Is Money An Idol?

Jesus is the most clever person in history!!    When confronted with a simple question, that is sure to set him up, it never worked.  He immediately saw right through their plan.  Today's story is about two unlikely people, a Pharisee ,and a Herodian, who go together to try to “trap” Jesus.  They wanted him to choose which was more important the Roman government — the emperor — or God.  Jesus puts the test right back in their corner.  Whose picture is on this coin?  “The emperor’s” they responded.  Jesus tells them. What is the emperor’s give to the emperor!  What is God’s give to God!  Simple!  Case closed!

The question one might ask today is: What is, or isn’t, God’s?  

In America were have printed “In God We Trust” on all of our money since early in our history.  And we also have famous people on some of our coins and all of our bills.  So what does this simple story from Jesus’ day have to do with us?  How is it relevant today?  Or is it?  Some would argue that since God's name in on the money; and since human picture are as well.  And since God created all that is! Then all money belongs to God. And, by the way, should be given to God!  How do you think that would wash with the majority of the American population today?  A population that has so much ownership of their money.  “It is mine!”  “I earned it!”  “Don’t tell me what to do with it!”

I will take a huge jump here and say that money is our main god.  I will go even further to suggest that we worship money.  We may even love money! Money is the number one subject of conversation in most businesses, family discussions and certainly political debates and decisions.  It is the tool of power and/or authority!  Since time began, money has been the point of division and/or loyalty.  Money has always wielded the power in the human world!

Having said all of that, I want to remind all of you who ever went to Sunday School, or in the Roman Catholic tradition: CCD;  all of us learned the Ten Commandments, if nothing else.  So lets revisit the very beginning words  God spoke as he issued his wise advise.  

1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,…(Exodus 20:1-3)

So!  If we are to have no other gods — no idols — before God the Creator of the universe.  Then how do you suppose our loyalty, our passion, for money looks to God?  What would Jesus tell us about our fixation on money?  Or how would we try to “trap” Jesus today?   That is, try to get him to allow us to compromise our faith?  To allow us to make it okay to have this one little idol?   Because that is the issue being addressed in this Gospel!  Who are we most loyal to, our God?   Or, our god?

Read the story and see what you think for today.

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" 21 They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.(Matt. 22:15-22)