*A Review of “22nd Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 22:15-22”

There are three points that I would like to raise regarding this piece. For starters, I appreciate in general the attempt to bring a modern context into the picture when interpreting this passage. More so, I appreciate that this is not a bland exegesis but an attempt to draw guidance from the text for real-world behavior. I think biblical studies are empty if we do not try and bring practical application into the process of biblical education. This may be obvious, but nevertheless I appreciate it.

Secondly however, I do have one criticism of this interpretation. Perhaps it is my own misunderstanding that is at fault, but I do not understand what you mean when you say “We are to obey even when the laws seem unfair to us.” Is not this a dangerous principle to draw from the text? This may be inaccurate exegesis as well as theology. If submission is what you are implying, I disagree. When Jesus answers the Pharisees’ question, he does not simply answer “yes.” I think that fact speaks loudly. The fact that he didn’t simply concede ultimate power to the governing authorities, means that they do not have ultimate say. It also suggests that we as followers of Christ should not unwaveringly ‘obey.’ If Jesus meant this, he would have simply said ‘yes.’ In addition, are we still to obey laws that seem unfair to us when they are damaging the lives of our neighbors? This seems inconsistent with the doctrine of vocation, but more so with the explicit divine command to love and serve our neighbor. Perhaps this is not what you are implying and I am not seeing your commentary correctly. But I hope you understand my caution or confusion.

Finally and thirdly, I appreciate that you elevate the command to “give to God the things that are God’s” to a more important call than to “give” to Caesar. This might be the starting place for clearing up my confusion noted above. I agree that the commands or two halves of Jesus’ answer are not of equal significance. The command to give to God is a weightier command and this can be seen by what is taught in the Parable of the Tenants a chapter before this scene—that all things in the world are ultimately God’s.
Thanks so much for your contribution. I will be referring to it as I continue my work on this passage and theology surrounding faith and politics.
-Joe Skogmo-
10-25-09