Tidbits

Pastor Ken's sermon on Sunday was about how Christian are often trying to find a balance in our lives by taking the things of this world and Christianize it so that we will feel comfortable doing worldly things and not feel guilty about it. For example, those old enough to remember Woodstock knows that it was a time for the hippy to get together in Woodstock, NY to party, do drugs, and have sex. I don't know much about it so you can ask the older folks if you want to know more. Anyhow, do you know there is a Christian Woodstock? Do you know there is a Catholic Woodstock? It's basically also an event where people party but with less encouragement in drugs and sex, but it's still just putting a Christian cap on a worldly event/view. We are called to turn the world upside-down and not conform to it but yet we choose to hide ourselves in our comfort zones and Christianize the worldly view so we won't feel bad for missing God's target.

In Matthew 22:17, Jesus was asked the loaded question of the time by the Pharisees "Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" They, of coursed was trying to trap Jesus because had he answered no, the Herodians (Herod’s super fans) who was sitting with the Pharisees, will accuse Jesus of treasoning but had Jesus said yes, he won’t be too popular amongst the Jews who were under the oppression of the Roman empire. Sometimes Jesus answers a question with a question but this time he answered the Pharisees with more than the question on the surface but their real problem beneath.

In verse 19 Jesus asked them for a coin. Isn't it interesting how Jesus does not have a coin? Why is that? The denarius coin was a common currency of its time. Caesar's head was inscribed on the coin. It is common for us to see pictures of the founding fathers on coins but it had a different meaning during Jesus’ time. The coin symbolizes Caesar wanting to be worshiped as god. The name of God is holy and thus the Jewish does not take it lightly and do not even think about hanging pictures of God anywhere. So what Caesar has going on here is against the first law of the Ten Commandments. We saw that Jesus answered the Pharisees with “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” as they are under the rule of the Roman Empire but he also told the Herodians to “render to God the things that are God’s.” So how come Jesus did not have a coin but had to ask for one? To me it is because Jesus did not want to Christianize (well it’s not Christianize back then but you know what I mean) the worldly things so he can feel better about himself and become part of the world.

There is just too much of this around us. We want to infiltrate the Christian view to others but yet I don't think we succeed because we only abide to the teaching of the Bibles on Fridays and Sundays and when we are with new friends. And also when we want to rebuke others for their wrong doings.

I am just as guilty of what I have wrote above and I ask myself is that what we want to pass on to the next generation? Is this the way I really want to live?

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I want to live freely but not in balance with this world.