Living in the Spirit
October 21, 2023
Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
The USA did not invent the separation of church and state. Jesus even recognized the need for some entity to provide for the Common Good when he said render under Casaer that which is Casaer’s (Matthew 22:21). However, I am unsure if Casaer and I had the same definition of the Common Good as I do. The first Christ-followers appointed deacons to provide for the Common Good of their group. The Hebrew Bible teaches that someone must be responsible for widows, orphans, and aliens (we seem to be skipping over that last one). Indeed, the nations have pursued many varieties of how to govern and what the definition of the Common Good is. Everybody needs roads and water, for example. The larger the community, the greater the need for sewers and stop signs. The government deals with the practical. Faith groups deal with the spiritual. There are times when these cross paths. Faith groups may advocate for services for the homeless. My church operates a child development center and carefully follows the laws in place to ensure that the children are receiving safe care.
The USA, however, had its beginning as some people fled from Europe, like the Pilgrims, to be able to practice their faith as they understood it. Others, like the Puritans, brought some of the European faith ideas with the intent to make a country that followed their idea, which was different from the Pilgrams’ ideas. Other faith groups began to arrive with their style of faith practice. The best solution was to allow freedom of religion: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; (From the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States) The best thing about the freedom of religion is it keeps us all honest as we strive to relate to God and for Christians to respond to Christ call to love our neighbors as we love ourselves granting each person the right to know God more nearly if they so choose. I strongly feel that God wants those created in God’s image to choose communion with God.
Prayer: Lord, guide us in being examples of your love and not dictators of our understanding of you. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.