New Thought Lectionary: Oct 19, 2008

Date: October 19th, 2008

Theme: Growing together as the body of Christ

Topic: Committment To Christ?

Key verse: Jesus said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s" [Matthew 22:21].

Reference Scriptures: Matthew 22:15-22, ‘Jesus answers the question about paying taxes'.
Other Reference Scriptures: Exodus 33:12-23 ‘Moses requests God's presence’. Psalm 99:1-11, ‘Praise to God for His holiness’. 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, ‘The Thessalonians examples of faith and Christ-centered living’.

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In Matthew 22:15-22, Jesus discusses the importance of proper balance between the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical dimensions of the human lives. He reminds us that all human beings should give unique and divinely ordained priority, to the spiritual dimension of their lives [Matthew 22:21]. Jesus came to reveal the eternal nature, mystery and abundance of this Christ-centered, spiritual dimension in every human life [John 10:10].

Jesus admonished his followers to make this inner spiritual dimension, the things of God, the highest priority in their lives [Matthew 6:33]. He called the outer visible physical and the inner invisible, mental and emotional human activities, the things of Caesar, the things of men [Matthew 16:23]. He stressed not only their transitory nature but also their secondary importance.

In today's Gospel reading, the Pharisees and Herodians got together and sent representative seeking to embarrass Jesus by placing him and his teaching at the center of controversy [Matthew 22:15]. They wanted Jesus to state publicly, whether he thought it was right or wrong for the Jewish people to pay head taxes to Caesar and the Roman government [Matthew 22:16-17]. Jesus discerned their hypocrisy and asked, why did you choose to tempt him [Matthew 22:18]?

Responding to their sinister intent, Jesus asked them to give him a penny and identify the image and name on that coin [Matthew 22:19-20]. They replied Caesar. He then wisely admonished them to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s [Matthew 22:21]. To Jesus, every human being should recognize their heavenly citizenship and responsibilities as well as earthly citizenship and civic responsibilities, while living here on earth [Luke 17:20-21]. Their highest priority, he admonished should be following and obeying God’s laws in kingdom living [Matthew 6:33]. They should also be loyal earthly citizens, who meet their normal civic responsibilities [Matthew 22:21].

It is interesting to note that these skeptical religious leaders believed Jesus was an impartial and true teacher from God [Matthew 22:16]. Their intention however, was to embarrass Jesus and discredit his authentic Christ-centered, Spirit-based teaching about kingdom living and the nature of the kingdom of heaven [Matthew 5:17, Luke 17:20-21]. They sought to trap Jesus into saying something offensive, so he could be further rejected by the religious authorities and at the same time be arrested and destroyed by the occupying Roman authorities.

In the Bible Caesar is symbolic of the spiritual blindness, human reason and human will, when centered in intellectualism, materialism and the things of men [Mark 8:33]. Allegiance to Caesar, the mind of the flesh, always brings rejection of the lordship of the indwelling Christ, the image and likeness of God, in the human heart [Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 8:7]. It always edges out the appropriate priority of the things of God in human souls, minds and affairs [Romans 8:6].

Allegiance to Caesar is never tempered with the Christ-centered, Spirit-based love, mercy, grace, justice and truth, which Jesus modeled [Romans 8:5]. In his response, Jesus makes it clear that every human being should be aware of one's dual citizenship. One is the often hidden, eternal spiritual or heavenly dimension of our lives [Colossians 1:26-27]. It exists within the spiritual core each person and in our midst [Luke 17:20 -21]. The other citizenship is earthly. It is physical and transitory. It exists as the outer, the visible and the physical as well as the inner invisible mental, emotional and intellectual dimensions of our lives [Matthew 6:6-10].

Jesus’ essential teaching is that all people should embrace as their primary responsibility, seeking and serving Christ in all people, loving their neighbor as themselves [Genesis 1;26-27, John 13:34]. In this way, kingdom living and the spiritual kingdom of God will be further established in our midst and within us, through Christ [Matthew 5:48]. Jesus admonishes all people to be good and loyal citizens, while living in the midst of social, cultural, economic, political and religious spiritually blind systems, which reject the indwelling Christ and exclude the things of God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus stresses the importance of recognizing and prioritizing the changeless realities and principles of this inner spiritual dimension of our lives. He taught that this prioritizing could be achieved through Christ-centered spiritual mindfulness and the daily practical application of his teachings. I believe, the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6 & 7, best presents the concise summary of these things of God and the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus revealed and modeled.

Christ-centered, spiritually awake, human beings in all all the world religions are the light of the world and the salt of the earth [Matthew 5:13-15]. Christ-centered humans let their light, the indwelling Christ, so shine before men that they me see their good works and glorify our Abba Father, who is in heaven [Matthew 5:16]. By daily practical application of the inner spiritual meaning of Jesus’ teachings and following his wise response to these skeptical religious authorities, with God’s help, all people can find the hidden secrets to true Christ-centered. spirit-based prioritizing, lasting joy, deep abiding peace, divine favor and social justice.