now something that people miss here is they have just brought him a Roman coin and there in the temple. The Jewish leaders apparently a keeping Roman coins in the temple even though it says these Blasphemous things on there. So the fact that they allow these Roman coins in the temple and the fact that they answered Jesus question by saying Caesar they kind of implicitly admitting that they recognize his authority as Emperor because they have his coin even in the temple.
So that's an interesting thing, that a lot of people miss, So, this is Jesus answer on to their question given that they have responded. Yes, it's Caesars Head. Jesus says, give back to Caesar, what belongs to Caesar. Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Now many have felt that Jesus doesn't actually answer the question here, but I don't think that's true. I Think Jesus does go a long way here to giving at least most of an answer. I don't think we can say op.
Jesus didn't answer the question about taxes. I think he actually does answer the question here. Let's think a bit about it at that time coins with a property of the ruler who issued them, that was agreed. Whoever issues the coin, Ahrens the coin, So when Jesus says give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, he's basically telling them give back Caesar his coins. In other words, pay the tax to Rome.
That's what he's saying. He's saying that the Jews should give to the Romans. What rightfully belongs to them, which means he is endorsing the states right to exact tribute paying taxes to the Romans. Jesus says, he would not necessarily compromise their religious Integrity. That was probably a big concern. They had many of them would have felt that by paying the In tax, they are.
Implicitly saying that they agree with Emperor worship, but Jesus, he says, no, that's not necessarily the case. Jesus here. He's laying down a general principle that does have implications for today. What Jesus is saying is something like this political authorities, do legitimately have authority and we should give them. What is rightfully theirs in service of the common? Good Now how that plays out in different societies and what variety fully belongs to
governments. That can be disputed certainly and it's going to look different in different time periods. Not everything that government's claim is theirs, is really there's, but what Jesus says here is that for the things that are rightfully belonging to the government citizens must pay must give to the government. That's Jesus teaching here and then he follows it up with this phrase and to God what belongs
to God? So Jesus says, there are some things that belong to Caesar, that's true, but Jesus then makes a deeper point, there are things that belong to God, and we must give those things to God. Now, what is it that belongs to God? Jesus doesn't tell us here, but there is a clue in the text. Remember that Jesus? When he got the coin? He asked them. This question whose likeness and
inscription is this? The word likeness probably would have brought to mind the phrase in Genesis where it says, God made Man In His Image and his likeness. So if that's the right reasoning, if we understood that correctly, then Jesus is saying something like this. Human beings are, what belongs to God since we beat God's image? The coin belongs to Caesar because a bear sees his image, but humans belong to God because they bear His Image. How interesting is that?
So God lays claim to our whole being mind, heart, soul, and strength, and Jesus will actually say that in verse 30 of this chapter, You could also say that Jesus here is addressing the issue of religious idolatry about the coin as well. He's basically saying paying taxes is fine but he's telling the Jewish hearers. Don't be involved in Emperor, worship to God, you must continue to worship. God, you have to give God. What is his do? Which is worship? You have to give Caesar?
What is his do? Which is money taxes? I think this is incredibly clever by Jesus what he's done here. Jesus is able to teach them multiple profound things about the government about. Out them about God or based on this little image of Caesar on the coin which was in use. At the time, it shows the true wisdom of Jesus and that he really is God in human form in human flesh. So Jesus here has in effect said, with his phrase. Something like this.
Yes, you must give to Caesar what belongs to him. However, do not forget that, there is a higher authority that you must give what is rightfully his to as well. Which is, of course, so much more important. Now, why does Jesus say this? Why does he feel the need to bring God into it? Well, we've already looked at a couple of reasons. Keep in mind the Jews of the time. Possibly saw this as an either.
Or as in, if you pay taxes to the Romans, you are also affirming their religious Authority as well, and you're worshipping them. Maybe that's your some of the Jews thought. Jesus, by teaching, this is helping them separate. It out into two, separate issues, the political issue and the religious issue. So it's quite an important teaching that would have helped them understand their place in the eyes of God.
And in the eyes of Rome, it's possible that he also knows the Jewish. Leaders who were asking the question. They themselves are not really giving God what belongs to him at the moment. God wants true worship which involves submission to his will and of course, interior transformation as well. And Jesus probably knows that his question is are not giving God those things. So once again Jesus is through his incredible wisdom and tactics, he's able to address
the question that they asked. But also to point his audience, back towards the more important principle that they I've forgotten and it finishes by saying this reply took them completely by surprise or more literally they were amazed at him. They didn't expect him to answer the question at all or if they did expect him to answer it, they thought it was going to land him in trouble.
But he answers the question in an incredible way that they didn't expect from this point on in Mark's gospel. We don't see any more of the Pharisees or the herodians. But in the coming verses of chapter 12 or see some other religious leaders question Jesus. Instead now I want to quote here, we don't often do this in the podcast, but today, I think it's worth looking at how might this meaning of the text be relevant to today.
In particular, the Catholic commentary on sacred scripture has a really good section on this particular passage. And here's what it says, the state may lay claim to a poultry piece of metal but God lays claim to our whole being Mind, heart, soul, and strength. Now, obligation to the state which is limited is subsumed Under Our obligation to God, which is absolute. Jesus is implicitly warning.
His listeners, do not give to Caesar to the state to society, or to any other Human Institution, what belongs, to God alone. And to his son, you are absolute unconditional Allegiance, and devotion. Now I think that's an excellent quote and it shows what really good Catholic. Scholarship can do where it tells us how to understand the literal sense, and then how that literal sense, legitimately applies to the principles that we should think about in our life today.
So now let's turn our attention to the catechism. How does the Catholic Church develop its teachings based on this passage? Well, we get to hear a bit more about Matthews version when we look at the catechism because it does form a lot of our understanding about our relationship with the state, and the relationship between the
church and the state. But there is one place where it gets reference, which is paragraph 450, which is in the section about Jesus as Lord from the beginning of Christian history. The assertion of Christ's lordship over the world and over history has implicitly recognized that man should not submit his personal freedom, in an absolute manner to any Earthly power. But only to God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Caesar is not the Lord, the church believes that the key, the center, and the purpose of the whole of man's history is to be found in its Lord. And Master And I also want to read out this quote, this is again from the Catholic commentary on sacred scripture, which I found to be really insightful and useful in preparing for this episode here, the Catholic commentary brings together, various different catechism paragraphs to teach us.
What do I help us understand what the church is teaching, is about paying taxes, the principal Jesus enunciate here, forms, part of the basis of Catholic, teaching on the relationship of church and state are the New Testament. Writings elaborate on. This is principal affirming, both our duty to respect civil Authority. Romans 13, 1, Timothy 2, Titus 3 1, Peter 2 and you're overriding Elijah's to allegiance to God. When whenever civil Authority, overstepped, its bounds or imposes laws.
Contrary to the moral law, Acts chapter 5 and Revelation chapter 13, the catechism articulates this balanced understanding Those subject to Authority, should regard those in Authority as representatives of God. Paragraph, 2238 submission to Authority and career responsibility for the common good. Make it morally obligatory to pay, taxes to exercise, the right to vote, and to defend one's country paragraph to 240. However, the citizen is obliged
in conscience, not to follow. The directives of Civil Authorities when they are. Contrary to the demands of the more, I'll order to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel paragraph, 22, 42, and that's the end of that quote from the cafe commentary. I think that does an excellent job of bringing together, various catechism paragraphs and so I'll include that whole quote in the show notes for you as well. Thank you again for listening today, such a fascinating
passage. I'm sure you agree. If you believe others would benefit from hearing these additional aspects of Jesus teaching here about paying taxes, then share this podcast with them so that they can benefit from hearing it to thank you and will continue tomorrow.