Sermon for 19th Sunday after Trinity
Sunday 22nd October 2017
Proper 24
Isa. 45. 1-7
Matt. 22. 15-22
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
OK, straw poll time. Who here thinks it is good that we have Bishops sitting in the House of Lords?
And who thinks they have no business interfering in Matters of State?
I’ll be honest – I can see the arguments on both sides. Many people would argue that we are living in a post-Christian culture and that it is unreasonable that the Church of England – uniquely among faith groups, has the privilege of 26 senior bishops – including the two archbishops – sitting as the Lords Spiritual. What about other faiths? Other Churches? And why should a bishop’s opinion count more than that of any other person in society?
Others would say that our history and constitution is so based on and connected with Christian principles that it is only right and proper that the Church should be represented and invited to comment on the life of Parliament. Also that generally speaking, other faith groups are very pleased that the Bishops are there as they see them representing people of all faiths, and not just the Church of England…
But then again if policies have to be made to work in a pluralist society, should not the common moral ground shared by all people of good will be their basis, rather than the presuppositions – inevitably divisive, of those of religious conviction?
All these arguments come from a central one. What is the proper relationship of Church and Society? Or, to put it in New Testament terms: What has Christ to do with Caesar? It is a question at the heart of our Gospel reading today and has echoes in the passage from Isaiah where God is shown interacting directly with a foreign ruler – even one who may not necessarily recognize him!
But the conflict between Jesus, the charismatic Rabbi from Nazareth, with his wild claims about the way God’s Kingdom was about to break into everyday life, and the religious establishment was coming to a head. And that establishment, desperate to silence him, tried to trick him into condemning himself out of his own mouth.
“Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor?” they ask. The Pharisees anticipate that, however he answers, he will sink himself. The question is specifically about the poll tax – loathed by all Jews as a sign of their subjection to Rome. Well some, if not all of you will remember what a mess our government got itself into a few years back when they tried to introduce a poll tax!
If Jesus advocates refusal to pay the hated tax, he can be immediately denounced to the Roman authorities. If he says that the tax must be paid, then he will be seen as a collaborator with the hated enemy. Either way, he’s doomed.
But Jesus’ reply, with one of the Roman coins in his hand, is as enigmatic and subtle as it is famous. Maybe showing himself to be the consummate politician?
We owe our allegiance; it seems, to both God and Caesar. Each in his realm commands our obedience. But how do those realms relate? Are they integrated or completely separate?
Martin Luther – whose anniversary is being marked this year, argued for complete separation of church and state, claiming that God worked through both, but in two separate ways.
Or do the two realms partly overlap? This is the messy reality experienced by most Christians who struggle to live by the light of the Gospel in a complicated world. The Bible does not tell us how to run the National Health Service or any other institution of state. But equally, for the Christian believer, it is surely the case that within the Bible – and particularly in the words of Jesus – we have principles that should be brought to bear on such issues. “Love your neighbour as yourself?”
There are those who have argued for ‘middle axioms” – moral principles drawn from biblical insights and shared by as wide a Christian (and maybe even other faith) constituencies as possible. These principles offer a basis on which we can enter into dialogue with those that have to make tough decisions on complex issues.
One such ‘middle axiom’ might be that policies for the most vulnerable and marginalized must never be shaped by consideration of how much that group of people contributes to society’s prosperity – those working on the implementation of Universal Credit, please take note!
Another might be that every child should find itself a member of a family – even if our understanding of what constitutes a ‘family’ is undergoing great change at present. A third might be that greed corrupts society as well as individuals.
So on balance, I think I come down in favour of having our Bishops in parliament. In a forum where they at least have the possibility of speaking truth to power and helping to hold those who wield such power, to account. So that we continue to obey our laws and pay our taxes, but equally that we are guided and directed by our obedience to God and God’s laws. But what do you think?