To Whom do You Belong? [Matthew 22:15-22 - Proper 24A]
The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 22:15-22 To Whom do You Belong? Jesus does not have to answer your questions. He is Jesus. Throughout the Gospels he makes this abundantly clear. Often the religious leaders confront him with tricky questions, always hoping to put Jesus in a precarious position, always hoping that his answer will erode his popular support or justify his arrest. Today is no exception. Once again the religious leaders scheme up a very difficult question. Today’s is an especially rich query. It combines the trifecta of trickiness: politics, money, and religion. It is not difficult to imagine the Pharisees and the Herodians suppressing gleeful smiles and shaking with the buzz of excitement as they set up the ask. Finally, after many unsatisfactory showdowns, many embarrassing encounters, they are going to force Jesus to reveal his partisan leanings. The strange al...