Synopsis of the Armenian Message

Matthew 22:15-22

Whose Picture?

A young woman was enjoying the Florida sun when a little boy approached her and asked, “Do you believe in God?” “Yes, I sure do. Why?” was the woman’s response. “Do you go the church every Sunday?” the boy asked. “Yes!” said the woman. “Do you pray and read the Bible every day?” Again she said “Yes”. The boy relaxed and said, “Will you hold my quarter for a few minutes? I want to go swimming.”

The boy was looking for a trustworthy person. He was going to entrust his most valuable possession to a stranger!

In my last sermon, we met the king who ended up inviting strangers to his son’s wedding banquet. His invitees had refused the invitation. The Pharisees did not like this parable. They left Jesus angrily and “laid plans to trap him in his words” (vs 15).

They were so angry that they could not see Jesus clearly anymore. They thought Jesus was under the influence of Satan. We know he came to destroy Satan’s influence.

They thought he wanted to be the King of Israel. We know he is the King of Kings.

They thought his influence would be over at the cross. We know his cross influenced the history of the world for the last 2000 years.

The Pharisees were so blinded that they even allied with their enemy Herodians, who in turn were the Roman’s allies.

A delegation of the Pharisees and Herodians met with Jesus and politely asked him the trapping question. They gave him an honorable title: “teacher.” They called him a “man of integrity”, “teaching the way of God”. Did they believe in what they were saying?

Finally, the question came: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” This was a real trap. The Herodians wanted to hear his opinion about Caesar. The Pharisees wanted to hear his opinion about taxes. Both were looking for a word to trap him with. It was indeed a double-edged sword.

Jesus was angry. Don’t you think so? He called them “hypocrites.” He then asked for a coin. In those days Roman coins held the portrait of the Emperor Tiberius Caesar and on the other side the inscription in Latin: “Tiberius Caesar, Son of Divine Augustus Pontifix Maximus.” The Emperor was the High Priest of Rome’s pagan religion. By asking for the coin, Jesus made a point that they were breaking the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself and idol” (Ex. 20:4).

To be continued in the English sermon…