Making Cents of Jesus: The Things That Are God's

Bible Dig continues an ongoing, in depth series on the Pharisees & Essenes - two influential Jewish sects at the time of Christ. After spending several installments on the background and beliefs of these two groups, we wrap up our study and come full circle to apply what we've learned from the background of the text to the question about paying taxes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.

A Taxing Problem

With a deeper understanding of the nature of these Jewish parties, their resistance to Hellinization, and their conflicts with the rich ruling class, we can now approach the passage where Jesus is confronted with two puzzling riddles regarding the paying of taxes and hope to gain further insight. Let us first examine the question on taxes.

Then the Pharisees went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (Matthew 22:15-17 NET)

The first thing to note what two parties are working together to entrap Jesus. The Pharisees along with the Herodians (members of the rich class that supported Roman rule). The fact that these two parties, who in all other cases would be in complete opposition to each other, are now working cooperative to catch Jesus in own words reveals a couple of things.

First, it shows us just how disruptive and disturbing Jesus’ message was perceived to be by both sides. Jesus was neither a Pharisee nor a member of the social, Hellenized elite. His teaching may have had common points with both groups, but both groups perceived him to be so dangerous to their respective causes that they were willing to cooperate against this common ideological foe.

Second, it reveals that they anticipated Jesus being unable to respond to their querry without offending either one of the other of these groups so they ensured representatives of both parties were present so the one offended by Jesus’ answer could duly report Jesus’ remark to their collogues. An understanding of the Jewish cultural background at work in the subtext of this confrontation helps us appreciate Jesus' tricky position.

Another thing to consider is the underling subtext of this conversation in light of the tension surrounding the matter of Roman rule. In our time, many at first glance consider this to be a question strictly about the legality of paying taxes to the government. To the first century mind, taxes were a form of tribute. The question posed to Jesus is a loaded one. If Jesus says yes to the notion of paying taxes, then he alienates the masses – who were largely followers of the Pharisic tradition – and he is no longer a popular hero. If Jesus says no to the notion of paying taxes to Caesar, then the Herodians can report him to the civil authorities for inciting the masses to revolt against the government. This is a taxing delma, indeed!

The Things That Are Gods

Jesus’ answer is brilliant. With it he manages to expose this yes or no question as a false dichotomy. He also reveals to all those present a significant way his message differs from that of both the Pharisees and Herodians.

But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius. Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Now when they heard this they were stunned, and they left him and went away. (Matthew 22:18-22 NET)

Rather than having a public relations field day with a blundering answer from Jesus, both parties are “stunned.” Jesus sees the trap. In the minds of the Jew, the question of obedience to civil government and obedience to God was an either or question. That is the false dichotomy Jesus exposes.

The Pharisees taught that the only way to remain righteous and obedient to God and his law was to separate themselves from the world. Jesus tells them that we can in fact live within a culture that opposes our beliefs and still fulfill God’s requirements of us because what God requires is not an outward show of piety but an inward attitude of the heart that offers itself in worship him. Likewise to the aristocrats who placed all their value on maintaining the status quo with the Romans Jesus remarks that wealth is not all there is. The money in your pocket really belongs to Ceasar and he can recall it to himself at will. Likewise, God is the giver of life, and as people who bear his image must return our lives to him.

This incident is not recorded in Scripture merely to satisfy our curiosity. It addresses a larger issue. Like the Jews, we in our time face the question of how to interact with our society. The question of the tax - and Jesus' handling of it - challenges us not resort the the abuse of power and materialism of the Herodians. It also warns us to avoid the temptation to segregate ourselves from our world like the Pharisees.

We can live and work among our world (give to Ceasar) and we can fulfill the obligations of our faith (give to God) at the same time. Earthly governments relate to earthly things and want our earthly resources. In contrast, "the things that are God's" are the parts of us that belong to him - our hearts, souls, minds and strength. God doesn't want your money. He requires something much deeper and more valuable. He wants every part of who you are.

How to Handle a Hostile Culture 2

Bible Dig continues an ongoing, in depth series on the Pharisees & Essenes - two influential Jewish sects at the time of Christ. Earlier, we explored the Essenes' reaction to adverse culture pressures. Here, we'll dig into the Pharisees' very different ideas about dealing with a hostile cultural environment.

The Pharisees' Answer: Separation

In contrast to the Essenes, who responded to the increasing pressures of Hellinization and the corruption of society by seeking to completely remove themselves from it, the Pharisees sought to influence their fellow Jews to follow the path of righteousness from within society. “The Pharisees were the theological and moral watchdogs of the covenant people. They exercised their influence through the synagogues, working against the corrupting Hellenizing leaven of the Herods and their circle of wealthy supporters.”[1]

The estimated 6,000 Pharisees in Judea at the time of Christ saw themselves as the direct theological descendants of Moses. It was Moses who received God’s law and communicated it to the chosen people, and the Pharisees traced themselves back to that originating point of the Torah as being the keepers and communicators of the law in a similar way that the Catholic tradition views the office of the Pope as proceeding in a direct line from Peter.

The Pharisees where not homogenous. There were variations in their interpretations of the Torah, with disciples of leading rabbis disagreeing significantly with each other. Despite these differences, together the Pharisaic tradition represented the beliefs of the common Jew. Among other things, they believed in a literal creation by Yahweh, in a coming messiah, in the coming Day of the Lord where sinners would be judged and justice would be restored, and held a literal view of the afterlife where obedience to the Torah would be rewarded.

In fact, their value of obedience to the Law was so high that, according to the Mishnah, they were to construct a “fence around the Law” to protect the people from violating the slightest point. This “fence” consisted of hundreds of additional rules appended to the original commandments. These supplementary regulations expounded on the Torah and intensified its restrictions.

For example, to the command to observe the Sabbath the Pharisees added 37 types of work forbidden on the sixth day including such labors as separating two threads.[2] While Jesus and the Pharisees shared some common ground, it was this excessive overburdening of the people with additional requirements of obedience that often sparked confrontations between them.

Historically, we are not exactly certain when the Pharisees emerge as a unified party from their shared roots with the Essenes in the Hasidaean tradition. We do know that by the time of Hyrcanus in the late Maccabean dynasty, the Pharisees are a social and political force that is opposed to the abuses of Hasmonaean power. Josephus relates a tense episode between the Pharisees Hyrcanus at a banquet held to honor the Pharisees in which one of them essentially calls the ruler an illegitimate child of Greek descent who was unfit to rule.[3] Whether this account is historically accurate or merely anecdotal, it is clear that the Pharisees were strongly opposed to the Hasmonaeans and their allies, the Sadducees.

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[1] Barnett 137

[2] Barnett 139

[3] Ant. 13.10.5

This is part 7 in a series looking at the origins and nature of two important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.

The Essenes & the Teacher of Righteousness

Bible Dig continues to look at the Essenes - an influential Jewish sect at the time of Christ. In this post we look into the Essenes' background to explore a couple of questions: How did their beliefs impact the content of Jesus' teaching and the New Testament? Did Jesus borrow some of His theology from this small but vocal group of religious purists?

The Essenes’ theology was the motivation for their quest for extreme perfection in their observance of the law. Central to their theology was their view that they were living in the final days of human history. To them, “light and darkness are in conflict with one another…the children of light are being separated from the children of darkness, and every individual ultimately must decide his allegiance to either of the two groups.”[1] They, who had removed themselves from the evil influences of a corrupt society, would soon be rewarded for remaining a faithful remnant. Like the prophet Jonah, they had found a place to watch the unfaithful masses bear the force of God’s righteous wrath.

Key to the Essenes’ beliefs was a messianic hope. The Essenes anticipated the advent of two messiahs – one priestly and one political – as well as a “Teacher of Righteousness.” These eschatological concepts bear a striking similarity to Jesus’ teachings. The notion of an impending separation of the righteous and unrighteous bears a striking similarity to Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats. And the emphasis on an individual’s responsibility to determine their own eternal fate seems to parallel the Christian idea of a personal salvation. This emphasis on the individual by the Essenes and Christians, it must be noted, is in contrast to the Pharisaic view that an increase of the total righteousness of the Jewish nation would result in the renewal of God’s favor upon his people.

The similarities between the Essenes and Jesus have caused some to posit a link between the two, or that Jesus was somehow informed by the eschatology of the Essenes. While no doubt Jesus was aware of their ideas, it may be more reasonable to observe that both Jesus and the Essenes were working from the same Torah. Since both were working from the same source material, it is possible that they were merely picking up on major themes in the Torah. Jesus’ insistence on interacting with sinners demonstrates that while he may have agreed with some of their theological conclusions, he soundly rejected their notion of segregation from any and all unrighteousness.

Qumran documents reveal that strong disagreements developed between the Essenes of that community and with the Pharisees on matters regarding the practice of the Jewish religion and portray a gravely pious, closely-knit sect who believed that God’s eminent judgment about to fall upon the sinful Gentiles and the apostate Jewish nation.

The Qumran scrolls show that conflict over the proper calendar (i.e., a solar or lunar calendar) for the conduct of Temple sacrifices was a major issue dividing the Qumran Essenes from their rivals, the Pharisees…They were strongly influenced by apocalyptic ideas and considered themselves to be living in the last times, just before God would intervene to restore proper order to the world. They supported their ideas in part by writing commentaries on biblical texts, which they read as referring to themselves and their opponents.[2]

They believed very strongly that by individual purity and righteousness, they would be numbered among the faithful when the messiahs came to exercise judgment on the earth against Israel’s enemies.

The language contained in some Essene literature has been used to support an earlier (more conservative) date for the authorship of John. More liberal scholars have suggested that John’s writings must have been penned sometime after the first century because of John’s use of language that seems to come from the later teachings of the Gnostics. However, examination of the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal that some of these themes such as light versus darkness and truth versus error were concepts familiar to the Essene tradition at the time of Christ.[3]

In his discussion of the background of John’s gospel, Guthrie later says that, “Some of the features of the Qumran literature find echoes in John and, although some scholars have made exaggerated claims…there can be no doubt that these recently discovered MSS have influenced the general approach to John’s gospel. It is no longer convincing to maintain that the gospel is wholly Hellenistic in view of the fact that many of the abstract concepts which were characteristic of Greek thought are also found in the Qumran literature.”[4] Though the Essenes are absent by name from the pages of the New Testament, their contribution to biblical study through the manuscripts they have left behind is vastly helpful to our understanding of the life and times of Christ.

This is part 6 in a series looking at the origins and nature of two important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.

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[1] Conzelmann & Lindermann 139

[2] Coogan xxviii

[3] Guthrie 293

[4] Guthrie 339-40

Making Cents of Jesus Part 3: Two H's you need to know

We've been looking at important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. Both influenced Jesus' teaching because of their influence on the thinking of the average Jew at the time of Christ and because of their vocal opposition to Jesus in the gospels. In Part 1 and Part 2 we looked at some background info on the origins of these groups. Now, we're going to learn about the historical reasons for their interest in keeping themselves pure from the evils of society.

The Abomination of Desolation

By the time of Antiochus’ reign as Seleucid ruler, (175-164 BC) Palestine had become a buffer state between two hostile empires, the Ptolemaic empire of Egypt to the south and the Seleucid empire of Syria to the north. Due to massive debts incurred by his father by an ill-advised campaign against the Romans in Greece, Antiochus needed sources for quick money. The temple in Jerusalem and its treasures were too appealing to resist. He plundered the temple and installed a series of puppet High Priests, selling the office to the highest bidder.

After a series of humiliating military defeats, the raging king took out his frustration on the Jews in 168 BC. He decided to abolish the temple-state in Jerusalem, exterminate the Jewish religion, and rename Jerusalem as New Antioch. His methods for achieving this transformation where swift, shrewd, and brutal.

Antiochus moved to demolish the walls of the city. He established a Greek-style acropolis where the newly defined citizens met, the so-called Antiochenes of Jerusalem. Worse, Antiochus launched a concerted attach on the fundamentals of the covenant faith of Israel…destroyed copies of the Scriptures, forbade circumcision and abolished the covenantal food laws. In climax an altar dedicated to Zeus was erected upon the altar in the temple of Yahweh. Unclean animals (pigs) were sacrificed upon it.[1]

This act of desecrating the temple is known to history as the Abomination of Desolation. Such a devastating attack against their religion forces the Jews to take drastic action.

Against this pressure of persecution and suffering, a lingering fracture in the foundation of Jewish society became more apparent as the Jews search for a way to respond to the corruption and forced Hellenization both theologically and politically. Two parties emerged within Jewish society with different ideas on how to react to the evils of Antiochus - the Hasmonaeans and the Hasidaeans.

War

The Hasmonaeans responded with a call to arms that sparked the Maccabean revolt. They battled Antiochus IV in a series of guerrilla strikes that eventually resulted in a measure of religious freedom for the Jews. They rededicated the temple in 164 BC and defeated the Selucids for good in about 143 BC. In a sense, the Hasmonaeans chose to fight fire with fire and took a direct path of action which was not always in complete obedience with the Torah, but was effective in winning the conflict.

In contrast, their counterparts the Hasidaeans became increasingly and in varying degrees withdrawn from society. Many Hasidaeans go into the wilderness to remove themselves from the corruption of their times. First Maccabees describes a group of Hasidaeans “who were seeking righteousness and justice” living in the wilderness in community.[2] They responded to the aggression of Antiochus with an unswerving, dedication to the law:

And it was reported to the king’s officers…that men who had rejected the king’s [Antiochus’] command had gone down to the hiding places into the wilderness. Many pursued them, and overtook them; they encamped opposite them and prepared for battle against them on the Sabbath day. And they said to them, “Enough of this! Come out and do what the king commands, and you will live.” But they said, “We will not come out, nor will we do what the king commands and so profane the Sabbath day.” Then the enemy hastened to attack them. But they did not anser them or hurl a stone at them or block up their hiding places, for they said, “Let us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth testify for us that you are killing us unjustly.” So they attacked them on the Sabbath, and they died with their wives and children and cattle to the number of a thousand persons. (1 Macc 2:31-38)

The Hasidaean’s commitment to obedience to the Torah was so intense that they were willing to uphold the command of the Sabbath to the point of death. This fierce, sacrificial respect for the law was a defining trait of these pious ones who trusted their fate entirely to God.

Next time: The disagreement that would split the Hasidaean's into two factions that grew to become the Pharisees and Essenes...

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[1] Paul Barnett, Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity, 52. A fabulous resource on Jesus and his times which I would recommend.

[2] 1 Macc 2:29

This is part of a series looking at the origins and nature of two important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.

Making Cents of Jesus Part 2: The Rise of the Pharisees and Essenes

Dig in: Matthew 22:15-22

We've been looking at important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. These two groups influenced Jesus' teaching because of their influence on the thinking of the average Jew at the time of Christ and because of their vocal opposition to Jesus in the gospels. Read more in part 1 - Making Cents of Jesus.

Two Groups, One Cause

What were to later become the separate parties known in Jesus’ day as the Pharisees and the Essenes began as factions within Jewish society that were reacting to increasing pressure on the chosen people to leave their traditional ways and adopt a Greek way of life. These pressures started with the exile of the Jews by the Babylonians, and continued to build throughout the time of the Old Testament and the years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. These conservative factions, which vigorously believed in maintaining obedience to the laws of God without compromise, were identified by the name Hasidaeans meaning “pious ones.”

The Hasidaeans emerged as a somewhat organized political entity as a response to this pressure to shed the traditions that made them uniquely Jewish in order to blend in with the nations that conquered them. The encroachment of Greek culture on the Jewish world was forcefully started by the conquests of Alexander the Great. His dream was to unite the peoples of east and west under one government and one culture. Greek language, religion, and ideals were introduced into the east for the first time.

Alexander’s untimely death led to centuries of social and political instability as Alexander’s four generals and their descendants jockeyed for control of the vast empire. Often the Jews were caught in the middle. Between 323 BC and 301 BC alone, Palestine changed hands six times. The opening verses of First Maccabees (which is a very useful historical document for understanding this period of Jewish history) describe these tumultuous years after Alexander:

And after Alexander had reigned twelve years, he died. Then his officers began to rule, each in his own place. They all put on crowns after his death, and so did their sons after them for many years; and they caused many evils on the earth. (1 Macc 1:7-9)

As troubling as this protracted era of war and unrest was to the Jews, especially to those who wished to maintain the practice of the laws and religion, their situation would grow much worse under the rule of an angry king who called himself Epiphanes meaning, “god manifest” – Antiochus IV.

Next time...What Antiochus did to spark a war for independence, and cause a split in the Hasidaeans that would result in the Pharisees and Essenes...

This is part of a series looking at the origins and nature of two important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.

Making Cents of Jesus: The tax question and two groups you need to meet.

Dig in: Matthew 22:15-22

There are some dates on the calendar that bring a feeling of anticipation. Christmas. A birthday. An anniversary. Tax Day is not one of them. This year, on April 15^th, a number of Americans voiced their displeasure in paying their taxes at a series of “Tea Parties” held across the country. Many lawmakers (especially Republican lawmakers) faced tense interviews on television and radio as reporters asked them if they believed in paying taxes or not. These lawmakers were not the first public figures to face such a deceptively simple question about the legality of taxation.

Jesus once faced a tricky riddle on the matter of whether it was lawful to pay taxes to the oppressive Roman government of his day. And like our day, various parties were looking closely to Jesus’ answer to the question. For us to understand the nature of Jesus’ reply - and to have a balanced perspective on Jesus' teaching in the gospels overall - we must understand the nature of the various political / religious parties who prompted so much of Jesus' teaching.

These first century parties can be roughly placed into two groups, those that sought to work toward the protection of Jewish interests in the midst of society by maintaining the status quo between the Jewish masses and the Roman government, such as the Sadducees and the Herodians, and those who sought ways to maintain Jewish identity by separating themselves to keep themselves pure from society, among them the Pharisees and Essenes. Though particular parties may have found commonality in their response to the culture of Palestine with others parties, they did not always work cooperatively. Those parties which differed in their level of willingness to engage or “taint” themselves with society fostered deep, long-lasting animosity toward one another.

In the next few posts, we'll be digging into some background information on two of these Jewish socio-religious parties, the Pharisees and the Essenes. While the precise origins of the Pharisees and Essenes are unclear, it appears that they share common roots that provide insight into their belief in the necessity of maintaining a pious distance from the evils of what they viewed as a corrupt world ripe for the judgment of God. In order to understand their reaction to the culture in Jesus’ time, we must examine their roots in the years of political and social upheaval leading up to the time of Christ.

Next time...we'll explore the rise of the Pharisees and Essenes during the time between the Old and New Testaments...

This is part of a series looking at the origins and nature of two important Jewish political parties active during Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees and the Essenes. To see the panorama of BibleDig info on this topic, check out the BibleDig 360: Pharisees & Essenes.