Worship: October 18, 2026. "Render unto God" Rev. Paul Andresen

Matthew brings religion and politics together in a question designed to trap Jesus. The question about paying taxes comes wrapped in flattery, but the choice is meant to be deadly: support Rome and alienate the Jewish people, or oppose Rome and invite trouble with the authorities. Jesus knows the malice behind the question. His request for a denarius exposes the emperor’s image and title, and his answer disarms the trap: give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God.

Scripture affirms the value and need of the political state, but divine appointment does not give government a free hand. The state’s vocation is to provide justice and peace. God’s commandment and righteousness place responsibility on both the rulers and the ruled. Political authority carries accountability for the well-being of the people, and citizenship carries responsibility for the well-being of government.

Giving God what belongs to God certainly includes money, time, and talent. Wesley’s counsel, “earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can,” makes no room for “spend all you can” as the purpose of life. God’s good gifts are meant for the people of God, not endless consumption. But the obligation to give reaches beyond personal generosity into a harder question: what does the state owe God?

God’s mercy supplies the measure. The obligation of those with resources is to exhibit mercy toward those who have nothing. Christian freedom is not an opportunity for self-indulgence or for snapping at one another. Love of neighbor calls for service, and the state’s duty to provide justice and peace cannot be reduced to protecting the profits of large companies. The prophetic demand exposes the wrong of a city that robs the poor to fatten the rich.

Faithful citizenship therefore calls for informed judgment, prayer, and attention to Scripture rather than instructions about which candidate to choose. Scripture must inform the reading of public events, not the other way around. Paul’s insistence on equal treatment refuses to make income the measure of a person’s standing in the community of believers. The “greater tithe” is a turn from self-serving economics toward justice and mercy. Trust in God’s mercy and the practice of that mercy belong together; those obligations give substance to rendering unto God what is God’s.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Divine appointment does not excuse injustice. The state’s authority comes with a task: providing justice and peace. Divine appointment therefore establishes accountability rather than shielding government from criticism. God’s righteousness judges political power by its care for people, not merely its ability to preserve itself. [37:32]
• 2. God’s gifts carry obligations toward others. Wesley’s counsel joins earning and saving to giving, not to spending without limit. Christian stewardship puts money, time, and talent at the service of people rather than making consumption the reward for success. Generosity becomes more searching when the obligation extends beyond personal donations to the public use of resources. [38:38]
• 3. Scripture must shape political judgment. Faithful citizenship requires information, but information alone does not supply a faithful measure of events. Scripture must inform the reading of the news rather than become a tool for defending political loyalties already settled. Prayerful discernment preserves the responsibility of conscience without pretending that every Christian must reach the same electoral conclusion. [44:15]
• 4. The greater tithe requires mercy. The proper tithe involves more than handing over a portion of income while leaving self-serving economics untouched. Paul’s refusal to rank believers by income exposes the deeper obligation to treat people equally. God’s mercy calls forth both trust from those with nothing and active solidarity from those with something to give. [45:17]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [32:19] - Religion, Politics, and the Tax Question
• [34:00] - A Trap Wrapped in Flattery
• [35:46] - Caesar’s Coin and God’s Claim
• [36:54] - Government’s Calling and Accountability
• [38:18] - Giving Money, Time, and Talent
• [39:30] - What Does the State Owe God?
• [40:51] - Freedom, Service, Justice, and Peace
• [42:59] - Voting with an Informed Conscience
• [44:55] - The Greater Tithe of Justice and Mercy

Bible Reading

Matthew 22:15-22
“Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.” [34:00]

Galatians 5:13-14
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [41:14]

Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” [45:42]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 22:15–22, what two outcomes were the Pharisees and Herodians hoping to force upon Jesus through their question about taxes? [34:16]
2. What does Jesus ask his questioners to notice about the denarius, and how does that observation shape his answer? [35:59]
3. What responsibilities toward the people and toward government are assigned to rulers and citizens? [37:35]
4. In Galatians 5:13–14, what two different uses of freedom are contrasted, and how does love of neighbor guide the choice between them? [41:14]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Jesus’ answer in Matthew 22:15–22 challenge the idea that fulfilling civic duties is all a person owes? [36:23]
2. If government’s calling is to provide justice and peace, why does its divine appointment make it accountable rather than place it beyond criticism? How might Micah 6:8 help identify that accountability? [37:32]
3. How does Paul’s understanding of freedom in Galatians 5:13–14 challenge someone who regards money and resources as theirs to use without concern for others? [41:14]
4. How does the “greater tithe” of justice and mercy deepen the meaning of giving? What might be missing when a person donates faithfully but treats people differently according to their income? [45:17]

Application questions

1. Looking at your spending, saving, and giving, where do you notice tension between enjoying God’s gifts and making consumption the purpose of life? What small change might make more room for generosity? [38:34]
2. What money, time, or talent could you offer to meet a specific need in your church or neighborhood this month? What would help you take that next step? [39:01]
3. Think of a public issue you care about. How might examining it through Scripture challenge—not simply confirm—your current position? What information or perspective would help you consider it more prayerfully? [44:23]
4. When political conversations become tense, what tends to happen to your willingness to listen and serve? What might loving your neighbor look like in your next conversation with someone who disagrees with you? [41:00]
5. Where do you see a local need for greater justice or peace, especially among people with few resources? What is one realistic way you could contribute as a citizen, beyond offering a private donation? [41:31]
6. Are there ways that income or social standing affects whose opinions you value or whom you include? What practical step could help you treat someone with greater dignity and equality this week? [45:17]