Identity Crisis

I'm preaching this week and though I have looked at our scriptures in their original languages in preparation for my sermon, I haven't had time to do my ordinary blog work.

But, that's no excuse! You deserve a post!

Our scripture this week comes from Exodus 33:12-23 and Matthew 22:15-22.

In the Exodus scripture, God and the people have had a falling out. After the golden calf incident, God decided that maybe these people weren't the "chosen" ones after all. He's had enough of this stiff-necked people and decides not to go with them any longer. Thankfully, Moses intercedes and reminds God of all the promises God made to him and also to the people and God decides that he will remain with the people.

In our Matthew text, Jesus is confronted with the Pharisees who want to know if it is lawful to pay taxes to the government. They are trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus doesn't fall for it! Jesus points out to them that for a people who are so concerned about paying taxes to a secular government, they don't seem to have much problem dealing with Roman currency in the Temple. Moreover, he instructs them to give to the emperor what belongs to the emperor and to God what belongs to God. It's a tricky statement--everything belongs to God! Even the emperor belongs to God!

Both of these scriptures seem to be dealing with issues of identity. Exodus deals with the identity of the people before God. God and the people of Israel are still working out how this relationship is going to be. Neither is too sure of the other. Israel can't seem to work out who they are before God and God often seems to lack commitment.

The Matthew scripture presents a question of the identity of Jews in a secular situation. They are not sure what kind of relationship they should have with others--namely the government. The relationship with God seems worked out, but they are not sure how to live in a world that may not be sympathetic to their relationship with God.

Both aspects of identity are important. We have to know who we are before God and we have to know who we are in relationship to the world we live in.

Want more? Come on Sunday!!